KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — As more people turn to videogames during the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Nintendo Switch console has become a hot commodity.
One Switch game in particular has become a huge hit all over the world, including with Malaysians, namely Animal Crossing.
If you’re on Facebook, one of the best places to hang out with other Nintendo Switch gamers is the Nintendo Switch Malaysia group.
With just under 40,000 members it has become a place for gamers to gather, share tips, buy and sell gaming items and, of course, talk about Animal Crossing.
What is Animal Crossing?
The Animal Crossing franchise has been around since 2001 with five games in total released for the Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 3DS and the Switch.
The game is what is called a “social simulation” game. You, the player, join a village inhabited by other residents all of whom seem to be animals walking upright, talking and even wearing clothes.
While there are various activities and milestones in the game, there is no pressure to follow a single path with players being able to choose just what to do on their island.
You could spend your entire gaming time just fishing, planting flowers, decorating your virtual home or visiting other players’ islands.
The latest version, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold an estimated five million copies digitally in March – impressive considering it launched on March 20.
Explaining the appeal
The Nintendo Switch Malaysia Facebook group members took some time to share just what they loved about the game.
While there were some who had played the game since it came out on earlier platforms such as the GameCube and 3DS, some were attracted by the pre-release buzz.
Stefanie Yeo, however, said she started when her husband decided to buy a copy of the game for the both of them to play.
“To date, spend together and do things to destress,” that is how Yeo describes just how she ended up playing.
Calling it the “best MCO game,” Yeo found it addictive, cute and immersive enough that she would forget the time when playing.
Gamer Leokrz’s (a pseudonym) reason for getting into the game was amusing and succinct: “I love cats!”
In-game sweetness
What is there to love about the game? Ariff Erzanie Ramli, a longtime Animal Crossing franchise fan said that he loved that it was a full game on its own with the option to interact (or not) with other players and being fully playable even without the internet.
“It’s even better if you have friends to play it with,” Ariff conceded.
The game’s laidback, no-pressure, open-ended gameplay also appealed to many players who liked the non-competitive, relaxing aspect of the game.
Khew Kit Hahn said as a programmer himself, he appreciated the “small, extra efforts” put into making the game feel alive.
“I definitely enjoy the fact that the game feels alive enough for me to love my villagers and my island, even if it means performing some mundane tasks.”
Another gamer, Jern Siong, has spent almost 200 hours playing Animal Crossing.
He was impressed with how detailed the villagers in Animal Crossing were rendered. “I love that they have so many little quirks and expressions, from when they’re sad, or happy, or annoyed, or hungry.”
Being able to play with friends was another plus point, as well as being able to make new ones.
“I’ve met so many new people in such a short time it’s amazing. I will always be touched by how random strangers on the internet are reaching out to help one another, from sharing turnip prices and crafting recipes, to basically giving away stuff that people want out of generosity. It really brought out the inherent kindness in people, in ways that most of us didn’t expect,” he said.
Sheryl Bito finds the creativity from the community astounding.
“(In-game) our Malaysian are represented by designing our traditional attires such as the kebaya or baju melayu, and it’s available for anyone in the world to download and wear them.”
Tiera Ishak has to juggle her Animal Crossing time with her hours working from home, even waking up as early as 6am to keep her island spick and span.
Calling herself “obsessed,” she loves the gameplay and the ability to truly “make it my island.”
Dark clouds on the horizon
It’s not all happy, fluffy times in Animal Crossing, though. Players note that there are bad apples taking advantage of the game’s popularity to stir up trouble.
There have been cases where players have been abusive and even resorted to stealing other player’s items.
Keeping up with the Joneses is also a thing in the game. Tiera says her obsession with the game does make her feel jealous of other players’ islands.
Siong says the game can be repetitive and it can feel like a chore being forced to visit other islands just for resources.
While the freedom in the game is a draw for some, players like Kelle YP Goh found it daunting.
“I’m not a creative person, so all the DIY features are too much for me… I prefer templates and instructions,” she said.
Sarah Roz chimed in, agreeing the game wasn’t for everyone.
“As much as I love this game, I do acknowledge that not everyone will enjoy it, especially those who like to rush to beat a game,” she said.
“The game’s strongest points are also its weakest,” Sarah said, noting the many repetitive aspects and its events happening in real-time.
“The process of connecting your game online is also quite tedious and sometimes buggy. These are just minor complaints and don’t really break the game in my opinion.”
Should you get the game?
If growing a virtual island at your own pace sounds like your kind of deal, Animal Crossing will appeal especially if you like games such as Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley.
What the other titles don’t include is the ability to interact with other players, for better and for worse.
At the very least, with the game’s current strong fanbase in Malaysia, you will find lots of support and company.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available on both Nintendo’s eShop as well as in physical copies. Pricing might vary from seller to seller.
