Animal Crossing: New Horizonsset the standard for what a modern community sim title should be, allowing players to build and shape an island to their liking. The title tasked players with building homes, businesses, and environmental structures that attract more inhabitants to the island, with a variety of indoor and outdoor furnishings unlocked as they progressed. WhileNew Horizonsmodernized much of what fans lovedfrom previous entries, some of its most practical furniture types were unable to be used by players. The nextAnimal Crossinggame should make the most of one such furniture type, starting with its most popular item fromNew Horizons.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis the series’ most popular entry to date, due in part to the time of its release. Launching during the global COVID-19 pandemic, fans and newcomers alike flocked to the title and its online community building. The final major update came to theNew Horizonsin November 2021, when the Happy Home Paradise DLC launched. While this DLC and its core principle of Villager Islands are sure to have a major influence on the future ofAnimal Crossing, the next title should consider increasing the ways in which players can interact with new items, furniture, and environments as well.
The Next Animal Crossing Should Make Vending Machines Interactive
Snack Machines and Drink Machines are popular customizable items inAnimal Crossing: New Horizons. The items are available to all players, with both able to be purchased with 2,000 nook miles. Both come in different variations and can be customized with player designs or byCyrus on Harv’s Island. While both liven up players' islands and the vacation homes of the Happy Home Paradise DLC, they come with one simple restriction. While Villagers can use the Machines in both the base game and DLC, players are not able to interact with this furniture type.
The nextAnimal Crossingtitleshould consider making the title’s vending machines interactive, as the items could offer a fun and highly customizable store element to players' community creations. Players could stock them with certain flavors and items, paving the way for a new social element with Villager as they favor certain snacks and drinks. Should the title wish to use the current Drink and Snack Machines, the nextAnimal Crossing could simply make them interactive, with players paying a certain amount of bells for a random snack or drink. Trying certain flavors could elicit a reaction, or even teach a few unique ones, as part of expanding players' social options.
Vending Machines Could Pave the Way to More Interactive Furniture
Interactive vending machines should only be the start of futureAnimal Crossingtitles’revamped furniture. Their inclusion in the nextAnimal Crossingentry could pave the way for even more interactive furniture in both indoor and outdoor spaces. The series has a long history of using amusement rides and other highly interactive items as mere decorations. In futureAnimal Crossingtitles, items both new and old could be revamped and repurposed for player-to-player and Villager interactions.
While the nextAnimal Crossingmay not open the floodgates for interactive furniture,Snack and Drink Machinesoffer an easy first step in a new direction. While no newAnimal Crossingprojects have been announced, Nintendo is certain to reveal another entry in the long-running series in the next few years.Animal Crossing: New Horizonssets the bar high for whatever the series does next, with Happy Home Paradise adding a variety of particularly fresh ideas to the mix. With an increase in interactive furniture and items, the next entry in the franchise can continue to raise the bar, expanding these ideas in a way that adds just as much variety for player interactions asAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsdid for Villagers.
