How Hello Kitty and Tales of the Shire Could Revolutionize Animal Crossing!

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Despite Nintendo not yet announcing a new installment of the popular “Animal Crossing” series, there’s widespread anticipation among fans and critics that a new game will be launched soon. With such high expectations for the upcoming “Animal Crossing” title, it seems logical for the franchise to draw inspiration from simulation games that have emerged since its inception. The launch of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” sparked a trend in the genre, prompting well-known intellectual properties to venture into simulation gaming. Some might view this as mere money-making, but several of these simulation games have introduced innovative twists on traditional gameplay mechanics that Nintendo should consider if they want the next “Animal Crossing” game to thrive. Given the increased competition compared to earlier times, it’s crucial for the franchise to stay relevant and fresh.

Games such as “Disney Dreamlight Valley”, the newly released “Hello Kitty Island Adventure” for PC and consoles, and the forthcoming “Tales of the Shire” all have a shared gameplay aspect that has been absent in the “Animal Crossing” series throughout its decades-long run. Although players may adore the diverse NPCs and Villagers in “Animal Crossing”, meaningful relationships between the charming characters and the players are yet to be established.

Animal Crossing Should Add Friendship Quests

Leaving out questlines in the Animal Crossing series doesn’t necessarily mean it’s lacking. Many other simulation games offer questlines and character development even with large casts. It’s surprising that this mechanic hasn’t been incorporated into mainline Animal Crossing games until now. In New Horizons, the franchise attempted to introduce a similar mechanic by allowing players to perform actions alongside NPCs, which impacts their friendship levels. For instance, speaking to a Villager for the first time boosts their friendship level by one point, while offering medicine when they’re sick without actually having any reduces it.

To put it simply, while this mechanic is a good foundation, it lags significantly behind games such as Disney Dreamlight Valley and Hello Kitty Island Adventure in terms of simulation gameplay. It’s important to note that these two games were launched after Animal Crossing: New Horizons and have smaller casts of characters that have been gradually expanded over time. However, what sets Disney Dreamlight Valley apart is its ten-level Friendship Quest for each of its forty-nine Villagers, with an additional four levels expected this year. Undeniably, implementing such a feature is a challenging undertaking, but one that Nintendo has the capabilities to achieve.

How Animal Crossing Could Implement Friendship Quests

In the upcoming Animal Crossing game, Nintendo has several strategies for integrating Friendship quests. If they are fully committed to this feature, reducing the initial number of Villagers in the game could be the wisest choice. This decision might stir controversy since even the least popular Villagers are highly sought after by players as Dreamies. However, limiting the game’s starting Villager roster to well-known and mainstream Dreamies such as Tangy, Ankha, Bob, Audie, Raymond, and of course, Raymond, would be a strategic move before introducing additional Villagers via updates is a smart approach. On the other hand, the game could launch with all Villagers available, but Friendship quests could be added gradually over time. The initial roster of Villagers would receive the first wave of these quests.

Instead of having unique quests for each villager based on their personality type, a simpler approach might be to offer generic tasks to all villagers. This would make the developers’ job easier but might result in a less tailored experience for players. The friendship-based quests up to level 10 aren’t compulsory either. A more manageable number of three or five quests per villager could be considered as well. Ultimately, Animal Crossing needs to strike a balance if it wants to introduce this feature while maintaining the depth of its villagers.

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2025-04-05 17:36