Today, Nintendo published a Nintendo Direct surrounding Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which will be releasing on March 20th, 2020 for the Nintendo Switch. Here are some major pieces of information revealed during the presentation.
Improved Town Customization
Unlike past games, players don’t have to rely on randomization for town layouts. Along with picking from a handful of templates, players can also choose which hemisphere their island is located, which will affect the seasons.
Another new addition to Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the Island Designer Construction Permit. Of course, we’ve always had the ability to chop down trees and pluck weeds, but now we can take town customization to a whole new level – literally. Thanks to the Island Designer Construction Permit, players can construct their own cliffs, rivers, bridges, ramps, and pathways on their island. Unfortunately, this feature won’t be available upon release, but this gives players the ability to make their town one-of-a-kind.
A villager, modifying paths in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
We’re also excited to announce that players can finally decide where to place a villager’s home. Nothing was more frustrating than constructing the perfect town just for someone to drop their house in the middle of your hard work. According to the Direct, it seems as though they will ask you to find the best location for their home, giving you the option to place it anywhere.
Seasonal Events
Along with these new additions comes seasonal events. There have always been holidays in Animal Crossing, like Valentine’s Day and Christmas, but depending on the weather and general time of year, new and diverse activities will become available next year. On top of that, the first holiday to be added will be Bunny Day! Be sure to find the Bunny in your town come April 12th.
No Cloud Saves
One unfortunate bit of news: it seems that there won’t be any ability to cloud save in the game. This means that you cannot upload save data and download it later. There will eventually be a recovery option available, but this is only for Nintendo Online subscribers. This recovery option will only be available if your Nintendo Switch console is damaged or lost. For players used to hopping saves or starting over, make sure you keep this in mind. (We’re bummed too.)
A closer look at the New Horizons-themed carrying cases, as well as the Nook-themed Nintendo Switch console.
Another quick thing to note: there is still no sign of individual Joycons for the new Switch console design. They have, however, announced some nice carrying cases that match the new design itself.
Remember to catch the Direct itself for additional news such as multiplayer capabilities, Nook Miles, and the Rescue Crew! Feel free to check it out below.
