reviewing and comparing all the animal crossing games i've played

I LOVE ANIMAL CROSSING

i mean, i literally have my fav kk slider song playing on my page. but as someone who was introduced to the franchise via New Horizons, the game left me wanting more. so, I tried to get my grubby lil hands on whichever animal crossing games i had even the slight possibility of playing. so yeah. here's my review of all those games that no one asked for.

Animal Crossing: City Folk

thoughts: it's ok. i played it for like half an hour.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

thoughts: for a mobile game, pretty decent. many of the main mechanics of a animal crossing game are there (fishing, bug-catching, fruit harvesting, etc.) but very simplified. if you're looking for a full animal crossing game, you'll be disappointed. nice to check up on throughout the day while at work or school tho.

pros: simple, super mobile, nice sound design and music, still gets updates/events, so much cool furniture and clothing, decent character customization that's inclusive (kinda, mostly just skin tones)

cons: shit ton of microtransactions and ads (as with every mobile game), simple/repetitive villager dialogue, missing a lot of features bc it is a mobile app version of an animal crossing game ok you get it, also crafting costs money

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

thoughts: even to this day, many animal crossing fans consider New Leaf to be the best in the franchise. and i can see why. the music and sound design is fucking fantastic (and my personal favorite). some of the hourly music can bring me to tears honestly. the visuals are pretty gorgeous, still a bit blocky and rough but it strikes a nice balance to where it's charming. villager dialogue doesn't feel super repetitive and it's pretty interesting at times. a few minigames, and really nice pacing. good if you like doing your daily tasks and slowly building up your town. decorating is... interesting. it's pretty limited compared to Pocket Camp and New Horizons. the town ordinances (night owl) are actually really useful

pros: sound design and music, nice slightly blocky visuals, relaxing and slow pace, good villager dialogue, good events/holidays, nice to check in on daily

cons: WHY THE FUCK IS THERE ONLY ONE SKIN TONE. come on animal crossing this came out in 2013 not the fucking dark ages. character customization sucks and you really can't do much without looking up guides online (and are gender-locked). you literally can't put items outside which makes decorating your town super difficult, also this is not the type of game you can binge-play. and i wanna reiterate that there are not inclusive hairstyles or skin tones. literally flopped the bare minimum

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

thoughts: truly the most expansive title in the animal crossing franchise is New Horizons. it holds the cake for most bugs, fish, villagers, and completely broadened the horizons (sorry) of your designing and decorating capabilities. yes, you can finally place furniture outside. although it seems weird you couldn't before. however, despite the improved visuals, expanded critterpedia and designing features, the life sim aspects of the game were vastly overlooked. the villager dialogue is uninteresting and repetitive, and the progression is non-existent. also what happened to all the shop upgrades? but, there is a shit load of character customization with very inclusive hairstyles and skin tones which yes, is the bare minimum, but clearly New Leaf couldn't even manage that.

pros: the visuals are absolutely so gorgeous oml, the designing and decorating you can do is very diverse and creative, there are so many custom design options, inclusive character customization, shit ton of furniture and clothes (not as many as Pocket Camp tho), huge critterpedia and tons of villagers. the sound design is kinda mixed, sometimes good but the hourly music gets on my nerves

cons: repetitive villager dialogue, so many NPCs missing, music gets on my nerves, no minigames, very few stores/store upgrades, basically if you don't enjoy decorating your island there isn't a ton to get out of the game (especially long-term). 

so... which game should you play?

the answer to this question all depends on what type of gamer you are. i think all the animal crossing games have their strengths and weaknesses. and everyone has their own ways to play animal crossing. so here's what game you should play based on what kind of gamer you are:

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

if you generally prefer mobile games and enjoy games with live updates and decorating/designing, this is a good option for you. 

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

if you play animal crossing for the life sim, daily check-ins, slow progression, and getting to know your villagers, this is a good option for you. the music and atmosphere is also fantastic (HOWEVER, this game only has one skin tone. i will never shut up about that)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

if you really enjoy decorating and designing, making new outfits, and you're drawn to the highly polished visuals, then this is a good option for you.

ok that's it bye