What is The Point of Animal Crossing?

[@Bunny8093]

This game is basically a video game form of antidepressants. I used it to calm my anxiety, just relax, and forget about the awful day I've had. I remember when I was younger I would use it to drown out my parents who fought quite often, and forget about a terrible day at school when I was heavily bullied. It also helped me express my creativity, in different ways like decorating and making patterns. And sometimes the villagers just so happened to say just the right thing to cheer me up. There are many reasons why people play this game, some I imagine are happier reasons than my own. It's one of those things that is really hard to explain to new players, you just have to experience it for yourself. It's okay if it doesn't click at first or ever, it's not for everyone. But for some, it can really be what gets you through the bad times and make the good times better!

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Bunny8093 I totally hear you as I would often play games to escape the same issues but I often went for something like Stardew or spiderman. It’s good that you were able to use this game as a tool to chill out!

[@suzyr82]

@@ThatBoyAqua It's interesting how different people are. I really wanted to like Stardew. It has everything I would like about a game. I just couldn't continue playing it. The day and night cycle is too short. I couldn't just mindlessly walk around collecting flowers for 15 minutes, explore the beach for 5, then chat with people for another 10. I had barely enough time to tend my crops, collect a bit of wood, talk to a couple of people, then the day is over and I need to run all the way back to my house. Never mind if I found a really nice flower but had no inventory space and had to run back to my house to empty my pockets and go back to pick the flower up, and the day is gone. I found that the opposite of relaxing.

[@kevnosity]

Harry S poor Harry! Has nothing better to do with his life than troll people from a keyboard .. life must be hard for a degenerate like you

[@harrys4576]

Kevin C sorry that I don’t care about his made up story for attention

[@MrVariant]

Nice explanation. Simulations can be for those who like a slower pace, like fishing or the sims. Customization of characters can be fun. I prefer faster stuff but I can respect the audience for this.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Since a lot of you have been asking. I’m currently on day 10 of New Horizons and so far it’s delightful. They’ve added a lot of quality of life changes to make the game much more relaxing and the crafting system along with the nook miles offer an actual goal to the game. There are daily objectives for you to complete as well as long term objectives. The characters are much more interesting too and the art style is pure eye candy. Proper customization also allows so much player expression too. It really has remedied a lot of issues with the previous games but it still has the problem of becoming very boring, very quickly. Unfortunately, I think they just need a new way for you to make money and more interesting things for you to do. Since everything costs so much you'll end up fishing until you die just to build a bridge or move someone's house. I don’t think I’ll make a video on it because I don’t have much to say other than that. Thanks for the support on this video guys it’s been real. ❤️

[@Luucccyyyy666]

Kudos

[@xcar34alshamsi41]

if u didnt know u can sell turnips and make a huge profit im talking like 15 million bells 20 mill

[@merezko4339]

It’s been a year have you at least visited your friend’s islands?

[@connerjessop8422]

You should make a video on it!!!

[@HCSAgirl99]

I get that he dosnt like animal crossing because it is monotonous and routined which is what he is trying to escape when playing games. For me I like that animal crossing is monotonous and routined because my life is really chaotic and I want to escape to something routine and structured for comfort. I think animal crossing's repetitivness can makes or breaks it for a person which is okay, everyone likes and needs different things :)

[@ThatBoyAqua]

You make an excellent point. I appreciate and totally agree with your perspective!

[@HCSAgirl99]

@@ThatBoyAqua thanks for being so kind :)

[@J_S_246]

09:00 HOOOOLY SHIIITT! He went off lmao

[@lahaine2177]

He really did though 😂😂

[@landonrivenbark4925]

Lol I know right I was laughing so hard

[@marquishester9874]

HE DON'T MIIIIIIISSSSSSSS!!!!!

[@zakwan10]

That's when I hit the subscribe button 😆

[@gaigelail8449]

when the doom soundtrack kicks in and you just moved from North Korea:

[@ryankay4457]

I love animal crossing and I think you make some VERY valid points. The older animal crossing games had more of an edge to them which is what brought me into the franchise. ACNL brought quality of life changes but dulled the edginess but the fans were happy to get their animal crossing fix lol hopefully New Horizon will address our issues.

[@KinshinReaper]

Edit: to anyone still young make sure you have some sort of goals and aspirations in life, even tiny day to day goals. I don't have any goals and never have, barely play games because of the goals and instead for the gameplay, don't even have goals in Minecraft but I love it. and animal crossing on game cube along with NFS underground 1, true crime, and mario kart double dash was my favorite games, or at least the games I remember the most. I like stardew valley and I haven't played the new game and only played the us game cube one but I find the "complexity" of stardew (character depth and such) makes me feel like I need to max out my relationship with everyone and min max gifts and meeting times and with clearing the farm, upgrading tools, mining, and actual farming I end up being to stressed about all of it to the point I haven't played stardew in over a year and only got past "year 1 " 1 time. With what I remember of animal crossing, I liked running around and collecting stuff just for the sake of collecting with no real goal, since I seem to grab onto goals and run them so hard it feels like unnecessary work XD

[@meghanricci5851]

Similar to other comments, the game captured me by finding an escape from the things I couldn't control in my life as I suffered a lot with mental illness due to the hardships I faced. I could control the house I lived in, the way my town looked. I found something new in it all the time. Each time I played, I found a new reason to love it because it just helped my day get better. I like that I don't have to think much about it besides where I want to place my furniture and what color flowers I want where. Honestly, the characters were a let down with ACNL. I've played since the GameCube version and the characters then and in ACWW were so much more well rounded. Characters would be rude to you until you built up a relationship with them. We all agree for the most part that you know all the conversations very quickly and lose purpose in talking to them, but the rest is honestly just to let our minds wander into something else that isn't mental illness, at least for me.

[@adamholt5395]

I think your rant, probably much deserved rant, is the reason I never got into Animal Crossing. It just seems so mind numbing after a while. Also, the "shit ceremony" was a hilarious moment in the video.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Adam Holt lol thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@frankkennedy6388]

What is The Point of Animal Crossing? Well to reference my only exposure of the game(s): You are a human slave, always in debt to Tom Nook. But that's just a theory...

[@allprojectscancelled1533]

I don’t exactly know why I enjoy Animal Crossing so much. Maybe its because it helps me relax, maybe because its nostalgic, maybe its me being a closet furry-(joke)anyway, I remember coming home everyday from school after usually being bullied, and playing City Folk on my Wii for hours until dinner was ready, I think its an escape, something that just helps you relax. when its night, and 8PM fades in. theres nothing else like it in any game for me, it really is amazing. I think Animal Crossing is something you have to enjoy based on your own experiences.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Cykes if you don’t mind me asking, why choose animal crossing over something like minecraft or skyrim?

[@allprojectscancelled1533]

At the time? I was like 6. Now? I don’t know, I just love it. It’s a super important game to me, I can’t really give more explanation. Like I said in my original comment, its something you have to enjoy through your experiences, how it affected you. Rather that be nostalgia, or something you were going through when you played it. Not to say you can’t jump into it now and have fun. But theres really nothing more, people just enjoy it for different reasons.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Cykes oh ok I hear you, thanks for explaining!

[@greencapzelda372]

I never got the appeal of Animal Crossing. I played it a bit on the Wii but as I played more games Animal Crossing seemed very lackluster in comparison. Now I'm in the middle of my final exams and started Animal Crossing New Leaf and I haven't been that relaxed in a while. This is not a game. It is something much greater. I would really recommend it to anyone even if the gameplay may look boring. You'll see that there is more than just the gameplay and that you have to experience yourself.

[@LightGalaxy07]

This is so hilarious thanks for being honest man!

[@pinkdolly]

I am brand new to the series. My sisters bought me a DS for Christmas solely for the purpose of me trying new leaf. They love it. My best friend is also obsessed with the game and is at an insane level of animal crossing pocket camp (because she says she has played out new leaf). I have to say, I was slow to love it. I still don’t think it hits the same mark for me that it does for huge stans of animal crossing. I’m just not addicted like they are, and it gets tedious for me after a bit. I think one good unique thing about it is that it develops over a very slow period of time, so it surprises you with the occasional new thing, like the shop updates or a festival... some element that is not part of the norm of digging, fishing, and gardening. The slow dose of development is probably what will keep me playing, in the hopes of making the game and my town more exciting over time.

[@codyhanson1344]

As a huge fan of Animal Crossing myself, I really do appreciate this video, honestly. I was just searching "what makes animal crossing so good?" to get various takes on the franchise as a whole, primarily from other Animal Crossing fans. I watched several videos of people talking about what Animal Crossing is, how they got into it, what it means to them, why it's so special, what they think makes animal crossing so great, etc. When I came across this video I thought it would be more or less the same sort of thing (I haven't discovered you before). In fact, throughout the first portion of the video, up until the ranting, I was certain it would be. I was surprised to find it wasn't at all, it was just the opposite really. Now I have never played New Leaf myself, and never plan to. My main love for the series comes from the GameCube, DS, and Wii versions of the game (Population Growing, Wild World, and City Folk). One thing I can say that New Leaf fans would agree with is that the dialogue in New Leaf is really inferior to all the other games. New Leaf is just the newest core game of the franchise with by far the most customization and objectively the most things to do, but every game has its own querks. Now I'm not saying you just played the wrong game or whatnot, your opinion of the game probably won't change unless New Horizons offers enough for you to appreciate. Like you said, I doubt Animal Crossing is the type of game for you, especially if you are just getting into it as an adult or near adult. If you want to understand the interest in the game, I'd say there are multiple different aspects of the games, especially the first 3 core games, that could make someone like myself genuinely enjoy it. 1) Simple, laid back freedom 2) Rewarding progression 3) New things to look forward to daily 4) Mysterious undertones 5) It's an imagination sandbox 6) Accumulation of memories in an alternate life. And for a lot of people who are currently mega fans of Animal Crossing, myself included, it is extremely nostalgic, and probably as much as anything can possibly be. If you don't already have that aspect of it, it may be difficult (but not impossible) to get into as a complete newcomer, unless you are a kid. It may also helps ton of you have the ability to embrace and enjoy the little things and access to your innocent imagination. It's not something you absolutely have to play for hours on end, and you don't necessarily have to load it up everyday to get something out of it. It's still a good game just to have access to and play for a few minutes whenever you are in a more relaxed mood or if you are in a more sentimental state of mind. What I'm saying is, it's definitely not a replacement for games like Skyrim or whatnot, but for the moments when you aren't going to be playing those types of games anyways, Animal Crossing can offer something else.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Cody Hanson I’m glad you and so many other people have been so open minded to my opinion on New Leaf! Thanks!

[@Ariana-nw2oh]

The villagers felt way more alive in the original Animal Crossing and the second one too. So I agree with you that the villagers are kinda boring in New Leaf.

[@wws7284]

9:00 tHaTs WhAt I wAnT tO hEaR

[@jam3sst3wart40]

With nintendo fans, most people are either fans of pokemon, or animal crossing. I'm personally more of an animal crossing fan but I totaly respect ur opinion, each game had it's own strengths and weaknesses and I think new horizons is gonna take the strengths of each game and make a really good one 🌝

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Jam3s St3wart I appreciate such a civil comment!

[@frecklesmarie4542]

I personally like faster paced games than animal crossing, but the thing that I love about animal crossing is that I convinced my anti-games mother to play it. We got another DS just for her to play new leaf, and she and I play together on occasion. Our towns are like 2-3 years old now? She grows perfect peaches, and I trade for them with my perfect pears. It kind of brought us closer together, since she and I disagree on soooooooo many things and generally don't spend that much time together. I'm going to be a freshman in college next school year, and will be 2-3 hours away from home, and knowing myself will grow extremely homesick, even if I don't particularly enjoy being home that much. Because of myself going to college, I pre-ordered two copies of new horizons and I am going to buy a switch for her (I already own a system) and later on before I go to college, an online membership, just so we can play together when I have some time. It sounds really stupid, but it is incredibly therapeutic for me. She really enjoys animal crossing, and tells all her boomer friends about it. It's really sweet, and even if animal crossing is a bit slow, it connects us. It's creating memories I will never forget, and I will always remember her yelling at me "OPEN YOUR TOWN, I NEED TO GET RID OF THESE PEACHES!" Ngl, I cried typing this up.

[@fatmansbox]

When you started playing SALES on the transition, I honestly thought my phone accidentally started playing music hahaha love the video and the consideration you took for us!

[@honeybeetle8651]

Not gonna lie, I got anxious when you started yelling and cursing, as it was a shock to the system. It might sound like I'm exaggerating, but I have autism and sudden inconsistency catches me very off guard. That being said, I do agree, and I definitely see how it can feel that way when playing. I personally play it as it calms me down and gives me a sense of control(especially in stressful situations). I saw you replied to another comment, mentioning that you might play New Horizons when it comes out. I hope you manage to get into the series through that :) Good day

[@O1OO1O1]

It was a little over the top. Poor production choice.

[@isaiahromero9861]

Yea that was completely pointless, he has a right to dislike animal crossing but this dude just sounds like a dick lol

[@freya3922]

I actually found it hilarious, as an animal crossing player i understand what he mean't. Although, i agree it was a little much.

[@justsomelochnessmonsterony8265]

@@isaiahromero9861 Dude it's an opinion, people can hate animal crossing as much as they want. Just don't watch angry Joe Reviews if you don't like this type of stuff I guess

[@karurosu4121]

For me it's pretty much the relaxation you can get out of it. Fishing while hearing the songs or just sit and enjoy the atmosphere. The costumization of your own house, the rly cute villager designs and well the cutesy asthetic in general makes this game just super comfortable to me.

[@asteroidblues402]

Lol I am a huge fan of Animal Crossing and this was such a cathartic video compared to the infinite fans gushing over the game. It made me realize I can wait a little longer for the next game in the series

[@comrademunch9635]

you're obviously never heard of the legendary F R O G G Y C H A I R

[@brickyy3106]

f r o g g y c h a i r

[@beanstalko3o720]

f r o g g y c h a i r

[@kenteets1407]

I quit when I got it in 2016 after a few hours. But as new horizons approached I pulled out my 3ds and started new leaf again. For some reason I got hooked. So far....

[@salemisjuucy]

Dude you just played my playlist in this video, Chinese New Year, Ghost Duet, some lofi shit. Love the music choices.

[@lunieplays]

You are overthinking it. Just go with the flow. The point of the game is to do whatever you wanna do. To take a minute to breathe, relax, and escape without having to worry about any real goals. Make it what you need it to be. If you get annoyed with the villagers hang out in your house awhile. Sometimes I’d just sit on my couch and look at the fireplace or listen to the record player for a bit, close my eyes and empty my mind. Enjoying the little things, that’s what Animal Crossing does best.

[@msmakaylachapman2180]

This was a really good question! I never thought about why I like this game but just that I do, and here is what I came up with. First I want talk about my biases and myself as this is all important why. I grew up playing it on the Wii and was the only really real intro to video game I had. Yes i did play games on the N64, PlayStation, and DS, my experience with those game where side scrollers or platformers. I also did may computer games, things like the sims and sims city. Wii just made impression on my. My life as a kid was less desirable I was always in a state of stress and genral sadness. So this game was a really good outlet, I felt like I had some since of control and enjoyed making friends with the goofy characters and even the little things just brought a small little something to me. How has I'm a more experienced gamer and have a welled rounded bit of different games under my belt, it is still my favorite game but why? because of how I deal reliving stress. Some people, like you, enjoy a good shoot them up and such because that how you relive that kind of stress, you want a task to focus on, to complete to have that feel good moment of susses. I don't. Games like first people shooter, competitive game or games with a heavy goal drive, actually stresses me out, and I find I cant play them more then and hour or two, before feeling intensely stressed. Have that endless goal oriented work one after another is just to much for me, i cant handle and began to take it to personally, my mind is all ready to noisy with that kinda of stuff from my life. So a slow game that is free will, that allows some from of creativity is perfect to put my mind as easy. And that is your answer why. some people like this game. Its our experience, how we deal with stress, and how we deal with relieving stress. With more data this could almost be turning in to a formula, and we could almost calculate what game some will like. Well that ts my thought anyways. Maybe I'm wrong. All I know that at the end of the night, just being able to have a second breath, and simple tune, and a bit creativity is esactly what I need to relax.

[@DBDH003]

I'd have to say the reason I love animal crossing is the same reason that I love landscape paintings. Of course, to some those paintings might seem like the same, monotonous stuff they see everyday, but the way the artist *interprets* what they see is what intrigues me. It is their artistic interpretation and style that differentiates the things I see in day-to-day life to their painting. Animal Crossing's general bright, rustic, and tropical aesthetic is something people could argue I get enough of in my day-to-day life (I live in Florida), but with the addition of each game's little quirks and personality traits in its characters and overall setting, it becomes more than just monotonous or mundane. It becomes its own portrayal of slice of life. Games like Skyrim and Minecraft have their own interpretations of slice of life (Skyrim is more medieval and story driven, Minecraft is a little more similar to what Animal Crossing does in terms of stylized nature) and despite the fact that I haven't played those games, I can admit that they each have their own stylized interpretation of the world and gameplay in general. I don't think it's productive to look at fans of different games and assume there is one easily describable reason as to why they like said games; liking something can be as simple as saying "it reminds me of home" or "I like gaining more experience points" or "I like building houses."

[@brainman67]

Dude I absolutely love video essay's, so this instantly was a good video your delivery, and flow was very natural; I found the entire thing great to watch. It's funny too because I recently tried to do research on animal crossing to see, if I would like it, however it seems like such a chore to play, and since I get bored playing video games easily I don't think I would fully commit to buying it, and playing it. I never found the appeal of the game. It just seems like a grind some thing with stardew valley even though everyone loves it. however this video helped me revise my criticisms of Animal Crossing I probably won't play it, but I'll respect it a bit more for what it is.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

brainman67 thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@brainman67]

@@ThatBoyAqua no worries man it was a good video

[@Ghost-ul8eu]

Even with new horizon I still can't seem to get into the series.I liked it for the first few days,but I have already lost interest in it.I guess the series just isn't for me anymore,I loved the one on GameCube,but every single game I tried after it bores me to tears including the new one.

[@PonziGamingStudios]

Came over from your Reddit post. Love the energy that comes off of you when you're speaking! Although sad you're not a fan of animal crossing, one of my favorites lol. But hey! Each to their own, and awesome work my friend.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Ponzi Gaming thanks so much!

[@diale13]

Ive binge watching your vids and loving them, nice reviews keep them coming :)

[@lintflavored7238]

animal crossing’s spirit has changed with every entry in the series. I personally think that the original is the best game because it’s so ridiculously fuckin charming in every way. I honestly consider New Leaf to be the weakest of the series in terms of the actual animal crossing charm. I think New Horizons is looking to reinvent the spirit of animal crossing in an amazing way.

[@juraxxic4909]

never played an animal crossing game however i do plan on preordering new horizons (which i hear has a lot better entertainment value, you might prefer that one!) but man i gotta say when you went off on your rant it caught me off guard and i loved it, really hilarious way to get your point across, cheers man😂😂

[@Fullbatteri]

SALES! You used a SALES song, omg! I'm subscribing immediately, I love that band, I've seen them live, and they are just so humble and chill, you have great taste!!!

[@ThatBoyAqua]

ApexCactus Yes they are so good! I wish I could see them live, and thanks for the support!

[@GameAGuy]

There is Animal Crossing Ff7 remake Cyber punk 2077 Last of us 2 Ghost of Sushima These are the five most important games of 2020. Then Doom Eternal at number 6.

[@darkorys8012]

More like: CYBERPUNK 2077 Doom Eternal AC New Horizons FF7 Remake(gonna be a shitshow calling it now) The Last of Us 2 Ghost of Sushima

[@GameAGuy]

@@darkorys8012 Ghost of Tsushima game of year. Last of us wins best narritive game. Rpg to FF7 remake Crossing wins family game Shooter to doom eternal Cyber punk probably gets best director or cinema award.

[@darkorys8012]

@@GameAGuy Since when did anybody take the game awards seriously tho? haha, welp to each their own, what a boring world would it be if everybody had the same opinions.

[@morganjenkins2662]

I've suffered from depression my whole life. Animal Crossing is something I always come back to when I'm at my lowest. It helps me. I may not have spoken to my friends for awhile, but they're always so surprised and happy to see me. And doing tasks for them to make them happy... it makes me feel good. I know they're bits of programming, but they're my friends. And I want to be there for them because they're there for me. Although I'm still not convinced Shep isn't having me run drug deals for him. Why do I never get to see what I'm delivering for you, Shep?

[@JulliusTheGreat]

Before I tell you why I love the series so much I have to admit that New Leaf was a less enjoyable experience to me compared to other games of the franchise: characters were more robotic and you can feel how talking with them was getting more and more boring over time, but for other things it was really great. Now about why I am so attached to this game, well it's because there is nothing like it on the games world: the artistic direction is on point, everything is so tender and pleasing to the eyes, and I feel I am living in a world without problems or worries when I start playing Animal Crossing, it is my little world that I could enjoy whenever I want, and where everything is cute(yeah although I am a male I love cute things). So neither Stardew Valley nor Minecraft are able to provide me this feeling of calm empty of every kind of violence. On top of that, it is nostalgic because while I was bullied at school and felt lonely staying at home and not having real friends, I felt like those animals were my friends and they were a big part of my childhood. Everybody has an opinion, but I cannot think of myself disliking Animal Crossing someday.

[@iamnotyourbuddyGUY]

So many comments on why it’s enjoyed but I like the maker of this video can’t stand it.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Jason Lashley Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion and thankfully everyone’s been pretty respectful.

[@oonadoodles]

I used to think the same thing when I was playing City Folk as a kid. I’d play it every now and then, but I thought the house expansion goals were really long and tedious so I got bored. BUT CUE COLLEGE ME, I bought a 3ds because I was so miserable with all the work I had, so in a lapse of rebellion, I’d boot up New Leaf and just. Enjoy wasting my time. I found out it was the perfect amount of monotony and beautiful imagery that I needed. And added note, coming from a Canadian, digital spring makes me REALLY happy.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

OonaDoodles I see exactly where your coming from as I myself am also a Canadian college student

[@TheDuckyDino]

"That went from 0 to 100 way f*cking quick" I honestly had no idea that I would ever be an animal crossing fan, to the point where I finally see a video like this. Anyways, opinions are opinions, and even if most people disagree with them, you should still be able to share them.

[@KryaDiere]

Finally an AC video that makes sense to me. lol. I play games like stardew, hm/rf, i LOVED tomodachi life, minecraft VANILLA etc, everyone told me I would love AC just because I like these games. I don't. I tried it several times in my life because my friends keep raving about it but it just feels like a mind-numbing grinding game to me with no rewards. And the worst part is the real-time clock thing. Not being able to go to the shops at night really pissed me off because I gotta go to work/sch how the f am I supposed to ever buy anything if the fking shops are always closed at night when I'm finally free? I know you can change the time of your console but having to go through that effort just to PLAY the game is ridiculous. My friends love AC, I'm happy for them, but it's not for me.

[@King_Luigi]

Coincidentally, the 3DS version gave you the ability to change your town's schedule.. to certain degrees. So you could have, for example, shops stay open much later at night or open up much earlier in the morning (without messing with your system). I know that doesn't fix all your issues with the series, but I figured it was worth mentioning anyway. (That 'Late Night' option was useful for a night-owl like myself too.)

[@AkaiAzul]

Why am I the only human in a town of animals? Gives me Undertale vibes (despite the fact it did it first). Also, why can’t we play as an animal?

[@ThatBoyAqua]

those are very good criticisms. In general, I just wanted more character customization

[@King_Luigi]

@@ThatBoyAqua From what I remember, it _was_ possible to change your hair style, hair color & eye color, after a while. (Though it _did_ need a certain shop for it...)

[@magni319]

I was looking for a video that would give me an actual idea of what this game is and... that's the best video.

[@DBDH003]

Nonetheless, I still recommend checking out different perspectives/playing the game yourself.

[@CalRay]

magni319 same

[@crosto6463]

Aqua: I'll play some music similar to Animal Crossing music Music: *I'LL SEE YOU AT THE MOOOVIIIEEES*

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Crosto 64 it was a banger though

[@wesleypatterson2989]

Im super late to this video, but to hell with it, I'll throw in my two cents. I've often told people that I think a big part of why I love Animal Crossing so much is nostalgia. Animal Crossing for the Gamecube was one of the first games I ever properly owned for myself. I dont even want to know how many hours I sank into that first town as a ten year old. It got me through a lot of hard times. I didnt have a ton of friends as a kid, and I spent a huge chunk of my late elementary school/early middle school years trying to figure out what kind of person I was, at a time when I thought people fit into neat little labels like "athletic person" or "smart person". But, as a (relatively) well-functioning adult with fulfilling artistic hobbies and friends both irl and online, I just dont have that same itch that I used to need AC to scratch. I still really enjoy it, but I dont get nearly as deeply invested as I used to.

[@mariahmichelle9966]

I may be a simple minded person, but the simplicity behind the game is what keeps me playing. I was never the kind of person who enjoyed video games because the idea of needing to pass levels and objectives stressed me out, however AC gives me the freedom to have fun or complete tasks depending on my mood. I recently got new horizons after only playing pocket camp and found myself spending nearly 3 hours fishing and catching bugs for fun just because i enjoyed the satisfaction that came from selling what i caught. It’s something i look forward to spending my time on and that’s what keeps me playing it.

[@voidayy]

Very well put together video, great points and pacing. you deserve more than you have, and that’s for sure

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Voidayy thanks man I really appreciate it!

[@mooster4080]

It clicks for me when I wake up every day and I get on for 20 min. For me the music calms me down and just running around my peaceful village is wonderful

[@flapjack2015]

Bro ty. Your vid on yt answered exactly what I was looking for

[@jmesliao]

Although I do n ot agree with your opinion. it's valid. You have some very strong points in your video and I also usually see this when I play New Leaf. I use it as a tool of escape, to ignore the chaos of the world (especially as im typing this). the problems that you have addressed weren't always there. For example, Villagers use to have more personality, they would actually get really pissed and annoyed, or be super cheery and bubbly, they would have more intricate dialogue in general. I think I would blame these problems on people getting upset over their favorite orge screaming at them because they batted them with a net all day. (A. K. A 5 year olds).

[@sushi_mermaid7116]

I use the games to study Japanese and relax. The game is repetitive so it’s great for drilling vocabulary and chatting with the neighbors is good reading practice

[@reniecoffey]

That rant was my favorite thing today lol I never understood it either. I'm not gonna buy a switch for it that's for sure

[@ThatBoyAqua]

New Horizons has essentially the same problems but with a new coat of paint.

[@King_Luigi]

5:34 - * Darling, I _must_ say! * Your town tune is... _absolutely beautiful!_ * OOOOH!! Are you promoting my brand?

[@ThatBoyAqua]

King Luigi ooooooohhhhh yeaaaaaa

[@alexbluer]

I know the video is old, but I wanted to comment on why animal crossing is so special to me. I could say that I am new to the franchise, two or three years ago I started playing and at that time I was having a hard time. First I want to compare it to other games like Stardew Valley, in that game you have a day and night system, stamina, you have to attend to your crops every day ... I just want to say that for me at those times, doing something as simple as that was impossible. Animal Crossing didn't ask me anything to do, I could take my time calmly, I didn't have to plan something for the day. Although my progress was slow, I could see it. It brought me stability something I needed at that time

[@tomstancik6649]

I like animal crossing because first of all I have a huge amount of nostalgia for it. This was the first game that I ever truly played to it’s fullest potential. Secondly I play the game with friends . Friends add a whole other dynamic to the game because u can have an impact on their town as well as u having an impact on theirs. I absolutely love animal crossing and I am soooo hyped for new horizons to come out🥳

[@SixString_J5]

8:58 I needed that, thank you. I'm a HUGE stardew fan and have been on the fence about jumping into Animal crossing. All the high praises had me almost hitting the preorder button. My hesitation was with the lack of action. I see more action in sim city than animal crossing, lol.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

John Hooten I appreciate your comment however I do think it’s worth trying the game at some point because it might still be something you enjoy. A lot of my friends thought it looked boring but fell in love with it. From what I’ve heard from the comments it seems like the original Animal Crossing for the GameCube is the best starting point.

[@starsmidnight]

Stumbled upon this video by chance and let me just say I relate to your rants. I’ve played Animal Crossing twice in my life, one on the DS when i was 13-14 and another on the 3DS when I was 19 (at this time i also had a Switch). I loved Animal Crossing Wild World and I used to play it for months but somehow it grew to be a bit boring for me when I tried to replay it again when I was 19. I think it’s probably because I’m too used to games you can just speed by that doesn’t follow real time hours like Botw and Pokemon. I played New Leaf for like a few weeks and I never picked it up again. I think I might wait a while before buying New Horizons just to see what others say about it 🤔

[@VictorHernandez-vc5zo]

I don't like it either. It is boring. Just because it's open ended to you and how everyone plays and stuff doesn't make it fun. The fun part for the new one at least is to customize your island the way you want. Even then you spend too much time grinding for it. Even then im not too motivated to spend all my time designing and stuff. I understand why it's appealing, but for ppl who are goal oriented, like aqua, it never really feels like you get anything for doing stuff. Like you get to look at stuff at the museum, but never get to build a stronger bond with the villagers.

[@Eyesex]

LMFAO this made me laugh out loud, the rant was 10/10, it made the game sound so horrible and dull I even want to try it for myself, hahahaha

[@neosquid9609]

This is my first AC game and I agree with you while enjoy it at the same time. I think it could improve if they had some campaign to run in tandem with the "life simulation"... idk.

[@youtubesmoments6775]

The characters were better in the first games, some were actually mean.

[@tetrahedron4990]

new leaf was my favorite only because of the progression and customization with your town. i never minded grinding for bells by catching beetles cuz it was hard yet very rewarding. it sucks that they removed the farming aspect behind nook miles in new horizon. at the end of the day the only reason why i play the game is for the satisfaction of customizing my town/island to my liking

[@dylanevans385]

6:04 my ass a day after Taco Bell

[@theunitydev5418]

Well sorry but you cant bore my ears with animal crossing songs

[@Randomturtletalk101]

I fucking *LOVE* Animal Crossing, but the breakdown at 9:00 added years to my lifespan. Despite loving the franchise and putting years worth of playtime into multiple games, I relate and agree with every single fucking point.

[@Naanchos]

0:19 With the Minecraft example, you basically answered your own question, and several times throughout the video as well. Animal Crossing does not have a "specific" goal, but it does have many small objectives to motivate the player to continue playing. The following 10 minutes were just a shallow description of the first days of gameplay. You could have elaborated on your rant, since that was the most interesting part of your video. And honestly, if you didn't like New Leaf, I'd advise not playing New Horizons. Don't force yourself to like something you clearly don't. Or try the older games, to have an idea of how the series started, when things were even more basic and limited.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Naanchos The Minecraft example was used because I really like Minecraft but I don’t like animal crossing. The next 10 minutes were meant to explore that. I do agree that the video wasn’t as focused as it could have been and I feel like I could have expanded more on my rant at the end but it’s all a learning experience. I appreciate your constructive criticism and I’ll try and make the next video better!

[@Luucccyyyy666]

You're a funny dude, I totally agree. I was so hooked on New Horizons when it first came out, but then once I 'completed' it by getting KK Slider to come play... I've just lost interest. Thanks for sharing your opinion, I'm glad I'm not the only one !

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Yea for new horizons I felt the same issues that I complained about in this video

[@Ghost-ul8eu]

I like mundane activity games with a daily grind like Harvest Moon,Stardew Valley,and Rune Factory,but Animal Crossing doesn't do anything for me at all.I have played every game in the series except Happy Home Designer,but every single time I quit out of boredom.T his video helped me figure out why I don't like these games.

[@elaraelara6215]

I play the app version and I like it because is simple, and I like dressing my character in a cute way :)

[@BroskiPlays]

You need to look at Animal Crossing as a virtual life, not a game. Act like if its just like real life. It's just like your life. You decide what you do. That's all it is. It's not just a game with goals. It's a life simulation game or better yet, a social simulation game.

[@MrTyler189]

Crazy how I typed this exact video title in the search 😅

[@braddye4983]

Aqua you and I had the same experience. I got ACNLF to try to figure out what makes it so great but I just got so bored of it and had the same qualms you did when you went on your rant. I want to give New Horizons a chance but I don’t feel like the series clicks with me.

[@JMill-bs6xt]

Man I really wanna get into animal crossing since the new game is coming out but I agree it’s really boring. All the npcs are cute and all but after talking to them a couple of times it gets kind of boring. The only appealing thing for me is the museum. I will say tho it’s kind of fun to play while stoned, kind of just lets my brain go on autopilot lmao I will say tho new horizons looks pretty good just because of the new sandbox elements the game adds like terraforming and being able to place furniture outside (I only have city folk where u can only plant stuff outside ur house).

[@kyros1283]

Good shit, I feel the same about this game series, but I guess I can see how some people might like it

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Kyros thanks big dog

[@luisaJfc]

Thank you

[@treebush]

You are my spirit animal I will never understand animal crossing it's so stagnant and so much could be done to improved the game

[@CraftyMiscreant]

They should make an animal crossing spinoff, but have it totally fucked up and dark, like the suspiciously overly positive town is hiding a nefarious satan worshiping ring that you just randomly uncover and the game flips on its head. Like at the beginning the townsfolk are a little off and you start noticing clues to some bigger fucked up plot as you're the new villager in town just renovating your apartment and resource hunting. And later on villagers start going "missing" only to be found disemboweled later and replaced with "new" cultists. Or some shit like that. Or the game leads up to a "purge" like scinario and you have to survive, everything goes back to normal, and then next year another "purge." Shit like that. And theyll advertise it like another stardew valley or something with absolutely no hint that the innocent looking game has totally fucked undertones.

[@gaigelail8449]

NINTENDO PLEASE READ (if you are here and looking to make better animal crossing games): I love Animal Crossing. Especially New Leaf, whereas I has a New Nintendo 2DS XL and not a switch. I have put in 1,000's of hours into it. And I agree that it does need specific tasks. One way to improve is to have 3 daily tasks, each gives you around 500 bells, so you can get 1,500 bells in one day. And 3 weekly tasks worth 1,000 bells each, giving you 3,000 bells. And if you complete all daily and weekly tasks in that week, you get 3x the bells. So if you would log in every day and complete all tasks for a week, you could get 40,500 bells. They should make a relationship status for villagers, and you could have a relationship bar, and each time you level up, the more friends you become. The bar could be leveled up 10 times, so the maximum relationship you could get is a 10, and the minimum is -10. At level 10 relationship, you are best friends and they do some tasks with or for you, and give you good presents at birthday parties. at level -10 relationship, they don't go to you're birthday parties, and pull unforgiving pranks on you, and even hit you. They should also make the villagers give you optional mini-game tasks, and if you win them, they give you some bells, and upgrade your relationship status.

[@nssk7qu]

Anyone have any idea what the song in the background is? Sounds really good

[@ThatBoyAqua]

When a song plays there is a little tag in the bottom left of the screen

[@frilent]

Using music with lyrics is more distracting than just using animal crossing music

[@maxkrepps9474]

Maybe you should try playing the one coming out in 2 days because it seems like a lot of problems (except for things that cost like 200,000 cold hard bells). From what I've heard from the people that have played it, the characters feel alive.

[@Powermaster111]

Oh god... Starting from 9:05....

[@TheForestSinger27]

Lmaoo you just saved me some money. I agree w you on video games, and I know id get bored of this game after a few weeks and never touch it again. If it wasn't so expensive I'd buy it anyways, but I can't justify spending 80$ lol

[@empressmako]

I had to give this video the thousandth like because you screaming at the end is exactly why I’ve never bought any of these games and why I think they look so meh

[@faunaflower]

Me personally, I love animal crossing because of the idea of just being able to do whatever I want. Especially since you can set your own goals and such. However, I can see why you don't like it. :)

Am I the only one who noticed the word “the” twice in the thumbnail? Edit: Alright, he edited it now, so what I said in this comment will make no sense.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Holy shit this video has been out for over a year and I’m only now noticing this lol

[@ThatBoyAqua]

I’m never gonna be too good to respond to someone, thanks for pointing out the mistake! I’ll update the thumbnail in a bit ❤️❤️

[@zmoore1103]

I’m so glad you posted this cuz I just could not bring myself to buy it cuz I didn’t know what the point was. Now to see that there is no real point I know even more so that I’m not buying it lol

[@ZxrOsiris]

Wassup Aqua it's been a long time I hope your doing great

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Assassinallhigh I’m doing ok how are you?

[@teddie9063]

When's the next twitch community highlights?

[@ThatBoyAqua]

weeb not sure lol I’ll try working on it soon

[@Ghost-ul8eu]

I'm going to try to give the series one more chance with new horizons.If I don't enjoy this game,I will be done with the series.

[@ronweasley496]

How does it help people relax? You have deadlines (like a birthday and that stuff) with reactions, you play with real time, imagine there's something cute in the shop and you can't get it bc you don't have money or time and the next day it isn't there. Sounds time consuming and a nightmare to me, yet I still want to try it lol. ps, I know my English suck, I'm tired and I don't feel like revising.

[@rodrism5909]

I don't even know why I like this game, honestly. All I know is that I've played it for 1400 hours (even more if I hadn't lost the cartridge) and currently I'm dying to play new horizons.

[@breakerdox1239]

tough crowd, ay nolan?

[@EBROSE98]

hey are you going to play the new animal crossing game, in 2020?

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Despite my criticisms I probably will because I really want to get into the series

[@EBROSE98]

@@ThatBoyAqua fair enough, at least there is more things to do in the new game, i hope there is a Nintendo direct soon.

[@ThatBoyAqua]

Ebony Brooke for sure!

[@futuredeath]

So I am not alone for asking and searching this very topic.

[@DanielTorres-en4vi]

It is incredibly over rated.

[@kodrabr12]

Also I love how beautiful the music ans scenery is

[@kodrabr12]

To me I love that thsi game os very relaxing You get to do whatever you want no time limit no rush Sure it can be repetitive but i don't care you get so much stuff to do Characters are awesome way better than new Horizon

[@kodrabr12]

It may be repetitive but never boring so much to do also different dialog