Game clones aren’t really a new thing. Every now and then, we’ve stumbled across a game that has lifted its core mechanic right from another popular one. While this does happen in console and PC games, it’s rampant in the mobile gaming industry. However, this latest one might just take the cake.
A listing for Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been spotted on the Microsoft PC Store! In case it didn’t occur to you, that is definitely a fake, which has used what looks like the original logo of the game. The fact that it’s even available on the Microsoft Store proves that it’s fake, cemented by the $2.99 pricing.
The listing was spotted by Nintendeal on Twitter and has even shared screenshots. The “totally real” Animal Crossing: New Horizons has ‘HugoStudioLab’ listed as the developer, and has shared a description which reads, “An animal farm has let its animals escape. Help them to cross the road without being run over.”
While the description does sound closer to the name “Animal Crossing” than the original game, we know that’s not what Nintendo’s popular life simulator is about. The screenshots suggest that the game is a clone of the 2014 mobile game, Crossy Road. While cloneing popular games is one thing, this one is a straight-up rip-off that has used the Animal Crossing name to bait potentially unaware customers. It will probably be taken off the store soon enough.
Meanwhile, a datamine of the real Animal Crossing: New Horizons has revealed that Brewster and his Roost cafe will be making a comeback. This could be deduced from a new line of code, "cCafe", as well as another part ofncamera permeators in a potential cafe. While data on Brewster has actually been in the game for a while now, the code attached to him has been modified in the update.
Additionally, dataminers also found a modified line of code that was added with a new section titled “MuseumLevel”, suggesting a new exhibition is coming to Animal Crossing. It’s unknown what this could be, as with last year’s artwork update, we now have all the exhibitions from previous games.