A year ago, my pleasant pastime was playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf… Now, I’m doing it again in a whole new way! Today is the official release of Nintendo’s excellent game Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Last March, my wife and I leisurely explored Animal Crossing: New Leaf for Nintendo 3DS. It reminded me of the time when we first played Animal Crossing on the Gamecube – almost 20 years ago! But New Leaf had improved graphics and other gameplay enhancements that made it more enjoyable. It’s totally casual, labeled a “Life Simulation,” and it’s not everyone’s cup-o-tea.
There have been other Animal Crossing main titles over the years, including a few spin-offs that just were not the same. Now, Animal Crossing: New Horizons looks to be the best, most robust, main entry of the title ever. And since it has been many years in coming, the hype has been through the roof!
A month ago, I was in my local Gamestop where I ended up pre-ordering the physical copy of New Horizons. I was supposed to get a free poster of the game as a perk, and there was going to be an early release at 11pm the night before launch day. But thanks to the COVID-19 virus plaguing the planet, those plans got canned.
Regardless, all that matters is: I got the game and started life on my deserted island! What did I name it: Escape! Because of course.
I’ve been trying to ramp my blogging habit back up, but it looks like I’ll be playing New Horizons for a while! And the thing with Animal Crossing games is you’re never really through! There is no “end.” Time rolls by, seasons change, anthropomorphic animals come and go, affecting the unfolding of events in the game. And life goes on.