Bringing Animal Crossing and Pikmin Together: The Perfect Crossover!

Highlights

The tranquil gameplay and vibrant characters of Animal Crossing: New Horizons have garnered immense popularity, unfortunately rendering previously released games in the series unattainable on contemporary gaming consoles.

Nintendo is gradually attempting to tackle this problem by reviving beloved franchises, like Pikmin, for the Switch. It would be beneficial for them to extend the same treatment to Animal Crossing. Although the Animal Crossing series has continuously evolved and grown with each new release, fans are currently unable to revisit the older games unless they possess outdated consoles like the GameCube or 3DS.

Since the launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Animal Crossing series has emerged as one of Nintendo's most beloved franchises. Its calming gameplay and vibrant characters have captivated gamers of all ages, contributing to its immense popularity. However, the series has yet to be fully accessible on a single console, and this issue needs to be addressed.

Animal Crossing is not the only Nintendo franchise unavailable on modern hardware. The lack of backward compatibility and the high price of older Nintendo titles often disappoints fans. Fortunately, the studio has made some efforts to rectify this. For instance, it recently made the entire Pikmin franchise available on the Switch, coinciding with the release of Pikmin 4. Similarly, Nintendo should extend the same opportunity to the Animal Crossing series in preparation for its next installment.

Animal Crossing Could Thrive on the Switch

The Animal Crossing series originated in 2001 on the Nintendo GameCube, establishing the foundation for its unique gameplay loop, beloved characters, and influence on the casual gaming genre. Living in a colorful town populated by anthropomorphic animals proved to be a delight for players who were hesitant to leave. Despite somewhat dated graphics, the game excelled in all other aspects.

In 2005, Nintendo expanded the franchise with Animal Crossing: Wild World on the DS. This installment transported players to a new island, offering expanded customization options and introducing a range of exciting new mechanics to enhance the formula. Online play was also introduced, elevating the experience to new heights, although this feature has since been discontinued. Unfortunately, modern hardware does not support the game, making it necessary for interested players to locate a DS to enjoy it.

Animal Crossing: City Folk expanded the concept on the Nintendo Wii but has been neglected on the console. Animal Crossing: New Leaf is no longer accessible without a 3DS and game cartridge. Each game significantly expanded the core concept, had its own unique style, and contributed to the franchise's popularity. Despite the success, Nintendo has made little effort to honor these classics.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons propelled the franchise forward and shows no signs of turning back. Nintendo provided players with the tools to create almost anything they desired, and it quickly gained a dedicated fanbase. The game outsold the entire series combined and introduced a new generation of fans. This new generation likely wishes to experience the older games, but unfortunately, that option is currently unavailable to them.

Nintendo recently made a strategic move by releasing all the Pikmin games for the Switch in anticipation of Pikmin 4's launch. While Pikmin 3 Deluxe had already been available on the console since 2020, the first two games were previously exclusive to the Wii and GameCube. Bringing Pikmin 1 and 2 to the Switch was a fantastic decision as it not only generated excitement for the upcoming installment, but also paid homage to the beloved RTS series. This move has proven to be successful for the Pikmin franchise, and now it is time for Nintendo to adopt a similar approach with Animal Crossing. Players can now enjoy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch.