Everyone’s ready to live on a deserted island! Yes, we’re sure you, too, are ready to grab the Nook Deserted Island Getaway Package. Which is to say, everyone you know is raring to pick up Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch. And there’s no better meter of this than the hype around this morning’s Nintendo Direct. The pre-recorded, livestreamed video gave excited fans an insight into many of the anticipated game’s features.
While the game comes out exactly a month from today (which is only 29 days, given it’s February in a leap year), fans have been eager to hear more about what’s in store. We know about features such as multiplayer, but what else did we learn today? With a new generation comes plenty of new quirks to look forward to.
Check out these major details from the Animal Crossing Direct.
Pick Where Everyone Lives
Yes, you can pick where everyone lives. Everyone. Yourself included, obviously! Once you’ve settled in, other residents of the island may ask you for assistance in picking where to live. And to be fair, that’s a pretty hard choice! So you can help them out by putting their tents wherever you’d like. You can put everyone all the way on the other side of the island for some privacy. Or, just box yourself in with your beloved neighbors. It’s your island, I guess.
DIY Furniture and Designs
Item crafting is very much back in fashion, like DIY of YouTube and Reddit popularity. More importantly, designing is back! You can more fully customize the items you’ll be lounging around in, including even the color of the construction materials. (Hopefully, you won’t need too many materials to craft the paint itself or anything.) And, of course, you can once again create your own patterns or drawings for your items. Chances are you can share your blessed (or cursed) designs with your friends, too!
Transfer Old Animal Crossing Designs
Speaking of designs! At first glance, Nintendo Switch Online’s NookLink companion mobile app seems like every other NSO companion app. Yes, you can voice- and text-chat with friends that are currently playing the game! But artistic Animal Crossing fans (or not-so-artistic connoisseurs of the arts) have a treat in store. Using NookLink, you can scan QR codes from old Animal Crossing games and import designs. 3DS fans who spent hours in the designer can finally have their work pay off years later! And of course, New Leaf and Happy Home Designer players have their time here, too.
Actually Dangerous Bugs
Unfortunately, because your island is themed to a “deserted getaway,” Animal Crossing is taking it a little less easy on you. When you’re hunting for bugs, you can find a few new dangerous species, such as wasps and scorpions. These bugs can sting you and leave you frustrated for a while — though minus a cosmetic change, we’re not sure what this practically affects. But if you come across one and have an unpleasant experience, you can heal up with medicine.
Terrain Alterations
Is this an attempt to appeal to The Minecraft Kids? Or The Minecraft Gays? Either way, now you can alter terrain on your island for a fully customizable experience. Wanna cliff off all the animals on the island away from you? Sure. Hate stairs? Make your whole island flat, because why the heck not.
And if you play with others, you can turn on an anti-griefing option that stops other players from doing a little too much. Because you know you have that one friend that’s gonna make inappropriate shapes with the dirt.
Free Seasonal and Event Updates
If you’re worried about Nintendo keeping things fresh, don’t fear. Animal Crossing: New Horizons will have regular updates that mainly feature seasonal events. The “day one” patch even allows fans to participate in a bunny-themed event (likely themed to the Easter holiday coming up soon after). There are also regular daily mini-games you can participate in, which we assume won’t require patches. And honestly, leaderboards would be cool!
More on Nintendo:
- Animal Crossing Switch, Outer Worlds Port Delayed by Coronavirus
- Nintendo Reportedly Plans to Release Two More Wii U Games on Switch in 2020
- Nintendo’s Doing Way Better Than Fine, Don’t Worry
- Why Do Animal Crossing’s Villagers Leave Such An Impact?
You Get One (1) Cloud Save Recovery
One. Just one. Sadly, you can’t repeatedly save and load your game off the Nintendo Switch Online’s cloud save program, like in other games. However, if something happens, Nintendo Switch Online users can recover their data in a one-time, singular emergency backup move.
Don’t take this for granted, though. You only get one recovery. Just one.
Resetti is watching.
Hemispheres
This highly-demanded feature is especially for the Aussies. Pick which hemisphere you live in, and never wear a coat in December again.
