New features of Animal Crossing 2.0

On Nov. 5, 2021, Nintendo released the ACNH 2.0 update, adding a plethora of content to the game. New additions like farming and the Roost Café make returning to your island an enjoyable experience.

One of the new features is the addition of cooking and growing crops. The new update introduced five new crops into the game: carrots, sugarcane, tomatoes, potatoes, and wheat. Harvesting crops and bringing them to your kitchen will allow the player to craft the basic ingredients of flour and sugar, and be able to use those to make more complex recipes. The player can also get recipe ideas from catching fish on their island, and incorporating the fish into the dish. For example, the player can make a sea bass pie by combining three flours and two sea basses.

Characters from old Animal Crossing titles also made a reappearance with the additions of Kapp’n and Brewster. After paying a fee of 1,000 miles, an in-game currency, Kapp’n can take you to mystery islands that were previously not assessable by the sea plane in the game. These islands let you access some of the previously mentioned crops, as well as two new types of plants: vines and glowing moss. Vines are able to be used to climb cliffs, and glowing moss can be used in many DIY recipes, which are lists of materials that create items. For instance, using ten glowing moss can be used to craft a moss dress. Kapp’n also makes the rides more enjoyable by singing a cheery sea shanty to the player. Brewster, who serves the player coffee in a 24/7 coffee shop, can be unlocked by going to one of the islands after speaking to the museum curator, Blathers. Brewster will then open for business and you can buy coffee from him for 200 bells per cup. In the café, you have the opportunity to chat with villagers, as well as sit with your friends for a cup of joe.

The beginnings of New Horizons

When New Horizons was first released back in March of 2020, people welcomed it as if it were a gift from the heavens. It was the early days of the pandemic, so having some way to keep busy and catch up with friends during quarantine gained the game it’s extreme popularity and blossomed the Animal Crossing community. People were able to decorate their own personal islands with hundreds of different furniture items, both inside and outside. Outdoor furniture was a feature not included in previous game titles, and helped New Horizons stand out from it’s predecessors.

People took a break from the endless chaos of Covid, and immersed themselves into a pleasant virtual world with lots of things to offer. Some spent their time filling their island’s museum with fish and fossils, while others chatted with neighbors and built virtual relationships with their villager companions. No matter what activities you might enjoy, New Horizons has something for everyone.

A new spark of hope

After a few months had passed, hype on the game had died down and it lost some of it’s former popularity. Many people grew bored of it’s repetitive gameplay and felt they had nothing else left to complete; therefore, many people abandoned their islands in favor of other games. The game retained a decent number of players, but no where near the numbers it once had, thanks to the new update, this no longer seems to be the case. Players have new objectives they can fulfill thanks to all of the additions from the update.  In fact, it might even invite new players to the wonderful world of Animal Crossing!