With Animal Crossing: New Horizons setting a notable blueprint for future games of the series, one format could be expanded upon in new and inventive ways. Given the opportunity for Animal Crossing: New Horizons' successor to include DLC material of its own, the title could look to its neighbors for inspiration, channeling the excitement surrounding other famous Nintendo IPs.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is home to all sorts of customization, allowing players to tailor items, clothing, landscapes, and even villagers to their liking. This variety comes as no surprise in explaining why the series has retained such success over the years, with its most recent entry opening up options farther than ever before. For a myriad of players from all age ranges and gaming experiences, Animal Crossing has cemented itself as a fan favorite, holding its name among other famous Nintendo IPs and video game greats. As the franchise continues to expand, ACNH's successor could use this to its advantage, opening up customization even further through the continuation of crossover content with other Nintendo IPs.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Successor Could See Crossovers with Other Nintendo Properties
Animal Crossing: New Horizons featured a Super Mario crossover in early 2021, setting the stage for clothing, items, and other references from the beloved franchise as a free update. The resulting collaboration brought together two powerhouses of the gaming industry in a fun and approachable way, aiding in the range of customization available to players while helping to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros. franchise. Animal Crossing: New Horizons' successor could follow suit through the inclusion of crossover events with other notable Nintendo titles, serving as a way to commemorate pivotal moments in their histories while spotlighting Animal Crossing's design mechanics.
In the past, Animal Crossing entries have featured a few Nintendo-inspired villagers, drawing from wildly popular IPs like Monster Hunter and The Legend of Zelda as forms of special crossovers. While it might not be as feasible to suggest a slew of new villagers based on multiple IPs to appear in the next title, a similar treatment to the Super Mario collaboration could still serve as a deep way to spotlight other Nintendo properties within its game. Bringing key items and clothing from popular titles in an official manner could be a game-changer, allowing its referential material to go beyond what players can mimic through the series' custom design mechanic.
With this, there are multiple games that could be spotlighted through the Super Mario crossover treatment. Depending on when AC: NH's successor comes out, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom might already be celebrating an anniversary of its own, which could make it a perfect option for an Animal Crossing collaboration event that pulls reference from its clothing and inventory. Alternatively, other Nintendo IPs, like the eponymous Kirby series, could make clever use of iconic items like the star rod while making it function as a way to change into preset outfits, much like ACNH's use of star wands. Even properties like Bayonetta could be featured in interesting ways, drawing from the series' witchy aesthetic and butterfly motifs to create fashionable clothing and accessory options for players.
Diving into these types of collaborations could be quite successful for the downloadable content of Animal Crossing's next mainline entry, working as a way to build enthusiasm from fans across a number of Nintendo's greatest hits. Given that a similar crossover formula has been used for the Super Smash Bros. franchise with unprecedented levels of success, New Horizons' successor would almost certainly see similar benefits, especially when considering just how much a few new items and clothing can shake up a player's creativity. More crossover events would mean more time for Nintendo IPs to shine, which could help to celebrate Animal Crossing's impressive range of customization while commemorating the other video games that stand beside it.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
