Badges. What will Phineas do in this game?

[Twix]

One of my favourite features in Animal Crossing: New Leaf was the badge system. Badges are an achievement system and they are awarded by Phineas, a sea lion who appears if the player met the conditions for the new badge (only when the weather's nice though!). Badges have three ranks: bronze, silver, and gold, and you'd get them for achieving different accomplishments. I personally loved this feature because of the completionist that's inside of me. Badges are a challenge... it isn't easy to get every gold badge in the game and you have to really work for them. I also enjoy looking at the badges of other players whenever I play online. The satisfaction of getting a new badge really made me enjoy New Leaf.

However, it's a fear of mine that badges will seize to exist in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and be replaced by the Nook Miles, which act similarly by giving the player tasks and accomplishments to complete. While I'm excited for these, they just aren't the same as the badges New Leaf offered.

So I'm very curious to hear what other people have to say!

Did you enjoy collecting badges in New Leaf? If badges don't exist in New Horizons, what do you think Phineas will do in the game instead?

 

[Snowmen]

I'd like if he went back to give out ballons and the such again, like in City Folk. It was always nice to get something from him on a sunny day. In New Leaf we were able to get ballons etc. through streetpass iirc, but streetpass isn't on the switch, so it would only make sense to merge both together again.
In NH he could appear on the peer with a small boat and give out stuff or maybe will be located wherever all the stores will be.

 

[Sweetley]

Honestly, I wouldn't mind it if they don't bring back badges in New Horizons. I mean, it was a kinda nice
idea to get a sort of award for the activities you did in the game, however, there were certain ones where
trying to obtaining was just pure frustration (looking at you, Streetpass badges). Overall, while I tried to
get some, I never cared that much to get all of them. And like I said if they wont come back in NH, I
wouldn't be sad about it. To think about it, I would like it more if Phineas gets his old job back from
City Folk and giving out the Streetpass items from New Leaf.

Alternative, if they bring back the badges, I guess they could just combine it and let Phineas both giving
out the Streetpass items. After all, at least the Switch doesn't have Streetpass anymore so I don't have
to bother here getting those dumb badges for it...

 

[Jason Voorhees]

If they wiped out the badges I'd never get, like streetpass, and kept them to things you do within your own town/island, then bring them back.

 

[Kurb]

I don’t think he’ll be in this game because
A: he never went to the island
B: he’s dead
although I hope he does come back because phineas is so heartwarming

 

[MelloDimensions]

I'd imagine there would be another badge system. It's quite common for a game to feature some kind of achievement system implemented to show for progression, and he was just a real unique way to show for it.

 

[Jason Voorhees]

I don’t think he’ll be in this game because
A: he never went to the island
B: he’s dead
although I hope he does come back because phineas is so heartwarming

Dead?
How is he dead?

He's the best character in the game.

 

[Snowesque]

I much enjoyed the badge system, it definitely appears to have a different vibe to Nook Miles. That being said, I am still unfortunately expecting it to be replaced as you have said. In terms of Phineas, I am not quite sure what he will do. Since I imagine StreetPass will not be a thing in New Horizons, maybe something similar to his City Folk role? My hope is some sort of hybrid between the StreetPass items and badges.

 

[Lynnea]

I hope he comes back. I just want them to remove the streetpass badges and stuff. Since you have to pay (I think) to play online with the Switch. Not everyone is able to do that.

 

[isabll]

I'd like if he went back to give out ballons and the such again, like in City Folk.

Yes, I'd almost forgotten that he used to give out gifts like that! He's such an important part of the series I'm sure he will come back somehow and I think there'll still be a badge system.

 

[Sloom]

I would actually be really bummed if they removed the badge system. I think it was great in New Leaf... apart from the evil streetpass badges wherein even the bronze one is literally impossible.

But I always wanted to 100% the badges (with the exception of the streetpass ones lol) but I never got around to doing it so even though it's small it's actually one of the features I want back the most.

 

[BluebearL]

I would be pretty sad if badges did not make a return in animal crossing new horizions! It is a legitimate possibility though
I recon given how popular that they are that it is possible they will be kept?

I am also quiet annoyed at having to pay switch online, switch console and games are expensive as they are
That's another story though but I guess my point is that I agree with Lynnea but also know that they probably will be included: just another incentive nintendo will use to get people to pay more.

 

[Kurb]

Dead?
How is he dead?

He's the best character in the game.

old age

 

[Jason Voorhees]

old age

Then Tortimer should be resting comfortably in that place where greedy political turtles go.

 

[Kurb]

Then Tortimer should be resting comfortably in that place where greedy political turtles go.

*algae
Also, Tortimer’s 70 and Phineas is ???

 

[Jason Voorhees]

*algae
Also, Tortimer’s 70 and Phineas is ???

No idea, but he doesn't have wrinkles like ole Tortimer.

 

[moonrisekingdom]

i'd love if he'd come back via sea-plane or something to give out balloons, etc.

 

[Sweetley]

*algae
Also, Tortimer?s 70 and Phineas is ???

I would say he's around 50 or at least way too young to call him dead.

Also I doubt that they would kill off any characters, even if they are as old as Tortimer (I guess it's
like with cartoons where characters barely ageing or where time is freezed and nobody gets older).

 

[Blood Eclipse]

I don't know much about Animal Crossing City Folk on the Wii, since it's the only Animal Crossing title I skipped on, but I wouldn't if badge collecting made a return and I wouldn't really care if it didn't either, since I haven't really focused myself on collecting them all. I did like Phineas as a character, though, and I like when he says "be good and the bade man will bring you something another badge." it always makes me smile to read that for some reason.

 

[AlyssaAC]

Hopefully the badges will return, but if they don't, than that's fine with me. I will admit, they were pretty fun to collect, all except the streetpass badge, which literally takes forever to get. My favorite badge I loved to do was the fishing badge, along with the other two badges for diving and bug catching. Spending hours upon hours doing things like that always brought joy for me playing the game.