The Switch 2 could give Animal Crossing fans an excuse to revisit NH

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Animal Crossing has always been one of Nintendo's more well-known series, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the popularity of the franchise to the next level. The hit Switch exclusive was released in 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges the launch faced due to the outbreak, it became a global phenomenon. Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave players around the world a way to socialize with each other during a pandemic, and its easy-to-understand gameplay made the game more accessible to newcomers. It eventually sold over 44 million copies, far more than any other installment in it Animal Crossing franchise, and it became the second best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch, beating the likes of Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild.

Animal Crossing: New Horizonss momentum continued in the months following its launch. Several free content updates for the game were released in 2020 and 2021, and it even received a paid expansion called Happy Home Paradisewhich added new island customization options and gave players the ability to design homes for villagers on other islands. But these days, Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Popularity has largely declined due to the lack of updates for the game and limited island systems. Although Nintendo hasn't given fans much reason to return to New horizonsthis may soon change with the launch of the upcoming Switch 2 thanks to a savings-related reason.

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Animal Crossing players find a clever way to get rich quick

An Animal Crossing: New Horizons player is making the most of a special in-game offer, acquiring thousands of Bells within a day.

The launch of Switch 2 could give fans a reason to return to Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons only allows players to have one island per Nintendo Switch

Saving in Animal Crossing: New Horizons function in an interesting way. In most games, players can record their progress in multiple playthroughs and switch between saves with the click of a few buttons, but New horizons doesn't work that way. Instead, the game limits the local save feature. When players create and build their own island in the game, they can only play on the same island unless they delete their progress completely. To make matters worse, save the file too New horizons is not found in a cartridge or a digital copy of the game, but rather in Nintendo Switch files.

Even if one Animal Crossing fan buys a second copy of New horizons (digitally or physically) they won't be able to start a new save with a new island unless they buy a second Switch. Players who share the same Switch with their family or friends can create their own characters in Animal Crossing: New Horizonsbut they must all share the same island as well. Some may say that this design choice promotes cooperation between friends, but in the eyes of many, it only limits the player's freedom and makes the game less fun.

Switch 2 may allow players to obtain a second island without deleting their previous saves

Being limited to one island/city per console has been a common issue with Animal Crossing game, but it is particularly disappointing in the case of New horizons simply because the Switch is more expensive than many of Nintendo's previous consoles. Most fans probably won't buy a second Nintendo Switch for $200-300 just to have a second island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, they may buy a Switch 2 at some point.

Nintendo hasn't revealed much information about the successor to the Nintendo Switch so far, but it did announce a few months ago that the console would be backwards compatible with the game library of the current Switch. While the details of this backwards compatibility have yet to be revealed, it seems likely Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be playable on the Switch 2. Therefore, current Switch owners who purchase Nintendo's next system will be able to play on two completely separate islands in New horizons without having to delete their original saves. This may not be the perfect solution, but at least fans will have more reason to buy a next-gen Nintendo console over a second Switch.

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