Animal Crossing: New Horizons - A Review

Introduction: Hey guys, welcome back to another article on Gamehag! Today, I decided to keep on with the Nintendo theme and move on to w for my next article! But before we begin, I just want to say that this is my 4th article on Gamehag (I'm getting used to writing articles now...) so if you want to leave feedback for me in the comment section, feel free to do so! Anyway without further ado, let's dig deeper into a game that was released by Nintendo last month, Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

What is Animal Crossing?

Now, if you don't know what Animal Crossing is, it's a video game series made by Nintendo in 2001. The first game, Dōbutsu no Mori (Animal Forest in English) was released in Japan for the Nintendo 64. Now around that time, the 64 was starting to get old and the Gamecube was about to replace it but Nintendo still decided to make games for the 64. The console relied on cartilages and not disks which was a huge flaw for Animal Forest since it contained complex information (such as a real time clock) that the cartilages couldn't handle. Nevertheless, Nintendo tweaked the game a bit and it was released on the 64.


Caption: Here's some gameplay of the original Animal Crossing 64 game

What About the Game that you Talked About Earlier, Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a video game that was also released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch on March 20th, 2020. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the game before the virus took over and let me just say that this game is a big improvement from the previous Animal Crossing games that they made! This is the first actual Animal Crossing game that is featured in HD graphics, (sorry Amiibo Festival, no one likes you...) and it unlike the previous Animal Crossing games, this one took place in an actual island than a town.


Caption: Here's some gameplay of the newest game in the series, New Horizons

How do you Play the Game?

Unlike other games, there isn't really a goal in New Horizons. You get to do fun outdoor activities such as fishing and catching bugs and each day, something new happens in the game. When you first boot up the game, you will need to build houses and facilities for your villagers. (they are kind of like your residents/friends, but in animal form) The facilities that you unlock and build will help improve the town on your island and more villagers will appear on your island as you progress throughout the game. You can also unlock DIY recipes that can help you make unique tools and decorations that will improve the look of your island. If you have friends, (I mean, who doesn't?) you can play with them on your island and you can trade resources/recipes that will be essential for your island. You can unlock up to ten villagers in the game and each one has a different personality. There are over 400 of them, and meeting each one will be a hard task to complete, but that's what the game is about, meeting new people and improving your island.


Caption: Here's a picture of Isabelle, (your secretary) and a couple of villagers that may appear on your island

Seasons and Events:

Events that happen in the game are based on real time. In fact, the time in real life is actually the time for the game. If your playing the game during Christmas at 5:32 AM, the game would have a Christmas event at 5:32 AM too! Christmas isn't the only event in New Horizons though. Almost every holiday that you experience in real life is in the game! (Easter, Earth Day, Thanksgiving, etc) Not only that, but seasons will happen in the game as well. There are certain resources, fish, bugs, and recipes that are only available on certain months, so be sure to check back in the game everyday for news on a new thing!


Caption: The 4 seasons that appear in New Horizons

I Really Want to Play the Game! Where can I Play it on?

The newest game, New Horizons, is available on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite. If you don't own a Nintendo Switch but still have an older Nintendo gaming such as a 3DS, you can get Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which is an older game in the series but still delivers the fun and excitement you need for an Animal Crossing game! (I mean, it's Animal Crossing...)

Conclusion:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is already a month old and based on my experience, it's a good game. Of course, there are some things that are in the game that need to be improve but if you really like Animal Crossing, I suggest giving it a try since it's a good game for pretty much everyone! There's something different and new in the game everyday and the possibilities you can do on your island are endless! From making a huge town to simply having fun with friends, Animal Crossing is a life simulator game that's unique and different from other games in every way possible.


Caption: Tom Nook, Blathers, and the others celebrating for the new museum that they have built

Editor's Note: I know that I said this in the beginning of the article, but if you have any feedback on the article I wrote, please tell me! The positive things you say to me in the forums are helpful and they let me know what I need to improve and keep for my future articles on Gamehag, so thanks for your support and enjoy gaming!