Happy Simulation Games

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - One Year Later

The first year for Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been quite impressive. Animal Crossing’s release date goes back to 20th March, 2020. This Nintendo Switch exclusive title allows players to transform and customize a deserted island into a their very own hometown. Although Animal Crossing was the talk of the town for several months following its release, it has grown rather quiet lately, but continues to provide the same relaxing and comforting experience it is known for.
Animal Crossing and its escapist cartoonish fantasy setting is comprised of several villagers with different conflicts. Players can easily resolve these conflicts through gifts, while only the likes of stinging insects can deal damage to you. Playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons back in Spring 2020 was nothing short of a worldwide phenomenon. It was as though humanity itself was trying to escape reality and in fact, propagate it into fantasy.
As the global pandemic worsened with each passing day, more players continued to join the ACNH community. The players could indulge in regular activities that were simply not possibly at the given time. And following a year of its release, Animal Crossing is still going quite strong.
As of recent, the snow is gone and players are finally able to go out and dig up fossils in their everyday T-shirts. If anything, one of the factors attributing to the success of ACNH has to be Nintendo’s consistency with the game’s updates and new content. Ever since the launch, the game has seen the addition of various features, which include swimming, deep-sea fishing, dreaming, as well as an art seller at the museum. All of the events, holidays, and celebrations were integrated into the game, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and now to a carnival.


Speaking of events, New Horizons is now celebrating the much-awaited Bunny Day. Players from across the world are collecting eggs and building different themes for their cosmetics. However, there is but one cause for concern — Zipper will be making his appearance again. This menacing rabbit has been known for his notoriety ever since appearance back in April 2020.
Zipper’s presence can certainly prove alarming for fans. The character was introduced with the intentions of representing seasonal good cheer. However, we can’t really put our finger on it but his oddly vacant eyes, or perhaps how it’s futile to escape Zipper. Either way, this stalking rabbit will also be following you on your mobile device, waiting patiently to pounce on the campers, ambushing and harassing them for the eggs. If nothing scares you, then perhaps Zipper’s ominous presence will.


The updates helped improve the game itself by introducing several quality-of-life patches. Each update also changed the gameplay but ever so slightly. For instance, many players were seen to shift from catching animals to becoming deep-sea divers aiming to score some clams and squids. Likewise, players log in on a daily basis, checking to see if the art dealer, Redd, has showed up again to sell his stolen/fraudulent artworks. And while the events follow the same formula, they are nothing short of being just as fun as the former events.
The development definitely does not hold back when it comes to creating the aesthetics matching each event. I mean, who wouldn’t want to shape their island into Japan’s famous Super Nintendo World in real life? Furthermore, since the initial hype has died out, and though the current ACNH player base is just as active, players tend to play the game in short bursts or even just once a day. The average routine dictates booting up the game, changing you clothes, and hitting the stores. Players can buy different items or simply circle around the island and collect fossils and similar drops. 


Playing Animal Crossing is no different from a workout routine — you’ll be playing the game every single day, partaking in different events such as fishing tournaments. Other than that, the weather in ACNH is also quite dynamic, not to mention, different species of butterflies appear with different weathers. The selling point for Animal Crossing is definitely in how it offers a comfortable and inviting experience for the players, especially when the entire globe was under lockdown.
Animal Crossing updates do not necessarily bring huge changes or surprises. Some might find that rather lacking, but on a closer look, this is exactly what makes the experience more rewarding and relaxing. For instance, after a day’s worth of stress and work, would you rather rush for some new limited time reward, or would you rather lay back, run a few errands, and relax?
Undoubtedly, Nintendo’s development team for ACNH continues to strive day and night to push out more content in order to keep the game fresh and enjoyable. The initial set of mechanics such as crafting, terraforming, and Nook Mils rewards were outstanding. However, currently, Nook Miles have rather become an afterthought. Players are capable of collecting all their required items instead of completing certain time-consuming goals. And although terraforming has helped players create waterfalls, the mechanic is still quite tedious to deal with. Needless to say, New Horizons and the changes it gets will prove quite significant for the next few years.


Nevertheless, Animal Crossing is just as fun as its release patch, if not more. Fans are participating in the Bunny Day event, enjoying the hilarious yet eerie appearance of Zipper. If you haven’t played Animal Crossing before, or if you took a break, now is possibly the most ideal time to get into the game and start collecting some eggs. These eggs will provide a bunch of neat recipes, plus some aesthetic seasonal-items with a pastel and eggy theme. So, what’s the wait for? Hop onto your Switch and play Animal Crossing!

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