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Animal Crossing: New Horizons

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Icon artwork, featuring the game's setting and cast of characters
Developer(s)Nintendo EPD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Aya Kyogoku
Producer(s)Hisashi Nogami
Programmer(s)Yoshitaka Takeshita
Hiromichi Miyake
Artist(s)Koji Takahashi
Writer(s)Makoto Wada
Composer(s)Yasuaki Iwata
Yumi Takahashi
Shinobu Nagata
Sayako Doi
Masato Ohashi
SeriesAnimal Crossing
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch
ReleaseMarch 20, 2020
Genre(s)Social simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Animal Crossing: New Horizons[a] is a life simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo. The fifth main series title in the Animal Crossing series, New Horizons was released on the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020.

Gameplay

As in previous installments in the Animal Crossing series, New Horizons is a nonlinear life simulation game played in real-time. The player assumes the role of a customizable character who moves to a deserted island after purchasing a deserted island package from Tom Nook, a tanuki character who is a staple of the series.[1] The game proceeds in an open-ended fashion as the player explores the island, and develops it into a community of anthropomorphic animals.[2] Players can collect different items to use as decorations within the game. Similar to the 2017 spin-off title Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, the game introduces a crafting system that allows the player to convert materials into tools and furniture, which can be used to decorate the game's interior and exterior spaces.[3][4] The game allows the player to customize the appearance of their character at will, and does not lock specific hairstyles or facial features to specific genders.[5] Players are additionally able to select their character's skin color, a feature introduced in the 2015 spin-off title Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.[3] Nook Miles, a new in-game currency earned by completing various tasks, can be used to purchase premium items.[6] Players are able to invite animals to live on their island, and have the option to choose or influence where the animal constructs their home.[7] The game's weather also adjusts to the seasons of the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, depending on the player's real-world location, a first for the Animal Crossing series. (However, this can be manually set in the beginning of the game if for any reason a player wants to play in a different hemisphere or the autoset hemisphere is incorrect.) [6] Another first is the addition of windy weather, which is expressed in the movement of the leaves on the trees.[8]

Isabelle[2] and Mr. Resetti both appear in New Horizons, though Resetti now operates rescue services instead of managing resets, as the game's autosave function removes the ability to reset the game.[9] The game only supports one island per Switch system.[10] New Horizons supports both local and online co-op gameplay, with up to four players locally and eight players online able to occupy an island at any given time.[3] The game does not connect directly with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, though there will be collaboration items between the two games.[7] The game does support amiibo cards and figures from the Animal Crossing series; but does not support Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves, though the ability for Nintendo Switch Online users to recover game data if their Switch is lost, broken, or stolen will be added "sometime in the future".[11]

Nintendo has confirmed that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will receive frequent post-release updates. Most of these will be based around real-life events. (or, Animal Crossing's staple non religious versions of certain religious holidays such as "Bunny Day" {Easter} and "Toy Day" {Christmas}.) On the week of the game's release, Nintendo pushed an update in preparation for its Bunny Day event in April which is loosely based on Easter. In March 2020, Nintendo announced in a YouTube mini-Direct that a second event will occur at the end of April; Earth Day. The event will see the return of New Leaf special character Leif[12].

Development

Development of a new main series Animal Crossing title for Nintendo Switch was confirmed in a Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2018, with an unspecified 2019 release date.[13] Nintendo released the game's title and first trailer at its E3 2019 Nintendo Direct on June 11, 2019.[14] The company also announced that the game would be delayed until March 20, 2020, with Yoshiaki Koizumi stating, "to ensure the game is the best it can be, we must ask that you wait a little longer than we thought."[14] Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser cited a desire to avoid crunch and maintain a healthy work–life balance for Nintendo employees as the primary reason for the delay.[15] Nintendo's stock market value posted a 3.5% loss in reaction to the delay, amounting to a total loss in value of more than US$1 billion.[16][17] Director Aya Kyogoku and producer Hisashi Nogami stated that they selected a deserted island as the game's setting to differentiate from previous Animal Crossing titles, which are set in established villages, and to allow greater freedom for the player to customize the game's world.[4]

Release

Animal Crossing: New Horizons released on March 20, 2020. Video game retailer EB Games attracted criticism for allowing fans who pre-ordered the game along with Doom Eternal to line up at its flagship Canadian location on Yonge Street, Toronto amid a coronavirus pandemic in the country, when all levels of government urged the public to close non-essential businesses and maintain social distancing.[18]

Reception

Animal Crossing: New Horizons received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic,[19] becoming the highest-rated game in the series on the website. However, the game has been subject to review bombing due to its handling of Switch profiles and multiplayer.[31][32]

The game's physical launch sales in the UK were 3.5 times larger than those of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, making it the biggest single Switch game launch in the region.[33] It also tripled the sales of the number-two title, new entry Doom Eternal.[34] New Horizons sold 1.88 million physical copies at launch in Japan, breaking the record held by Pokémon Sword and Shield for biggest Switch debut in the region.[35]

A tie-in manga series, Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Nonbiri Shima Dayori (lit. Gather Animal's Forest: Carefree Island News), began serialization in the manga magazine Ciao on December 28, 2019. The series is written and illustrated by Minori Katō, and follows a villager named Hana who moves to an unpopulated island.[36] Nook Tails, a tie-in comic strip series by Cho Hanayo featuring the characters Tom Nook, Timmy, and Tommy, began serialization on the game's official Japanese website on October 15, 2019.[37][38] An English-language translation of the series has been posted on the game's English Twitter account beginning on March 4, 2020.[39] New Horizons shares its release date with M-rated first-person shooter Doom Eternal. Fans of both series have celebrated the coincidence by creating light-hearted crossover art.[40]

Notes

  1. ^ Known in Japan as Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori (Japanese: あつまれ どうぶつの森, lit. Animal Forest: Gather)

References

  1. ^ Pino, Nick (June 11, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons adds crafting and farming, gets delayed til 2020". Tech Radar. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Sanchez, Miranda (June 11, 2019). "Isabelle Will Be in Animal Crossing: New Horizons – E3 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Grayson, Nathan (June 11, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Will Let You Decorate The Whole World". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Wade, Jessie (June 11, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Reveals World Premiere of New Gameplay at Nintendo Treehouse Live – E3 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  5. ^ Stark, Chelsea (June 12, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons will have skin tone customization, gender-neutral hairstyles for Villagers". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Groux, Christopher (June 11, 2019). "'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Multiplayer & More Revealed in E3 Stream". Newsweek. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Sanchez, Miranda (June 12, 2019). "How Tom Nook Uses His Money and 14 More Details About Animal Crossing: New Horizons". IGN. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  8. ^ Gurwin, Gabe (September 5, 2019). "Here are all the juicy details on Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Digital Trends. Retrieved September 9, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Joho, Jess (June 14, 2019). "Nintendo confirms Mr. Resetti lost his job thanks to 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons'". Mashable. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  10. ^ "Animal Crossing: New Horizons to limit to one island per Nintendo Switch". www.shacknews.com. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  11. ^ "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Will Let You Recover Save Data After All [Update] - GameSpot". GameSpot. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  12. ^ Lee, Julia (2020-03-26). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Bunny Day event detailed, Leif revealed". Polygon. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  13. ^ Allegra, Frank (September 13, 2018). "Animal Crossing Switch is out in 2019 and Nintendo is driving us nuts already". Polygon. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  14. ^ a b Dornbush, Jonathon (June 11, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Delayed to 2020 – E3 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  15. ^ Kane, Alex (June 12, 2019). "Nintendo Delayed 'Animal Crossing' to Maintain 'Good Work-Life Balance'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  16. ^ Shane, Daniel (June 11, 2019). "Nintendo loses $1bn in market value after video game delay". Financial Times. Archived from the original on June 13, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  17. ^ Keane, Sean (June 12, 2019). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons delay cuts $1B from Nintendo stock". CNET. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  18. ^ "Toronto fans line up en masse and for Animal Crossing and Doom Eternal, while Vancouver plays it chill". The Georgia Straight. March 20, 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  20. ^ Bischoff, Jenns (March 16, 2020). "Test: Animal Crossing: New Horizons". 4Players. Computec Media GmbH. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  21. ^ Andriessen, CJ (March 16, 2020). "Review: Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  22. ^ McFerran, Damien (March 10, 2020). "The First Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review Is In, And It Might Surprise You". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  23. ^ Cork, Jeff (March 16, 2020). "Review: Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  24. ^ Loveridge, Sam (March 16, 2020). "ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS REVIEW: "THE ULTIMATE GETAWAY FROM REALITY"". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  25. ^ de k-miye, L'avis (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing New Horizons : un paradis de nouveautés". Jeuxvideo.com. Webedia. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  26. ^ Claiborn, Samuel (March 17, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  27. ^ Olney, Alex (March 17, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  28. ^ McCarthy, Caty (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review: The Only Debt You'll Want to Stay In". USgamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  29. ^ Donaldson, Alex (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing New Horizons review: another must-play Switch classic from Nintendo". VG247. videogaming247 Ltd. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  30. ^ Donovan, Imogen (March 16, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  31. ^ Hall, Charlie (March 23, 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons has some problems when you create multiple accounts". Polygon.
  32. ^ Life, Nintendo (March 24, 2020). "Angry Players Are Starting To Review-Bomb Animal Crossing: New Horizons". Nintendo Life.
  33. ^ Dring, Christopher (22 March 2020). "Animal Crossing: New Horizons smashes sales records in the UK". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  34. ^ Phillips, Tom (23 March 2020). "Wow, Animal Crossing: New Horizons sales are through the roof". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  35. ^ "『あつまれ どうぶつの森』パッケージ版が発売3日間で188万本を販売！ スイッチ向けソフトで歴代1位の初週販売本数". Famitsu (in Japanese). 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  36. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (29 November 2019). "Animal Crossing Game Franchise Gets Manga in December". Anime News Network. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  37. ^ "島のくらしのパートナー たぬき開発". www.tanuki-kaihatsu.com. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  38. ^ @doubutsuno_mori (15 October 2019). "【お知らせ】Nintendo Liveの「たぬき開発 無人島移住パッケージ説明会」にお越しいただいた皆様、ありがとうございました。「たぬき開発」HPにて、説明会の様子や次回のご案内、4コマまんがを掲載しておりますので、よろしければご覧ください。" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. ^ @animalcrossing (4 March 2020). "You can build so many things with DIY recipes. I'm excited to see what you will make! Yes, yes! #AnimalCrossing #ACNH" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  40. ^ Lee, Julia (February 24, 2020). "How did Animal Crossing's Isabelle and the Doomguy become best friends?". Polygon.
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