Animal Crossingis a mostly flawless series, with each new entry building upon the last in creative and engaging ways. While there is certainly an argument to be made that it has lost some of its magic over the decades, in large part thanks to Nintendo chasing gameplay systems rather than honing in on the sense of community that the earlier games fostered, every entry, from the very first toNew Horizons, has provided players with a cozy, safe space to retreat to, with plenty of fun ways to interact with it and its lovable residents.
However, as much asAnimal Crossingis truly a phenomenal series, it has a slew of issues that have been plaguing it from the very start. Most ofAnimal Crossing’sbiggest issueshave been well-documented, but what people may not know is thatNintendo has actually made one of them significantly worse. This is all thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2, a console that seems hellbent on icing outAnimal Crossingfans, as it launched without a new entry in sight. While fans will surely soldier on, for many, this may be the final straw.
One Animal Crossing Island Per System Is Frustrating
It Means You Have To Make A Difficult Choice
Animal Crossing:New Horizon’smost limiting featurehas always been its one island per system policy.This means that individual users cannot make their own islands on the same console, even if they use an entirely different cartridge. So, were you to buy a second copy ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsand pop it into your Switch, you’d still be stuck with the same island that you started on another copy. It’s absolutely ludicrous, but it’s done by design.
The official Nintendowebsiteexplains this by stating, “Even using multiple copies of the game, you can only create a maximum of one island per console. If you’d like to create another island, you’ll need another console.”
Fans have hated this policy since the series' inception. However, its presence on the Nintendo Switch makes the least sense, as one would assume we’ve come far enough to allow each user to have their own individual island. It also means that players are forced to make thetoughestNew Horizonchoicewhen they get tired of their current island, lose a beloved villager, or just want to let their friend or sibling have a go.Forcing players to delete their island just so that they can start a new one is ridiculous, but very on brand for Nintendo.
Pokémonis equally punishing, only allowing for one save per user. That’s slightly better thanAnimal Crossing, admittedly, but it does mean that players have to delete their precious teams out of existence if they want to start the game from scratch. One would hope that this would all be fixed in theupcomingAnimal Crossinggame, but there’s really no guarantee, especially as this is practically a trademarked feature of the series, despite being more limiting than benefiting players in any meaningful way. Of course,this is all further exacerbated by the Nintendo Switch 2 and its transfer issues.
Switch 2’s Transfer System Causes More Potential Issues
You Could Lose It All
Several users have reported that they’ve lost data from different Nintendo Switch gameswhile transferring data from their Switch to the Switch 2. This includesPokémon Scarlet and Violet, where a user posted toRedditthat they’d lost 1,000 hours of progress and 20 years of Pokémon as their data was wiped during the transfer. It also includesAnimal Crossing, where users, including userBookSavvyon Reddit, who explained that they were unable to find their island after transferring their data, despite Nintendo claiming thattransferringNew Horizonsdata is easyfrom the original Switch to the Switch 2.
Some users have reported that they’ve been recovered their lost data by contacting Nintendo support. However, for those who haven’t and go through the turmoil of worrying that they’ve lost it, even if they recover it eventually, it can be absolutely devastating. As players pour absolutely everything into one island, losing it is significantly more painful.It, naturally, would be much easier to stomach if players were allowed to have multiple islands per copy, as that way, at least they’d have spread out their effort and devotion across numerous islands, rather than putting all their eggs into one basket.
It is also worth considering that you can only have your island on one console. If you transfer your island from your Switch to your Switch 2, it will no longer be on your original Switch. That may seem obvious, but it means that if the owner of the Switch 2 moves out, the other members of that household now lose access to that island, even if they have the original Switch. At least allowing users to share it across multiple consoles would make things a little easier, but having to choose between them could prove hard for some families.
Themostly seamless Switch 2 transferprocess works as intended, and fans shouldn’t worry too much. These issues should also hopefully be ironed out in the future. However,it could be an issue now for those early adopters keen on seeing their islands running on the Switch 2’s more impressive hardware. More importantly, even if it does happen to just a handful of players, it highlights a serious problem not just with this bizarre one island policy, but the fact that Nintendo simply isn’t putting families first when it absolutely should be.
Nintendo Should Put Families First
Those Who Share A Switch Can’t Have Their Own Islands
Nintendo has always marketed itself as a family-first company, one that develops consoles that the whole family can gather around and enjoy together, no matter how old or young individual members may be. The Wii was as much for kids as it was for grandparents eager to try out the new Wii Fit or play digital tennis with their grandchildren. That’s what makes its continued refusal to allow multiple users to create their own islands inAnimal Crossingon a single save so absolutely baffling.It is anti-consumer and anti-family, as hyperbolic as that may sound.
Parents have to buy an individual Nintendo Switch for each child, potentially grandparents, and themselves if they’re want, as well as a copy ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsper person. If you have three kids, you’re looking at three Nintendo Switches - or Switch 2s - as well as three copies of the game. That adds up to a lot of money, which, whenNintendo games are costing $80and a lot of people are in tougher financial positions, it simply isn’t fair.It’s an entirely unnecessary limitation that puts Nintendo’s wallets firstover the needs of its users.
Nintendo has a chance tofixAnimal Crossing’sworst featurewith the next game, if it really wants to. However, right now, players will continue to struggle with deciding whether to keep their island they’ve devoted hundreds of hours to or delete it and start again as they wait several years for the next entry in the series. Hopefully, the nextAnimal Crossingwill come sooner rather than later, as, right now, fans are not only eager to play a new entry, but they’re also not too keen on losing all of their progress in the current one.
