As Nintendo moved to a live service format for its Animal Crossing series, each game began to feature regular content updates, improvements, and new features in the form of timed events or special rewards. Despite this growth, and the many activities that Nintendo has added to its Animal Crossing games has not halted the army of Animal Crossing: New Horizons fan modders that endeavor to improve the game on their own. While Nintendo tends to discourage fanmade games and mods with their properties, it can be reassuring to see the amount of love these players are showing for the franchise through mods.
While Animal Crossing: New Horizons has expanded on features from previous games, it also saw improvements through unofficial methods. Soon after its release, modders began their work in earnest, creating amazing fanmade programs to add unique charm to the game. These mods included anything from changing the color of the player character's hair to introducing completely new buildings and characters.
There are many beloved characters in the Animal Crossing franchise, but few have gained more spirited popularity than Isabelle. She has been a staple of the franchise since her first appearance in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, where she assisted players in becoming mayor of their own town. Since then, her popularity has only continued to grow, and she is featured in most promotional materials. Understandably, fans share in this love for Isabelle, so much so that the modding community of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has made a playable Isabelle mod for the game. Players can now step into Isabelle's shoes and give her freedom beyond the desk of Town Hall, engaging in all the activities that Villagers are able to do.
Animal Crossing Modders Bring Villagers Back, Or Create Their Own
One of Animal Crossing: New Horizons' main appeals is the Villagers that inhabit each player's island. Given the growth that the Animal Crossing series has seen, it's understandable that not all Villagers have been able to appear in the latest installment. While the popularity of certain Animal Crossing Villagers has been decided in various tier lists, some fans have been unable to reclaim their favorite neighbors. Upon learning that some fan favorites did not appear in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, modders took to adding old characters like like Tarou, Pierre, and Nindori back into the mix. These old Villagers were implemented in ACNH's slick new style, and given dialogue and reactions like many of their other neighbors. Additionally, if players are looking to spice up their islands with a unique twist, several modders have introduced custom Villagers (such as React Cat).
Animal Crossing: New Horizons features many ways to interact with Villagers across the island. Players can give them gifts, design clothing, and even celebrate birthdays together. One of the most enjoyable pastimes with Animal Crossing Villagers, however, is spending time with them in their homes. This way, players can learn crafting recipes, and have some interesting, personal chats with their neighbors. Now, modders have managed to create a way to return the favor to these beloved characters, by allowing players to invite Villagers into their own homes. Given the amount of Bells that are invested in ensuring a home's size and style, it is sure to be an enjoyable time for both the player character and the visiting Villagers.
While Nintendo has supplied Animal Crossing fans with many content updates and improvements to the franchise's latest installment, it can't always anticipate all the wants and needs of its players. The community-made mods and projects that add independent and unique charms to New Horizons only succeed in improving the game overall, and making each playthrough and profile as exciting as possible.