Is Animal Crossing Worth Buying A Switch For?

Animal Crossing New Horizons is one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch, with hours upon hours of fun enjoyable game play to be had, but is it worth buying a Switch for? I decided to find out.

Animal Crossing is a lifestyle game with potentially thousands of hours of game time if you like this genre it is worth buying a Switch as it is a perfect sequel with 100s of other Switch games to choose from. Buying the cheaper Switch lite gives the same experience in Animal Crossing.

A grandma famously played the game before Animal Crossing Switch, Animal Crossing New Leaf for over 3500 hours, she certaintly get her value for money!

See the video below to see the gaming Granda in action!

Curious if the Switch Lite is worth it? I think it’s a fantastic choice for games who only want a portable experience, see my article here for more info.

Is It Worth Buying Animal Crossing New Horizons?

This depends on what sort of gamer are you, do you tend to play games for three hours straight or more a pick it up and play for 10-30 minutes several times a day,? If that sounds like you and Animal crossing are a match made in heaven!

It’s a game that demands your attention, I remember buying my first Animal Crossing game on the DS Wild World as I saw in a video game TV show, you could grow and plant literal money trees! My 10-year self could not believe it.

This life simulation genre is very popular, just look at FarmVille’s success of having 20% of Facebook’s active user base in 2018, Animal Crossing is this type of game.

You create your own character that is completely customizable, with very limited access to your island in the beginning, and you are tasked with transforming the Island into a vibrant bustling seaside town as the appointed island Mayor.

All resources are useful and you have complete flexibility of where everything is built with a new DIY system where you can construct everything you can think of!

Everything you can imagine from the previous generations has been improved, all the villages you meet and places you go are packed full of charm, your footsteps change in rain and graphically it is gorgeous and one of the best looking games in the Switch, see Nintendo Life’s above review to appreciate it.

You can pick up a copy of the game at the best price on Amazon here, and for a special Nintendo Switch bundle that includes an exclusive island-themed console, switch dock- Joy-Con controllers and straps as well as a download code for the game click here whilst stocks last!

However just like in real life, trees and buildings take time to create, and in-game construction of houses or buildings will require a day or so to finish, and whilst you could do little side missions and visit other islands to get supplies this can get boring quickly if all you do for three hours straight is do nothing but collect shells, fish and bugs to sell.

If this sounds boring to you, I still recommend buying a Switch as it is the first of its kinda true hybrid between handheld and console click here to know more. There are TONS of games available for the Switch from action games to RPGs the list is endless see my top 40 Switch games here

If you’re unsure if Animal Crossing is right for you, the best option is getting the far cheaper handheld only Nintendo Switch Lite, you can always return your Nintendo Switch or animal Crossing if you bought it from Target, Amazo or Walmart within 30 days of purchase.

To get a Nintendo Switch Lite for an amazing price click here.

What Nintendo Switch Do You Need For Animal Crossing?

Animal Crossing and all Nintendo Switch games are playable on both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch Lite. The difference between consoles is the Switch Lite cannot be docked to a TV and can only be played in handheld mode, whilst the Switch can be docked and played in handheld mode.

Too see which Nintendo console is right for you just out a comparison of both consoles in the video down below, the Lite is way cheaper than the Switch but it cannot be played on the TV so it is less family friendly.

Do You Have To Buy Animal Crossing For Each Switch?

Nintendo Australia said ‘only one island can exist per Nintendo Switch console regardless of the number of user accounts registered or copies of the game used on one console’, so yes one Switch and one copy is required for every unique island to truly experience the game

Now you can play local screen multiplayer with 1-3 players on one Switch which each player needing one Joy-con but to have your own Animal Crossing experience you need another Switch and another game.

I know this must be painful, but there is a way to get Animal Crossing cheaper! You can buy in digitally in different countries E-Shops if your curious check out my guide here.

Here is what Nintendo Australia said in full:

Up to 8 players with registered accounts on a Nintendo Switch console can live on one shared island, and up to four residents of one island can play simultaneously on one console. Please note: only one island can exist per Nintendo Switch console, irrespective of the number of user accounts registered to or copies of the game used on one console. One Nintendo Switch and one copy of the game is required for each unique island.
Nintendo Australia

Animal Crossing is all about creating your own unique experiences, and even if you use another profile, buy a different copy or download a physical copy you WILL need another Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switches all store game data on internal storage(see here why) so unlike Animal Crossing New Leaf on 3DS so despite which copy you play, your game will load the same save file from the same location! Just devastating right?

To see more information on the topic with possible workarounds please check out this post by Animal Crossing World.

Should You Buy Animal Crossing Physical Or Digital?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkHAqLT2ufQ

Animal Crossing is a game designed to be played in short bursts so going digital saves you the time of switching out cartridges all the time for short sessions. However physical original Nintendo games like Animal Crossing hold a lot of value so buying physical means you can sell it later.

I personally always buy physical as original Nintendo games hold most of there value and Animal Crossing will be worth the same even in 5 years’ time, for more information on the discussion between physical and Digital games check my post here or watch my above YouTube video.

However digital games can end up cheaper depending if Nintendo has a sale or what E-Shop country you’re in, but did you know you can change your Switches E-shop to get better prices! I’m not joking! See my post here on a guide on how to get the cheapest E-shop games for your Switch, never overpay again!