Although it seems like a new Animal Crossing game is inevitable on the Switch 2 after the success of New Horizons on its predecessor, fans may still be waiting some time for this entry to manifest. However, there are still plenty of ways Nintendo can fill the Switch 2's Animal Crossing void in the meantime. While it may not be exactly the game fans are expecting, the stars are aligning for one Animal Crossing title to make its way onto the Switch 2 sooner rather than later.
There are plenty of spin-off entries in the Animal Crossing franchise that Nintendo could revive during the wait for the next mainline game, like Happy Home Designer and its follow-up DLC for New Horizons, or even a second chance at the Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival formula. Even with these options on the table, there's an even simpler release that could have a home on the Switch 2, and it could come at the perfect moment. Bringing players back to where the series all started would be a great way to give new fans a taste of Animal Crossing's roots while also taking advantage of a Switch 2 exclusive service.
As Much as I Love Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I Wouldn’t Miss This Feature in the Next Game
I really appreciate Animal Crossing: New Horizons for what it was at the time of its release, but the next game should get back to the series' roots.
An Animal Crossing Game Could Be Hitting the Switch 2 Soon, But It May Not Be the One Fans Think
The Original GameCube Animal Crossing Seems Primed for a Nintendo Switch 2 Online Addition
Aside from the hardware improvements, one of the Switch 2's most exciting updates over its predecessor is the access it grants Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to an online library of GameCube titles. While the original Switch offered access to retro console catalogs from the NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis, the GameCube's library has never been made available in past iterations of Nintendo's Virtual Console. With the floodgates for GameCube titles on the Switch 2 open, a re-release of the original Animal Crossing on the service could help ease the wait for a brand-new entry on the console.
While Animal Crossing: New Horizons can be played on the Switch 2, offering fans a different—albeit retro—experience on the console can provide a break from New Horizon s' island life that fans have been playing for the past five years. Comparatively, the original Animal Crossing may feel drastically different from the modern series with its much simpler mechanics and dated graphics. However, with New Horizons being criticized for lacking diverse Villager personalities, releasing the GameCube game on NSO could allow Switch 2 players to have their cake and eat it too, between it and New Horizons.
The Switch 2's launch line-up of NSO GameCube titles includes The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur 2, with more planned to hit the service over time.
Animal Crossing on GameCube NSO Could Kill Two Birds With One Stone
Not only would Animal Crossing coming to GameCube NSO bring fans of the series a retro experience to enjoy while waiting for the sequel to New Horizons, but it would also allow new players who may have jumped into the series with New Horizons to see a different side of the franchise. The original Animal Crossing is infamous for having overly rude Villagers, more drama between Villagers, and a greedier Tom Nook, all of which have been toned down in subsequent entries. Giving new fans a chance to see how the series has evolved, especially in its Villager characterization, would be well worth the price of admission for an NSO subscription if the title were to hit the service.
Another feature that will likely shine on the Switch 2 is the multiplayer aspect of the series, which was basically non-existent in the original Animal Crossing. Players could visit other towns by inserting a second memory card into the GameCube with save data for that town on it, and each town could support up to four unique player profiles, but synchronous multiplayer wasn't possible. An NSO release could be more than just a simple port and could include new multiplayer features to allow players to visit friends' towns and synchronously play together as a way to show off the Switch 2's social features like GameChat.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- March 20, 2020
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Expansions
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
