Animal Crossing: Evolution of the franchise from Animal Crossing to New Horizons

Since its debut in 2001, Animal Crossing has seen many different iterations. The game has evolved over the years, with Wild World, New Leaf and New Horizons marking the biggest releases for the franchise. The game has seen many new additions with each new release. Here's how the game has evolved over the years.

Animal Crossing evolution

Naturally, the biggest evolution for a franchise that began in 2001 is the graphics. Games from that era don't compare to games from today in terms of graphics.

Graphics change in the two games. Image via YouTube

The graphics in Animal Crossing have never attempted to look like real life. Many games today feature graphics and characters that look a whole lot like they would or do in real life. That's not the case with Animal Crossing. They've always had their own look that didn't replicate the real world. Still, the quality has gotten exceptional in the 20 years since the initial release.

animal crossing sakura trees evolution acpg → acww → acnl → acnh 🌳🌸 pic.twitter.com/6mP7jkpHxj

— ੈ୨♡୧ (@bukemochi) May 4, 2021

Another aspect of Animal Crossing that has evolved is the characters and villagers. Initially, the 2001 release saw players take control of a non-customizable character that was the only human in the village full of animals. As of now, players can fully customize their character and even interact with other characters that are humans as well.

Original character from Animal Crossing. Image via Reddit

There have also been several gameplay evolutions. New Horizons offers players a tremendous amount of things to do and is constantly updating with seasonal and monthly changes. New events and updates are happening all the time, something that is a relatively new feature in Animal Crossing. The possibilities for New Horizons are endless, and that wasn't always the case.

As with many game franchises, they tend to get better with age. The same is true for Animal Crossing, though some have lamented that New Horizons seems to be geared at a broader audience than the hardcore fans of the franchise. To be fair, it is definitely not the same as the original.

REJECT NEW LEAF AND NEW HORIZONS, RETURN TO NOSTALGIA. pic.twitter.com/lOzFRbJXmP

— Andres_Craft ඞ🍥 (@AndresCraft918) April 26, 2021

Still, it seems as if the franchise is on a steady rise in terms of popularity and critical approval. New Horizons is one of the best rated games out there and is certainly very popular. After just over a year, it is in the top ten of all-time Nintendo units sold. Quite impressive for an entry into a 20 year old franchise.