How Animal Crossing: New Leaf Got It Right - A Retrospective

[@voyan38]

Beginning Remix: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXSygqB8j7arfsk

[@IronBlaze77]

Thank you for linking this gem of a remix.

[@spicysesam]

Thank you so much for linking it ♡

[@rybix7799]

At 20:40, whats the song?

[@DailyDoseofRose]

Hi Voyan, honestly why didn’t they make a new thrillville for the switch?

[@horsebox5138]

Ok but what's the song at chapter 7

[@lilchromie]

New leaf + HD + New horizons decorating features = the one animal crossing to rule them all. But as it stands right now new leaf's content beats out new horizons decorating.

[@totoroteo]

Thoughts on 2.0?

[@alisonthebitch7067]

@@totoroteo As someone who also thinks animal crossing is the better game by far, the 2.0 update didn't help NH at all. The game still feels very pale. The new shopping district is a very bad version of New leafs shopping district. The new vegetables are nothing but more decoration. The villagers still do nothing and the new explorable islands are super boring and could've just been added to the NMT Islands. The gyroids are cute tho.

[@squeen666]

@@alisonthebitch7067 isn’t it sad that the bar for NH is set so low that we don’t even complain about it lacking new meaningful and interesting features, we complain about it now having features from a previous game that came out a decade ago

[@alisonthebitch7067]

@@squeen666 Yea. I felt kinda scammed when I realized I bought an early access game for 60 dollars back in March 2020. I will probably not touch that game ever again. It just feels like an island designer simulation. It lacks its animal crossing charm completely and if I want to design something then there are way better games out there for designing that I would rather play.

[@frauleinzuckerguss1906]

And WW villager dialogue

[@LittleV179]

You know the thing that upset me the most? I took off my shoes and walked on the beach, my footprints were still shoes. In New Leaf you leave little bare footprints behind and they couldn't even manage that in a game about an island >.

[@insertunoroginalnamehere6189]

I've never played NH, I only play NL but that must suck bc I Only god barefoot

[@Zippyzappy339]

That's such a cute detail. New Horizons was basically a money grab, because Nintendo knew that New Leaf had been so popular so it had an audience anxious for a sequel.

[@ellies_silly_zoo]

@@Zippyzappy339 Well it's just a sandbox game to get people like me to play it, along with the rest of people who play Rollercoaster Tycoon, Minecraft, Satisfactory, Factorio, etc. To be honest, this is the first time I've ever stumbled across the part of the Animal Crossing community that doesn't like NH... aka probably most of the long-time fans and not newcomers like me (tho I've played a little bit of Wild World as a kid). I have no reference point for what good villagers could be like, and I didn't know about kickable balls, but I now see that there's definitely room for improvement for quite some things in NH.

[@lileeau]

i used to love to examine the different footprints of the villagers and they just cut that out

[@marissau2962]

@@lileeau villagers still have different footprints in NH! The bird villagers all have varying footprints (for example, Celia and Gladys have different styled prints despite having similar feet) which I think is a nice touch. I think they kept small villagers’ prints the same because they couldn’t show much definition (ex. cats, dogs, and cubs all have similar pawprints irl) but the larger villagers and the birds all have different footprints!

[@Protendo]

Half an hour of New Leaf praise? Oh yeah this’ll be a good one

[@gredazu3925]

My two favorite AC channels!

[@user-yc5fr8zu1m]

Howdy Protendo hope you are doing well.

[@Ridlay_]

Agreed.

[@catloaf8716]

I love animal crossing!!! Especially the new game, it's so humble and sweet!

[@CosmicAnimosty138]

FOR REAL. Exactly what I thought too

[@kellym7354]

I feel my biggest problem when comparing New Leaf to New Horizons is just the lack of a specific... feeling in New Horizons. I'm not entirely sure how to put it into words but... something is just missing. Perhaps it's just me getting older.

[@doublecrestedcormorant]

I completely agree! I think it’s the atmosphere. I always felt like New leaf had the perfect cozy small town feel. New Horizons feels so empty in terms of the atmosphere it creates. I feel like part of the problem also is that the dialogue is really bland, and the actual gameplay is mostly decorating and you’re not getting that feeling like you’re living on your island, like it felt in NL.

[@TXFDA]

I imagine it has something to do with the setting. In every Animal Crossing before Horizons, you're just a dude that moves into an existing town with existing houses, villagers, shops, etc. Even in New Leaf, you're a random dude moving to a pre-existing town, but they mistake you for the Mayor. In NH, you're on an empty deserted island and have to build everything up. It's kinda like building a town in Minecraft and wondering why it doesn't have the same feel as moving into a town in Skyrim. You have to build it yourself, you're not an outsider trying to fit in anymore.

[@pizzaroll3356]

Not somthing Some things.

[@nicvmel]

I feel it's the music. A lot of the new horizons hourly tracks feel empty

[@spicysesam]

I recently started playing Wild World again and I can tell you that it has nothing to do with me growing up when I say that I don't like New Horizons because Wild World is still insane.

[@catborg780]

I HATE that the gold tools break. You work so hard to get them & the gold & you can't even have that as an ultimate reward, come on.

[@TheDeathlure]

Gold is a super weak metal lol... but I agree

[@pho_is_not_interesting]

That's why i go to treasure islands lol

[@maikerutv3383]

I feel like there’s a lot of people that played NH then got bored and wanted to try this one. It’s a really good one. I still play it. So many memories.

[@grilledcheese7768]

lol thats me, ACNH was my first ac game but i gradually got bored of it, but got more interest in trying the past games, this past christmas i got a 3DS + ACNL and i love it way more than i ever loved new horizons lmfao

[@tararosabelle7368]

Agreed I played it for like 6 years 😭😭😭

[@Lara-ph9mu]

@@tararosabelle7368 same it was the best :,)

[@puflem]

I absolutely LOVE NL. The memories 🤌🏻

[@Lara2516]

I also still play it lol

[@superv01d]

one of my biggest pet peeves with new horizons was the way it implemented multiplayer. in new leaf, you could become friends with any other player on tortimer’s island. i had three friends that i met on that island one day and we’d play together every single day for hours. and that was through a meeting spot completely localized WITHIN the game. now in new horizons, there’s no tortimer’s island, or any sort of replacement for it. they literally just said “if you wanna have friends in this game, go find them somewhere else first”. maybe that’s not that big of a deal to anyone else, but for me that’s meant that i’m limited to interacting with the two irl friends i have that play the game, and random people i’m meeting for maybe 30 seconds to do a nookazon trade with. when you’d meet people on tortimer’s island, you’d play the mini games or just shoot the shit, and that’s how you bonded. it was organic in a way that new horizons doesn’t have. having to go around and ask people online to be animal crossing friends with you just feels so much more awkward and not as genuine. you’re making an agreement to be friends, then building the connection afterward, which is such a bizarre way of doing it. and then with The Big Update, they reintroduced kapp’n and him taking you to special islands, but couldn’t be bothered to make it tortimer island? so it’s literally just the same thing as the preexisting mystery islands we’ve had since launch, but with a few different layouts and possible materials sprinkled in.

[@Unreported29]

LITERALLY. When i bought the game, my first thought was to get to this island. I was sooo dissaponted when i realised that i was basically LEFT ON MY OWN to find other people to play with. And again "play" is not even the exact word, you are just here to show amazing your island is, and then boom, finished, nothing to do else.

[@aila1821]

truee I'm still friends with people I met on Tortimer Island over 7 years ago! New Horizons could never

[@yujutheworld]

the fact that this game is set on a literal island hurts more. it could even encourage more people to buy nintendo online i don't see y they didn't add it

[@frauleinzuckerguss1906]

The first two weeks of New Horizons felt magical but once you get through the story and did what you wanted in terms of terraforming it just kind of felt... Over. The lack of actual things to do or villager interaction really hit me when I wasn't working towards a specific in-game goal. Which is kind of the opposite of what AC is made for.

[@alexanderackerman3807]

Same I have like 30 hours of playtime in that game but I don't feel like I did everything

[@Danny328DT]

I didn't bother with terraforming. The amount of time it takes to change the whole island is tedious, and then if I'm not content, I can't just revert changes. I just wanted more minigames, better online matchmaking, and more rewarding items and villagers with fun dialogue.

[@sapphavoc8626]

The new leaf soundtrack is the best soundtrack in gaming. You can’t change my mind. The ugly synth sounds in New Horizons all sound the same and you can barely distinguish some pieces of hourly music from the other in that game. But new leafs music I feel is so carefully crafted and it perfectly fits the vibe of each hour you play in the game, the music for the early hours of the game was beautiful, you can feel the slowness in time that those times of the night gives you. It’s really pretty and it’s one of the things I miss the most.

[@narnianninja4964]

Late comment I know but the worst part about NH's soundtrack is how heavily they all reuse the same melody. It goes from being a leit motif (Hope I spelled and used that right) to being the same song in varying levels of speed. I also just think the soundfont of New Leaf was better and less repetitive

[@EmmaxoOCE]

Omg major agree!! New horizons music sucks. New leaf and city folk music is my childhood 🥲🥲

[@Esandeech2]

Waiting for a mod with NL music

[@thepityscene]

gamecube one says hi 👋🏻

[@bruxtle]

Mother 3 soundtrack is probably better

[@konan8353]

If someone made a 7 hour video essay on new leaf I'd listen to the entire thing, you're missing out on ad revenue

[@skyelorspacex]

SAME

[@SickleGamings]

Something I absolutely despise about New Horizons is that you can't learn about a fish or a bug when near its exhibit, but only when you have that same fish/bug in your inventory that you want to learn about and select "Tell me about this!" to Blathers or when you donate it. It's a small feature that didn't return and it's made worse with the graphics New Horizons has.

[@_____________a_a]

Honestly when I first got the game and I found that out I was so sad. Imagine excitedly running into the museum displays just to see the name of whatever creatures you were looking at and nothing else.

[@yaelvacacenteno1382]

@@_____________a_a Same, I still remember having my cousin over to visit my museum, and we would learn together about the different fish and bugs, we could stay there for hours just around the museum.

[@idrabohm3678]

Education is literally the function of museums, how do they get this wrong?!

[@glasssawsslipperstraws7410]

New Leaf was like, a whole fucking reboot of who I was a person. I remember being up at like 3am playing city folk as a little kid cuz I was scared of my brothers teasing me for liking it, but when my mom got me a 3ds and new leaf, it was like it was a diary or something. It helped me look into who I am, what I wanna be, my future. Me and my friend put damn near 1000 hours each into this game and it is by far my most played game ever. This game is such a huge part of who I am, and I would buy this game 1000 times over. But it also gave me a fetish for furries so 0/10 ruined my life.

[@Bc232klm]

lol

[@greninja9520]

what

[@I.do.like.pina.coladas]

The whiplash from this comment broke my neck

[@Aeroshifter]

Thanks for this mental flashbang, Teddie from Persona 4. Very cool.

[@niamhy5941]

HAHAHAHAH

[@loganmiller7827]

"Some may disagree but they can die for all I care" is such a raw quote, it's easy to forget it came from an interview with animal crossing developers when they were asked about their favorite season

[@quibquiberton4184]

Did he actually say that, or was it just a joke for this video?

[@loganmiller7827]

@@quibquiberton4184 I'm not sure. I think I was able to find the interview but that would have been a long time ago by now so I could be wrong

[@diandraaliffa2116]

Based on my limited Japanese, I'm pretty sure he didn't say that

[@marsoulini]

I finally got the words to describe how I feel about ACNH. So, ACNH was my first animal Crossing game, but it didn't take me long to realise that something was wrong with it. I took a look at new leaf, i was mesmerized. In conclusion, ACNH is more soulless. The villagers have almost no dialogue, the soundtrack does NOT make you feel things. you're almost always stuck in an island, you can't interact with that many things e.g the ball you can kick around. It lacks so much, the most effort they put is the way you decorate your island and that's about it. and the graphics.

[@smilesxo06]

Exactly, that's what pisses me off the most, the villagers have no depth in their personalities not dialogue nothing, also there's nothing to do while working towards unlocking new things. it's basically a grinding simulator till you have enough bells to decorate

[@smilesxo06]

The graphics are great but that's not enough for me to want to play the game

[@Jdudec367]

Eh....the soundtrack does make you feel chill though at times. That's not all they put their efforts towards though.

[@marsoulini]

@@Jdudec367 the nh soundtrack is totally different fron nl though. although nice at times, it's nothing compared to nl

[@Jdudec367]

@@marsoulini true, I can't disagree there.

[@emiliomoreno9699]

DO Y'ALL REMEMBER THE *EMOTION* OF PLAYING THIS ON CHRISTMAS???? THE BEST THING EVER

[@DarthRaichu]

New leaf is the best animal crossing game. no cap

[@user-yc5fr8zu1m]

I agree, still playing even though I have New Horizons. ACNH feels empty, void of what makes animal crossing special. It’s just a deluxe decoration simulator, but I LOVE the graphics they are beautiful. That’s my opinion on ACNH.

[@koolaidmansam8yearsago273]

@@user-yc5fr8zu1m i agree, acnh is kinda stale imo, still a good game tho. Just not as good as the other ac games i played as a kid

[@livinhigh970]

*Best video game period, actually not even just that, best piece of art ever made by a human being

[@alvaromartinezgonzalez9344]

@@livinhigh970 Other games exist sir.

[@lanonaanaa6660]

Sheesh

[@alece]

I remember buying New Leaf and absolutely loving it but being upset about how sugar-coated the villagers were in comparison to the other games. it briefly almost ruined the game for me since that was my favorite part of the series, but it totally won me over since I was like 9 at the time. oh boy if I would've known about the villagers in new horizons smh lol

[@CRT.v]

New Leaf got me eventually loving every villager I interacted with, whereas New Horizons makes it feel like a chore trying to befriend them for their photos. I had Eugene in both games, and I really didn't like him at first in New Leaf, but he was always hanging out with my favorite villager, so he eventually became my second favorite. In New Horizons, though, he has no charm (and his house is terrible! An office? Really?? His New Leaf house was Cool!).

[@abbiepancakeeater52]

@@CRT.v omg eugene 🥺🥺🥺 he was my first smug to move in and my absolute bff! i loooove him. the smugs are my fave but nobody replaces eugene.

[@johnn3493]

I audibly laughed when you said 'grass decay', and oh my god villagers moving on top of my rare flowers I spent months to breed made me so upset://// also, I never minded the villagers because I feel like the pwp helped make them more important as only they could suggest them to you (but it didn't stop me from hacking my town just to unlock all of them because I played for two years and unlocked like 6 projects and to disable grass decay)

[@user-yc5fr8zu1m]

I had some really pretty flowers that I didn’t mean to get, and 5 seconds later I trample them I was really sad😭🙄

[@Aleksander_Hnatjuk]

new leaf basically perfected animal crossing. i dont think there will ever be another animal crossing like new leaf for a long time, or maybe even never.

[@tulip811]

Come on now

[@bibichillieblue]

My main complaint of New Horizons is that all the furniture is very basic looking. The new update does attempt to fix that, but there are so many furniture series I would have loved to see again. The elegant set is good, but the rococo one in new leaf was so much more detailed. I miss the princess set so much and I loved how hard it was to unlock Gracie’s shop. For somebody who loves designing houses, it boggles my mind how new horizons does not give us the opportunity to make our rooms full size like in new leaf. It’s possible to do it in HHP, but not in your house??? I still like New Horizons a lot because a lot of things that I wanted to be improved in New Leaf was improved ( storage system, pocket space, etc ). I do feel like in NH there is more of this....competitive spirit? I hate the ACNH community with a passion. It’s mostly overrun by Karens that try to be influencers and god forbid your island is not like cottage core or something. New Horizons is so flawed if you don’t have HHP, because you actually need other people to give you items you can’t get on your island. But then.... they make it so painful to get online. In the first few weeks that it came out and tried playing with friends, the servers were fried and we couldn’t even play together sometimes. AND WE PAY FOR THAT SERVICE!! Wth???Resorting to Nookazon was an ok experience for me, but it’s very easy to get caught up in capitalist schemes. The need for this game to be so fast paced and who can make the best island in a small amount time just takes away its magic. ACNL players were regulars, everyone shared everything and helped rookie players. I loved going on the ACC. I have an instagram account where I post some of my pics of the game ( ACNH ) because I miss the tumblr era of ACNL towns. I wish they could make furniture so much more accessible for players who aren’t aggressively time traveling like me. Anyway, even if I’m part of it, I feel a deep disconnect within that community. The age demographic is by average 5-10 years old older than me ( I’m 20 btw ). I have never felt so left out of something creative before. A lot of those “influencers” are now making it more about themselves than the actual game and its soooo fucjfhdjsia annoying. Anyway, I won’t gatekeep this game, but like come onnnnnn. People will say it’s not a competition, but clearly there is a superiority complex. Anyway yeah just my thoughts. I love New Leaf but I wish it didn’t feel so small now that I’m used to NH

[@dcscruz2970]

The game feels like sims but without the fun part of sims. And very make believe. Is like playing dollhouse

[@marvelous9718]

And for a game so focused on decorating, why get rid of all those furniture series?

[@kjdubs5877]

I just got back into the game recently, and I am sad that nobody is online there anymore....I'd love to visit other people's towns

[@raeosunshine24]

I'm still playing 👀 we can swap friend codes if you're interested!!

[@_amya__]

I recently got into it again too , If you want I can give u my dream address cuz in 1 month school is starting for me ^^

[@toxiumzxx6883]

y’all i’m still playing too , let’s be friends >.

[@robvertooooo]

yasss lets play lawl

[@_amya__]

@@robvertooooo yey

[@LiamMcManusGuitar]

Picked up a 3DS that came with New Leaf 2 weeks ago, sunk hundreds of hours into WW growing up. Haven’t put the 3DS down since, hit the perfect balance of new content and familiarity. Best purchase I’ve ever made.

[@bugkohl3292]

Where did you get yours? I can't find any near me and I've been to so many stores and gaming shops and pawns 😭😭

[@edo9467]

i was hyped as all hell to see this in my recommended and honestly this video has to be one of the greatest animal crossing vids that ive watched thus far. new leaf was my first and is my favorite animal crossing game even with the flaws included. This video opened my eyes even farther to how much of a good game new leaf is. This is such a amazing video on this game and it will hold such a big place in my heart tbh. also look mom im on tv

[@voyan38]

* gives manly handshake *

[@platyx3826]

I spent waaaaaaaaay too much time on this game, 4 years of playing nearly everyday, and 2 new year countdown alone in my room on my DS. I know it seems hella sad but this game made me escape reality when I needed it most

[@chameowmile]

I feel like the real kicker is that not only does New Horizons not respect your time, it doesn't give you many reasons to come back either. Meanwhile, New Leaf was much swifter in daily actions and felt like a game you could pop in and play for 15 minutes every day. The town tree is an underrated element: it's the physical manifestation of all the time and love you've put into the game. It grows with you and your town. There's something indescribable about playing the game for 2-ish years and seeing that big tree in the plaza. New Horizons could never top that.

[@SorosPhuvix]

If they had just taken the NL base and added the freeform design aspects of NH it would have been the perfect game. NL really felt like a separate fulfilling life, and NH feels like a dollhouse you poke at.

[@ameliah2006]

I remember seeing New Leaf commercials whenever I would hangout with my cousin, but never thought anything of it. Got it six years later in 2019 and it is my best investment ever! I have never had more fun in a video game. I made so many friends on that game. I recently started playing it again, nostalgia is a beast.

[@OPNinja666]

Ah yes my child hood of sneaking on my 3DS til 3am on a saterday night Beetle hunting Even glitching around onto train tracks and stuff

[@extrolextyer570]

I miss those days ❤

[@kevinvarela6772]

I remember being like 12 playing new leaf and going through a terrible time with family issues and being isolated. My only friends were like the bitches on animal crossing and I remember sending one of my villagers a supper sappy depressing and corny note. And the villager in question sent a note back with such a genuine paragraph and such an uplifting note. That still stuck with me to this day, because even tho I cringe at it, it made everything feel so real. You don't get that from new horizons,

[@juliane2102]

Omg same. I was being bullied back then and had a terrible fight with my dad, that lasted months. I wrote letters and cried my heart out to other online gamers who visited my town. It was pretty depressing but it made me feel safe

[@pinstripecool34]

Man I fucking loved New Leaf. I have sooo many hours put into it. It was the first Animal Crossing game I played and the one that really got me into the series.Its a shame that NH feels so empty and lackluster compared to NL.

[@ainoruoste9338]

When you said that you watched the trailer for New Leaf over and over again I got teary eyed. I did the same! The memories of excitement over pants! and outdoor furniture!!!

[@shamallowo]

*the pants* omg

[@louiepikmin3184]

This really helped me realize why I always come back to new leaf, despite new horizons being 3 years old at this point. With everything new horizons added, they took away just as much, if not more content away that was previously in new leaf.

[@_hurm_]

I hadn’t seen this much footage of new leaf in years and this all made me cry! I’ve felt so gutted by new horizon that I’m tired of this endless “getaway” and I just want to start over a new leaf!

[@bugkohl3292]

We should all just go get a 3DS and start new leaf again

[@_hurm_]

@@bugkohl3292 totally down!

[@mannybothans2161]

Am I the only one who returns to this video like once a week? It’s so calming

[@commercialfree]

I first played ACNL in 2017 or 2016 out of curiosity and instantly fell in love with it. Love how cozy, relaxing and friendly the atmosphere in the game is. Also the fan community is great too. Complete strangers are willing to help you out.

[@HollyWoomy]

I played New Leaf from (almost) it's release, right up until New Horizons came out. It was my comfort game, I 100% agree it was the best of the series! 💕 That said, I still play NH in spite of it's shortcomings. I feel like at a base level, it's just a completely different game-- it's more like a cross between base Animal Crossing and Happy Home Designer. I enjoy it, but understand and agree with the criticisms from people expecting a fundamentally different game... That, and the fucking loading times are awful.

[@daisymemes2168]

Right! I think that you can’t really compare the two because they have two different play styles. No one would play new leaf just for decorating. It’s much better at Acnh at communicating, shopping etc. But acnh is 1000x better at customising your island. I think Nintendo wanted that to be the big WellPoint about the game. Some pathing new something fresh and I love it acnl and acnh are defo my two fave ac games tho!

[@gavin1078]

i have never played new leaf, but i will definitely be buying the game after watching this. It gives me such nostalgia just because of the era the game was made in, and the vibe of it. my old neighborhood, my grade school friends, visiting my grandpa after church, my old dogs, the pure joy of my childhood that i am very grateful for. i seriously wish I could go back so much has changed...

[@sophieblackett9945]

I’m 17 now but as a little kid, this was my first introduction to the Animal Crossing franchise, and I’d stay up past my bedtime playing it under my covers so I wouldn’t get caught 😭 the music, the town itself, the gameplay… I loved it. I still love it looking back… maybe I’ll turn over a NEW LEAF and create a new town?

[@MrQuincy27]

Would take this game over New Horizons any day

[@squeen666]

I would take any previous main game over NH any day

[@Ozzianman]

As much as I like New Horizon, it doesn't have the same vibe as the previous games.

[@Nerdface.]

both are amazing games!

[@themarioking7127]

@@Nerdface. not really :/

[@Nerdface.]

@@themarioking7127 oh.... is NH bad? From what I heard both got really good reviews.

[@nyuwumi]

All new leaf praise aside, this is an incredibly well documented and made video! I love how you also highlighted new leaf's shortcomings as I have friends that prefer NH for exactly those reasons (they never felt like they could make the town exactly the way they envisioned because of the RNG) and I can only slightly blame them. The video was nice and easy to watch and didn't feel like "a drag" or you were dragging it on just for the sake of it. I also liked the structure with the chapters as that made it more comprehensible and all throughout kept the same tone and good choices in background music as well! You can really see the effort you put into presenting this video and I'm glad you kept the actual video content simple and not to the point where I *have* to keep my eyes on screen at all times or else I'd miss something. It's got podcast vibes except you have complimentary visuals that are enjoyable to watch but you don't feel forced to look at the screen and can do other stuff besides it and not miss anything. The NH sland-- I mean, jokes, were a nice touch too as it depicts exactly how I feel about the game and I'd love to see a full scale retrospective of NH featuring your opinion! I'm sure that'd be fun to watch as you wouldn't just blindly hate on the game but rather give an honest, more objective opinion! :D Thanks for the video, I thoroughly enjoyed watching. I subbed and I'm going to watch the wild world video now! :)

[@ascent9374]

i definately prefer new leaf, idk what it is but something about new horizons always felt off to me.. weather that be a lack of a cafe in base game, the music being unpleasant or even irritating compared to new leaf or soft resetting a million times only to realize 90% of the villagers cant even be obtained at that point yet forcing you to buy cards.. new leaf will always hold a cozy place in my heart

[@FroggyNight]

When I played ACNL we had a little “company” that we’d started back in ACWW. We’d communicate through AC message boards and go to peoples town and complete work for them. We’d trade patterns, design patterns, place walkways, trim trees, weeds, bell hunt, deal with rocks, fish, etc. Anything someone needed done, we’d do and get paid in bells for it. Was a lot of fun.

[@CarlDillynson]

I remember waiting THREE YEARS from the time the first few screenshots/videos came out in early summer 2010 till the game FINALLY released in June 2013. THREE YEARS!! And this game definitely lived up to the hype! It was a simpler time back then, haha.

[@aaron2927]

Honestly as cool as flying to a deserted island and making it your own sounds I feel like it dug the developers deep into a hole. They had to cut content cause it would be really weird and awkward to have certain buildings, such as a Tom Nook Mega Mart, be on this deserted island. Something that I feel that also really killed NH, and honestly NL as well for me, was the turnips/stalk market. Quickly getting millions of bells took out the natural progression of the game and seeing so many people online advertise their island (on an already shitty multiplayer system) as a get rich quick scheme drove the playerbase into the ground so quickly. NL was the same way for me. I played the game naturally for a long time but when I started looking online and saw that stuff I went to those towns and got rich, but at what cost? Plus the whole buying/selling villagers just puts a bad taste in your mouth.

[@flynn7637]

The lovers who had amazing furniture, the poodle that would do you hair, the 2 sets of furniture that I loved, all an amazing part of my childhood

[@friedricedonkey7209]

I had new leaf for about 6 months before getting new horizons. I loved new leaf but swapped over new horizons as it was the most recent game in the franchise. A couple of months later I wanted to visit my new leaf town but my 3ds broke and I dont have the money to fix it. Now I feel when I do fix it my favourite villagers will be gone.

[@strawberrycats6880]

New Leaf is honestly my favorite animal crossing game of all time,, I just love the cozy small town atmosphere and all of the content in the game, and the interactions w villagers. I obviously love new horizons as well but I think New Leaf will always be my fav

[@Kiwikick238]

One thing I loved about nl was street pass. I’d put my 3ds in my bag when I went to the mall or places with a lot of people and I’d be so excited to get home and see other peoples homes. Being able to order their furniture was amazing

[@HorrorGirlNat]

I used to love taking my 3ds out with me, getting home and seeing how many people it connected with on streetpass. Then being able to go on ACNL seeing the houses of the people I walked passed and buy furniture from them.

[@crystalcatt6899]

God I miss new leaf multiplayer so bad. I had so many good memories with my friends doing island tours and playing hide and seek where I would cheat and hide in the ocean. That was the saddest part of new horizons for me, the online just felt so empty. There was nothing to do. Sure you could have eight people over but there’s only so many times you can play musical chairs before you just want to go back to new leaf and the island tours 😭

[@sonicwontletmeleave]

A BELL TREE FORUMS MENTION. I FEEL SO SEEN. Spent so many years on that site for New Leaf. The nostalgia is insane.

[@plumdutchess]

19:17 I love how Isabelle runs. Still smiling.

[@Squishydew]

New horizons has no soul.. it made me dislike animal crossing because it feels like a grind like a lot of modern games do. Villagers are so lifeless and boring.. Thats why i loved the game, the villagers, surprises.. just to pop on and see what everyone had to say. New horizons gives me the same dang dialogue everyt time.

[@chibivampiregirl]

new horizons decorating and island terraforming + new leaf gameplay + wild world/gamecube villager personalities (plus smug and uchi types) would be an ideal animal crossing game for me. new horizons is absolutely gorgeous and i think that if it hadn't been so beautiful and came out when it did, it wouldn't have done nearly as well.

[@mr.markstar]

Personally I still and always will love New Horizons. Even though I understand the criticisms of the game, I still love it to death. Besides, it introduced me to the series, I’m gonna have a little bit of bias towards it lol. Do I think New Leaf is better? Yeah, by a long shot. But I still love both games. And that’s just my opinion. Still though, New Leaf is so *G O O D*

[@JoseRamos-hp2vg]

NL was so much better, NH feels like the sims with extra steps

[@Jdudec367]

@@JoseRamos-hp2vg Not really, it feels more like an animal crossing game.

[@sierrasmith1813]

New horizons was my first ever animal crossing! Currently playing new leaf. I LOVE IT! But new horizons will always have a special place in my heart.

[@solmagallanes2601]

I wanna start my town again in New Leaf now thank you : )

[@kailan2618]

How is it going?

[@shamallowo]

me too :,)

[@Emily-lh6em]

You did an amazing job summarizing how wonderful new leaf is and why so many of us absolutely adore this game. You also fairly expressed some of the missed opportunities that could have made it even better (especially being able to change skin tone). It kinda reminds me of when you couldn't play as a girl in early pokemon games and when they added it I was elated. It also took pokemon too long to give people the option to create a character they feel represents themselves with different skin tones... that must have been very frustrating for many. I'm glad they've gotten a lot better in this department in New horizons and other games. This video has inspired me to grab my 3ds and restart a new save in new leaf.

[@steelecrayon]

Your backing music choices are on point. Bomberman Hero, Wario Ware, Apollo Justice... *chef's kiss* Love your videos.

[@Missiefatcat]

I was devastated when I saw how small NH’s original catalogue was. Even now it still feels limited and seeing what Pocket Camp gets is almost insulting. Speaking of insulting: the soundtrack. The NL soundtrack was just so good, I genuinely hate the NH soundtrack, I never play with the music on.

[@starspeculation]

Yeah, and i can't even blame hating NH's soundtrack on a nostalgia thing because when I switched over from Wild World to New Leaf, i was fine with the music being different. New Horizon's music is just annoying.

[@rodenttheproducer1162]

ITS FINALLY HERE!!! definitely gonna watch this after school Edit: I finally just finished this video and I've never played new leaf (not seriously played it (sad)) and I've been wanting to play it for awhile now and you've showed me and informed me on so much about this game that I'm scrolling on ebay as I'm typing this looking for a 3ds and new leaf lol. voyan. Please don't stop making videos you have the perfect humor, the perfect quality, and the most importantly you have the biggest of big brain. Please don't stop what your doing. Keep it up and one day I reckon that you will have more subs than pewdiepie. Take care voyan. Also I never noticed in the older games that you had to be white lol

[@Bc232klm]

You're gonna love it. It's my favorite AC game I've tried. I'm a sucker for the handheld versions.

[@voyan38]

Shoutout to you and the others who reminded me to get back to it! I hope you had a good summer, and enjoy New Leaf - more stuff coming soon :)

[@rodenttheproducer1162]

@@voyan38 can we get a link to the new leaf intro remix?

[@voyan38]

@@rodenttheproducer1162 teeeeechnically I could upload it, I am in possession of the file : > But that wouldn't be right, Andrew made it, so he'll have to upload it

[@rodenttheproducer1162]

@@voyan38 KIRBY AND THE ROOST IS COMING!!!!!!!!!! Whats your thoughts on the direct?

[@sparkxii.]

Oh god, this game shaped my life from when I got it as a birthday gift when I was 8 up until I was 12. It was my introduction to the animal crossing series as a whole and I loved every bit of it. I loved booting the game up and just listening to the little opening jingle, spending summers sitting by the window, basking in the sun and customizing my house and character... My town wasn't as grand (I was 8. I had no idea how the game worked!) But I was still having a boatload of fun regardless. New Horizons really disappointed me. Maybe it's because I grew up a New Leaf kid, but New Horizons felt... different. I quickly grew bored of it. Needless to say, New Leaf has a special place in my heart

[@emma_nutella58]

This game has really special place in my heart, it helped me get through a lot of tough times, the hours I spent in this game the online friends I’ve made, this game will always be dear to me, also the soundtrack was the best, it will always be the number one AC game in my heart

[@vacafuega]

ACNH is the toxic positivity cousin of New Leaf. NL has wistfulness, imperfection, unexpected interactions. It can accommodate almost any mood you might have.

[@akaabbyy]

love the short little part with guitar’s serenade :) there’s a special place in my heart for AJ

[@Thaneee]

I grew up with new leaf. New leaf changed my life forever. Thanks for making a video about this.

[@timebubble8421]

I bought it today and i am excited to play it once it gets delivered. I have only played New Horizons but knowing that most people agree New Leaf is the best one i am excited to experience it for myself!

[@EldritchCow]

Watching this makes me want to get a 3ds and new leaf especially since the only ac game I've played is new horizons

[@Chris-cf1hs]

New horizons is my first animal crossing and I was enjoying it so it caught me off guard to see people not liking it

[@gunfury4342]

The amount of production value in this retrospective is fucking awesome, I look forward to more Animal Crossing content.

[@dasutanehineri]

i think it wouldve been cool if new leaf had those bratty villagers still, but you had to win them over by taking care of the town well enough. maybe they would mention some thing or works project that theyve always wanted to see but never got under tortimer, and maybe they dont even expect you to do it either, but you get the option to and once you fulfill it, they become a bit more open to you. not every villager would be like this, it would basically be like real life, where some people accept new authority and some dont until that authority proves themself as trustworthy and capable

[@matthewb840]

Play New Leaf if you’re looking for a classic Animal Crossing experience but New Horizons definitely changes things up if you want something new

[@zoniotdd992]

i always love how everyone interprets the music differently, for me the 1 am track is more of a reflection on the day and is definitely the most relaxing and calming track in the game.

[@extrolextyer570]

I remember back in elementary playing it on my 3ds with my friends at recess its not necessarily about the game itself more so of the time spent making memories on it I'm still young but that doesn't mean I don't miss being younger

[@MysticMike]

@14:42 Once all of the balloon furniture has been obtained, you can begin collecting random furniture from balloons.

[@Samurai_Edd]

I miss playing new leaf so much... Maybe someday I'll get another 3DS to relieve the good old days as that game is a big part of my childhood and then when playing New Horizons and it just isn't the same... Amazing video!

[@gramgramsausages189]

New Horizons was my first animal crossing and watching all the videos on other games makes me feel so bad that I missed out on what could’ve been my favorite game as a kif

[@RyokoIfe]

Recently I got coVid and have revisited my AC;NL town, and I've been loving it! I remember playing it for the very first time and just completely falling in love with everything about the game. It wasn't until I finished my New Leaf town when I finally migrated to New Horizons, and now that I've played and pretty much 'completed' both, I personally can say that New Leaf is still better, and it's not the nostalgia talking. Don't get me wrong, New Leaf has flaws just like New Horizons, but the former is just far more relaxing and comfy to play. I love the idea of a small, quaint town instead of a huge island. The NL villagers too are much more engaging and dynamic. In NH, IDK what it is but they watered the personalities and flavor way too much that everyone practically sounds the same. Everyday with your villagers feel so boring and monotonous! And finally, New Leaf soundtrack is simply unparalleled. New Horizons music is technically good, but that's what that game is all about - being technically and mechanically flawless and perfect, that it lacks soul and heart, which New Leaf has in abundance. New Leaf will probably always be my favorite Animal Crossing game, tbh. New Horizons is gorgeous, but that's all it is. Once you get past the aesthetics and everything, the game is just shallow.

[@CorVids1031]

I got New Leaf, my first Animal Crossing game, for my birthday in my freshman year of high school. The timing couldn't have been better. In a reality where I felt like the rest of my life depended on what numbers were on my report card, walking into a village with welcoming animal friends I could just put in my pocket and take with me was an absolute joy. Are finals coming up? Well, at least it's starting to snow in Animal Crossing now. If there was nothing to do in class, friends would boot up their DSs, and we'd visit each other's towns. New Horizons of course came out in the heart of quarantine, my final semester of college. In retrospect, I think this did the game more harm than good. Everyone was fixated on it because it was new and happy in a reality of complete uncertainty, but it caught on so strongly that the game's culture was very different. Things that could take months were completed in just a few days because there was nothing to do in real life. People speed-built towns for views. It was so fast-paced. All of this fixation was on an Animal Crossing game that was missing a ton of features. I can't help but think the game stopped updating after the bare minimum because the game was already so successful that Nintendo knew they didn't have to add anything groundbreaking. I played at my own pace and didn't finish my island until a year ago in 2022, but I haven't picked up the game since then. With the animals themselves saying the same few things over and over, once I was done decorating there was no reason to return. On that note, a recent purchase was a 2DS XL. I always wanted the bigger screens as a kid but never had the money. I'm really looking forward to starting up a fresh New Leaf save with this new perspective.

[@txsla1]

This video made me view New Horizon in a different way, instead of focusing on the negative I'm focusing on the positive and all the new features! Also, I now have hope to open my 3DS again and play new leaf!

[@Bc232klm]

New Leaf is the best pure Animal Crossing made so far.

[@carnabybeat]

This was a perfect video. Totally summed up my (and I'm sure many others') thoughts about NL and how amazing it was. And omg, the mention of Swapnote brought back so many memories. Man, I miss those days!

[@cyandead]

Finally someone talks about how much NH is slow and so damn frustrating with all those animations! It literally killed me. I have to add an edit because jesus you used a Fragile Dreams soundtrack near the end of the video. It unlocked a sweet memory. Thank you so much.

[@lorianngarcia15]

New Leaf my Heart ❤️. I'm still playing new leaf in 2021. Sorry I don't like new horizons but that's my opinion.

[@_the_palest_3000]

Agreed. I only play new leaf when I want to decorate

[@Wineoclockbookworm]

I agree with you 💯. I pre-ordered New Horizons and was completely bored with it before the first year anniversary. I play New Leaf every day (I also play Wild World)

[@emilysmith3617]

What’s your friend code?? I need towns to visit

[@skyelorspacex]

@@Wineoclockbookworm I'm playing wold world while I wait to get new lead I can't wait to get new leaf. new Horizons is boring For me now even with the 2.0 update

[@Joshi_ForReal]

This was honestly one of the most accurate AC videos I've ever seen, everything you said was just so on point with what I've been saying since new horizons ' launch 2 years ago :)

[@levipromovies]

I was surprised when I saw the view and subscriber count, you deserve so much more. I mean, judging from the lack of dislikes alone!

[@JettLee]

New leaf really is peak animal crossing for me, the vibes of it in comparison to new horizons is completely different, and I was so disappointed with new horizons. Had they just taken new leaf, made it HD, and added some more QOL features that they added in NH, then I would have preferred that to a brand new title honestly

[@sappy.3xe]

If NL’s dialogue was as good as Wild World’s and we have the character customization of ACNH... it’d really be the best game in the series honestly.

[@jeremiahosorio9044]

I remember watching the trailer for New Leaf when I was younger then watching some KZbinrs play it after it released and immediately wanted to join in on the fun, begging my mom for it and one day after school in the 4th grade I was handed a target bag with the game, 100s of hours later it’s still one of my favorites of all time!

[@Guitarantagonist]

This might be a bit of a stretch, but I think New Leaf has a better Aesthetic. New Horizons looks clean and Shiny and smooth, yes. But New Leaf has that charm to it, like a Watercolor painting. Just compare how the grass looks.

[@bob1152]

That "Hero's of Ruin" name drop brought back a lot of childhood memories of playing 3DS demos.

[@doafan455]

With more than 1,500 hours of gameplay there are still things that I don't have, pictures that still need to add and badgets that am trying to get.

[@Cessie983]

13:47 aww u included a clip from jeff :'(

[@tomnook4067]

Thank you for doing this video. I really hope new horizons fans and deffenders will see it aswell

[@Spectei-and-Neraida]

Animal Crossing: New Leaf was the sole reason I got a Nintendo 3DS system, prior I was excited for Megaman Legends 3, but when that got cancelled I didn't see a reason. Seeing New Leaf's teaser trailer showcasing the new features (heccin PANTS, man!!!) and I just used the money I was saving up to get a 2DS and a copy of New Leaf the moment I was able to. So many memories of my town I have made, visiting friends (and using an exploit to dupe bells, I remember a good friend showing me this lmao) and of course the dream worlds. Aika Village was an experience. Plus you're on the spot of this game being literally a soft reboot of the Gamecube Era game (with the others thrown in too). This was a golden age of Nintendo in their 3DS era, and New Leaf wasn't the only banger that they dropped. But that game will always hold a special place in my heart and I plan to buy a copy of it again sometime.

[@DragoonEnRegalia]

Tangential, but I also got a 3DS in hopes of playing Legends 3. Thankfully the rest of the system's library was so strong that L3's cancellation didn't turn me away, though I'm only just getting around to New Leaf now after reading up on the differences between it & New Horizons.

[@eeveequeen15]

Omg right before you brought up villagers moving to places you worked on and ruin everything, I found out Rilla was moving into my little forest so now I have to move that.

[@Doomedrpgthecozygamer99]

Don't forget if you have animal crossing happy home designer it shares stuff with new leaf

[@lyckiia]

am i the only one who liked the old visuals better? also the music omg

[@honeysal]

6:44 I am positive i am not alone in saying I am 100% willing and happy to watch this multi hour long animal crossing New Leaf retrospective if you decided to put it out, yes please :)

[@CharlesM2]

People were so annoying on a video that showed an update for New Horizons. I made a comment saying legitimate criticisms I had, and the frustration from the lack of content, but all the responses I got were “aww you didn’t get your brewster boohoo” and talking about how the graphical fidelity in itself was enough to justify the fact you can’t do literally anything in the game. Like i’m sorry but fuck brewster, I want actual quality of life improvements on the crafting if I have to spend so much time doing it. And in a game where it touts the ability to travel to other islands, why am I only going to blank copy and paste islands instead of curated places with dedicated mini-games and furniture? Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold SO goddamn well, I see no excuse as to why important features like this couldn’t be implemented. Which is why it’s even more crazy to me that people are defending lackluster updates. But what’re ya gonna do 🤷🏻‍♂️