Animal Crossing New Horizons

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, in most games that run on a seasonal calendar, you’ll be used to experiencing a cold period in-game, when in reality you’re actually dying of the heat. Animal Crossing is a key title where this occurs if you (like the writer of this piece) happen to live in countries like Australia or New Zealand.

Fortunately, this is all set to change in the upcoming Switch title, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. During the half-hour preview of the game during day one of the Nintendo Treehouse Live event, Animal Crossing producer Hisashi Nogami spoke about how for the first time in the series' history, New Horizons would include a Southern Hemisphere option.

In contrast, previous releases have run a Northern Hemisphere seasonal clock. Well, that’s all set to change. In a translation, Mr. Nogami said:

The Animal Crossing fans already know this, but the game clock is actually linked to the real time, so the seasons and the time of the day – it changes according to the clock that you live in.

Until the previous titles, we only had the game set in the Northern Hemisphere, but from New Horizons we have a Southern Hemisphere as well, so the users can play in the Southern Hemisphere atmosphere.

Mr Nogami went onto provide an example:

So right now, since it is set to June [summer] in Northern Hemisphere…but if you have it set to Southern Hemisphere, it’ll be in winter.

Based on these comments, it sounds as if you will be able to experience a summer holiday period if you live in either hemisphere.

For people located in the Southern Hemisphere, it also means seasons in your game will finally reflect the seasons in your real-life location – this is monumental news if you happen to live in a certain location and are a long-time Animal Crossing fan. Meanwhile, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you will presumably be able to experience a summer holiday period in December for perhaps the first time ever.

What are your thoughts about this? Are you going on a summer holiday or will you stick with the winter season? Tell us below.

[source youtu.be]