Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review – Nintendo Switch's Essential Island Escape

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – the highly acclaimed life simulation from Nintendo – represents a landmark entry in one of the company’s most beloved series.

Released for the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020, New Horizons invites players to sign up for the Nook Inc.

Deserted Island Getaway Package, offering a charming, open-ended experience that allows for remarkable creativity and personalization.

Produced by Nintendo EPD, this installment builds on the series’ foundations, providing an experience that both honors its roots and boldly pushes forward with new mechanics and features. Upon launching Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players are warmly welcomed by Timmy and Tommy, who guide them through a relaxed onboarding process at the Nook Inc.

check-in counter.

Players confirm their name, birthday, and character photo – a process that establishes New Horizons’ hallmark sense of friendliness and approachability from the very start.

Rather than taking on mayoral duties as in previous titles, this time players are responsible for transforming a deserted island into a bustling paradise, with complete freedom over its development. Animal Crossing: New Horizons introduces the choice of selecting your island’s layout and whether it resides in the northern or southern hemisphere, which directly influences your seasonal progression and aligns with real-world geographical locations.

After arrival, players are joined by two randomized villagers and attend a welcoming session hosted by Tom Nook, founder of Nook Inc., who officially greets everyone to their new home.

Early on, players choose where to place their tents, as well as help their fellow villagers settle in, gathering resources such as tree branches and native fruits to prepare for the communal island party. As the adventure unfolds, players earn the title of Resident Representative from Tom Nook, marking the beginning of their responsibilities in redeveloping the island.

The game offers a wealth of structured activities while maintaining the freedom that fans love.

The inclusion of the NookPhone and the Nook Mileage program provides tangible goals for players, tracking achievements like weeds pulled, fossils assessed, and critters catalogued.

Nook Miles can be redeemed at the Nook Stop terminal for a variety of rewards, such as the Tool Ring – which facilitates quick tool switching via a radial menu – and the Pocket Organization Guide, increasing player inventory from 20 to 30 slots. Crafting is central to the New Horizons experience, with DIY recipes expanding players’ ability to customize tools, furniture, and decorative items.

Customization features, including the use of Customization Kits and personal designs, deepen the opportunity for creativity and expression.

Social elements, like daily conversations with animal villagers and participating in seasonal events such as Bunny Day or Toy Day, ensure that there is always something new to experience. Animal Crossing: New Horizons exemplifies the Nintendo Switch's strengths by providing an accessible, portable escape that can be enjoyed in both handheld and docked modes.

With striking art direction and continually refined gameplay, Nintendo has created a vibrant world that feels both familiar and fresh.

The game’s sales success echoes its broad appeal, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide as of 2023, making it one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch platform. Above all, Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers an uplifting, feel-good experience packed with meaningful improvements and daily surprises.

Whether it’s conquering island hazards, expanding your home, or simply enjoying the tranquility of fishing and gathering with friends, it stands as an essential title for any Nintendo Switch owner.

Through its gentle pace and endearing world, Nintendo once again demonstrates its mastery in delivering games that captivate players of all ages.

Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing Nintendo Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch Nook Inc. Tom Nook Timmy and Tommy Blathers Nook Miles NookPhone Nook Stop Nook’s Cranny eShop