Animal Crossing New Horizons introduced crafting into the series for the first time in a mainline title. This is how to create tools in the game that last longer. Crafting was originally introduced in the mobile title, Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. With some new tweaks and hundreds of new recipes to choose from, Animal Crossing New Horizons builds on the foundation founded in the smartphone game. In order for the craft, the player will need a few required items, including the DIY recipe for the specific item, a crafting bench, and the needed materials to bring it into reality. Crafting has added an entirely new layer of preservation to the Animal Crossing series, including the weakness of the tool items. In Animal Crossing New Horizons, tool items can be destroyed after being overused depending on the sturdiness of the item. Flimsy items are what the player is given at the beginning, which later can be upgraded to normal tools, then eventually crafted into Golden Tools (gathering these are amongst one of the hardest challenges in the game). Considering Golden Tools are such a difficult task to collect, there is another method to preserving the life of the player's tools. This guide will teach players how to make their tools last longer in Animal Crossing New Horizons.
There's a certain level of limitations that come along with each normal tool. Here is when each item begins to break after a set amount of uses.
- Flimsy Fishing Rod: 10 fish
- Flimsy Net: 10 bugs
- Flimsy Axe: 40 hits
- Flimsy Shovel: 40 hits
- Fishing Rod: 30 fish
- Bug Net: 30 bugs
- Axe: 100 hits
- Stone Axe: 100 hits
- Shovel: 100 hits
Collecting the Golden Tools also comes along with its own limitations, as this will be a challenge for even the most hardcore Animal Crossing players. In order to get the recipe for the Golden Tools, these are the requirements.
- Golden Axe Tool: Destroy 100 axes (including Stone, Flimsy, or regular axes). This can be done by chopping down several trees on the player's own island or on a Nook Tour. Use the Flimsy Axe to get through them as quickly as possible. Once the DIY Recipe is unlocked, the Golden Axe requires 1 Golden Nugget and 1 Axe to be crafted.
- Golden Fishing Rod Tool: Catch every fish in the game and document it in the player's Critterpedia. This is one of the most challenging since some fish only appear during a certain time of year. The player can change seasons by shifting the date on their Nintendo Switch forward in time to change the fish spawns. The Golden Fishing Rod requires 1 Golden Nugget and 1 Fishing Rod to be crafted.
- Golden Net Tool: Catch every bug in the game and document it in the player's Critterpedia. This is one of the most challenging since some bugs only appear during a certain time of year. The player can change seasons by shifting the date on their Nintendo Switch forward in time to change the bug spawns. The Golden Net requires 1 Golden Nugget and 1 Net to be crafted.
- Golden Shovel Tool: The player needs to help Gulliver 30 times in finding his communicator parts. The Golden Shovel requires 1 Golden Nugget and 1 Shovel to be crafted.
- Golden Slingshot Tool: The player will have to shoot 300 balloons and complete the "It's Raining Treasure" Nook Miles task. The Golden Slingshot will need 1 Golden Nugget and 1 Slingshot to be crafted.
- Golden Watering Can Tool: The player will need to have a five-star rating on their island. To do this, communicate with Isabelle about ways to raise up the level of the island. The Golden Watering Can needs 1 Golden Nugget and 1 Watering Can to be crafted.
These are not easy goals to accomplish and can even take players years to complete. Although, there is a method to make stronger weapons that last a long period of time without going gold. Here is how to make tools last longer in Animal Crossing New Horizons.
Creating Longer Lasting Tools in Animal Crossing New Horizons
There is no method to get permanent tools in Animal Crossing New Horizons. Although, there is a happy medium when it comes to the durability of tools. Once the player unlocks the customization kits, players will be given the opportunity to change the color of their tools. Not only will this add another layer of customization to the tools but this has a hidden meaning as well. If the player customizes the color of the tool, this also resets the durability of the item. This is recommended for players who do not wish the constantly recreate their own toolsets. Creating customization tools is also very simple and much faster and cheaper than crafting an entirely new tool. Although, the game has no method to keep track of how much damage the tool has taken, so unless the player is keeping track of each individual use, they will be going into the customization kit fairly blindly. This is a great alternative method when compared to working towards the Golden Tools.
Animal Crossing New Horizons crafting system adds several new elements to the Animal Crossing series. With crafting, players can create their own perfect furniture rather than having to fork over a decent amount of Bells to purchase it or waiting for a gift from a friend. The most hardcore Animal Crossing players will make their way towards the Golden Tools. Completing the Critterpedia in itself will take certain players at least over a year to complete (unless they use the time travel method of shifting the date on the Nintendo Switch). This game requires lots of patience for players who wish to play the game without using time skips. Considering some fish and bugs are only caught during a specific time of the year, it will make plenty of long time players pull their hair out. Regardless of if the player decides to use the time skip ability or not, Animal Crossing New Horizons is a pleasant and relaxing experience and is heavily recommended for any Nintendo Switch user out there.
Animal Crossing New Horizons is available now on the Nintendo Switch.