Within the fanbase, I'm starting to think there's a side that's acting like the stereotypical "Gen-wunner" in Pokemon. They always seem to glorify that original game as superior to all else made. No offense, but like the heckling by the Gen-wunners in that fanbase, it's starting to get on my nerves in Animal Crossing.
Unfortunately, at the rate they complain about the newer games, they will never get an AC game they'll love like their sacred original ever again.
The first reason is the dialogue since NL has now been uniformly localized in the exact same tone as in the Japanese translation, of which never had much in the way of rude dialogue in the first place - even in the original Animal Crossing. The U.S. localizers of the earlier games had much more leeway, as at the time, it was such a new type of game that they had no idea would ever sell. Why they chose rude dialog was probably because the originals were primarily dialog in the first place - so they thought something needed to engage players, right?
Secondly, there's been a major transition in who actually plays Animal Crossing, and why they play it. The target has shifted from 'general nintendo gamers' to a more family friendly and casual audience. With that change, they had to take measures to be less offending and more 'politically correct' to such a group - Resetti turned into an optional character in NL because it made young girls cry, for instance. Given that, the dialog probably will never go off course into the localized rudeness, so to keep the "Family Friendly" brand they chose to embrace. Besides, that wasn't in the original Japanese, and wasn't exactly the intent of the game anyways.
Lastly, the New Leaf generation in a way got spoiled through the taste of freedom to customize. People accross the internet kept resetting for new maps, kept trying to make everything look pretty, and kept searching for the dream villagers they wanted among other things. They also complained about annoying timed visits, unreasonable and dumb villager requests, and some of the absurd requirements of unlocking shops or completing certain events. Apparently the creators listened to the pleas of this generation, and chose to totally reroute the direction of the gameplay itself: One where customization is the primary gameplay, and villager interaction only being a secondary supplement of it.
And there you have it: The franchise now a shadow of its former self, for better or worse, in New Horizons. I personally don't mind that at all, as I seriously love the limitless freedom I have in my town in this new game. I don't talk heavily with my villagers, but I do love listening to discussions between them, as well as their interactions with the surroundings of my town. But the game will never play like the original, because it never was designed like it in the first place.
Whether this will be the death of the franchise... Well, that depends on which audience you are in. But either way, the original might as well be a case of catching lightning in a bottle, and you'll only get another game in its tradition from a completely new IP, should one ever rise up to create it.
/end rant/
Edited to not insult anyone.
Unfortunately, at the rate they complain about the newer games, they will never get an AC game they'll love like their sacred original ever again.
The first reason is the dialogue since NL has now been uniformly localized in the exact same tone as in the Japanese translation, of which never had much in the way of rude dialogue in the first place - even in the original Animal Crossing. The U.S. localizers of the earlier games had much more leeway, as at the time, it was such a new type of game that they had no idea would ever sell. Why they chose rude dialog was probably because the originals were primarily dialog in the first place - so they thought something needed to engage players, right?
Secondly, there's been a major transition in who actually plays Animal Crossing, and why they play it. The target has shifted from 'general nintendo gamers' to a more family friendly and casual audience. With that change, they had to take measures to be less offending and more 'politically correct' to such a group - Resetti turned into an optional character in NL because it made young girls cry, for instance. Given that, the dialog probably will never go off course into the localized rudeness, so to keep the "Family Friendly" brand they chose to embrace. Besides, that wasn't in the original Japanese, and wasn't exactly the intent of the game anyways.
Lastly, the New Leaf generation in a way got spoiled through the taste of freedom to customize. People accross the internet kept resetting for new maps, kept trying to make everything look pretty, and kept searching for the dream villagers they wanted among other things. They also complained about annoying timed visits, unreasonable and dumb villager requests, and some of the absurd requirements of unlocking shops or completing certain events. Apparently the creators listened to the pleas of this generation, and chose to totally reroute the direction of the gameplay itself: One where customization is the primary gameplay, and villager interaction only being a secondary supplement of it.
And there you have it: The franchise now a shadow of its former self, for better or worse, in New Horizons. I personally don't mind that at all, as I seriously love the limitless freedom I have in my town in this new game. I don't talk heavily with my villagers, but I do love listening to discussions between them, as well as their interactions with the surroundings of my town. But the game will never play like the original, because it never was designed like it in the first place.
Whether this will be the death of the franchise... Well, that depends on which audience you are in. But either way, the original might as well be a case of catching lightning in a bottle, and you'll only get another game in its tradition from a completely new IP, should one ever rise up to create it.
/end rant/
Edited to not insult anyone.
Last edited:
Instead of sulking, I can definitely recognize where Nintendo focused, and I think the ease of choosing which villagers you want, along with terraforming, has made this game WAY more accessible.
