It’s been exactly one year since Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch systems worldwide. It has been a crazy year for sure but Animal Crossing remained a beacon of hope for many, a place to run to, a place to have fun with friends in a world that made it nearly impossible to connect in real life. It’s by far the most unique launch situation for an Animal Crossing game to date but this also resulted in a tremendous success. For its first anniversary, let’s take a look at how far this game has come.
The first days of Animal Crossing: New Horizons
I still remember the launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons quite vividly. It launched together with DOOM Eternal, resulting in hilarious Isabelle and Doom Slayer memes but above all, it also launched right at the start of the global pandemic. Since I live in Belgium, March 20th was one of the first days in our nation-wide lockdown. All stores had to close, schools had to close, and people were advised to stay at home. Launching a game during these uncertain times really proved to be a challenge and I saw my local game stores quickly adapt to the situation by delivering our beloved games to our houses since local pick-ups weren’t allowed. Together with DOOM Eternal, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was my first game during the lockdown, a game that couldn’t have released at any better time. Thanks to New Horizons, I had an escape from reality, I didn’t need to worry about the virus or the people it affected, I could escape to my new island, build it from the ground up, and create a new virtual home.
Needless to say, I was hooked instantly. During my first days with the game, I developed a certain daily routine to keep my mind busy. I would start my day by talking to my neighbors, digging out some fossils, and trying to find fish I still needed for my museum. Day after day, my island and my virtual home expanded. Where I first simply had a tent, I had a big house in the center of a town filled with interesting inhabitants and fun new locations to explore after a couple of days. The museum, Nook’s Cranny, the Able Sisters, all added to my adventure, making my routine more complex each and every day. I really liked how the game introduced new gameplay elements time after time to keep you motivated to continue your adventure. What started as a simple escape from the harsh reality quickly changed into my newest addiction. One of the game’s best and biggest innovations is the ability to shape the island just the way you like it. This terraforming of your new island is one of the game’s new mechanics and really enabled players all over to world to create the island of their dreams. This is by far one of the most fun new mechanics and although I consider my island as a national treasure, it doesn’t come close to the impressive islands you can find online. It’s great to see that New Horizons had the same impact on so many gamers worldwide and it’s amazing to see how creative the community truly is.
Always something new to discover
Since its initial launch, it’s been an incredible year for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It quickly became one of the best-selling games on the system, taking second place in total copy sales, only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe performed better. In only a year, it managed to sell 7 million copies in Europe alone, meaning that one out of three European Switch owners is also the proud owner of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. With mind-blowing numbers like these, it’s no surprise that Nintendo wants to support the game as much as they can and they do so by releasing a multitude of free updates throughout the entire year. Thanks to these updates gamers were able to go on virtual Easter Hunts, celebrate Christmas and New Year, or even were able to throw virtual weddings. It’s clear to see that people look for connections these days and that New Horizons could easily fill that void.
One of the biggest free updates to date is the Super Mario update, bringing the iconic world of Super Mario to your tropical island. Since the update, players have been able to place some iconic Super Mario elements on their islands such as the question-block or even a warp-pipe that enables you to transport yourself from one point to another. After the launch of this update, a lot of players decided to re-create their islands in order to create Super Mario levels. It’s just one of the many examples of how creative the community really is and how much those updates are appreciated by the fans. If you’re new to Animal Crossing: New Horizons and buy it today, there’s an incredible amount of content waiting to be discovered.
It’s clear to see that Nintendo won’t stop anytime soon as the company keeps revealing more plans for the future, including the return of the Sanrio Collaboration and new ways to promote your island to the world. If you’re curious to see what the latest update held in store, take a look at this trailer:
Conclusion:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is here to stay and it evolved so much during its first year. With the constant release of free updates, Nintendo makes sure that players have something to look forward to every single month. It’s one of those games that you simply can’t put down and one that can quickly become part of your daily routine. In a world where it’s still hard to connect with people around you, Animal Crossing: New Horizons fills that void by enabling you to connect with your friends and family in a safe digital environment. If you didn’t start your new virtual life yet, now’s the perfect time to jump in. Don’t be shy to share your amazing creations online!
