Difference between revisions of "Animal Crossing: New Horizons"

From Nookipedia, the Animal Crossing wiki
m (Text replacement - "{{Cite Twitter([\s\S]*?(?=\n.*?=|site))site=Twitter}}" to "{{Cite Twitter$1}}")
m (Text replacement - " = (.*) \n" to " = $1 ")
(7 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 33: Line 33:
 
{{See also|Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Staff|label1=List of Animal Crossing: New Horizons staff|Prerelease and unused content in New Horizons}}
 
{{See also|Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Staff|label1=List of Animal Crossing: New Horizons staff|Prerelease and unused content in New Horizons}}
 
[[File:Animal Crossing New Horizons CEDEC 2020 Pre-Release Content 3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Early build of {{NH|short|nolink}}.]]
 
[[File:Animal Crossing New Horizons CEDEC 2020 Pre-Release Content 3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Early build of {{NH|short|nolink}}.]]
Development on the game began shortly after the Japanese release of {{NL}} prior to the development team being aware of the [[Nintendo Switch]].<ref name = "philosophy">{{cite web|author=Elise Favis|date=March 23, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2020/03/23/nintendo-explains-philosophy-behind-animal-crossings-big-changes-like-gender-expression-terraforming/|title=Nintendo explains philosophy behind Animal Crossing's big changes, such as gender expression and terraforming|site=Washington Post}}</ref> As with the previous title, [[Aya Kyogoku]] was chosen as the director of the game, with [[Hisashi Nogami]] in charge as producer.  
+
Development on the game began shortly after the Japanese release of {{NL}} prior to the development team being aware of the [[Nintendo Switch]].<ref name = "philosophy">{{cite web|author=Elise Favis|date=March 23, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2020/03/23/nintendo-explains-philosophy-behind-animal-crossings-big-changes-like-gender-expression-terraforming/|title=Nintendo explains philosophy behind Animal Crossing's big changes, such as gender expression and terraforming|site=Washington Post}}</ref> As with the previous title, [[Aya Kyogoku]] was chosen as the director of the game, with [[Hisashi Nogami]] in charge as producer.
  
 
Kyogoku noted in an interview that the team chose to be ambitious even despite not knowing anything about the hardware that they would eventually release the game on. The team intended for the game to be welcoming for veteran players and accessible for new players by keeping much of the core gameplay from previous titles while still adding in many new elements.<ref name = "philosophy"/> The theme of developing a town on a deserted island was chosen because the developers believed that breaking away from the tradition of players moving into a village would be a fresh and interesting concept for old players. Kyogoku noted that some players of previous entries would have difficulty finding goals or objectives. As a response to this feedback, a sense of purpose was purposely developed by having players develop the village from scratch. The developers felt that as players constructed their village from the ground up, they would grow a more personal relationship with their town.<ref name = "crazy">{{Cite web|author=Scott Stein|date=March 21, 2020|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/youre-not-crazy-tom-nook-is-nicer-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons/|title=You're not crazy: Tom Nook is nicer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons|site=CNET}}</ref>
 
Kyogoku noted in an interview that the team chose to be ambitious even despite not knowing anything about the hardware that they would eventually release the game on. The team intended for the game to be welcoming for veteran players and accessible for new players by keeping much of the core gameplay from previous titles while still adding in many new elements.<ref name = "philosophy"/> The theme of developing a town on a deserted island was chosen because the developers believed that breaking away from the tradition of players moving into a village would be a fresh and interesting concept for old players. Kyogoku noted that some players of previous entries would have difficulty finding goals or objectives. As a response to this feedback, a sense of purpose was purposely developed by having players develop the village from scratch. The developers felt that as players constructed their village from the ground up, they would grow a more personal relationship with their town.<ref name = "crazy">{{Cite web|author=Scott Stein|date=March 21, 2020|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/youre-not-crazy-tom-nook-is-nicer-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons/|title=You're not crazy: Tom Nook is nicer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons|site=CNET}}</ref>
  
As a result of choosing a deserted island theme, [[DIY|crafting]] was added into the game. This was done so that players would have a higher level of interactivity with the deserted island. This would give players a different perspective of the environment that used to be just a visual aspect.<ref name = "crazy"/> Crafting was also developed with the intention of keeping players from running out of things to do during the hours that their shops are closed.<ref name = "philosophy"/> Another of these new features, terraforming, was added in response to unexpected behavior from players in previous games such as resetting towns in order to receive a desirable town layout. With the introduction of crafting and terraforming, players are able to be more in control of their island.<ref name = "philosophy"/> This flexibility in design extends further onto player design. Unlike previous games which involved players having to answer a series of questions to determine their appearance, players are now able to freely change their appearance whenever they would like to through the use of mirrors or vanities. In addition to this, several new hair and facial features were added that were not present in previous entries. A gender option, referred to as "style" in English versions, is still present, but does not impact the player's appearance or the game in any way other than certain dialogue differences. Kyogoku stated in an interview that this level of player customization is not just about gender, but rather more about individuality, which the development team believed was a growing belief within society. Players are not forced into thinking too much about gender, but the option is still there should they decide to.<ref name = "philosophy"/>  
+
As a result of choosing a deserted island theme, [[DIY|crafting]] was added into the game. This was done so that players would have a higher level of interactivity with the deserted island. This would give players a different perspective of the environment that used to be just a visual aspect.<ref name = "crazy"/> Crafting was also developed with the intention of keeping players from running out of things to do during the hours that their shops are closed.<ref name = "philosophy"/> Another of these new features, terraforming, was added in response to unexpected behavior from players in previous games such as resetting towns in order to receive a desirable town layout. With the introduction of crafting and terraforming, players are able to be more in control of their island.<ref name = "philosophy"/> This flexibility in design extends further onto player design. Unlike previous games which involved players having to answer a series of questions to determine their appearance, players are now able to freely change their appearance whenever they would like to through the use of mirrors or vanities. In addition to this, several new hair and facial features were added that were not present in previous entries. A gender option, referred to as "style" in English versions, is still present, but does not impact the player's appearance or the game in any way other than certain dialogue differences. Kyogoku stated in an interview that this level of player customization is not just about gender, but rather more about individuality, which the development team believed was a growing belief within society. Players are not forced into thinking too much about gender, but the option is still there should they decide to.<ref name = "philosophy"/>
  
 
The addition of the [[NookPhone]] was inspired by the belief that phones are essential tools in everyday life. Kyogoku has stated that the NookPhone serves as a source of familiarity between the real world and the game.<ref name = "crazy"/>
 
The addition of the [[NookPhone]] was inspired by the belief that phones are essential tools in everyday life. Kyogoku has stated that the NookPhone serves as a source of familiarity between the real world and the game.<ref name = "crazy"/>
Line 53: Line 53:
 
This title supports more languages than all previous entries in the series, being the first main series game to support the Chinese language since {{DnM}},<ref>{{Cite web|author=Iggy|date=September 14, 2018|url=https://nintendosoup.com/luigis-mansion-3-animal-crossing-and-new-super-mario-bros-u-deluxe-playable-in-chinese|title=Luigi's Mansion 3, Animal Crossing, And New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Playable In Chinese|site=NintendoSoup}}</ref> which was ported to the [[wikipedia:iQue Player|iQue Player]] with simplified Chinese support exclusively for mainland China in 2006. This is also the first main series title since {{CF}} to have two separate localizations for Spanish and French; one for Europe and another for the Americas, although it has been erroneously reported to be the first title to do so in the case of Spanish.<ref>{{Cite web|author=hadamsj|date=April 29, 2020|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqUicmDQKuA|title=Animal Crossing: City Folk - Comparing Spanish localizations (LATAM & EU)|site=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Juan Emilio Reyes|date=December 4, 2019|url=https://www.3djuegos.com/mx/noticias-amp/199649/animal-crossing-new-horizons-vendr-localizado-al-espaol|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons vendrá localizado al español latinoamericano|site=3DJuegos|language=Spanish}}</ref> It is the first title to include all localizations collectively regardless of regional release, and the first main series title to include Dutch and Russian languages.
 
This title supports more languages than all previous entries in the series, being the first main series game to support the Chinese language since {{DnM}},<ref>{{Cite web|author=Iggy|date=September 14, 2018|url=https://nintendosoup.com/luigis-mansion-3-animal-crossing-and-new-super-mario-bros-u-deluxe-playable-in-chinese|title=Luigi's Mansion 3, Animal Crossing, And New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Playable In Chinese|site=NintendoSoup}}</ref> which was ported to the [[wikipedia:iQue Player|iQue Player]] with simplified Chinese support exclusively for mainland China in 2006. This is also the first main series title since {{CF}} to have two separate localizations for Spanish and French; one for Europe and another for the Americas, although it has been erroneously reported to be the first title to do so in the case of Spanish.<ref>{{Cite web|author=hadamsj|date=April 29, 2020|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqUicmDQKuA|title=Animal Crossing: City Folk - Comparing Spanish localizations (LATAM & EU)|site=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Juan Emilio Reyes|date=December 4, 2019|url=https://www.3djuegos.com/mx/noticias-amp/199649/animal-crossing-new-horizons-vendr-localizado-al-espaol|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons vendrá localizado al español latinoamericano|site=3DJuegos|language=Spanish}}</ref> It is the first title to include all localizations collectively regardless of regional release, and the first main series title to include Dutch and Russian languages.
  
{{NH|nolink}} is the first title in the series to launch worldwide on the same date. On October 7, 2022, Nintendo Brasil announced that {{NH|short|nolink}} along with various other first-party Nintendo games, would receive a physical release in Brazil, where games had previously only been released digitally, by the end of 2022.<ref>{{Cite Twitter|author=NintendoBrasil|date=October 7, 2022|url=https://twitter.com/NintendoBrasil/status/1578461555057778688|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022195720/https://twitter.com/NintendoBrasil/status/1578461555057778688|archive-date=October 22, 2022|title=Versões físicas de títulos selecionados do console Nintendo Switch estarão disponíveis no Brasil até o fim do ano!|site=Twitter|retrieved=October 7, 2022|language=Portuguese}}</ref>
+
{{NH|nolink}} is the first title in the series to launch worldwide on the same date. On October 7, 2022, Nintendo Brasil announced that {{NH|short|nolink}} along with various other first-party Nintendo games, would receive a physical release in Brazil, where games had previously only been released digitally, by the end of 2022.<ref>{{Cite Twitter|author=NintendoBrasil|date=October 7, 2022|url=https://twitter.com/NintendoBrasil/status/1578461555057778688|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022195720/https://twitter.com/NintendoBrasil/status/1578461555057778688|archive-date=October 22, 2022|title=Versões físicas de títulos selecionados do console Nintendo Switch estarão disponíveis no Brasil até o fim do ano!|retrieved=October 7, 2022|language=Portuguese}}</ref>
  
 
{{clear}}
 
{{clear}}
Line 83: Line 83:
  
 
[[File:Super Mushroom NH Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.8.0]][[File:Super Star NH Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.8.0]] '''[[Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.8.0|Free Update]]''' (1.8.0)<br>
 
[[File:Super Mushroom NH Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.8.0]][[File:Super Star NH Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.8.0]] '''[[Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.8.0|Free Update]]''' (1.8.0)<br>
:The eighth free content update to {{NH|short|nolink}} was released on February 25, 2021. It features ''Super Mario''-themed items available from [[Nook Shopping]], as well as three Nook Shopping seasonal events.<ref>https://twitter.com/animalcrossing/status/1362167046151278593?s=19</ref><ref>https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/bbbdba53-3902-4090-93fa-49af995fe127</ref>
+
:The eighth free content update to {{NH|short|nolink}} was released on February 25, 2021. It features ''Super Mario''-themed items available from [[Nook Shopping]], as well as three Nook Shopping seasonal events.<ref>{{Cite Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/animalcrossing/status/1362167046151278593|author=animalcrossing|date=February 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826012950/https://twitter.com/animalcrossing/status/1362167046151278593|archive-date=August 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/bbbdba53-3902-4090-93fa-49af995fe127|site=topics.nintendo.co.jp|date=November 18, 2021|title=『あつまれ どうぶつの森』3月からスーパーマリオブラザーズの家具が登場。無料アップデートを2月25日に配信。|author=Nintendo}}</ref>
  
 
[[File:Chai NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Chelsea NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Étoile NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Marty NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Rilla NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Toby NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]] '''[[Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0|Free Update]]''' (1.9.0)<br>
 
[[File:Chai NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Chelsea NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Étoile NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Marty NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Rilla NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]][[File:Toby NH Villager Icon.png|20px|link=Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0]] '''[[Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history/1.9.0|Free Update]]''' (1.9.0)<br>
Line 115: Line 115:
 
As in {{HHD}}, the game features the ability to place furniture outside. A new [[Vaulting Pole]] tool can be created, giving the ability to vault over rivers, as well as a [[Ladder]], allowing the player to climb up [[cliff]]s.  
 
As in {{HHD}}, the game features the ability to place furniture outside. A new [[Vaulting Pole]] tool can be created, giving the ability to vault over rivers, as well as a [[Ladder]], allowing the player to climb up [[cliff]]s.  
  
Up to eight players can live on a single island, but only one island can be made per Nintendo Switch.<ref>[https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/06/12/nintendo-confirms-new-details-about-multiplayer-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons-e3-2019 Nintendo Confirms New Details About Multiplayer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons], IGN.</ref> The first player is named the "Resident Representative," which occupies a similar role to the [[mayor]] in {{NL}}; this player controls the pace of the storyline, and is the only player that can initiate placement of villager housing plots and infrastructure such as stores, bridges, and inclines (though all players will have access to the Island Designer app once K.K. performs). Additionally, there is a maximum of 10 animal villagers on the island.
+
Up to eight players can live on a single island, but only one island can be made per Nintendo Switch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/06/12/nintendo-confirms-new-details-about-multiplayer-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons-e3-2019|title=Nintendo Confirms New Details About Multiplayer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons|site=IGN|author=Miranda Sanchez|date=June 11, 2019}}</ref> The first player is named the "Resident Representative," which occupies a similar role to the [[mayor]] in {{NL}}; this player controls the pace of the storyline, and is the only player that can initiate placement of villager housing plots and infrastructure such as stores, bridges, and inclines (though all players will have access to the Island Designer app once K.K. performs). Additionally, there is a maximum of 10 animal villagers on the island.
  
 
===Resources===
 
===Resources===
Line 121: Line 121:
  
 
===Player===
 
===Player===
Players can fully customize their characters at the beginning and during the game without having to answer questions, similar to {{HHD}} and {{PC|short}}. This includes skin tones, gender-neutral hairstyles, and nose shapes.<ref>[https://www.polygon.com/e3/2019/6/12/18662401/animal-crossing-new-horizons-e3-2019-character-customization-skin-tone-nintendo-switch Animal Crossing: New Horizons will have skin tone customization, gender-neutral hairstyles for Villagers], Polygon.</ref> The player characters' overall design is slightly more detailed than in previous titles, featuring a more subdued color scheme and clear hair physics and shaders. The players also appear more expressive, showing a thoughtful expression when selecting items in their pocket, and moving their eyes around to look at nearby villagers and bugs.
+
Players can fully customize their characters at the beginning and during the game without having to answer questions, similar to {{HHD}} and {{PC|short}}. This includes skin tones, gender-neutral hairstyles, and nose shapes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/2019/6/12/18662401/animal-crossing-new-horizons-e3-2019-character-customization-skin-tone-nintendo-switch|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons will have skin tone customization, gender-neutral hairstyles for Villagers|site=Polygon|date=June 12, 2019|author=Chelsea Stark}}</ref> The player characters' overall design is slightly more detailed than in previous titles, featuring a more subdued color scheme and clear hair physics and shaders. The players also appear more expressive, showing a thoughtful expression when selecting items in their pocket, and moving their eyes around to look at nearby villagers and bugs.
  
 
The player also possesses a new item called the [[NookPhone]], which features multiple different applications that the player can use such as [[Nook Miles]], [[Rescue Service]], Local Play, and more.
 
The player also possesses a new item called the [[NookPhone]], which features multiple different applications that the player can use such as [[Nook Miles]], [[Rescue Service]], Local Play, and more.
Line 570: Line 570:
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Wikipedia:GameSpot|GameSpot]]
 
|[[Wikipedia:GameSpot|GameSpot]]
|8/10<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/animal-crossing-new-leaf/reviews/animal-crossing-new-leaf-review-6409125/ GameSpot - Animal Crossing: New Leaf Review]</ref>
+
|9/10<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/animal-crossing-new-horizons/|author=Kallie Plagge|date=April 9, 2020|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review - Island Getaway|site=GameSpot}}</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Wikipedia:IGN|IGN]]
 
|[[Wikipedia:IGN|IGN]]
Line 585: Line 585:
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Wikipedia:Nintendo Life|Nintendo Life]]
 
|[[Wikipedia:Nintendo Life|Nintendo Life]]
|10/10<ref>{{Cite web|author=Alex Olney|date=March 16, 2020|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch||/animal_crossing_new_horizons|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review|site=Nintendo Life|retrieved=September 28, 2020}}</ref>
+
|10/10<ref>{{Cite web|author=Alex Olney|date=March 16, 2020|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/animal_crossing_new_horizons|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review|site=Nintendo Life|retrieved=September 28, 2020}}</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Wikipedia:Pocket Gamer|Pocket Gamer]]
 
|[[Wikipedia:Pocket Gamer|Pocket Gamer]]
Line 598: Line 598:
 
In November 2022, {{NH|short|nolink}} reached 10.45 million copies sold in Japan, surpassing [[bulbapedia:Pokémon Red and Blue Versions|''Pokémon Red'', ''Green'', and ''Blue Versions'']] as the best-selling game of all time in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Adele Ankers-Range|date=November 9, 2022|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/animal-crossing-new-horizons-japans-best-selling-game-of-all-time|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Become Japan's Best-Selling Game of All Time|site=IGN|retrieved=November 9, 2022}}</ref>
 
In November 2022, {{NH|short|nolink}} reached 10.45 million copies sold in Japan, surpassing [[bulbapedia:Pokémon Red and Blue Versions|''Pokémon Red'', ''Green'', and ''Blue Versions'']] as the best-selling game of all time in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Adele Ankers-Range|date=November 9, 2022|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/animal-crossing-new-horizons-japans-best-selling-game-of-all-time|title=Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Become Japan's Best-Selling Game of All Time|site=IGN|retrieved=November 9, 2022}}</ref>
  
In the United States, the game became the best-selling in March 2020 and second best-selling in 2020 overall. It was achieved the third highest month physical dollar and unit sales of any Nintendo game and exceeded the lifetime sales of all games in the series.<ref>{{Cite Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1252582932369117185|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413150457/https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1252582932369117185|archive-date=April 13, 2022|title=MAR 2020 US NPD THREAD - Nintendo Switch sets a new March hardware sales record, while Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of Nintendo's fastest selling games in history. Here are all the U.S. Video Game market highlights from The NPD Group!|author=MatPiscatella|}}</ref>
+
In the United States, the game became the best-selling in March 2020 and second best-selling in 2020 overall. It was achieved the third highest month physical dollar and unit sales of any Nintendo game and exceeded the lifetime sales of all games in the series.<ref>{{Cite Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1252582932369117185|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413150457/https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1252582932369117185|archive-date=April 13, 2022|title=MAR 2020 US NPD THREAD - Nintendo Switch sets a new March hardware sales record, while Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of Nintendo's fastest selling games in history. Here are all the U.S. Video Game market highlights from The NPD Group!|author=MatPiscatella}}</ref>
  
 
In Europe, {{NH|short|nolink}} has sold 7 million copies as of March 16, 2021 and was confirmed to be the fastest selling Nintendo title ever released in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/stories/animal-crossing-new-horizons-breaks-european-record-for-fastest-selling-title-in-nintendo-history-623034.phtml|title=
 
In Europe, {{NH|short|nolink}} has sold 7 million copies as of March 16, 2021 and was confirmed to be the fastest selling Nintendo title ever released in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/stories/animal-crossing-new-horizons-breaks-european-record-for-fastest-selling-title-in-nintendo-history-623034.phtml|title=
Line 708: Line 708:
 
|Top 100 Video Games of All Time
 
|Top 100 Video Games of All Time
 
|align="center"|91
 
|align="center"|91
|align="center"|<ref>{{Cite web|author=IGN Staff|date=December 31, 2021|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-100-video-games-of-all-time|quote=The Top 100 Video Games of All Time|site=IGN|retrieved=January 8, 2022}}</ref>
+
|align="center"|<ref>{{Cite web|author=IGN Staff|date=December 31, 2021|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-100-video-games-of-all-time|title=The Top 100 Video Games of All Time|site=IGN|retrieved=January 8, 2022}}</ref>
 
|}
 
|}
  

Revision as of 18:21, December 1, 2022

English logo
North American game cover
North American game cover
Main theme
Developer(s) Nintendo EPD
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Aya Kyogoku
Platform(s) Nintendo Switch
Release date(s) Worldwide March 20, 2020[1]
Genre(s) Simulation
Language(s) Worldwide English (North America), English (Europe), Japanese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, French (Europe), French (North America), Spanish (Europe), Spanish (North America), Italian, Russian, German, Dutch
Modes Single-player
Multiplayer (1–4 player co-op; 1–8 player local wireless/online)
Ratings ACB:  G
CERO:  A
ClassInd:  L
ESRB:  E
FPB:  PG
GCAM:  3
GRAC:  All
GSRR: P(6+) P(6+)
NMC:  3
PEGI:  3
RARS:  0+
USK:  0
Media Nintendo Switch Game Card
Nintendo eShop digital download
File size 10.2 GB[1] (digital download only)
Input
methods
Joy-Con
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
USB keyboard (typing only)

Guide at StrategyWiki

Animal Crossing: New Horizons[nb 1] is a simulation game for the Nintendo Switch released on March 20, 2020. It is the fifth main installment in the Animal Crossing series outside of Japan.

In a departure from previous titles in the series, the player lives on a deserted island rather than in a town (referred to as the "Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package"), which can develop into a town-like community as players progress through the game. Crafting from Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has also returned in this installment in the form of the DIY system, along with expanded customization of furniture and the player characters.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a critical and commercial success, having received positive reviews from critics and selling over 40 million copies as of September 2022, making it the best-selling game in the Animal Crossing series and the second best-selling Nintendo Switch game behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Development and unveiling

See also: List of Animal Crossing: New Horizons staff and Prerelease and unused content in New Horizons
Early build of New Horizons.

Development on the game began shortly after the Japanese release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf prior to the development team being aware of the Nintendo Switch.[2] As with the previous title, Aya Kyogoku was chosen as the director of the game, with Hisashi Nogami in charge as producer.

Kyogoku noted in an interview that the team chose to be ambitious even despite not knowing anything about the hardware that they would eventually release the game on. The team intended for the game to be welcoming for veteran players and accessible for new players by keeping much of the core gameplay from previous titles while still adding in many new elements.[2] The theme of developing a town on a deserted island was chosen because the developers believed that breaking away from the tradition of players moving into a village would be a fresh and interesting concept for old players. Kyogoku noted that some players of previous entries would have difficulty finding goals or objectives. As a response to this feedback, a sense of purpose was purposely developed by having players develop the village from scratch. The developers felt that as players constructed their village from the ground up, they would grow a more personal relationship with their town.[3]

As a result of choosing a deserted island theme, crafting was added into the game. This was done so that players would have a higher level of interactivity with the deserted island. This would give players a different perspective of the environment that used to be just a visual aspect.[3] Crafting was also developed with the intention of keeping players from running out of things to do during the hours that their shops are closed.[2] Another of these new features, terraforming, was added in response to unexpected behavior from players in previous games such as resetting towns in order to receive a desirable town layout. With the introduction of crafting and terraforming, players are able to be more in control of their island.[2] This flexibility in design extends further onto player design. Unlike previous games which involved players having to answer a series of questions to determine their appearance, players are now able to freely change their appearance whenever they would like to through the use of mirrors or vanities. In addition to this, several new hair and facial features were added that were not present in previous entries. A gender option, referred to as "style" in English versions, is still present, but does not impact the player's appearance or the game in any way other than certain dialogue differences. Kyogoku stated in an interview that this level of player customization is not just about gender, but rather more about individuality, which the development team believed was a growing belief within society. Players are not forced into thinking too much about gender, but the option is still there should they decide to.[2]

The addition of the NookPhone was inspired by the belief that phones are essential tools in everyday life. Kyogoku has stated that the NookPhone serves as a source of familiarity between the real world and the game.[3]

In another shift, the effects of time traveling were made less impactful. This is in part due to the fact that seasonal events and holidays were not coded into the game from launch and were instead added through future updates. Kyogoku noted that this method of adding events was not intended to shun time traveling, but rather as a form of creating unity amongst players. Nevertheless, time traveling was still discouraged by Kyogoku and Nogami, though they did not consider it to be a form of cheating.[2]

Unveiling and release

The teaser for the then untitled New Horizons.

The game was teased during a Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2018, in tandem with the announcement of Isabelle for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and was originally slated to be released in 2019.[4]

During E3 2019 on June 11, 2019, the gameplay (from a trailer and Treehouse interview) and title were shown. It was revealed that the game had been delayed to March 20, 2020; it was stated that "to ensure the game is the best it can be, we must ask that you wait a little longer than we thought."[5] Later, President of Nintendo of America, Doug Bowser, said the following: "The crunch point is an interesting one, for us, one of our key tenets is that we bring smiles to people's faces, and we talk about that all the time. It's our vision. Or our mission, I should say. For us, that applies to our own employees. We need to make sure that our employees have good work-life balance. One of those examples is, we will not bring a game to market before it's ready. We just talked about one example. It's really important that we have that balance in our world. It's actually something we're proud of."[6]

An Animal Crossing Nintendo Direct took place on February 20, 2020,[7] showcasing multiple new features of the game, such as terrain editing, additional house customization, and more.

This title supports more languages than all previous entries in the series, being the first main series game to support the Chinese language since Doubutsu no Mori,[8] which was ported to the iQue Player with simplified Chinese support exclusively for mainland China in 2006. This is also the first main series title since Animal Crossing: City Folk to have two separate localizations for Spanish and French; one for Europe and another for the Americas, although it has been erroneously reported to be the first title to do so in the case of Spanish.[9][10] It is the first title to include all localizations collectively regardless of regional release, and the first main series title to include Dutch and Russian languages.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the first title in the series to launch worldwide on the same date. On October 7, 2022, Nintendo Brasil announced that New Horizons along with various other first-party Nintendo games, would receive a physical release in Brazil, where games had previously only been released digitally, by the end of 2022.[11]

Update history

For detailed changelogs see Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Update history
Pete NH Character Icon.png
This article or section contains information about game updates.
The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current or accurate information about the game.
Pete NH Character Icon.png
This article or section contains information about game updates.
The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current or accurate information about the game.
Current version:
2.0.6 (released November 14, 2022)

From its release in March 2020 to November 2021, Animal Crossing: New Horizons received twelve free content updates and one paid DLC expansion. The free updates included content such as new events, gameplay elements, characters, and items. Each update was released at 10 AM JST (1 AM UTC), causing them to be released the night before their scheduled release date in some regions, such as the Americas. The Happy Home Paradise expansion, however, was unlocked at 12 AM local time in all regions.

Online multiplayer can only be participated in if the most recent update is installed. The version number is displayed on the title screen and when talking to Orville about multiplayer functions.

Below is a timeline of updates. For more information, refer to the respective articles on each major update.

Content updates

Zipper NH Character Icon.png First Update (1.1.0)

The first major free update for the game, released simultaneously with the game, added multiple items as part of a cross-promotion with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. It also added Zipper T. Bunny, the Bunny Day event, and a matching series of furniture and clothing.

Leif NH Character Icon.pngRedd NH Character Icon.png April Free Update (1.2.0)

The second free content update to New Horizons was released on April 23, 2020. This update added Leif, Redd, Rover, Cyrus, and Reese to the game, as well as an art gallery expansion for the museum and four new events: Nature Day, May Day, International Museum Day, and Wedding Season.

Pascal NH Character Icon.png Free Summer Update (Wave 1) (1.3.0)

The third free content update to New Horizons was released on July 3, 2020 as a first wave. This update added swimming, diving, and sea creatures to the game, along with Pascal and Gullivarrr.

Luna NH Character Icon.png Summer Update (Wave 2) (1.4.0)

The fourth free content update to New Horizons was released on July 30, 2020 as a second wave. This update added Fireworks Shows, the ability to visit dream islands, and the Island Backup Restoration Service, which allows players to restore save data from the cloud if their Nintendo Switch is lost or damaged.

Jack NH Character Icon.png Fall Update (1.5.0)

The fifth free content update to New Horizons was released on September 30, 2020. This update added the Halloween event along with Jack, Candy, Pumpkin plants for DIY recipes, four new skin colors, six new eye colors and two new Reactions (named Haunt and Scare). NookLink was also updated on October 6, 2020. It now allows the player interact use Reactions from their smartphone.[12]

Franklin NH Character Icon.pngJingle NH Character Icon.png Free Winter Update (1.6.0)

The sixth free content update to New Horizons was released on November 19, 2020. This update added Franklin and Jingle along with the events they host, Turkey Day and Toy Day, respectively. It also adds six new hairstyles and nine new reactions, the option to upgrade the player's storage from 1,600 to 2,400 items, and support for Save Data Transfer.[13]

Pavé NH Character Icon.png Free Update (1.7.0)

The seventh free content update to New Horizons was released on January 28, 2021. This update added Pavé and Festivale, four new reactions, and several Nook Shopping seasonal items.[14]

Super Mushroom NH Icon.pngSuper Star NH Icon.png Free Update (1.8.0)

The eighth free content update to New Horizons was released on February 25, 2021. It features Super Mario-themed items available from Nook Shopping, as well as three Nook Shopping seasonal events.[15][16]

Chai NH Villager Icon.pngChelsea NH Villager Icon.pngÉtoile NH Villager Icon.pngMarty NH Villager Icon.pngRilla NH Villager Icon.pngToby NH Villager Icon.png Free Update (1.9.0)

The ninth free content update to New Horizons was released on March 18, 2021. It features the return of Sanrio-themed items and villagers.[17]

Rover NH Character Icon.png Free Update (1.10.0)

The tenth free content update to New Horizons was released on April 28, 2021. It features the return of previously available events from 2020, as well as the addition of new Nook Shopping seasonal events.[18]

Boba NH Inv Icon.png Free Update (1.11.0)

The eleventh free content update to New Horizons was released on July 29, 2021. It features new Nook Shopping seasonal events and new items from the Fireworks Show and Halloween.[19]

Brewster NH Character Icon.png Free Update (2.0)

The twelfth and final free content update to New Horizons was released on November 4, 2021. It features the addition of The Roost, Kapp'n, an expansion to Harv's Island, cooking DIY recipes, and numerous other new features.

Flower Icon HHP.png Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise

Released alongside the 2.0 Free Update, Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise is paid DLC that allows the player to travel to islands to design homes for characters, similar to Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.

Gameplay

Premise

Tom Nook asking the player if they have ever used a NookPhone.

Tom Nook has a new business venture: selling the Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package, which is sold to the player. The game begins on a nearly deserted island where the player can explore, collect resources, and craft various items (including tools and furniture). The only starting buildings on the island are the player's tent, two villager tents (after the player places them), and the Resident Services tent. The Plaza in front of Resident Services will feature events and visitors. These visitors will have items and services to offer to the player.

Donating 5 unique fish and insects to Tom Nook will unlock the ability to place Blathers' tent. Once Blathers' tent is unlocked, he will give the player a Vaulting Pole to find more creatures and a Shovel to excavate Fossils. Donating 15 more unique creatures and appraised fossils to Blathers will unlock the ability to place his museum, at which the player can donate and assess multiple things at a time. To unlock more tools, the player will need to pay off their tent, help Tom Nook build Nook's Cranny, build one bridge, and start three additional housing plots for animal villagers.

Isabelle joins the island as Nook's assistant.

Once the Resident Services tent is upgraded into a building, Isabelle returns as Nook's assistant and the player is tasked with improving the island's popularity to draw the attention of K.K. Slider. Nook instructs the player to pick a location for a campsite, then to furnish additional housing plots and increase the island's population, and finally to develop the island to a three-star rating. The player earns the Island Designer app once they obtain a three-star rating, allowing K.K. Slider to perform "Welcome Horizons" on their island. After acquiring the proper terraforming tools with Nook Miles, the app allows players to pave roads (instead of having to place patterns on the ground), as well as modify or add rivers and cliffs.

Island lifestyle

In addition to earning Bells, the player can also earn Nook Miles, which is a new form of currency that can be exchanged for furniture, Nook-branded apparel, plane tickets to mystery islands, upgrades, and recipes.

As in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, the game features the ability to place furniture outside. A new Vaulting Pole tool can be created, giving the ability to vault over rivers, as well as a Ladder, allowing the player to climb up cliffs.

Up to eight players can live on a single island, but only one island can be made per Nintendo Switch.[20] The first player is named the "Resident Representative," which occupies a similar role to the mayor in Animal Crossing: New Leaf; this player controls the pace of the storyline, and is the only player that can initiate placement of villager housing plots and infrastructure such as stores, bridges, and inclines (though all players will have access to the Island Designer app once K.K. performs). Additionally, there is a maximum of 10 animal villagers on the island.

Resources

Resources can be collected through various methods, such as chopping at trees with an axe for several types of wood (including wood, softwood, and hardwood), or hitting rocks with a shovel for clay, stone, and ores. Several different types of weeds appear, which can also be used as materials once plucked. Crafting is done through either Tom Nook's workbench, or a bench crafted by the player. With these mechanics, the player is able to build and develop the island over time. Players are also able to dig up clams in the sand, which can then be used as fishing bait or as crafting materials. Additionally, trees and flowers can be shoveled up to be stored in the pocket, flowers can be used as crafting material, and picking them will also leave the stems in the ground.

Player

Players can fully customize their characters at the beginning and during the game without having to answer questions, similar to Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Pocket Camp. This includes skin tones, gender-neutral hairstyles, and nose shapes.[21] The player characters' overall design is slightly more detailed than in previous titles, featuring a more subdued color scheme and clear hair physics and shaders. The players also appear more expressive, showing a thoughtful expression when selecting items in their pocket, and moving their eyes around to look at nearby villagers and bugs.

The player also possesses a new item called the NookPhone, which features multiple different applications that the player can use such as Nook Miles, Rescue Service, Local Play, and more.

The player can purchase a variety of clothes from the Able Sisters shop and presumably other shops that will appear after doing certain tasks. The Able sisters will set up their shop after to buy a fair amount in Bells from them. Able Sisters now includes a fitting room, allowing the player to try on clothes before purchasing.

Multiplayer

Main article: Multiplayer#In Animal Crossing: New Horizons

An island can support up to eight players. For the first time in the series, four players can play at the same time on a single system, and up to eight can play together through online multiplayer or local wireless.[22] Online play requires a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

In local multiplayer, the screen boundaries will follow player 1; however, they may transfer their "leadership" to another player at any time. The lead player is the only player able to see notifications after catching bugs or fish. In online play, all players have equal abilities, as in previous games.

This marks the first game where a player's friend cannot modify the island with their shovel or axe unless they are marked as a best friend.

Nintendo eShop description

Escape to Your Personal Island Paradise

Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.
Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online or with others beside you, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you'll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want.[1]

Characters

Special characters

Main article: Animal Crossing: New Horizons/Characters

Animal Crossing: New Horizons base game introduces six new special characters, including:

Villagers

Main article: Villager/New Horizons

There are a total of 391 villagers in New Horizons base game, which is 8 less than Animal Crossing: New Leaf (including Welcome amiibo). 8 new villagers have been added, and 18 has been removed. 1.9.0 Free Update re-introduces 6 Sanrio villagers. 2.0 Free Update added 8 new villagers, and 8 have returned after being absent in Wild World, City Folk, and New Leaf. With updates, it brings the total of 413 villagers.

New villagers

Returning villagers

Eight villagers from Doubutsu no Mori, Doubutsu no Mori+, Animal Crossing, and the Japan-exclusive Doubutsu no Mori e+ and six from Welcome amiibo return in game updates. Four villagers (marked DnMe+ Logo Cutout.png below) initially only appeared in Doubutsu no Mori e+ and receive localized names for the first time. Two of the returning villagers have their personalities changed.

Connectivity

The NookLink service in the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app.
Main article: NookLink

Animal Crossing: New Horizons supports connectivity with the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app, where players can type out messages, use voice chat, view island statistics, and import custom designs from QR codes created by Animal Crossing: New Leaf or Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. Updates to NookLink were implemented, granting the user additional activities, such as viewing their catalog, reading a newspaper service that tracks their day-to-day activity, using reactions, and redeeming  Nook Points for items.

Players that have Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp linked on the same My Nintendo account can redeem rewards via the My Nintendo screen in the mobile app. The rewards are  50 Leaf Tickets to use in Pocket Camp and a 16-digit download code for Nintendo eShop used to access special furniture and clothing items orders in New Horizons.

List of new amiibo cards

Series 5 of Animal Crossing amiibo cards, containing 48 cards, was released alongside the 2.0 Free Update.

Series 5 amiibo cards
Image # Name Type Star sign Birthday
401 Tom Nook amiibo card NA.png 401 Tom Nook
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Gemini May 30th
402 Timmy and Tommy amiibo card NA.png 402 Timmy & Tommy
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Gemini June 7th
403 Isabelle amiibo card NA.png 403 Isabelle
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Sagittarius December 20th
404 Orville amiibo card NA.png 404 Orville
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Libra October 2nd
405 Wilbur amiibo card NA.png 405 Wilbur
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Cancer July 4th
406 Blathers amiibo card NA.png 406 Blathers
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Libra September 24th
407 Celeste amiibo card NA.png 407 Celeste
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Virgo September 7th
408 Mabel amiibo card NA.png 408 Mabel
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Gemini May 22nd
409 Sable amiibo card NA.png 409 Sable
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Scorpio November 22nd
410 Label amiibo card NA.png 410 Label
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Scorpio October 31st
411 K.K. amiibo card NA.png 411 K.K.
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Virgo August 23rd
412 C.J. amiibo card NA.png 412 C.J.
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Pisces March 7th
413 Flick amiibo card NA.png 413 Flick
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Taurus May 10th
414 Daisy Mae amiibo card NA.png 414 Daisy Mae
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Aries March 30th
415 Kicks amiibo card NA.png 415 Kicks
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Sagittarius November 30th
416 Saharah amiibo card NA.png 416 Saharah
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Scorpio November 10th
417 Harvey amiibo card NA.png 417 Harvey
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Leo August 2nd
418 Gulliver amiibo card NA.png 418 Gulliver
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Gemini May 25th
419 Wisp amiibo card NA.png 419 Wisp
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Pisces February 26th
420 Lottie amiibo card NA.png 420 Lottie
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Virgo September 12th
421 Niko amiibo card NA.png 421 Niko
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Capricorn January 11th
422 Wardell amiibo card NA.png 422 Wardell
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Aquarius February 7th
423 Tom Nook amiibo card NA.png 423 Tom Nook
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Gemini May 30th
424 Isabelle amiibo card NA.png 424 Isabelle
SpecialSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Special
Sagittarius December 20th
425 Sherb amiibo card NA.png 425 Sherb
GoatSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Goat
Capricorn January 18th
426 Megan amiibo card NA.png 426 Megan
BearSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Bear
Pisces March 13th
427 Dom amiibo card NA.png 427 Dom
SheepSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Sheep
Pisces March 18th
428 Audie amiibo card NA.png 428 Audie
WolfSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Wolf
Virgo August 31st
429 Cyd amiibo card NA.png 429 Cyd
ElephantSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Elephant
Gemini June 9th
430 Judy amiibo card NA.png 430 Judy
Bear cubSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Bear cub
Pisces March 10th
431 Raymond amiibo card NA.png 431 Raymond
CatSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Cat
Libra October 1st
432 Reneigh amiibo card NA.png 432 Reneigh
HorseSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Horse
Gemini June 4th
433 Sasha amiibo card NA.png 433 Sasha
RabbitSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Rabbit
Taurus May 19th
434 Ione amiibo card NA.png 434 Ione
SquirrelSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Squirrel
Virgo September 11th
435 Tiansheng amiibo card NA.png 435 Tiansheng
MonkeySpeciesIconSilhouette.png Monkey
Leo August 18th
436 Shino amiibo card NA.png 436 Shino
DeerSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Deer
Scorpio October 31st
437 Marlo amiibo card NA.png 437 Marlo
HamsterSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Hamster
Cancer June 26th
438 Petri amiibo card NA.png 438 Petri
MouseSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Mouse
Libra October 23rd
439 Cephalobot amiibo card NA.png 439 Cephalobot
OctopusSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Octopus
Aries April 1st
440 Quinn amiibo card NA.png 440 Quinn
EagleSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Eagle
Aquarius January 20th
441 Chabwick amiibo card NA.png 441 Chabwick
PenguinSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Penguin
Capricorn December 24th
442 Zoe amiibo card NA.png 442 Zoe
AnteaterSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Anteater
Aquarius February 10th
443 Ace amiibo card NA.png 443 Ace
BirdSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Bird
Leo August 11th
444 Rio amiibo card NA.png 444 Rio
OstrichSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Ostrich
Virgo September 10th
445 Frett amiibo card NA.png 445 Frett
DogSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Dog
Scorpio October 30th
446 Azalea amiibo card NA.png 446 Azalea
RhinocerosSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Rhinoceros
Sagittarius December 18th
447 Roswell amiibo card NA.png 447 Roswell
AlligatorSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Alligator
Taurus May 2nd
448 Faith amiibo card NA.png 448 Faith
KoalaSpeciesIconSilhouette.png Koala
Aries March 21st

Reception

Animal Crossing: New Horizons received positive reviews from critics, with many praising the new entry for retaining the soul of other titles in the series while also providing enhanced visuals and new mechanics.

Publication Rating
Famitsu 38/40[23]
GameSpot 9/10[24]
IGN 9/10[25]
Metacritic[nb 2] 90%[26]
Forbes: 10/10[27]
Telegraph 100%[citation needed]
Nintendo Life 10/10[28]
Pocket Gamer 5/5[29]

Some outlets have attributed some of the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons to the stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements caused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that the game has become a "phenomenon" due to its open-ended and social nature, and citing it as a form of escapism.[30] Ani Bundel of NBC News stated, "In this time of social distancing, it turns out that a trip to a calming island where all you have to do is build houses and plant trees is the perfect escape," and that the game "couldn't have been timed more perfectly," releasing as shelter-in-place orders began to take place in the United States.[31]

Sales

In the first six weeks after the game's release, New Horizons sold over 13.41 million copies worldwide.[32] As of September 30, 2022, the game has sold 40.17 million units worldwide, becoming the second-best selling Nintendo Switch title, only behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe which has sold 48.41 million units.[33]

In November 2022, New Horizons reached 10.45 million copies sold in Japan, surpassing Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue Versions as the best-selling game of all time in the country.[34]

In the United States, the game became the best-selling in March 2020 and second best-selling in 2020 overall. It was achieved the third highest month physical dollar and unit sales of any Nintendo game and exceeded the lifetime sales of all games in the series.[35]

In Europe, New Horizons has sold 7 million copies as of March 16, 2021 and was confirmed to be the fastest selling Nintendo title ever released in the region.[36]

Usage in political media

The Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign promoting custom designs for the then-upcoming 2020 United States presidential election.

The popularity of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, paired with quarantining as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused the game to become prominently used as an online political platform. Months after the game was launched, protestors used New Horizons to protest for Hong Kong democracy against China, even posting derogatory messages pointed at Chinese president Xi Jinping and Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam. The resulting virtual protests caused New Horizons to be taken off online stores in China.[37]

Later that year, Joe Biden's election campaign for the then-upcoming 2020 presidential election in the United States announced in September that it would provide custom designs for New Horizons players.[38] Later in October, the same campaign also launched its own dream island named "Biden HQ." The dream island, accessible through the dream code DA-7286-5710-7478, features a recreation of the White House and the Rose Garden, and a voting booth that promotes players to the Democratic National Committee's voting registration site. The island's player character resembles Joe Biden and when spoken to says, "No malarkey," a slogan used in Biden's presidential campaign.[39][40][41] Following its usage by the Biden election campaign, Nintendo released an official New Horizons usage guidelines for companies and organizations, stating that while they can share custom designs or dream islands, they are prohibited from engaging in certain activities, including politics.[42]

Awards

In September 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons received the Award for Excellence and Grand Award at the Tokyo Game Show,[43] and in November 2020 it won the Nintendo Game of the Year award at the Golden Joystick Awards.[44] It was also nominated for the Best Multiplayer, Best Family, and Game of the Year awards at The Game Awards in 2020.[45]

Year Award Category Result
2020 Tokyo Game Show[43] Award for Excellence Won
Grand Award Won
Golden Joystick Awards[44] Nintendo Game of the Year Won
The Game Awards[45] Best Multiplayer Nominated
Best Family Won
Game of the Year Nominated
2021 New York Game Awards[46] Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year Nominated
Central Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids Game Won
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards[47] Favorite Video Game Nominated
BAFTA Games Awards[48] Best Game Nominated
Family Nominated
Game Beyond Entertainment Won
Game Design Nominated
Multiplayer Won
EE Game of the Year Nominated
D.I.C.E. Awards[49] Family Game of the Year Won
2022 D.I.C.E. Awards[50] Family Game of the Year[nb 3] Nominated
BAFTA Games Awards[51] Evolving Game Nominated

Top lists

Year Publication List Placement Ref.
2021 Asahi TV Top 100 Video Games of All Time 4 [52]
IGN Top 100 Video Games of All Time 91 [53]

Related media

Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Original Soundtrack

In Japan, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has received two soundtrack CDs: Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Original Soundtrack in 2021, which contains all of the game's tracks prior to version 2.0, and Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Original Soundtrack 2 in 2022, which contains tracks added in version 2.0. New Horizons is the first Animal Crossing game to receive a complete soundtrack release. Additionally, Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Totakeke Music Instrumental Selection, a vinyl record containing 18 K.K. Slider songs from the game will be released on November 23, 2022.

New Horizons has also received six tie-in manga as of October 2022:

Gallery

Videos

Trailers

Teaser from Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2018
E3 Nintendo Direct 2019
Nintendo Direct (September 05, 2019)
Nintendo Direct (February 20, 2020)
Bunny Day Event presentation (Nintendo Direct Mini, March 2020)
1.2.0 April Free Update trailer
1.3.0 Free Summer Update (Wave 1) trailer
1.4.0 Summer Update (Wave 2) trailer
1.5.0 Fall Update trailer
1.6.0 Free Winter Update trailer
1.7.0 Free Update trailer
1.8.0 Free Update trailer (Nintendo Direct February 2021)
Sanrio Crossover
Animal Crossing Direct Teaser (Nintendo Direct September 2021)
2.0 Free Update presentation (Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct October 2021)

Gameplay

E3 Nintendo Treehouse gameplay featuring Aya Kyogoku and Hisashi Nogami

Commercials

Nintendo Switch My Way commercial
Your Island Escape, Your Way
Island Life Awaits!
Island Decorating
Your style, your way!
Create your own paradise!
Your island, your life!
So many new friends!
Accolades

Trivia

  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons marks the longest time between the release of two main Animal Crossing series games, at 7 years, 4 months, and 12 days from Animal Crossing: New Leaf's release in Japan on November 8, 2012.
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the second mainline game in the Animal Crossing series not to feature K.K. Slider on its boxart, the first being the international release of Animal Crossing.
  • Likely to tie into Animal Crossing: New Horizons's de-emphasis of gender, villagers with "gendered" catchphrases had their catchphrases changed in this game to use more gender-neutral language. Cole, Cube and Stu, who all formerly included "dude" in their catchphrases, now say "cooooool," "brainfreeze," and "mrooooo," respectively. Shep, who formerly said "baaa man" as his catchphrase, now says "baa baa baa." Fuchsia, whose catchphrase was formerly "girlfriend," now says "precious." These changes were later incorporated into Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp as of version 3.4.0.

Names in other languages

Japanese あつまれ どうぶつの森
Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori
Animal Forest: Gather

Korean 모여봐요 동물의 숲
Moyeobwayo Dongmul-Ui Sup
Animal Forest: Gather Together

Simplified Chinese 集合啦!动物森友会
Jíhé la! Dòngwù sēnyǒu huì
Let's gather! Animal Forest Friend Hub

Traditional Chinese 集合啦!動物森友會
Unknown

Notes

  1. Japanese: あつまれ どうぶつの森 Hepburn: Atsumare Dōbutsu no MoriAnimal Forest: Gather
  2. at an average of 111 reviews
  3. As Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nintendo. "Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Game Details".
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Elise Favis (March 23, 2020). "Nintendo explains philosophy behind Animal Crossing's big changes, such as gender expression and terraforming". Washington Post.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Scott Stein (March 21, 2020). "You're not crazy: Tom Nook is nicer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons". CNET.
  4. Nintendo (September 13, 2018). "Nintendo Direct 9.13.2018".
  5. Nintendo (June 11, 2019). "Nintendo Direct for E3 2019". YouTube.
  6. Tina Amini (June 21, 2019). "Nintendo Says It Will Not Release a Game Before It's Ready – E3 2019". IGN.
  7. Nintendo (February 21, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct 2.20.2020". YouTube.
  8. Iggy (September 14, 2018). "Luigi's Mansion 3, Animal Crossing, And New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Playable In Chinese". NintendoSoup.
  9. hadamsj (April 29, 2020). "Animal Crossing: City Folk - Comparing Spanish localizations (LATAM & EU)". YouTube.
  10. Juan Emilio Reyes (December 4, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons vendrá localizado al español latinoamericano". 3DJuegos. (Spanish)
  11. @NintendoBrasil on Twitter (Portuguese) (October 7, 2022). Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  12. Nintendo (September 25, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fall Update – Nintendo Switch". YouTube. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  13. YouTube (November 17, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Free Winter Update – Nintendo Switch". YouTube. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  14. Nintendo (January 26, 2021). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Free Update 1.28.20". YouTube. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  15. @animalcrossing on Twitter (February 17, 2021). Archived from the original on August 26, 2022.
  16. Nintendo (November 18, 2021). "『あつまれ どうぶつの森』3月からスーパーマリオブラザーズの家具が登場。無料アップデートを2月25日に配信。". topics.nintendo.co.jp.
  17. Nintendo (February 25, 2021). "Get Ready for a Sanrio Crossover! – Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch". YouTube. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  18. Nintendo (April 26, 2021). "『あつまれ どうぶつの森』の島で初夏にかけて開催される季節のイベントをご紹介。無料アップデートは4月28日に配信。". topics.nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  19. Nintendo (July 27, 2021). "『あつまれ どうぶつの森』の島で開催される季節イベントをご紹介。無料アップデートは7月29日。2021年内に更なるアップデート計画も進行中。". topics.nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  20. Miranda Sanchez (June 11, 2019). "Nintendo Confirms New Details About Multiplayer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons". IGN.
  21. Chelsea Stark (June 12, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons will have skin tone customization, gender-neutral hairstyles for Villagers". Polygon.
  22. Animal Crossing: New Horizons E3 2019 Factsheet
  23. Damien McFerran (March 10, 2020). "The First Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review Is In, And It Might Surprise You". Nintendo Life.
  24. Kallie Plagge (April 9, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review - Island Getaway". GameSpot.
  25. Samuel Claiborn (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review". IGN.
  26. "Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Switch Reviews". Metacritic.
  27. Dave Thier (March 16, 2020). "'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Review: The Game We All Need, Right Now". Forbes. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  28. Alex Olney (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review". Nintendo Life. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  29. Dann Sullivan (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons review - "The best form of digital escapism to date"". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  30. Imad Khan (April 7, 2020). "Why Animal Crossing Is the Game for the Coronavirus Moment". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  31. Ani Bundel (March 29, 2020). "'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' is the coronavirus distraction we needed". NBC News. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  32. "Fiscal Year Ended March 2020: Financial Results Explanatory Material". Nintendo.
  33. "IR Information : Sales Data - Top Selling Title Sales Units". Nintendo.
  34. Adele Ankers-Range (November 9, 2022). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Become Japan's Best-Selling Game of All Time". IGN. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  35. @MatPiscatella on Twitter. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022.
  36. Chris Moyse. "Animal Crossing: New Horizons breaks European record for fastest-selling title in Nintendo history". Destructoid.
  37. BBC News (April 13, 2020). "Animal Crossing removed from sale in China amid Hong Kong protests". BBC News. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  38. Makena Kelly (September 1, 2020). "Biden campaign launches official Animal Crossing: New Horizons yard signs". The Verge. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  39. Kyodo News (September 3, 2020). "Biden's campaign expands to "Animal Crossing" game realm". Kyodo News. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  40. Owen S. Good (October 16, 2020). "How to visit Joe Biden’s Animal Crossing island". Polygon. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  41. Gene Park (October 16, 2020). "Joe Biden’s ‘Animal Crossing’ island was definitely made by a pro gamer". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  42. Nintendo (November 19, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Usage Guidelines for Businesses and Organizations". Nintendo. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  43. 43.0 43.1 Darryn Bonthuys (September 28, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Scoops Top Prize At Tokyo Game Show". GameSpot. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  44. 44.0 44.1 Ben Tyrer (November 24, 2020). "Every winner at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  45. 45.0 45.1 "Nominees". The Game Awards. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  46. Hunter Mass (January 26, 2021). "The 2021 New York Game Awards Winners List". GameRant. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  47. Liz Calvario (March 13, 2021). "2021 Kids' Choice Awards: The Complete Winners List". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  48. Alexandra Del Rosario (March 25, 2021). "BAFTA Games Awards: Supergiant Games' ‘Hades' Takes Home Top Prize – Complete Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  49. Adam Bankhurst (April 22, 2021). "Animal Crossing Crowned Family Game Of The Year At The 2021 D.I.C.E. Awards". Nintendo Life. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  50.  (February 25, 2022) "DICE Awards 2022 Winners: The Full List". IGN. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  51.  (March 4, 2022) "BAFTA Games Awards 2022: Returnal, It Takes Two lead nominations". JustGamers. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  52. Brian Ashcraft (December 28, 2021). "Poll: Here Are Japan's Top 100 Video Games Of All Time". Kotaku. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  53. IGN Staff (December 31, 2021). "The Top 100 Video Games of All Time". IGN. Retrieved January 8, 2022.

External links

Animal Crossing: New Horizons on other wikis