3 Reasons the Original Animal Crossing is Better Than the New One
Now that the hype has died down let’s talk shop: The Original Animal Crossing for the GameCube is still greater than AC: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch. Deep down, fans of the original series already knew this was true, even if they didn’t want to admit it.
That isn’t to say that New Horizons isn’t a great game; the graphics are clean, the gameplay is addicting, and there’s enough content to keep you preoccupied for a lifetime.
But something feels off about New Horizons; it’s as if that Animal Crossing magic isn’t there. Maybe you feel the same, maybe you don’t, but here are 3 reasons why the original Animal Crossing is still better than the new one.
1. Mystery And Discovery Are Gone
Animal Crossing’s greatest strength is its secrets.
Hitting a rock with your shovel and watching money fly out; or going to the train station on a Saturday night and finding an indie rocker dog were best if found organically.
Old Animal Crossing rewarded diligent players who sought out discovery in its world. Discovery has now been replaced with shiny cool things to build and put on your island.
In part, discovery is gone because many of the game’s best secrets have been told for years now; and New Horizons doesn’t have many tricks up its sleeves. But it’s also in part, due to the internet spoiling anything that gamers would be better off finding on their own.
The internet has become a giant gaming guide ruining the fun of discovering secrets.
Conversely, New Horizons almost requires players to rely on outside help due to the amount of content loaded into the game. But like I said, mystery and discovery are the series’ greatest strengths. Now that many of the secrets are common knowledge, a part of Animal Crossing’s soul is gone.
2. One Town Per Purchase
The original Animal Crossing blew the hats off of young gamers when it made its North American debut in 2002.
Not only could a player have up to four people in their town — Mom, Pops, Sister, Brother — but if they had another memory card, they could have FOUR MORE! That’s right, invite your Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, and Uncle.
Creating another localized town also made the second player feel like they had their space to play around in; they weren’t locked into another person’s world.
If I wanted to name my town “Rice Cake” because I didn’t want to live in my brother’s town of “My Ass” I could do it without buying a new game. Additionally, the other player got their own Nook store, fruit trees, and a different cast of villagers to interact with.
The fact that Nintendo didn’t allow for the creation of a second island baffles me. Especially because New Horizons relies heavily on unique island customization.
3. New Horizons Gets Boring Compared to the Original Animal Crossing
Repetitiveness is Animal Crossing’s Achilles heel.
When you finally decide to stop playing the game there is no end credit sequence, no final boss, you simply get bored and decide to move on with your life.
It sounds depressing, but it’s kind of like going a separate way from a good friend. You’d like to be with them longer, but life is dictating that you go in a different direction. Besides, it’s still fun to check on them after a while and see how they changed (or how many roaches are in your house).
I’m not sure if I’m getting old, or if New Horizons just doesn’t have the same magic, but it got boring a lot faster than I expected. I also suspect that the rabid AC community that is obsessed with getting a 5-star island turned me off too.
I don’t know, something felt missing this time around. Maybe the Animal Crossing formula is played out?
However, call it nostalgia or biased allegiance, but I’d rather go play the original game and deal with the cockroaches than spend another second researching how many bamboo thickets I need for a 5-star island (it’s 10 by the way).
What do you do in Animal Crossing New Horizons?
The day can start with a bug hunt at dawn, following up with a paradise decoration during the day, or enjoying a sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. Your island’s time of day and season corresponds to real life, so there is always something new to discover year-round.
Animal Crossing City Folk Secret Places
Players sick of seeing the same shops and houses in “Animal Crossing: City Folk” don’t have to go far to find new places to explore. You can only gain access to certain secret areas within the game if you complete certain tasks or at specific times. These are Mr. Resetti’s Surveillance Center, Redd’s Shop, Phineas the Balloon Man’s Kiosk, and Other Towns.
Animal Crossing New Leaf Rumors
Players are labeled by villagers in Animal Crossing games via Rumors. As well as alerting a player to rumors about them, animals will tell the player rumors that are circulating about other players, such as those from their own towns or visiting players who spoke to their villagers.
Is Animal Crossing New Horizons worth it?
Animal Crossing: New Horizons may not be to everyone’s liking, but people who really love games actually like it and they find things in it to love. Even if you’re not a fan of life simulators, Animal Crossing New Horizons may still be worth taking a look at because this game has a particular style that is very hard to find anywhere else
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