It may seem like everywhere you turn right now, all anyone can talk about is the new Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Well, it's the only pleasant thing anyone can talk about, that is.
Right now, many of us trying to take the necessary steps of social distancing and self-quarantining during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The news is just a frightfest of ever-changing information and here, in this corner of the world known as the entertainment industry, it seems like everything from movie theater shutdowns to release date postponements to total production shutdowns are happening rapid fire. As we distance ourselves from our loved ones, the March 20 release of New Horizons has become arguably a bigger hit than anyone might have expected because it is such a deeply pleasant game that still allows you to interact with your friends in a virtual world where you can camp, fish, farm, craft, and just hang out.
As seen in reports from MTV, Teen Vogue, and beyond, folks have quickly been turning New Horizons into joyous meme fodder. Whether it's making light of an already light-hearted game or drawing some important cinematic parallels between New Horizons and a movie they love, this game keeps on delivering. At the heart of it all is a movement from New Horizons plays to find community, to gather together and sing the praises of this very soothing game where anyone who is playing it is just hanging out, chatting with anthropomorphic animals, and crafting things out of different natural materials. The game has been hailed as the one thing keep folks afloat both emotionally and mentally as many of us try to stay close in this pandemic while remaining physical apart.
But maybe you, like me, have no idea what Animal Crossing: New Horizons or, more broadly, the Animal Crossing franchise actually is. If this is the case and you're curious to know more, fear not, I've got you covered. Here's what New Horizons is all about and how you can buy it.
What Is Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the fifth and latest installment in the Nintendo Animal Crossing franchise. The franchise began in 2001 with the release of the first installment, Animal Crossing. Between the first game and New Horizons, there have been three other games: Animal Crossing: Wild World (2005); Animal Crossing: City Folk (2008); Animal Crossing: New Leaf (2012). Each Animal Crossing game has been specifically geared toward a different Nintendo platform, too. The original Animal Crossing was released for Nintendo GameCube; Wild World was released on Nintendo DS; City Folk was released for Nintendo Wii; New Leaf was released on Nintendo 3DS; and New Horizons has been released on Nintendo Switch.
There have also been spin-off games released under the Animal Crossing banner: Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (2015); Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (2015); and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (2017).
The basic concept of New Horizons is the same as previous installments. You, the main player, create an avatar and live in an open world, nonlinear life simulation doing whatever you want to do. Well, technically you have certain tasks you need to complete in order to, say, earn more Bells (the currency of Animal Crossing) or appease businessman Tom Nook (more on him in a bit). In New Horizons, you eke out life on a deserted island with the help of a welcome tent and NookPhone given to you by Tom Nook. From there, you can do anything from gathering food to crafting supplies to participating in various little tasks to help enrich your experience in the Animal Crossing world. And yes, if this is all sounds extremely soothing and twee, you're right; that's part of the appeal.
Where Can I Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
If you have a Nintendo Switch, you can currently only get the most recent installment, New Horizons, for $59.99 in the Nintendo Store. Switch is also the only platform New Horizons is available on right now. It's also possible to find previous installments of the Animal Crossing franchise on Amazon, but you'll have to be mindful of whether you're buying a game geared towards Wii, 3DS, Gamecube, and so forth.
Which Animal Crossing Game Should I Start With?
Your options are limited on where to start based on which Nintendo gaming systems you have. Right now, New Horizons is all the rage and that game is only available on the Switch. If you have an older system, like Wii or 3DS, you'll be able to find older chapters of Animal Crossing in those respective stores.
For my money, your best bet is to start with New Horizons on Switch or with Pocket Camp, which you can download on the iTunes App Store for free.
Okay, but How Do I Play Animal Crossing?
In general, you can do whatever your beautiful little heart desires in Animal Crossing and New Horizons, for that matter. As far as New Horizons — the Animal Crossing installment you're most likely to buy aside from Pocket Camp — is concerned, you begin on a deserted island. After being given a basic set of supplies, you're offered a big, new house by Tom Nook (again, more on him in a sec) but you're suddenly in debt to Tom. From there, you have to work off your debt by doing a variety of different tasks. And yes, I'm sure it's easy to sound cynical about paying off your debt in a fictional, pastel-washed game but at least the tasks aren't too taxing, be it fishing or shaking trees for fruit or gathering different materials. The best part about New Horizons is that you can play with your friends, adding in their accounts and finding them on their own islands for some good old-fashioned hangtime. In a world where we can actually hang with our friends IRL, playing New Horizons together is major.
Why Does My [Insert Person Here] Love This New Horizons Game So Much?
New Horizons has been all the rage since it was released on March 20, 2020. Not only was it the first Animal Crossing game in eight years, but it arrived during a time when we truly needing it the most as a society. New Horizons is an ultra non-threatening game and the definition of escapist joy.
Now, you should probably just ask the person who's been raving about it publicly why they love New Horizons so much; communication is key, after all. But it's possible folks love it because, in addition to completing small, low-risk, fulfilling tasks, it's highly customizable and you can add your other friends with Nintendo accounts who are playing New Horizons. Per IGN, users have been creating fun works of art to share with other users. According to Polygon, it's recently become a thing for folks to take screenshots and make The Lighthouse memes out of their New Horizons adventures. You can make your New Horizons world your own and then connect with friends and share it with them, too. In a time where we're keeping our distance from each other, that's a beautiful thing.
Who's This Tom Nook Fella I've Heard So Much About?
Tom Nook is head honcho of the anthropomorphic animal kingdom in the Animal Crossing world. Modeled off of the famous Japanese tanuki, or racoon dog, Tom Nook is often seen sporting a minty green button-down with leaves on it as well as the deadest stare known to man. This charming creature is the one who offers you your initial supply kit when you begin New Horizons and to whom you must work off your debt. As you continue to play New Horizons, you must work off your debt of 98,000 Bells, which is a whole heckuva lotta money in New Horizons world.
What Is the Point of Animal Crossing?
Look, I'm gonna be honest with you: There is no set purpose for Animal Crossing. You're not trying to play through different levels to save a princess from a guy named Bowser or pretend to be a tomb-raiding heroine recovering lost artifacts. You are simply playing as a tiny human who likes to spend their time fishing, crafting, befriending animals, and doing other simple tasks. The point of Animal Crossing is to have fun in the most pleasant, low stakes way possible. You might not feel your heart thumping out of your chest every time you shake a tree for fruit and you might never feel the cold sweat of death looming over you if you do something wrong. But hey, isn't that, like, a really nice thing?