The Animal Crossing Franchise Could Get Even Bigger If This New Change Is Implemented

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The Animal Crossing games still remain as one of Nintendo's most successful franchises, resonating with players for their more relaxed gameplay. As Animal Crossing: New Horizons nearly reached the bestselling Nintendo Switch game of all time, it's no doubt that the games continue to be largely successful on the whole. Particularly through the COVID lockdowns, players found a vibrant escape in the deserted island getaway of New Horizons.

With gameplay that explored inhabiting an island with the typical Animal Crossing villagers and characters, Animal Crossing: New Horizons offered a new spin on the much-loved game. Prioritizing elements like design and decoration above other details, many have loved the newfound abilities to make their island a home of their own. Despite all these nice features, one detail about Animal Crossing: New Horizons has left players yearning for more, particularly from the older games.

ACNH Multiplayer Left A Lot To Be Desired

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Failed With Its Multiplayer

Animal Crossing New Horizons player characters convening around an outdoor table.

Despite its popularity through COVID and its praise for keeping people connected throughout lockdowns, Animal Crossing: New Horizons delivered perhaps the poorest multiplayer in the franchise yet. As players had to partake in a lengthy flight cutscene for every island they visited, there was instantly an off-putting amount of time to be put into joining friends. That wasn't all though, as once players made it to their selected island, they were unlikely to stay more than ten minutes.

As visiting friends limits players' interactions to only picking and placing flowers; swimming; purchasing items in shops; interacting with villagers; fishing; catching bugs and cutting down trees, Animal Crossing: New Horizons really doesn't deliver on fun ways to play together. Players can't even decorate their own island while guests are over, a largely limiting factor in a game that prioritizes that as its core focus. Without any real reasons to keep coming back or things to do, the multiplayer of New Horizons couldn't help but really fall short.

Even when players aren't visiting, New Horizons is limiting in its ways to connect with others online. With simple mail-sending that allows the attachment of only one item and a limited number of characters, players can't really talk to their friends in any unique ways. The Dream Suite is the farthest players can go to meet new people online too, but this just solidifies how New Horizons feels like it really lacks many ways for people to play well with one another.

The Next Animal Crossing Game Needs Better Multiplayer

Animal Crossing: New Leaf Had It Right With Mini-Games

Animal Crossing: New Leaf set a precedent for multiplayer in the Animal Crossing franchise, with island tours filled with mini-games for players and their friends. As each game can be played to earn medals while on Tortimer Island, there weren't only fun things to do, but also a reason to keep people coming back and doing better. With differing options like a balloon hunt, bug catching, free-diving, fishing, gardening, fossil hunting and so much more, this was a fully-fleshed out way to have fun with friends.

Perhaps one of the most unique offerings of New Leaf's multiplayer was its truly unique mix of things to do, covering the basic things players could already do without built-in challenges, but also offering more than that. With labyrinth solving, item matching, hide and seek, hammer games and scavenger hunts, there was a lot more to play around with. Rewards of medals also gave players something to work toward, using these as tokens to purchase new items that weren't available anywhere else - a great incentive.

New Leaf and New Horizons featured image

10 Huge Differences Between Animal Crossing New Leaf And New Horizons

In 2020 ACNH took the world by storm. The new title retains the DNA that makes Animal Crossing so beloved, but veteran players noticed these changes.

With such an impressive multiplayer already established, it's only more clear that the next Animal Crossing entry really needs to put more of a focus onto this aspect of the game. As players continue to desire the ability to play with friends, as proven by the popularity of other similar games like Stardew Valley and its multiplayer, Animal Crossing could really excel if it delivers more to do online. Even the ability to meet new people and play together would be an incredible way to connect in a game that urges you to take it slow and enjoy the present.

How Multiplayer Could Work In The Next Animal Crossing Game

Animal Crossing Holds Much Potential For Fun With Friends

With so many pre-established features through Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and even some details of New Horizons that could be expanded upon, there are many great ways that multiplayer could be utilized in the next Animal Crossing entry. If Nintendo chose to return to the much-loved mini-games of New Leaf, players could explore some old classics and new games aplenty.

With the opportunity to include villagers in these games, or new features like cooking, cleaning, decorating, dress-up and more, there are plenty of ways that a new game could build on this already brilliant base. That's not all, though, as the many holiday events of the year could also be a lot more fun with new mini-games and ways to include friends.

No matter what's added though, it's clear that the Animal Crossing multiplayer experience is one that could be a game-changer for the next entry into the franchise.

Whether it be through Halloween costume games, Christmas cooking challenges or summer swimming races, there are lots of great chances to enhance everything that Animal Crossing: New Horizons already does so well. Even going online and meeting new people for the year's holidays would be a wonderful way to connect and enjoy each season with new friends.

As the Animal Crossing games only continue to add new items, it wouldn't be very far out to consider that Nintendo might begin to make some of these items more interactive. Whether it be jigsaw puzzles of characters, board games that take place in the Animal Crossing world, or even pixellated retro experiences on the TV screens, there are many ways Nintendo could explore new things to do in multiplayer. No matter what's added though, it's clear that the Animal Crossing multiplayer experience is one that could be a game-changer for the next entry into the franchise.