Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold huge numbers since its release in 2020, with over 30m units shipped. But while this latest iteration offered us new mechanics such as DIY Recipes, crafting, and the ability to terraform your island, it could be argued that there’s still a lot of missing features for fans of the series to lament.
Animal Crossing New Leaf had years of updates, so there’s very likely more down the line, but what previous series features, in particular, would be the best to see in shiny HD on our Nintendo Switch in the future?
10 Brewster’s Coffee Shop - It’s Bean Too Long
Animal Crossing is already a quiet and contemplative series when you want it to be, but some of the best examples of that are when you sit in Brewster’s famous cafe The Roost and enjoy a hot cup of java.
He’s had his own spot somewhere in the village, or been found in the basement of the museum, so who knows where he could pop up next? Either way, it’d be fantastic to be able to work for Brewster again, perhaps once again having to learn each villager’s order to make them the perfect cup of piping hot coffee.
9 Gyroids - You Spin Me Right Round
Probably the biggest omission from New Horizons is the spinning, moaning, yelling, and chirping little accessories; the weirdly delightful Gyroids. They were found almost everywhere in previous Animal Crossing games, being found in the ground and making interesting furniture in your homes afterward.
The huge amount of variety meant it was a hefty task to find them all, but also meant you could find one to fit the theme of every room in your house. They feel like such an intrinsic part of Animal Crossing’s personality, so hopefully, they’ll be back sooner rather than later.
8 Constellations - Wish Upon A Star
Animal Crossing Wild World took full advantage of the DS in many ways, but one, in particular, was the ability to see the sky on the top screen. You could also visit Celeste the owl to draw your own constellations and decorate the night sky, a lovely bit of customization that would feel right at home on Switch.
Players could show off their best creations to friends who visit and admire them while enjoying meteor showers. It’s a silly feature for sure, but it was a neat touch of customization that many loved.
7 Touch Screen Support - A Touch Too Much?
The Switch is a handheld console and, as such, has pretty great touchscreen support that a few games utilize really well. Animal Crossing is a series based on customization – including allowing users to make countless pixel-perfect designs that pay homage to classic video games.
However, this entry infuriatingly only allows you to design with the controller (even when in handheld mode). It’s a simple addition, and one used perfectly in other Nintendo games like Super Mario Maker, so it’s baffling to see it omitted in this entry.
6 Nintendo Themed Villagers - The Wolf Among Us
Animal Crossing New Leaf received a sizable update years after launch named Welcome Amiibo which, along with upgraded customization features, allowed players to scan select Amiibo figures to unlock special themed Villagers. This update added villager versions of Wolf Link, Epona, Callie, and Marie. There was even a Felyne from Monster Hunter.
But even better than this feature returning would be it improving. Let’s bring in villagers based on the Star Fox characters, on Pokemon, and maybe really push things with a bear based on Banjo & Kazooie. Heck, it could even be paid DLC and it’d still be a fantastic addition.
5 Nintendo Items - Make Our Homes Ninty Fresh
There are heaps of furniture to enjoy in Animal Crossing, but the most thrilling, the most fascinating was always the elusive Nintendo items. From Nintendogs, Majora’s Mask, or an actual Arwing; there were so many to find and they were the crown jewel of many a player’s home.
It also made the series feel much more like a Nintendo game and added a familiar sense of eclectic energy amongst all the froggie chairs. We’ve already been graced with some fantastic Mario items to help celebrate his 35th anniversary, but we sincerely hope we don’t have to wait that long for every other series and their items to make an appearance.
4 NES Games - Stop Playing Games With Us
Animal Crossing isn’t a game you necessarily finish, but back on the Gamecube there was at least one endgame set of items that felt like you’d truly seen it all. That’s because you could eventually unlock miniature NES consoles for your home, but even more wild was the fact that they included a full, playable version of NES games in each one.
That’s right, on the Gamecube you could eventually unlock the full NES versions of Super Mario Bros, Balloon Fight, The Legend Of Zelda, and more. It’s understandable that nowadays Nintendo sells these as part of the Nintendo Switch Online package. So maybe Nintendo doesn’t want to give them away for free, but even as a free NSO bonus item, they’d be great. Then let’s bring back the 3DS with Puzzle League from Welcome Amiibo as well. Minigames are great Nintendo!
3 Golden Items - An Unbreakable Bond
The issue around durability in tools or weapons is a complicated one, in Breath Of The Wild they forced you to experiment with the mechanics of the game and kept players on their toes. In New Horizons it encouraged you to craft more, but at a certain point, it became more of an inconvenience than a fun mechanic.
Especially when you finally reached the quota to unlock Golden Tools, only to find that they not only use precious Gold to craft but that they still eventually break regardless. Players have spent hundreds of hours on their islands at this point, just spare us this one inconvenience Nintendo. That Golden Toilet won’t make itself.
2 Interactive Furniture - From Pocket To Island
There’s a lot to like about the mobile title Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, it’s got consistent updates since its initial release and stands on its own as a solid representation of the franchise. Meanwhile, one aspect it absolutely outclasses its console counterpart New Horizons in is furniture.
Thanks to constant updates and assumedly the fact that the models don’t have to be quite so detailed, Pocket Camp is overflowing with cool items like ghost ships, aquariums, floating bubbles, and even a giant Eevee. The best aspect of these is that your villagers can interact with them, from playing with the toys left out or even floating in the air on a witch’s broomstick. It’s a neat touch that is sorely missed on the big screen.
1 Let’s Go To The City - Or Anywhere Else Really
Having your island to decorate and renovate is a thrilling expansion of the customization the Animal Crossing series has done so well over the years, but it’d be great if it wasn’t the only place players could explore. Sure there are the Nook Miles islands, but they’re randomly generated and lack the charm of even something like Tortimer’s Island from New Leaf.
Why can’t Dodo Airlines charter a course to a City or to an Island occupied by other Animal Crossing characters like Harvey? Players are yet to see the return of so many beloved characters or features, that may return eventually, so maybe an expansion or DLC down the line can add a bit more metropolitan life into our island adventures.
NEXT: Famitsu Poll Reveals Animal Crossing’s Most Popular Villagers
