The Animal Crossing Direct has recently finished, and while we knew Brewster and The Roost were coming, there was little else we knew about this coming update. The Direct made sure to show us that this update – the last major content update for New Horizons – is a majorly big one.
It started off showing us what we already knew. Brewster and The Roost, where we can get a cup of coffee, hang with friends, and maybe some other residents who drop by. With amiibo cards, you can even invite characters to hang with. I would have liked if it was bigger, with a stage for KK Slider to come host his concerts during winter, but it really doesn’t matter too much. Especially since we’ve got new music from the guitar-jammin’ dog to enjoy.
After that, it was straight into the new content. No pauses, just showcasing everything new both small and large. New Tours with Kapp’n, where he once again sails you to islands while singing his shanties. And these islands are more varied than what we currently have. Whether that being a different time of day, season, or offering new and rare items we haven’t encountered before.
Harv’s Island – the place with the photo studio – is also seeing a major upgrade, where we can build new shops with returning characters and those already within the game. Reese and Cyrus – the alpacas who ran the Re-Tail store in New Leaf – return to customise furniture that cannot be customised by ourselves. Even Tortimer’s making an appearance at this new plaza.
Considering how packed some player’s islands already are – and the fact a city-like area makes little sense, this is a great way to bring back old characters whose missing stores and appearances were felt. Plus, the characters who already have shops in the game are here to offer what seems to be a limited selection of their wares (if Redd’s single painting is anything to go by).
One of the things I loved to see is the farming mechanics being added to the game. Crops such as potatoes and wheat can be grown, with all those and existing crops grown on trees able to be used in making food such as cakes and pizzas. Sure, it’s not massively useful or interesting for some, but it gives more to be doing with our fruits, and hopefully offers up more money than selling the ingredients individually would.
Group stretching sees an appearance as a minigame, an upgraded photo mode allows us to take photos from ground level, the ordinances from New Leaf return, and the start of the new customisation features showcased such as new exterior designs, ceiling décor, and wall accents – which means we now have the ability to customise each of the four walls of our house separately. But… there was more soon to come. Something that definitely excited me.
The Direct had been going on for thirteen minutes, and it seemed like it was wrapping up. “Isn’t it meant to be going for 20?” I thought. And then, a visit to the airport, and that option. I want to go to work. Oh, I was not expecting this at all. Happy Home Designer is being implemented into the game, this time with a holiday resort theme.
If you haven’t seen anything about Happy Home Designer, it was a decorating spin-off game where you worked as a designer for Nook’s Homes, designing the homes for clients who had requests for what they wanted to be included. You could even design the garden of the house. Most of what was included in this spin-off did make it to New Horizons, which meant the only way this was working was expansion. And oh, did they expand it.
Partitions can be used to make smaller rooms out of one. Counters have two heights to them, which allows for varying elevation. Polishing items can give effects such as butterflies flying around flowers. Lighting can be customised in colour and brightness. Soundscapes can give a room a completely new ambience. Room size can also be changed, as well as the outside environment. And the best part is all this (except the size and environment changes) can be used back on your own island for your home and those of your residents.
You’re getting paid for this work in Poki – a currency exclusive to the archipelago. The store within the office has exclusive and rare items in its line-up. As well as being paid for the work, you can share that work with others online – so that they can explore what you’ve designed.
Now, the Happy Home Paradise is a paid expansion to the game, but the interesting thing to note is that a bit of info regarding the Switch Online Expansion Pack was shown here. And that’s because this expansion is included as part of it. It does seem Nintendo are doing more that just adding extra console apps to that Expansion Pack. Almost makes me wonder what else they have in store for it.
Both the free content and Happy Home Paradise release on November 5th, so prepare those islands for new additions – including gyroids and other things I haven’t mentioned here. And prepare your bells to get those new shops quickly, as there’s sure to be a heap of new items to get through some of them. Just a shame the Nookling shop couldn’t get an expansion to go with all this, well… expansion.
Images Taken From:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct 15.10.2021
