Skip to main content

Animal Crossing: New Horizons trailer makes the wait for its launch even harder

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Deserted Island Getaway Package Primer

It isn’t scheduled to hit Nintendo Switch for three more months, but and Nintendo seems intent on making the wait for Animal Crossing: New Horizon as difficult as possible for fans. A new “Deserted Island Getaway Package Primer” trailer is out, courtesy of the predatory lenders at Nook Inc.

Recommended Videos

Set in a conference room like a pyramid scheme pitch attempting to sell suckers a worthless timeshare, the trailer features Tom Nook as he presents a gorgeous view of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. We see the deserted island, loaded up with trees and tropical fruit, as well as villagers cutting down those trees and constructing new buildings to create their ideal homes.

Through all of this, the villagers, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter Isabella, look in awe at the vacation they will be taking. We just hope they have the requisite bells to pay Nook Inc. back for the loans they’re sure to receive on new homes, as the company is relentless in its collecting. That being said, not having to pay any interest does sound pretty good — perhaps Nook Inc. should open a branch in the real world, as well?

Box art for Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The trailer also gave us a look at the North American box art for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It features several characters, including Isabella, the Nook Inc. employees, and villagers hard at work on a project. As always, there is a clock visible on the top of the logo, reminding you of the seconds ticking away before you’ll get a shakedown by Tom Nook’s cronies.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will release on March 20 for Nintendo Switch. It features an expanded crafting system called “DIY Recipes,” as well as a full season cycle, local and online multiplayer modes, and full customization across the deserted island. Even if you can’t take a real vacation this year, you can certainly get a nice alternative by venturing to the island and making it your own. You can check out our full game roundup to learn even more about the new gameplay systems and what changes are being made compared to the 3DS game Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Turkey Day guide
Animal-Crossing-New-Horizons-Cook

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is celebrating the second Turkey Day event this year on November 25. Seasonal events are some of the most exciting reasons to jump back into the game for their unique and time-limited tasks, but mostly for the special rewards you can earn that you otherwise couldn't get your hands on. With the most recent 2.0 patch and DLC already having been released and marking the end of any substantial additions coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, these events are even more important to participate in to keep the game, and your island, feeling fresh.

Turkey Day is a not-too-subtle reference to Thanksgiving but renamed so that players around the world will be able to associate with it. Also, the key new character for Turkey Day is himself a turkey, so the name feels quite appropriate. Last year offered a ton of great rewards for helping to whip up some seasonal dishes, and we expect this year to be quite similar. However, with cooking now being a part of the normal gameplay, there may be a few surprises in store when the 25th rolls around. If you want to get a (turkey) leg up on what to expect from this year's Turkey Day in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, here's a full guide on how to prepare.

Read more
The best Animal Crossing games, ranked from best to worst
My New Horizons character dances next to her satellite farm.

The Animal Crossing games have always had a dedicated fanbase. It wasn't until Animal Crossing: New Horizons arrived on the Nintendo Switch, however, that the series exploded in popularity. This cute life-simulation series speaks to the more laid-back crowd, somewhere between a game like the Sims and a Harvest Moon-style game. While each game does mix things up, adding new mechanics and ways to express yourself and explore, the core concept has always been about taking your time, making friends, and living out a peaceful life in these bright and colorful worlds. Oh, and paying off the massive debt you always seem to get dumped on you by Tom Nook, of course.

Animal Crossing began on the N64 in Japan, but the first time we got to experience this lovely series was on the GameCube in 2001. Including the debut entry, only eight titles in the series have been made across various systems. While this is a small number compared to some other Nintendo franchises, such as Zelda or Mario, each game can be played almost endlessly. The number of things to do, make, decorate, and more makes it hard not to get hooked on these games. Whether you're a seasoned villager or looking for a new game to relax with, we've taken all of the Animal Crossing games and ranked them from best to worst.

Read more
Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances guide
Isabelle making the morning annoucements.

It only makes sense that as the owner of your own island, you should be in charge of just about everything there. Since the beginning, you've had a huge amount of control over how your island works, including transforming the landscape itself to look exactly how you want it to. One thing you couldn't do, however, was lay down the law. In past games, you were able to enact rules called ordinances that changed the way your village functioned, but these options were missing from Animal Crossing: New Horizons until the giant 2.0 update.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been a part of our lives for over a year now, but finally we can start to make the game work more toward fitting into our schedule rather than the other way around. These ordinances were great in past titles, and having them back will make your life, both in and out of the game, much easier. But, considering how long it's been, and how many people may not have played a past game with them in it, here's a full guide on ordinances in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Read more