Animal Crossing Retrospective | A Complete History and Review

[@TophGames]

I hope you all enjoy this video! It's my longest scripted video yet and took A LOT of time. I'm sure there are things I forgot to include though, so let me know if you think of anything!

[@st1nkylulu]

When new leaf came out, I remember so vividly being excited about Isabelle’s character. It’s crazy how a lot of us grew up with this game and share a common love for it.

[@GhostKitten69]

I still have my original Animal Crossing Gamecube memory card, written on in pen and everything. Simpler times they were, the days when "Stuffvil" felt like an appropriate town name.... Vehicles in Animal Crossing would be so wild. On one hand it feels like it'd throw off the vibe, but on the other hand...I can't resist the image of my AC villager tearing down a highway, hanging their head out the window like a dog.

[@Wavecheckfoo]

I get so jealous when I see comments like this, my mom made give way all my old games and consoles whenever I got new ones…she didn’t understand it wasn’t like a toy you just throw away after some time

[@daisukicliff9119]

Nothing will ever top the cozy, homey feel of the original GameCube title. I have never again been that excited to wake up early to play a game like that one. I loved seeing the new furniture at Nooks, building relationships with my neighbors, doing their errands for rewards all day… Those were the days

[@davidburnett4123]

My biggest let down with ACNH was the villagers. They suck. Each has like 2 lines of dialogue, and villagers of the same personally have the exact same dialogue. Villagers became more like collectibles rather then NPCs you could interact with.

[@TophGames]

YES! And it's so sad because it made me feel less of characters I loved from the previous games;;

[@cn2q8]

I'm only a couple of seconds in and it already brought so much nostalgia! This will definitely be a great watch!

[@TophGames]

Thank you so much!

[@Watchamocalit]

Omg what a great deep dive!! As someone who has never played the series but recently got into cozy gaming and has been intrigued by it, this was wonderfully educational! Seriously well done video

[@TophGames]

Thank you! I know it could be a lot better but I'm proud of what I could put out for my first time :)

[@SamiSpoon]

It was so nice to go down memory lane with this video! I don't think I ever realised that so many irl holidays were missing in WW, though I do remember a garden holiday where I would steal my villagers flowers to win haha I know ACNH has it's flaws but nothing will compare to that feeling at launch. It was such a happy moment in a bleak time, and really something special Thank you for the video and your AC content over the years

[@TophGames]

Honestly, I had forgotten about the holidays being taken out too until I started writing the script. Then I was like OH YEAH!! haha

[@DXBayern]

Not even halfway through and 1: what in the world was that ad?? and 2: The movie is so adorable and people need to watch it. ok, unpause

[@TophGames]

It took me a minute to understand this comment hahaha. I thought you were talking about a YT ad and then realized you meant the commercial! There were actually 3(?) of them, I think. You should look them up. So weird and such products of the time.

[@DXBayern]

@@TophGamesthere were 3 of them?? *googling*

[@erry9895]

That lock down guitar strumming nostalgia!!!

[@ViddysVids]

Great video Toph! Really taking me down memory lane!

[@TophGames]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@timb.3171]

Everything you said about NH... You were just speaking my mind, word for word. All that I have been saying for years. Thanks for this. Hopefully, we can manage to all unite under one banner end help Nintendo shape the best Animal Crossing there can be

[@TophGames]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. You and others have agreed and that makes me feel very validated. I know we all just want the best and hopefully we'll get the best next time. Or at least better than NH.

[@bocabub]

when you said that new horizons released four years ago I choked on my water a bit it does NOT feel that long time flies ong

[@TophGames]

I know right? Pandemic time went by in a flash especially;;

[@publichearing8536]

Reading this as someone who played Wild World and the original roughly at the same time around ~2005 There was a huge mystique to these games, somewhat like Harvest Moon, which has mostly been lost with the increasing prevalence for mass communication and carrying around a super-computer with instant internet access (compares to 2000s PC)

[@fake.it.flowers]

i found your twitch channel because of animal crossing. it's so crazy its been 4 years already. i wish I could go back to the first days of when new horizon came out. I'm so happy I got to be here for the journey 💖

[@zechsm7078]

Animal Crossing on GC was my first adventure into the series. Would love to see the next one combine all the things we've enjoyed over the years. Here's looking to 2026?!?!!?

[@TophGames]

I didn't realize you played AC on GCN :O The taste!

[@lowpolysunrise]

Your channel finally got recommended to me! I'm so happy!

[@JustZeebs]

Glad you re-pinned this, missed when it was first posted. Very informative! I'm loving pocket camp even more now that it's complete with no micro transactions, it arguably has the cutest furniture in any animal crossing game ❤

[@DevinesGrace]

Thanks so much for the blast from the past, Toph. Oh, how I miss AC.

[@TophGames]

I miss it too!... even though I just played ACNH not long ago. I really want to go back to New Leaf though. I might stream it next month before 3DS ends their online functionality!

[@DevinesGrace]

@TophGames What a great idea! That would be amazing. I will definitely be sobbing. Also, I agree that future AC games DLCs be a thing some way somehow. You're not getting any hate from me, Toph. You've made some very valid points. Thank you again for such a detailed video.

[@EndGameEnt]

I'm so glad you included those nostalgic commercials for Animal Crossing in this retrospective. I watched those so much on a demo disk that I got. I love Animal Crossing, especially the first game which helped me through a rough depressive episode as a kid. I owe this series a LOT!

[@arin4395]

such a well made video , thank you so much for sharing 💗 with ya on new leaf being my favorite 🫶

[@MazzG1]

amazing video! you can really see how much time and effort you put in. reallly enjoyed it 🥰

[@TophGames]

Thank you so much!!

[@undererock]

You know what's crazy? 4 years after New Leaf came out, I was still playing it and the Welcome Amiibo update hadn't even come out yet to give us more content, nor did we know it was coming. I haven't seriously picked up New Horizons in 2 years. It's dead. Horizons was such a let down.

[@Anne-qk3ch]

Acnh was my first animal crossing game, this deep dive is so interesting!

[@pilarsannchez487]

Loved the video. I subscribe what you said about the DLCs, I would also buy it if they decide to drop the next game with a lot of *actually useful* DLCs if that's what motivates them to create new content - as we keep seeing with Pocket Camp. People often talk about how much the game industry changed, that we used to buy just the game for half of the new price, but times change and so people's financial decisions do. You can see that with Elden Ring, their DLC and figurines aired even before we could bond with the actual NPC lol. Now adults who like video games buy collector editions because they simply love the game, no matter the price because they spend the money on things they love. I love AC. I've been a fan since 2008 and it has evocked so many memories and experiences that I will treasure forever. I hope to do the same in the future, no matter how the next game looks like, it will always be MY saga. People need to understand that the majority of AC fans are already in their 20s, 30s and work and can pay for DLCs and merch of their favourite series. We can also think that making Tortimer's island a paid DLC can affect on the amount of players (not enough people to form teams and the result of them getting paired with CPUs), but I think that if they add it to the Nintendo Switch Online as they did it with this last one, it works because people who want to go to other people's islands or visit dreams inevitably need the Online service.

[@Tweetybird0963t]

Being new to the series with New Horizons, this is so great to see! I see people talk about the older versions so much but didn't really understand. This video really covers so much! I wish I could have played New Leaf, but I'm definitely looking forward to following the series. Great job on this video Toph! 🙂

[@TophGames]

Thank you! I'm always happy to talk AC haha. New Leaf is great and still playable very playable if you have a 3DS. Otherwise, ACNH is perfectly fine and we're sure to get another one in the next couple of years ^^

[@Nick-yv1rm]

Thank you for making a slight and subtle statement about such a big problem. Its like im not allowed to have opinions or have criticisms anymore. Ive been a fan of this franchise since the first game. Im older than a majority of these new fans. But when I mention how I dont like that nooks cranny only has one upgrade for example, the fanbase will rip me apart like a pack of dogs. Im glad new horizons sold and that alot of people like it but man…. Dont you guys want more? Better? Quality? Lets keep all these new features…. With the old features… and add more features.. removing things just does NOT make sense.

[@TophGames]

Yeahhhh I always have to preface any critiques with "now I don't HATE ACNH... BUT..." because people are so black and white and assume you think it's trash just because you don't think it's perfect. It is a good game but Nintendo got lucky. If ACNH didn't release during the pandemic, I don't think it would have sold as well and people would have moved on from it much sooner. Hopefully Nintendo will learn from this and give us a really solid title next time.

[@Nick-yv1rm]

@@TophGames I couldnt say it any better than that. 100% exactly man. Good vid 👍🏼

[@plantyyy]

i think the people who would get angry at you would be newer players, anyone who got into the series before new horizons would agree with you on its shortcomings. they just totally missed the mark with this game and i hope they listen to fans as theyre working on the next game… but its nintendo so

[@teamtomii]

I've played the one on GC, Wild World and New Horizons. New Leaf sounds really good based on your description and it sounds like they could've brought over a lot of cool stuff from it to New Horizons. I miss the more nuanced dialog and the cozy music from the older games!

[@bocabub]

I was thinking about that leak post too and I'd really like it to be real animal crossing in an actual city would be sick ! also ngl ye there is a LOT of missed opportunities in new horizons they could have taken advantage of the fact that it's an island so much more than they did 😭😭

[@MunchyMakesStuff]

I agree wih all the new horizen's stuff except the villagers moving out on their own thing. It's hard to get the time to play constantly as an adult... I also want the ability to connect my pocket camp to my main game. That feels kinda like....it will never happen...but it would be fun. Eve it it just like....lets me visit the campgrounds I made on the main consol. That could be a fun way to get the somewhat exclusive pocket camp items in the new game. You have to get them in pocket camp but them you can access the warehouses from the consol if they're connected.Then you can share inventory from both games to the other. Even if that's the only thing they do and don't allow actually visiting the camp, that'd be a really fun step and probably get more people back into pocket camp.

[@TophGames]

Oh my gosh! You are the first person I've ever heard bring up the idea of connectivity with PC and I'm surprised because thinking about it makes perfect sense. That would be really cool!

[@djinnspalace2119]

theres so much they can still do im worried well be underwhelmed by the next one since the list is so long.

[@TophGames]

That is the downside to having so many ideas and expectations, yeah;; Honestly, as long as there's more life sims aspects to the next one, I'll be happy.

[@skystruck236]

Fifteen animal villagers??!! ARE YOU KIDDING WHY WOULD THEY DITCH THIS 😭

[@TophGames]

Yeah! isn't that crazy?? 16 if you had the GBA to go to the island!

[@1bwash]

Great video, I absolutely love this series! Side note, your ACNH island is beautiful, do you have a list of codes? I'm so desperate to find these simple/natural ones like you have.

[@TophGames]

Thank you! I'm not sure if these are ALL the codes I used but the main ones are the following: MA-9488-1972-2446 (dirt path) + MA-0579-3713-7852 (stones) + MA-2099-1715-3159 (mushrooms)

[@giganticmoon]

i feel like we’re reaching 2012 zelda or city folk levels. we need a botw or wonder for this series, even though we got that 12 years ago.

[@CFox111]

Amazing video ❤ New Leaf is also my favourite, I didn’t even buy New Horizons until 2022 as it honestly didn’t appeal to me. It is a beautiful game, but it’s not an AC game, to me. I played for 18 months and have since gone back to NL. The lack of furniture sets & Nooks Cranny upgrades was a sin! I hated the crafting, the breakable tools were just the worst 😆 I really hope they make the next a little more balanced, and yes I would absolutely be happy to pay for quality DLC.

[@TophGames]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who wouldn't mind DLC haha. I still go back to ACNL too. It's just such a solid game even with the now comparatively limited design options. I really hope Nintendo listens to what fans want and what they thought of ACNH!

[@hoobslice]

It makes me sad that New Horizons will more than likely continue to be the highest selling game in the franchise. The conditions that came together when NH released probably won’t happen again, and a lot of new players who bought the game didn’t stick around because of how bare bones it was on release. Maybe if the next game is a launch title alongside Nintendo’s next console then there’s hope!

[@TheBackRoom_Gaming]

The biggest disappointment with ACNH was no tortimer island mini games. I don’t know why nintendo did not prioritize upp dating ACNH for many years more than they did. Honestly, ac is big enough where nintendo should release a very finished game & also update it for years with new content, similar to live service games. We also never got more upgrades to nooks store, which was usually the “story mode” for the game Not having mini games was crazy though, especially when they always promote Nintendo switch online

[@TophGames]

Agree agree agree! I really hope they learn from NH and gives the fans what they want in the next one. AND continue to update it regularly.

[@bignugget613]

im half way thru the video, and i feel like ive watched a lot of animal crossing analysis-type videos but ive never seen 1. the 7/11 and other japanese store furniture, and 2. SELLING YOUR TOWN AND KEEPING YOUR CATALOGUE IN ACNL?? WHYD THEY RETIRE THAT OMFG (acnh was my first game, not including pocket camp)

[@TophGames]

I don't know!! It's such a crime honestly. One of the best things about the game. Made restarting way less stressful.

[@putocuchinta]

I was wondering why hearing the New Horizons music you had playing during the ACNH segment made me feel sad... and when you mentioned that the game release was a period of time when people felt so isolated and wanted to reach out to be part of a community -- that struck a chord. The music makes me feel sad because I had never felt so alone in my life than during the lockdowns. Hopefully a new game can be associated with better memories (and better gameplay!)!

[@SoulbreakerNB]

I'm new to the series since my first game is acnh. I love it since this reminds me of pet society on facebook. I may need to play new leaf in an emulator in the future.

[@TophGames]

Definitely check out New Leaf if you can! I know there's a new emulator for ios that let's you play DS games and Wild World is in the library. Maybe one day they'll do 3DS!

[@urser]

Good video toph 👍

[@FubukiCards]

Amazing video!

[@TCSGaming-qj2sw]

I have an English dub copy of the Animal Crossing anime movie.

[@TophGames]

Nice! It's been a little bit since I watched it last. I need to give it a rewatch sometime soon.

[@artbythemightymo6485]

I had never really played new leaf until after new horizons. I still play both to this day. I still enjoy new leaf more. I'm not huge on decorating. I'm fine just breeding my flowers and having a super natural town. I did enjoy hhd though and I enjoyed the dlc for new horizons. I'm just hoping they bring back some of the things I was really missing from new leaf and more dialogue with villagers. I don't like having the same conversation everyday. It's like talking to robots.

[@samtheasamosir9268]

OMG I DIDNT NEW LEAF HAD SO MUCH LATE GAME CONTENT! I need to get my 3ds again

[@MayBeMay000]

Hello there, I really enjoyed your video 😊 Also your island is really awesome. Is there a designer code for the paths? They look stunning 😊

[@TophGames]

Thank you! Also, I'm not sure if these are ALL of the codes but they are the major ones: MA-9488-1972-2446 (dirt path) + MA-0579-3713-7852 (stones) + MA-2099-1715-3159 (mushrooms)

[@MayBeMay000]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@1kitkat1o]

i also had the 30k bell code memorized hahah

[@DXBayern]

ok now that I'm done with the video, I wanted 2 more hours of it, wonderful job. While I haven't played much New Leaf, it still grabbed me and I wanted to play it for a lot longer than I have, only downside was holding the console. wish I can find a way around it because that game was SO MUCH FUN. New Horizons on the other hand, I ate slept breathed that game until Nintendo gave up on it. The switch made it easier to play, and having other people play the game at the same time made it more playable/encouraging to pick up. It still feels like an incomplete game though Now if only we had a New Leaf port on the switch. I wouldn't put that thing down

[@TophGames]

Yeahh I think for a lot of people it's the #DS itself that stopped people from playing New Leaf which is a shame. I'm glad though, that the Switch could make AC more accessible to the gaming community. A NL port would be *chefs kiss*

[@SpicyFox-0]

Praying the next animal crossing isnt set on an island and back to city style

[@gpvelev]

I agree that NH feels a bit less engaging in the aspect of sim, however, the opinion that every new AC game should include everything from the previous ones and then add some more, I find rather flawed. The game keeps getting more and more cluttered and the core gameplay seems more and more dated as time goes on. The grid system, the terrible collision on round objects, the stiff animations, the limited interaction with environment (you can't swim in rivers, sit on fences, climb trees, etc.) really start to bother me and I believe the next AC game should start fresh with focus on quality and a reboot, rather than scale and variety. The latest Zelda games can often have better AC moments than an actual AC game which tells me how much this franchise is ripe for radical reinvention - new systems, new interaction models, new gameplay loop. At its core ACNH is a 20-year old game and that is what I'd like to change.

[@TophGames]

I think it could be a good thing if they went the BOTW route and made it totally different but with the spirit of the series intact, yeah! There would just be some fear that they would veer too far off course.

[@rizzqlynn]

one big thing that made me stop playing New Horizons was the build mode when terraforming your island. i hate it so much 💀 my island is STILL unfinished since unlocking terraforming 🤣

[@MichaelGeorgePhoto]

Toph for AC historian !

[@erry9895]

Put 1400 hours in on my island, does anyone want to visit? Would be great to show you!!!

[@PiggyPorkchop]

31:00 GTA VI leaks be like

[@mousebyte94]

I hate saying it, but New Leaf is my least favorite - but it has nothing to do with the game, and everything to do with the consol. I felt like Animal Crossing always worked better on a bigger screen. City was always my go to before New Horizons. But they all have a special place in my heart.

[@TophGames]

This is the right answer! Even if you have a favorite or least favorite, they're all special in their own way

[@opinionsarelikeus7274]

Just ran across this video randomly. Big AC fan. But small quick note: You said something along the lines of how in ACNH a big store wouldn't make sense on a deserted island, but by the time you'd unlock it, it wouldn't be a deserted island anymore, would it?

[@TophGames]

I'm speaking more about it making sense with the desert island aesthetic period. Some islands definitely don't look or feel deserted in the end but that's the aesthetic they were pushing with New Horizons unfortunately;;

[@RafaelSchiabel]

Great video!! I hate how "good" are villagers in New Horizons. Talking to them are so boring. I hope Nintendo came to NDS era, when villagers were bad and ironic, they were more real.

[@TerrorSyxke]

New Horizons made me never want to buy a Nintendo console again, it’s rushed, it’s too hyped, and it’s just missing plain too much for the price tag it demands

[@SleepyKittyPaws]

lmao the only people who consider new horizons the best game in the series are the ones who jumped into the series during covid and defended it blindly

[@mattcrazy7070]

Calm down. Who cares? If someone enjoys the new game then who the hell cares.

[@SleepyKittyPaws]

@@mattcrazy7070 why do you care if someone gives an opinion about some game?

[@Lisa_Bailey]

Not accurate.

[@southeast-qr6ur]

😊

[@bocabub]

ngl I'd totally sink a lot of money into it if the next animal crossing has micro transactions in a similar way that pocket camp does or just more dlcs 😏😏 like take my money Nintendo I ain't complaining 🤲

[@TophGames]

I'm glad I'm not the only one lol

[@weebmaster]

I don’t really want villagers to leave without permission honestly it should be a setting

[@dragonfariy830]

I play pocket camp

[@emaniswell]

One of your complaint about NH was a lot was removed. Did NL had everything in the previous games? Also, I think people will not be happy if Villagers left the island on their own. I feel like most of your complaints about NH is nitpicky, NH is a great game.

[@TophGames]

Most of what was in previous games was in New Leaf, yes. Most of what was in New Leaf was not in New Horizons. That's a fact. And nobody is saying New Horizons isn't a great game. I said it was a great game in the video lol

[@chris135x]

I've played Wild World back in the day and that was better than New Horizons. I don't like how the villagers in New Horizons are eager to kiss-up to me. I liked it more when the NPC's had their own things going on.

[@TrasherBiner]

The only thing that I agree with you is the lack of club tortimer, I forgot how fun that survival island minigame was and how many hours I spent . The moment I discovered that was almost all I was playing nonstop , and see people in the backyard island , but the main thing for me was the survival island minigame of club tortimer. They need either a new AC game or an update 3.0 ACNH. POST-EDIT: nvm I just heard you ssay in the end "thank you for watching and comment below"

[@TophGames]

@@TrasherBiner I’m sorry the internet has made you so cynical lol

[@TrasherBiner]

@@TophGames yes it has, sorry. I enjoyed the video btw and a few others I watched.

[@TophGames]

@@TrasherBiner thank you. Appreciate that 😊