Animal Crossing: New Horizons ups the ante on Nintendo Amiibo functionality. Originally introduced for Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival on Wii-U in 2015, Animal Crossing Amiibo figures and cards can now be used to invite desired villagers to live on a player's deserted island in New Horizons, as well as to summon various NPCs to Harv's Island for photoshoots.
Previously, Animal Crossing Amiibo figures and cards could be used to invite visitors to a player's town in New Leaf, whereupon the player could attempt to encourage that character to move permanently. In addition to the added functionality in New Horizons where players can decide who lives on their island and who doesn't, Amiibo can be used to guarantee that a villager moves in -- though it's a slow process.
Here's a complete guide to using Nintendo Amiibo in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Invite Villagers to Camp
Once players have built a campsite on their island, recruitable NPCs will occasionally visit and spend the night. Players have the opportunity to chat with these characters and even invite them to move to the island permanently -- though players usually have to win a game of chance for the character to say yes. If the island is full, the NPC will ask Tom Nook at Resident Services if they can replace someone else. This swap is determined randomly and players ultimately have finally say over whether a camper replaces the villager or not.
When Amiibo are involved, the process shifts slightly. Using the Nook Miles Kiosk in Resident Services, players can invite campers using Amiibo cards. (Note: This only works for recruitable NPCs, not characters like Celeste or Rover.) When a player invites a recruitable NPC, they come to the campsite immediately, no matter what time of day it is. It's important to note, however, that the campsite must be empty -- Amiibo characters cannot replace a camper.
Once the Amiibo character is at the campsite, players can talk to them the same way they would other campers. Rather than playing a game to convince the character to stay, however, the player will be asked to build "island souvenirs" for the character. Once the item is built and delivered, players can ask the character to move to the island permanently -- but they won't say yes immediately.
Instead, the Amiibo character will tell the player they'd like to be invited back. Players have to invite recruitable NPCs using their Amiibo card three days in a row, and build an "island souvenir" for them each day before the character will agree to move. Then, players get to exert yet more control over the makeup of their island neighbors. Rather than the camper asking Resident Services which random villager they can replace, the player gets to decide who to evict for the Amiibo character to move in.
Although players can time travel to speed up this process, several people have reported glitches when doing so. Three days may seem like a long time, but it's probably better to wait it out than jump forward, as Nintendo frowns on time travel and typically won't help players fix problems caused by the practice.
Take Photos at Harv's Island
Early in New Horizons, players will encounter the dog Harv wandering their island. He tells them about his "artist collective" island, which then becomes a destination in the airport menu after he leaves. Players can visit Harv's Island and have photoshoots with their fellow residents (for players who share an island), their current villagers and any NPC whose Amiibo figure or card they possess. Unlike when inviting campers, this does include non-recruitable characters, which means players can have photoshoots with the Nooks, Isabelle, Kicks, or K.K. Slider, just to name a few.
Players have access to their entire catalog -- including color and pattern variants -- and wardrobe at Harv's Island. They can place themselves and their "models" wherever they want, including sat on furniture or laying in beds. Players can also have anyone in the studio use the reactions they have learned so far, which makes for some very cute photo opportunities with Animal Crossing characters.
Each time a player invites a new "model" to Harv's Island, they'll unlock a poster of that character in their Nook Shopping menu. Each poster can be purchased for 1,000 Bells and hung in a player's home, gifted to friends or dropped for freebie piles and trades. Unfortunately, players who have not unlocked these posters themselves will not be able to re-order from their catalog, much like craftable items are unavailable for purchase.
Using Nintendo Amiibo in Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers players even more customization options for their islands, in addition to creating fun photo ops at Harv's Island.