Animal Crossinghas firmly established itself as one of the biggest games in the cozy genre. Its lo-fi gameplay, snug aesthetic, and cast of cute characters have captured the hearts of gamers across the globe.Animal Crossing’s villagers are arguably the main culprit behind the franchise’s success. With so many players adoring villagers in particular, Nintendo should look at some ofPokemon’s most popular gameplay mechanics to satiateAnimal Crossing’s playerbase.
Though gamers have claimed villagers as their favorites since the franchise’s inception,Animal Crossing: New Horizonescalatedthis trend to a whole new peak. A new culture behind villagers was born involving real-world money rather than bells. None of this money is being funneled into Nintendo’s pocket. While this hypothetical solution would not lead to more profits for Nintendo, it could at least damper villager buying and trading.
Villager Trading Could Solve Animal Crossing’s Third-Party Selling Problem
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsfeatures 413 unique villagers that players can invite to their island. With thirty-five different species and eight different personality types that villagers can be categorized under, there is some overlap between a handful of villagers. Nevertheless, many players choose specific types of villagers when deciding which lucky few can set up shop on their island.
For example, some players only invite cat species or jock personality types to their islands. Other players have their hearts set on specific individual villagers. These wishlist villagersare known as “Dreamies”in theAnimal Crossingcommunity.
Popular Dreamies inAnimal Crossing: New Horizoninclude unique villagers like Tangy, Zucker, and Merengue. Some players also hunt for iconic villagers in the franchise, like Rosie or Ankha. However, Raymond, a new addition to the franchise first introduced inNew Horizons, exemplifies the new villager culture that erupted fromNew Horizons.
Trading Villagers Can Be Pricey
After his introduction, Raymond quickly secured himself the title of fan favorite, with prices on popularAnimal Crossingtrading platforms likeNookazon listing him for millions of bells. For players that opt to buy and trade using real-world money, Raymond has been previously listed on eBay for $1000.
This trading system not only drains the pockets of players in both real world and in-game cash,but leaves Nintendo out of the equation. It’s a system that the company likely wants to at least limit before releasing a new installment in theAnimal Crossingfranchise. Therefore, a system similar toPokemon’s would be a great addition toAnimal Crossing.
A Not-So-Sketchy Way to Trade Villagers
One of the most popular, and arguably easiest and cheapest,ways to trade villagers inNew Horizonsinvolves an empty plot of land and a lengthy friends list. If, by coincidence, a villager on a friend’s island is in the process of moving out, players can visit the “boxed” villager and try to convince them to live on their island instead.
This is not a concrete solution for trading. Firstly, not all players have alengthy friends list inAnimal Crossing. There are lots of “ifs” hanging in the balance, such as a friend coincidentally having the Dreamy a player wants. To make this solution more tangible, forming an online trading post for villagers, similar to trading Pokemon, would be simple and far less tedious.
If this feature was implemented directly intoAnimal Crossing, rather than through community-run sites, Nintendo would be able to crack down on scams and make sure trades are processed correctly. To add some barrier to villager trading, Nintendo could perhaps implement anew feature similar to Nook Miles Tickets, though these in-game currencies are also popular on fan-mart sites.
Pokemonmay encourageits players to “Catch ‘em al!”, butAnimal Crossing’s community is far more determined to pick the exact villagers they need for their island. Though no new installment has been announced, aPokemontrading system forAnimal Crossingwould be the perfect addition to the franchise’s next entry.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
WHERE TO PLAY
Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online** or with others beside you***, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you’ll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want.
