Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an even bigger hit than you thought

By Allison Matyus May 7, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons had the best launch of any Nintendo Switch game, selling over 11 million copies in only 11 days.

Nintendo announced the impressive Animal Crossing numbers in its fiscal year results on Thursday. saying the game’s results exceeded expectations.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold more games in its first six weeks than the previous Animal Crossing game sold in its entire run, and with good reason: Our reviewer called it “the perfect game for this moment in history.”

The adorable game even drove hardware sales. Nintendo said sales for the Nintendo Switch reached holiday season levels when the game debuted in the Japanese market.

Nintendo

The game was so popular after its March 20 debut that it contributed to a shortage in the Nintendo Switch supply. Nintendo said in its report that production and shipping are gradually getting better following those delays.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has provided many people some welcome relief from the coronavirus pandemic. The cute life simulator takes you away to an island getaway where your only responsibilities include fishing, chatting with neighbors, and decorating your home.

Nintendo said the people playing Animal Crossing are mostly from Gen Z and millennials, and many of them are women.

If you’re one of those who have already sped through the game, there’s good news: Nintendo said that it plans on introducing more seasonal events that players can look forward to.

The latest game update includes the seasonal event known as the May Day Maze, which is a chance for players to celebrate how much hard work everyone has put into their islands. Today marks the last day of the seasonal event, so grab your May Day Ticket in-game if you don’t want to miss out.

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Allison Matyus is a general news reporter at Digital Trends. She covers any and all tech news, including issues around social…

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The best Animal Crossing games, ranked from best to worst

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The Animal Crossing games have always had a dedicated fanbase. It wasn't until Animal Crossing: New Horizons arrived on the Nintendo Switch, however, that the series exploded in popularity. This cute life-simulation series speaks to the more laid-back crowd, somewhere between a game like the Sims and a Harvest Moon-style game. While each game does mix things up, adding new mechanics and ways to express yourself and explore, the core concept has always been about taking your time, making friends, and living out a peaceful life in these bright and colorful worlds. Oh, and paying off the massive debt you always seem to get dumped on you by Tom Nook, of course.

Animal Crossing began on the N64 in Japan, but the first time we got to experience this lovely series was on the GameCube in 2001. Including the debut entry, only eight titles in the series have been made across various systems. While this is a small number compared to some other Nintendo franchises, such as Zelda or Mario, each game can be played almost endlessly. The number of things to do, make, decorate, and more makes it hard not to get hooked on these games. Whether you're a seasoned villager or looking for a new game to relax with, we've taken all of the Animal Crossing games and ranked them from best to worst.

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances guide

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It only makes sense that as the owner of your own island, you should be in charge of just about everything there. Since the beginning, you've had a huge amount of control over how your island works, including transforming the landscape itself to look exactly how you want it to. One thing you couldn't do, however, was lay down the law. In past games, you were able to enact rules called ordinances that changed the way your village functioned, but these options were missing from Animal Crossing: New Horizons until the giant 2.0 update.

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Animal Crossing player poses with their terraformed waterfall.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is all about customization. With the version 2.0 update, returning players are opting for a complete island overhaul, while new players have plenty of tools and toys to work with. They'll re-shape the landscape of their island through terraforming, a mechanic that elated long-time Animal Crossing fans when it was announced in New Horizons. You will have to unlock the terraforming app, aka the Island Designer App, on your NookPhone if you plan to reshape the landmass around your island. Here's how to unlock terraforming in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and some helpful hints on using it best.

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