Apparently, I can only be logical for so long, so after posting one logical editorial today for Miketendo64 today, I’m now going to be writing something a little more illogical and it concerns Animal Crossing!
It is 2018, the Nintendo Switch is awesome and there has yet to be any announcement of an Animal Crossing game. Yes, we have Pocket Camp and it’s really not that bad, if you’re not a true fan of the series. If you are a true fan, then you’ll well be aware of the fact that since the first Animal Crossing game released back in 2001, the last main series instalment (New Leaf,) was out on the 8th of November, 2012 for Japan and out in June for the rest of the world in 2013. Regardless of the fact spin-offs such as Happy Home Designer (2015,) amiibo Festival (2015) and the New Leaf expansion “Welcome amiibo” and the mobile app has graced our presence since, it has been well over 4 years since the last true instalment and even though I am not an Animal Crossing fan myself, it is just too long a span of time.
So with that in mind, despite not being experienced enough to even express an opinion on what kind of an Animal Crossing we should get next, I do have some things I would like to say. First of all, I want the rumoured Animal Crossing game for Switch to be true, which “is to release this year,” but I also want it on the 3DS. Given the size of the Animal Crossing community on the 3DS, I think it would be wrong for Nintendo to bring a game they are desperately waiting for, to another platform. Nintendo may want to consumers buy the platform, but unless they’re suddenly going to have a huge horde of Switch units for the Animal Crossing fans to buy around the time the game releases, they are going to risk losing out on a huge chunk of change that will greatly impact launch sales figures, so it is in their best interest to cater to both platforms, but obviously make the Switch version better to look at and give it deluxe status.
The 3DS systems may have a touch-screen and dual-screens, but the Switch has HD Rumble and an IR sensor in the right hand Joy-Con. A Switch version could make every activity more interactive, thanks to the life-like rumbling we’ll be given, of a fish fighting back, when your villager goes fishing. They could also make you actually feel like your pulling vegetables from the ground and plants out of pots and as we have heard from Kimishima, he did say 2018 would see a number of Switch games implement a the Switch’s feature more so than 2017 did, so you know, this is something that would make sense. Also, it’s not like you’ll miss out on these activities as they’ll still be present in the 3DS game, but obviously if you have a Switch, you would be better of getting it for the Switch, but a 3DS option is there in case you have need of it and with Nintendo stating the 3DS will be supported this year, a dual release such as this, would be one way of showing said support.
But what about the release? Well, I know the rumours say Q3, or even Q4 to have Animal Crossing Switch (and 3DS,) to be a Holiday game to help ship units, but given what we saw last year when the Switch released and every month since, as long as Nintendo have units to ship and sell, sell they will, so a Holiday release isn’t something that would need to happen. Also by removing it from the Holiday time of year, Nintendo’s Holiday game could be something else and if the rumours of Bayonetta 3 being out this year are true, well, I’m sorry but I want Bayonetta 3 to be the Holiday game because it is the perfect choice and is more worth of Metroid Prime. SO because of that, I actually think Animal Crossing 2018 should be released in the Summer. Last year Nintendo gave us Splatoon 2 and ARMS. Both of them are fun games to play and were well worth the Summer status they were given and I think Animal Crossing 2018 deserves the similar treatment.
I believe it will be the game series fans have been kept waiting long enough for and able to go hands-on with, as early as mid-June, so as to give them an entire Summer to fall in love with the series they love so much already. Sure, a July release would be more practical, thus a Q3 release, but if Nintendo harboured the desires to have it out in June, it would be out if June, purely because they would have had more than enough time to perfect it, if the rumour of the supposed game, did in fact start in mid-2015. But yes, a Summer release would be the best choice, with a dual release being on the icing on the top. At least that’s what I want from an Animal Crossing in 2018, you guys might want more and if you do, you’re welcome to sound off in the comments below because I have now said, all that I have needed to say!
personally if they ever did another Animal Crossing, i think they should let you create your own villager, human or otherwise and control them. As well as add a few other things to freshen the franchise up.