After over seven years, a new main series Animal Crossing game will finally release next month for the Nintendo Switch. New Horizons will be the fifth (sixth counting Animal Forest) in this series of charming life simulation games, and each has come with its own new features. Of course, new additions have sometimes come with disappointing cuts, and experimenting with features hasn't always had the best results.
Here are some features that have not yet been confirmed that we'd like to see return in New Horizons (plus one that doesn't need to come back.)
REQUESTING JOBS
Players only familiar with the more recent games may not know that Animal Crossing for GameCube featured the ability to ask villagers for tasks. Choosing "Need help?" or "Can I have a job?" didn't always result in receiving one, but the option was nice.
In a game like Animal Crossing that gives players the tools to make their own fun, sometimes a little traditional video game structure is nice. Of course, it's still possible to do favors for your in-game animal neighbors, but you these are all random requests. With all of New Horizon's customization options for both the Villager and the island, it's clear that player control is a major focus of the game. Allowing players to request favors would be another way to give the player some power, even after their term as mayor is up.
SWIMMING
Animal Crossing towns have always featured beaches, but it was not until New Leaf that players could do anything but fish in the ocean. The 3DS game added the ability to swim and dive in the ocean to catch various sea creatures found exclusively through this method.
Since New Horizons is set on an island, not a coastal town like past games, swimming would be a perfect fit. Plus, the Switch's superior graphics in comparison to the 3DS would make diving into the gentle blue waves and avoiding the looming jellyfish even more appealing.
RUDE VILLAGERS
Another thing newer players might not know is how brutal the townsfolk of the GameCube game could be. Fail to complete his errand on time? Chuck the bull will act like you killed his cat. Commit the mortal sin of showing your face in town? Amelia the eagle will call you ugly to your face. The cranky and snooty villagers were the biggest offenders, but even the nicer personality types had their moments. Occasionally, a villager would randomly decide to paint your roof for you, then get offended when you're unhappy with them.
Over the years, Animal Crossing games have softened many of their extreme personalities. The angry Mr. Resetti's role has been toned down in recent games, and he's fully lost his job in New Horizons. Some players may like these changes, but we think rude villagers spiced up a clean game without going too far. Plus, it makes befriending them even more rewarding.
ANOTHER LOCATION
Animal Crossing games have always celebrated the charms of small-town life, but, like in real life, sometimes people want to get out of their little neighborhood and see what else is out there. City Folk and New Leaf both offered players the chance to escape their village for a little while with the City and the Tortimer Island respectively.
Only a bus ride away, the City Plaza contained shops and services like the high-end Gracie Grace and the Marquee theater. Though the city did not return, New Leaf's Main Street played the same role in that game.
New Leaf gave players the opportunity to go to Tortimer Island, a place whose eternal summer climate made it possible to find rare and exclusive bugs and fish all year round. Tours (mini-games hosted by former mayor Tortimer himself) offered even more gameplay and items. Speaking of which...
MINIGAMES
The Animal Crossing franchise has a long history of including minigames, sometimes even full games, in their main series releases. The original games featured NES classics like Donkey Kong, Balloon Fight, and Golf. Even the original Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda were playable, though not under normal circumstances.
In a 2016 update, New Leaf gained two new items: the Wii U and the New Nintendo 3DS. The items unlocked each unlocked a minigame. The Wii U revived Desert Island Escape from amiibo Festival, while the New 3DS debuted Animal Crossing: Puzzle League. These minigames helped refresh New Leaf years after many players had moved on, and including some in New Horizons could provide more choices while celebrating Nintendo and Animal Crossing's history.
DON'T WANT: AMIIBO FOCUS
Toys-to-life was a huge trend throughout the 2010s, and Nintendo was one of the companies that capitalized on the genre in a major way. Amiibo were a craze in their early days and, unlike the Skylanders and Disney Infinity toys, these figures could interact with more than one game.
Animal Crossing was one of the Nintendo franchises that really tried to push the boundaries of Amiibo functionality. The series had over a dozen compatible figures plus a series of over 450 Amiibo cards featuring everyone from K.K. Slider to Chow the cranky bear. Most Animal Crossing games released between New Leaf and now have focused on Amiibo with Happy Home Designer for 3DS and amiibo Festival for Wii U. New Leaf's 2016 update focused on adding Amiibo functionality to the main series.
By the end of the decade, gamers seemed to have lost interest in the toys-to-life genre as a whole. Nintendo still releases Amiibo, most notably for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, but the hype surrounding them is nothing like the craze of five years ago. Amiibo support has been confirmed for New Horizons, though we still do not know what form it will take. While this is good news for anyone with a Baabara the sheep card or a Kicks figure gathering dust, we hope the new game won't lean too heavily on this now dated trend.