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5 Years Later: Did Animal Crossing: New Horizons Get Away With Its Launch Mistakes?

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As a devoted fan, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared with “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” over the past five years. This game, one of the most remarkable in the Animal Crossing series, captivated us all during a time when we yearned for an escape into a digital paradise. However, looking back, it seems that despite its initial success, “New Horizons” didn’t fully live up to its potential at launch.

When New Horizons was unveiled in March 2020, there was a noticeable void in content that left many of us questioning what had become of some beloved game features.

Reflecting on the past, many players were thrilled to get their hands on New Horizons, but looking back five years later, I wonder if we were too quick to embrace the game due to its sparseness at launch. Staple characters from the classic Animal Crossing series, such as Brewster, Redd, and Kapp’n, didn’t join New Horizons for a considerable amount of time, and although the game introduced numerous engaging new features, it lacked the content depth that had been present in every previous Animal Crossing game.

New Horizons Left Out Too Many Classic Animal Crossing Features

Iconic NPCs Took Over A Year To Join The Island

In the world of gaming, Animal Crossing is a well-established franchise that carries many cherished traditions and elements from one game to another. This continuity creates anticipation for each new release, as players expect familiar faces like certain NPCs and seasonal celebrations. When New Horizons debuted in early 2020, it successfully included real-time events and characters such as Tom Nook and his nephews. However, at launch, it was missing several features that fans had come to expect from the series.

The omitted elements consist of annual summer firework displays, municipal laws, an art gallery section in the museum, the Roost hangout spot, aquatic activities, and recurring NPCs like Redd, Leif, Cyrus, and Reese. These characters and features have been integral parts of the game for years, so it seems odd that they were absent from the game for such a long time considering the Nintendo Switch’s capacity to support larger games.

Major Features Took Almost Two Years To Be Added

The Final Update Dropped In November 2021

It’s often strategic for games to withhold certain content. This is because developers aim to encourage players to keep logging in even after several months have passed, or to rekindle the interest of those who might have become less engaged over time. In this context, the periodic updates for “New Horizon” are quite logical. For instance, introducing holidays and seasonal events at regular intervals during the game’s first year served to maintain the community’s engagement.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating new features in my beloved Animal Crossing game, but the wait has been quite long – spanning almost two years to include functions that should have been there from the beginning. The Roost Café run by Brewster is a staple in every Animal Crossing game since 2005’s Wild World, and yet it wasn’t incorporated into New Horizons until November 2021. Similarly, Kapp’n, who debuted in the very first game in 2002, also made a long-overdue appearance around the same time.

It seems quite puzzling why Nintendo delayed introducing familiar characters for so long in “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. Unlike the assumption that they might have been holding back content for future releases, this latest update surprisingly introduced cooking and expanded gardening, which are significant changes never seen before in the series. The absence of characters like Redd and features such as the art museum, especially the art museum, is particularly noticeable and it’s amazing that there wasn’t a bigger outcry from fans when the game was first launched, considering the lack of standard features initially.

Switch 2’s Animal Crossing Can’t Repeat New Horizons’ Worst Mistake

Leaving Out Content Is A Bad Move

Although Nintendo hasn’t explicitly confirmed that a follow-up for the beloved Animal Crossing series is underway, given the recent launch of a new console and the incredible success of New Horizons, it’s quite probable we’ll see another game soon. When the next installment of Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Switch 2 arrives, hopefully it will address some of the oversights that New Horizons had by incorporating elements from the classic series.

For an independent game in a charming genre, a minimalist launch might suffice. However, a major studio releasing another installment of one of the most iconic video game series shouldn’t skimp on essential elements and characters. While extra content is beneficial for maintaining player interest, it should be fresh content that expands the series, not familiar features withheld to maintain fan excitement artificially. At launch, the next iteration of Animal Crossing should include shops, classic NPCs, town regulations, and other such features.

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2025-05-25 15:41

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