An Animal Crossing player has discovered something ominous in Animal Crossing Wild World. While most have kept busy trying to attract their favorite villagers to their islands or putting together custom creations in Animal Crossing New Horizons, those with older Nintendo consoles still actively play previous installments in the franchise. 2005's Wild World on the Nintendo DS is even considered the best and most progressive Animal Crossing title by some fans.
Nintendo's beloved social simulation franchise is known for its adorable, child-friendly nature, but it seems that there are still some spooky things in Animal Crossing. Reddit user Spacufacu has recently found a glass bottle in the waters of Wild World containing the creepy message "Caution" followed by a large space with empty lines, signed "Animal Crossing Team." As alarming as the message is, users in the replies assured Spacufacu that it is a glitch often found in letters, and user Lousy_Username thankfully shared the actually helpful and positive message the creepy letter is supposed to contain. Despite being a harmless glitch, some fans did joke that the message in a bottle seemed straight out of an Animal Crossing-themed creepypasta.
Wild World Made Animal Crossing What It Is Today
Notes in bottles are a staple of modern Animal Crossing titles, but they first appeared in Wild World. Many consider Wild World to have been ahead of its time, as it introduced online multiplayer, more interesting personalities for Animal Crossing villagers, and portability on Nintendo DS. Arguably, Wild World paved the way for the future of the franchise, and its release on DS attracted many more western players to what has become one of Nintendo's most popular franchises. This portable popularity was emulated by Animal Crossing New Leaf, which would follow on Nintendo 3DS in 2012.
Although the glitch that Spacufacu encountered in Wild World could theoretically appear in New Horizons as well, modern glass bottles are slightly different, containing letters from villagers who don't live on the player's island, along with DIY recipes. There are over 400 villagers in Animal Crossing, with ACNH allowing 10 villagers per island compared to Wild World's 15, so receiving letters from the over 300 villagers players don't have current access to can be exciting. Thankfully, ANCH villagers don't often send terrifying messages like this.
It would be hard to argue that Animal Crossing New Horizons is not the Nintendo franchise's biggest and most popular installment, but many of its most beloved aspects are thanks to Wild World's impressive features. The vast amount of content available in New Horizons, including smooth multiplayer gameplay, hundreds of villagers, and endless possibilities for custom creations, may allow the current AC title to remain popular for decades like its predecessor, even though New Horizons won't receive any more updates. That said, rumors of a new Animal Crossing title releasing within a few years have begun to spread, and fan expectations are high due to the previous titles' success.
Source: Spacufacu/Reddit, Lousy_Username/Reddit