Topic: Deciding Between Pokémon SW & SH or ACNH

Hey everyone I’m trying decide on my next purchase to help keep me pre-occupied during self-isolation and I’m wrestling between ACNH and Pokémon Sword and Shield. I’m 33 yrs old and the last main line Pokémon game I completed was Pokémon Crystal when I was a teen and fully obsessed with Pokémon. I never got back into it after beating Yellow and Crystal but have been very consistent with Pokémon Go. Animal Crossing is intriguing to me but have never played it before not even back on the N64 and I’ve never played a “Sims” style game before but my friends have really jumped on the ACNH hype train and every time I sign on to my Switch there are many of them all playing ACNH.

So I’m not sure which is more worthwhile to purchase and will have the replay ability and longevity that will make it worth the purchase. I’ll take all the testimonials or advice I can get.

Thanks all!

@NapiLinkJC
Try ACNH.
I did the same thing for ACNL 3DS on 22 December 2013.
At first i was sceptical if i could engage with the game but within 2 weeks, I have engaged with the game and the more I played the more I fallen in love with ACNL.

@NapiLinkJC : Short answer, don't get Pokémon Sword/Shield. The games are much too brief, even if you indeed to catch them all, and Game Freak had the audacity to withhold content in the form of an expansion pass that costs nearly as much as the complete DS/3DS games did back in the day! Even with the Expansion Pass (and home console game pricing to boot) Sword/Shield will still contain less content than any of the 3DS games, which is pathetic to say the least, and I only expect the series to continue its downward trajectory from here. It's a real shame too, as I was really enjoying the Let's Go games and Sword/Shield until news of the expansion pass defecated on 20+ years of goodwill and enjoyment of the series by adopting the same scummy practices as almost every other wildly popular AAA franchise nowadays. I don't mind buying what amounts to the same game twice on an annual basis, but to charge for an expansion pass in addition to that is the final straw (two expansion passes seeing as I own both versions).

I have a friend who since sold all of his Switch Pokémon games and his Sword/Shield Lite following the news, and for a time, I contemplated doing the same, but I am waiting to see whether Game Freak/Nintendo will issue a complete physical release of the expansion content, though I can't say I am optimistic given Nintendo's track record with "complete" releases.

I wouldn't describe Animal Crossing as a "Sims" style experience though. There are some sim-like elements in terms of home/item/world customisation, but the game is more of a collect-a-thon as you collect materials, resources, and other things (including bugs/fossils/fish) which aid in your world growing gradually. The game is designed to feel like a living, breathing world that progresses and changes a bit as you play each day. It's a game that you can easily play for a few minutes to a few hours at a time depending on what you want to get out of it. I have already sunk a number of hours into the game, and I would easily expect it to eclipse my Pokémon and Smash Bros. hours in the coming months (and years). For a first-timer, you may find yourself very pleasantly surprised.

If you choose to play another Pokémon game, however (and have a 2DS/3DS), you will get a lot more bang for your buck from any of the DS/3DS installments (if picking up a Gen 7 game, grab either of the Ultra variants instead of the base Sun/Moon games) or you can download Yellow/Crystal for cheap from the eShop which are every bit as fun now as they were 20+ years ago.

@NapiLinkJC I absolutely love both titles. But they are about as different games as games can be different. So it really depends on what you are looking for if you can only pick one.

Animal Crossing is a laid back life sim where you are essentially building your fantasy home on a private island full the more harmless and quirky animal villagers. You are the only human - because video games. The game is played in real time - it's 9:24am in real life, it's 9:24am in the game - as long as your Switch clock is set of course. You start from nothing but a tent and a cot and will build your own home as well as ultimately being able to sculpt the entire island however you please - from choosing where your neighbors live, to altering the very landscape - though of course you have to pay for everything. So after you donate one of everything to the museum, you'll be selling your bugs and fish that you catch and fruit you pick in order to pay for everything. There are loads of customization options and choices and the fun you have will be limited by how easily you can get lost in the fantasy world. Although this word sometimes has negative connotations, I would describe the game as the ideal "escape" from reality into a nicer, friendlier world.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are hands down the best Pokemon games in several years. Though I wouldn't call them the best in the series, they are must have titles on Switch nonetheless. In classic Pokemon fashion you'll go off as a new trainer on a quest to conquer 8 gyms, kick the Champion's butt and take the title for yourself. You'll deal with troublemakers along the way, some overzealous fans of one of your rivals, and a businessman on a self appointed quest to "save" the world. But no true villainous organization. Unlike past titles, you wont have to deal with walking into a zubat every two steps(zubat isn't even in this game) Pokemon wander around the over-world just like you and other NPCs. Some run toward you, some away from you, some just ignore you. This wonderful change actually saves a lot of time and means I didn't grow to cringe every time I hear the wild Pokemon music - like in previous games... Oh, and speaking music, Sw/Sh have some of the best game music around. Although my favorite Pokemon song is still Cynthia's theme in Platinum, the overall soundtrack in Sw/Sh is the best the series has ever had!

The major appeal of Sw/Sh for me though, has been the multi-player. Raid battles see you and up to 3 other players team up to defeat powerful giant Pokemon, which you can then catch and win rewards. If you can't play online or don't want to wait, you can do raids by yourself, but the hardest raids really do require at least 1 more human who knows how to play, the NPCs tend to be idiots. And online multi-player vs. battles. Sw/Sh has a ranked ladder for online vs mode. And it has never been easier to train Pokemon for competitive play. Assuming you have the in-game resources, you can take a level 1 Charmander fresh from an egg and turn it into a battle ready level 100 Charizard in about 2 minutes. And there are plenty of guides and resources for new players with suggested move sets, and ideal stats to train, what natures and abilities do etc. It might sound a little daunting if you haven't played since Pokemon Crystal, but trust me, you can learn it pretty quickly. And it's extremely rewarding to take a team you build from the ground up on ladder and win.

There you have it, two completely radically different games - both of which I really like, both of which have potentially hundreds of hours of game play. But you know yourself best. I hope my description helps you decide. Stay safe friend!

@NapiLinkJC
My input is a bit different. I'm 34, have a wife and a toddler as we're in our second week of mandated quarantine.

I'm also much like you in that I hadn't completed a main-line Pokémon game since...well, for me probably since the originals lol

But I LOVED Sword, and for the people saying it's short... I don't know what they're talking about. I think I pretty much blitzed through the main plotline and it took me over 20 hours. I didn't try at all to catch lots of Pokémon, battle online, explore the open-world section, etc. There is easily twice or triple the amount of time for me still in that game.

I think it comes down to whether you want to experience a story or not. Animal Crossing can definitely sink dozens of hours of your time if you're into that relaxing gameplay and building your town. But Pokémon will give you the story and more strategic and action-oriented gameplay.

acnh for replayability

pokemon swsh if ur a huge fan of pokemon and could care less about anything else

Thank you so much all of you; the points you have made have definitely helped narrow it a bit. Replay ability is definitely heavy in the plus column for me. I do love Pokemon but the later generations never grabbed me as the way the first 250 did. Maybe it’s just because when the first two generations got their hooks in me, I was their target audience from my early to mid teens. I really think for right now I’ll take the leap of faith on ACNH and put off Pokémon for a later date.

I still think I’m going to take another week or two before pulling the trigger so I’ll stay take input but I did want to thank @jarester, @rallydefault, @heavyarms55, @silly_g, and @anti-matter.

@NapiLinkJC
When/if you go for Animal Crossing, I'll be really interested to hear your feedback. Like I said, not a huge Animal Crossing fan myself, but I only played New Leaf, so it'll be interesting to hear what someone else new to the franchise thinks.