Animal Crossing fans, rejoice! The newest addition to the series is finally on its way. While you’ll have to wait until March 20, 2020 to see the title arrive on the Nintendo Switch, there’s a lot that's been revealed about the game already.
With new ways to personalize your villager, fresh roles for your favorite characters and even a second currency entering the Animal Crossing universe, there is a ton to look forward to. Here are some of the biggest and best changes coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
10 You Can Customize Your Character
In previous editions of the franchise, players answered a set of vague questions that determined how their character would look for the course of the game. Now, there’s no need to wonder. New Horizons will let players customize their villagers from the get-go and change their look at any time.
The newest edition will additionally let players select their skin tone for the first time ever. In previous games, the only way to do this was through tanning, which as many players know wasn’t always convenient or easy. It is now.
9 You'll Be Moving To A Deserted Island
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players won’t be moving into a pre-existing town. Instead, they’ll be setting up camp on an island in the middle of the ocean.
This a huge change for longtime players of the series who are used to finding their own way in a village already bustling with established residents and locations. This time around, they’ll be starting from scratch.
No need to worry, though; You won’t be totally alone. A few fellow townsfolk will be coming alongside you to kick thing off.
8 Mr. Resetti Has A New Role
New Horizons’ project lead, Aya Kyogoku, shared that Mr. Resetti is no longer employed at the Reset Surveillance Center.
In early Animal Crossing games, Resetti showed up to scream at players when they turned off their game without saving. Thanks to the Nintendo Switch’s new auto-save feature, there’s no need for the pesky mole to remind you what happens when you turn off your console.
Just because Resetti won’t be assuming his traditional role, though, doesn’t mean he will be absent from the new game. While we don’t know what his new role is yet, we do know that Mr. Resetti is on the job hunt. “Please look forward to that,” teased Kyogoku.
7 Tom Nook Is Giving Back To The Community
Animal Crossing fans have been wondering for a long time what Tom Nook does with all the money he collects from players’ debt, but they won’t have to make guesses for much longer. Kyogoku revealed that in the newest game, he’ll be giving it back to the community.
The raccoon will be operating Resident Services, an operation that will work to make sure villagers on the island are as happy as can be. Gameplay trailers have revealed that he won't be making the magic happen on his own, though. It appears that his nephews, Timmy and Tommy, will also be helping out.
6 Pathways Will Be Easier To Make
Those who have been playing Animal Crossing games for a while are all too familiar with grass deterioration. Introduced in Animal Crossing: City Folk, this feature caused the grass a player walked over frequently to disappear over time, prompting many players to create pathways by laying down patterns in an attempt to avoid this.
While it’s yet to be announced how grass deterioration will affect the new game, it seems there will be a less complicated way to avoid it. Previews for the New Horizons show a player creating dirt pathways by using the shovel instead of patterns.
5 You Can Craft Items
In previous Animal Crossing games, players had to buy all their clothing and furniture. Now, they can make it.
A new addition to the franchise will allow players to craft items using materials like flowers, fruit, and branches from trees. This new feature builds upon the previously introduced customizable furniture options in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Players were previously able to change parts of their furniture by bringing it to the alpacas at Re-Tail. Now, they can build their own items from scratch without having to get any extra assistance.
4 You Can Move Your Home
The location of your home in the Animal Crossing franchise has always been important. After all, where you live determines how you cycle through daily gameplay tasks.
In the original Animal Crossing for GameCube, all human villagers lived in the same circle. Later versions of the game introduced more options as to where players could first move, but once they chose a spot, they were stuck there. Now, there’s no need to be centered in one place. The new game will allow players to not just upgrade their home but move to a new location on their island.
3 You Can Vault Over Rivers
The shovel, axe, and slingshot have a new friend; Animal Crossing fans, meet the vaulting pole.
Have you ever run toward a river and wished there was some way to cross it that didn’t involve trekking to the nearest bridge? No need to dream about it. This new tool will allow players to jump over water when there’s not an easy pathway across.
If there isn’t a conveniently placed bridge near you, there’s no need to freak. It’s time to take a leap!
2 There Are Fresh Multi-Player Options
While every edition of Animal Crossing has allowed players to interact with each other in some way, it will now be easier than ever. New Horizons will allow for couch co-op, which lets players share their Joy-Con to explore the island alongside a friend at home.
If you’re more of a party person and would like to hang out with seven friends rather than just one, you’re in luck. New Horizons allows up to eight online players to chill on the island with you.
1 Nook Has a New Currency
If you’re tired of spending hours selling fruit, shells, bugs and fish for bells, there’s one giant change that you better be looking forward to: Nook Miles.
This new secondary currency will be awarded to players for completing various tasks such as fishing or crafting specific items. While players can exchange Nook Miles for certain objects, the new currency isn’t just there so you can get fancy stuff; It will also be changing the value of the bell.
While more information on how this will happen is yet to be announced, Kyogoku hinted that Nook Miles will encourage players to pay attention to certain tasks that in the past have produced a low number of bells.