Summary
Although Nintendo hasn’t officially announced the nextAnimal Crossinggame, it’s unlikely that such a hugely successful IP will soon be abandoned. Furthermore, considering the massivepopularity ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsin 2020, it’s likely just a matter of time before a new installment is revealed. Historically, Nintendo tends to introduce a newAnimal Crossinggame every three to four years.
In addition to speculation that the nextAnimal Crossinggame will likely launch on Nintendo’s next console, there’s also increasing curiosity about how the developers can further elevate the gameplay. With the immense popularity ofNew Horizons, the upcoming installment will need to be truly outstanding to meet and surpass the ever-growing expectations of its player base. Fortunately, even though the next mainline entry appears to be extending beyond the usual four-year timeline, there is a surefire way to satisfy veteran players: the return of the moving van.
The Next Animal Crossing Title Should Revive A Popular City Folk Feature
Nintendo Should Embrace Classic Features That Made Animal Crossing Successful
While the nextAnimal Crossinggame offers plenty of opportunities for variation,such as new locationsand villager types, staying true to the series' roots is crucial for preserving the franchise’s identity. For instance, though an ambitious setting deep underwater or on a planet in outer space is enticing,Animal Crossingcould implement this while borrowing mechanics from its past games. In this way, players can experience the best of both worlds with new features combined with nostalgic elements.
A feature that Nintendo should consider bringing back is the Moving Van option, introduced in 2008’sCity Folk. This groundbreaking feature enabled players to seamlessly transfer villagers fromtheir 2005Wild Worldsave fileto the new game. In theCity Folkintroduction, Rover would inform players about this possibility, suggesting they could relocate their beloved villagers from the DS version. There, players had the option to start fresh or make a transfer.
“A feature that Nintendo should consider bringing back is the Moving Van option.”
Notably, when aWild Worldcharacter is transferred, the newCity Folkcharacter will retain the player’s original name, eye color, facial features, and hairstyle. As a result,Rover would not ask any questionswhen on the bus. Additionally, most furniture, wallpaper, flooring, clothing, accessories, umbrellas, and stationery from theWild Worldcatalog are also brought over via the Moving Van.
New Horizons Players May Not Have To Start From Scratch In The Next Animal Crossing Game
Impressively,Wild Worldwas released on the Nintendo DS, the successor to the Game Boy Advance, whileCity Folklaunched on the Wii, Nintendo’s fifth home console. Withspeculation about a newAnimal Crossinggamepotentially debuting on the successor to the Switch, it seems likely that the next installment will be on a new platform. Given that Nintendo successfully enabled cross-platform transfers via DS Download Play over a decade ago, incorporating a Moving Van option into the next mainline title seems quite feasible.
Additionally,New Horizonsallows players totransfer island saves to a different Switchconsole. This process typically requires access to both the source and target consoles, though there is also an option to use island save data if it was previously enabled. Fortunately, the Island Transfer Tool is available for free download on the Nintendo eShop. With this existing technology and the Moving Van feature already used inCity Folk, it seems that the technology needed for such transfers is well established.
Moreover, since many players have invested asubstantial amount of time intoNew Horizons, it seems reasonable to offer them the option to retain some elements from the previous game. As Rover says inCity Folk, “[players] have come a long way in this life. [They] can’t just kiss that all goodbye.” While there is ongoing debate about whether town layouts and customizations should be transferable, it would be a nice touch to at least allow players to keep the villagers they spent so much time searching for.
