Maybe this time I'll get less people attack the title of the thread.
So recently my girlfriend and I decided to start a playthrough of the GCN Animal Crossing game. Many on another thread insisted that New Horizons was NOT a direct continuation of New Leaf, but rather took the original game as a basis and built off of that. I can somewhat see where people got this idea. A lot of elements found in New Horizon (some that I like) seem inspired by the GCN game, such as the slightly-overhead camera angle (which I vastly prefer over the rolling log), the glowing spots for the money trees (though for some reason they seem overabundant in NH), less buildings (Nook's Cranny, Able Sisters, Post Office and Museum), K.K. Slider performing outside, and a singly contained area (i.e. no City or Main Street). Then, fine. If you want to view it through a lense that these things were made as an homage to the GCN game as opposed to blatant laziness - it makes these things slightly more palatable. But does it?
Let's look at Nook's Cranny, which by its name alone seems to be an homage to the games of old. Not "Nookling's Cranny" as in New Leaf, but a straight up reference to the Tanooki himself. But once again, NH fails here. How will those desperate to convince those of us with modest expectations of the game that we are wrong defend this point? I anticipate your response... The GCN game (and if I'm not wrong, every other game) had 3 upgrades - NH has one.
Even when it comes to the store alone - it has so much more personality and charm in the GCN game. One feature that I fell in love with was the raffle system. Every purchase would net a raffle ticket to be used for that month, and every 5 tickets could be used in a raffle at the end of the month. On the final day, Tom Nook would not sell any items and instead the store would be decorate for the raffle in which every 5 tickets allowed you at a chance to get one of 3 rare items. This was such a breath of fresh air from the constant nothingness that exists in NH!
The Able Sisters seems moderately better than the GCN game in NH, however, I still dislike the shift to menus in this game. I prefered having to walk up the item - though I suppose that's taste. It felt more in line with the series for menus to be relegated to game-type menus (like saving), or ABDs.
This might be a hot take - but I liked the way fossil analysis was done in the GCN game. Instead of Blathers being able to analyse your fossils on the spot, you had to mail in your fossils to be analysed, then they'd be sent back. I think that you only get back 3 per day. This makes you wait longer, but, it feels so much more satisfying to me. It makes me appreciate fossils more, and it gives a viable use of stationary! I think stationary was cut from New Horizons? Because I've never used it at all. I think now it's just like, selected from a menu when you gift an item or send a letter? I've never sent any in NH. It felt so out of the way (all the way at the airport) to even think about sending letters, not to mention pretty much useless other than for a Nook Miles achievement - though feel free to prove me wrong on this.
Do I think it's a 'con' that NH uses the fossil analysis convention that became standard in every game post-GCN? Nah, but, it does serve as a small hole in the "NH is a successor to the GCN game" argument, and, I do genuinely think that mailing fossils for analysis is a good thing (not that the current system is worse). Maybe they could have made things come full circle. A new curator is at the museum, and this time, Blathers is the one working at the Faraway Museums analysing fossils for small faraway towns (fits with the deserted island theme that many use as an excuse for the shortcomings of NH).
Something else I noticed from the moment that I started the GCN game is how much more witty and entertaining all dialogue in the game is. Nook laughs at me for being broke. Resetti is passionate about his work. The villagers aren't too cozy with the idea of me moving in at first. Then slowly it feels as if everyone becomes more accepting of my presence in the town. It's gradual. In New Horizons, I swear, everything seems so upbeat and peppy. Even the design of everything. I somehow prefer the lower-resolution look of the GCN villagers than their appearance in NH. From the small things, such as the villagers seemingly forgetting your name when the game boots up (as a character select), and it being a different one each time is charming. Starting off with a desk view of Isabelle (who is EVEN MORE useless in this game than she was in her game of origin) rattling of about her favourite show (that I'm guessing only exists for the purpose of dialogue) isn't fun, charming, or endearing. She is there because she's popular. I'm not sure who else agrees with me on this, but Isabelle is one of the single worst additions to Animal Crossing. In my opinion, she doesn't even fit in with the other animal designs, and just has an annoying 'character'. The GCN game is vastly superior simply due to the fact that Isabelle isn't in the game.
This has made me think about the other day when a staunch NH defender insisted so much that Resetti is in New Horizons. Well, technically he is, but obviously that's not what people mean when they say they want him in the game. We don't want 2 lines of dialogue. I think the best thing to demonstrate tone shift between the GCN game and NH is to simply put Resetti and Isabelle side by side. Tom Nook is less salty in NH, but I can chalk that up to subtle character development over the past few games - fine. But then we go back to people who cherry pick. Is this a "spiritual successor to the GCN game", or is this a continuation of the lineage of Animal Crossing games of the past.
There are a lot of minor things too, like the fun ball that existed to kick around for fun. How much more natural cliffs and rivers felt versus the blocky feel of NH's custom cliffs and rivers. Or maybe the fact that Tortimer, Copper and Booker, and Pelly are all missing. But I think the major downfall of New Horizons is when it comes to items.
The other day Redd came into my town for the first time in the GCN game. Being influenced by the other games, I expected this was where I'd get art for the museum. I had dug up a common painting before, but I assumed it was just because it was a common painting. When Redd took me into his tent, I was surprised! Beautiful items! NES games, a double bass (I'm a jazz fan), and other awesome items! In general, the GCN game has been surprising my with how much awesome designed items exist. I saw my girlfriend's beautifully decorated home and I was just in awe (especially to see the different items she got compared to me). New Horizons cannot compare. Yes, we can't place items outside in the GCN game. I think this is the part where I'm supposed to throw a bone and talk about how game-changing it is to place items outside and the level of creativity it offers, and how that feature alone warrants this game's existence. But no.
That feature would be good if the items were good. I feel as though I constantly get the same exact items in NH over and over. The same garbage items that I don't want, or the same items I've been stuck with (from the ABD thing in the Town Hall) since the beginning of the game. I feel as though items are severely small in scale compared to the GCN game, and just lack charm. I'm sure someone will say "you're wrong because there's so much beautiful homes in NH", but the simple truth is - the items in NH are lackluster. I don't want to use a single item I get from any holidays (except the suitcase from Rover, I liked that event a lot).
I'm sure there were things in here that I missed, and I am only about a month into the GCN game, but when the first game in the series beats out the most modern entry on so many fronts - there is an undeniable problem.
Even now I'm thinking about cool things such as going into the lighthouse to turn on the lights in the GCN game. Which leads me to a next point I forgot to make. Everything outside being relegated to an item really takes away the charms of items. It feels as though everything is scaled as if it had to fit indoors and outdoors at the same scale. This makes thing so underwhelming. The lighthouse (and other large outdoor items) tend to feel like fake playthings and don't blend in well with the greater environment at times. Because the lighthouse is an item, obviously my hopes of ever going INSIDE of it are as good as dead.
Anyways - I await the NH fanboys to tell me I am wrong.
Also notice, I went through (I think) this entire thread without mentioning New Leaf (at least extensively). Hopefully this mitigates the amount of people (like last time) who accused me of being a New Leaf fanboy.
So recently my girlfriend and I decided to start a playthrough of the GCN Animal Crossing game. Many on another thread insisted that New Horizons was NOT a direct continuation of New Leaf, but rather took the original game as a basis and built off of that. I can somewhat see where people got this idea. A lot of elements found in New Horizon (some that I like) seem inspired by the GCN game, such as the slightly-overhead camera angle (which I vastly prefer over the rolling log), the glowing spots for the money trees (though for some reason they seem overabundant in NH), less buildings (Nook's Cranny, Able Sisters, Post Office and Museum), K.K. Slider performing outside, and a singly contained area (i.e. no City or Main Street). Then, fine. If you want to view it through a lense that these things were made as an homage to the GCN game as opposed to blatant laziness - it makes these things slightly more palatable. But does it?
Let's look at Nook's Cranny, which by its name alone seems to be an homage to the games of old. Not "Nookling's Cranny" as in New Leaf, but a straight up reference to the Tanooki himself. But once again, NH fails here. How will those desperate to convince those of us with modest expectations of the game that we are wrong defend this point? I anticipate your response... The GCN game (and if I'm not wrong, every other game) had 3 upgrades - NH has one.
Even when it comes to the store alone - it has so much more personality and charm in the GCN game. One feature that I fell in love with was the raffle system. Every purchase would net a raffle ticket to be used for that month, and every 5 tickets could be used in a raffle at the end of the month. On the final day, Tom Nook would not sell any items and instead the store would be decorate for the raffle in which every 5 tickets allowed you at a chance to get one of 3 rare items. This was such a breath of fresh air from the constant nothingness that exists in NH!
The Able Sisters seems moderately better than the GCN game in NH, however, I still dislike the shift to menus in this game. I prefered having to walk up the item - though I suppose that's taste. It felt more in line with the series for menus to be relegated to game-type menus (like saving), or ABDs.
This might be a hot take - but I liked the way fossil analysis was done in the GCN game. Instead of Blathers being able to analyse your fossils on the spot, you had to mail in your fossils to be analysed, then they'd be sent back. I think that you only get back 3 per day. This makes you wait longer, but, it feels so much more satisfying to me. It makes me appreciate fossils more, and it gives a viable use of stationary! I think stationary was cut from New Horizons? Because I've never used it at all. I think now it's just like, selected from a menu when you gift an item or send a letter? I've never sent any in NH. It felt so out of the way (all the way at the airport) to even think about sending letters, not to mention pretty much useless other than for a Nook Miles achievement - though feel free to prove me wrong on this.
Do I think it's a 'con' that NH uses the fossil analysis convention that became standard in every game post-GCN? Nah, but, it does serve as a small hole in the "NH is a successor to the GCN game" argument, and, I do genuinely think that mailing fossils for analysis is a good thing (not that the current system is worse). Maybe they could have made things come full circle. A new curator is at the museum, and this time, Blathers is the one working at the Faraway Museums analysing fossils for small faraway towns (fits with the deserted island theme that many use as an excuse for the shortcomings of NH).
Something else I noticed from the moment that I started the GCN game is how much more witty and entertaining all dialogue in the game is. Nook laughs at me for being broke. Resetti is passionate about his work. The villagers aren't too cozy with the idea of me moving in at first. Then slowly it feels as if everyone becomes more accepting of my presence in the town. It's gradual. In New Horizons, I swear, everything seems so upbeat and peppy. Even the design of everything. I somehow prefer the lower-resolution look of the GCN villagers than their appearance in NH. From the small things, such as the villagers seemingly forgetting your name when the game boots up (as a character select), and it being a different one each time is charming. Starting off with a desk view of Isabelle (who is EVEN MORE useless in this game than she was in her game of origin) rattling of about her favourite show (that I'm guessing only exists for the purpose of dialogue) isn't fun, charming, or endearing. She is there because she's popular. I'm not sure who else agrees with me on this, but Isabelle is one of the single worst additions to Animal Crossing. In my opinion, she doesn't even fit in with the other animal designs, and just has an annoying 'character'. The GCN game is vastly superior simply due to the fact that Isabelle isn't in the game.
This has made me think about the other day when a staunch NH defender insisted so much that Resetti is in New Horizons. Well, technically he is, but obviously that's not what people mean when they say they want him in the game. We don't want 2 lines of dialogue. I think the best thing to demonstrate tone shift between the GCN game and NH is to simply put Resetti and Isabelle side by side. Tom Nook is less salty in NH, but I can chalk that up to subtle character development over the past few games - fine. But then we go back to people who cherry pick. Is this a "spiritual successor to the GCN game", or is this a continuation of the lineage of Animal Crossing games of the past.
There are a lot of minor things too, like the fun ball that existed to kick around for fun. How much more natural cliffs and rivers felt versus the blocky feel of NH's custom cliffs and rivers. Or maybe the fact that Tortimer, Copper and Booker, and Pelly are all missing. But I think the major downfall of New Horizons is when it comes to items.
The other day Redd came into my town for the first time in the GCN game. Being influenced by the other games, I expected this was where I'd get art for the museum. I had dug up a common painting before, but I assumed it was just because it was a common painting. When Redd took me into his tent, I was surprised! Beautiful items! NES games, a double bass (I'm a jazz fan), and other awesome items! In general, the GCN game has been surprising my with how much awesome designed items exist. I saw my girlfriend's beautifully decorated home and I was just in awe (especially to see the different items she got compared to me). New Horizons cannot compare. Yes, we can't place items outside in the GCN game. I think this is the part where I'm supposed to throw a bone and talk about how game-changing it is to place items outside and the level of creativity it offers, and how that feature alone warrants this game's existence. But no.
That feature would be good if the items were good. I feel as though I constantly get the same exact items in NH over and over. The same garbage items that I don't want, or the same items I've been stuck with (from the ABD thing in the Town Hall) since the beginning of the game. I feel as though items are severely small in scale compared to the GCN game, and just lack charm. I'm sure someone will say "you're wrong because there's so much beautiful homes in NH", but the simple truth is - the items in NH are lackluster. I don't want to use a single item I get from any holidays (except the suitcase from Rover, I liked that event a lot).
I'm sure there were things in here that I missed, and I am only about a month into the GCN game, but when the first game in the series beats out the most modern entry on so many fronts - there is an undeniable problem.
Even now I'm thinking about cool things such as going into the lighthouse to turn on the lights in the GCN game. Which leads me to a next point I forgot to make. Everything outside being relegated to an item really takes away the charms of items. It feels as though everything is scaled as if it had to fit indoors and outdoors at the same scale. This makes thing so underwhelming. The lighthouse (and other large outdoor items) tend to feel like fake playthings and don't blend in well with the greater environment at times. Because the lighthouse is an item, obviously my hopes of ever going INSIDE of it are as good as dead.
Anyways - I await the NH fanboys to tell me I am wrong.
Also notice, I went through (I think) this entire thread without mentioning New Leaf (at least extensively). Hopefully this mitigates the amount of people (like last time) who accused me of being a New Leaf fanboy.
I love GCN, and I feel like NH takes everything great about it and pushes it forward. But nobody’s opinion about which game is better is right or wrong... it really is all just preference, and I think realizing that would save everyone a lot of headaches!
