Animal Crossing: New Horizons

It's been a hugely busy week this week with all sorts of Animal Crossing shenanigans going on around the world, so we couldn't be more pleased to have finally reached the weekend.

Members of Team Nintendo Life have shared their gaming plans for the next couple of days below, and we'd love for you to join in via our poll and comment sections. Enjoy!

PJ O’Reilly, reviewer

We’re living through strange and somewhat worrying times at the moment and I hope everyone out there is taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families over the next couple of months. It’s not gonna be easy, but we’ll make it through! I’m currently in lockdown at home with my kids where we shall inevitably be playing a whole damn lot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons over the course of this weekend.

I’ll also be shaking things up a bit with a long-overdue return to the glorious DOOM 64 and I must admit I’m quite looking forward to reacquainting myself with a game I played waaaay too much of back in my university days. Elsewhere I’m still absolutely loving Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[cl-r] and am still regularly dipping back into the sublime Divinity Original Sin 2, a game that never stops giving. Take care and please stay safe everyone.

Ryan Craddock, staff writer

As I write this, Animal Crossing: New Horizons still hasn't graced my doormat with its presence, so my game of the weekend will be 'sit near the front door and stare at the letterbox until the postman comes and gives me the only ray of sunshine left on this cold, harsh planet'. You won't believe how realistic the graphics are.

It's hard to complain given the circumstances, of course, so I'll try and squeeze in some small bursts of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX while I patiently wait for it to arrive. Hopefully it won't be long before I join everyone in our new deserted island home, though, because I haven't been this hyped for a game in a while. Stay safe everyone!

Austin Voigt, contributing writer

I have to believe that Kyogoku-san and Nogami-san are somehow psychic or have the ability to predict the future, for the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons clearly could not have been any better timed. As I booted up my copy of the game for the first time at 11pm Thursday night (which is when it was available in my time zone), I do not exaggerate when I say that I completely forgot every single one of the troubles and stresses in my life for a good two hours, until I was finally forced to get a bit of sleep (three hours to be exact), and now here I am, getting right back into it.

The pure bliss I experienced as I played this gorgeous work of modern art was euphoric. And I'm gonna chase that feeling. All weekend. And probably for the rest of my life, not gonna lie.

Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is here and so is the end of our real social lives. SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays continues to entertain and a slew of new physical arrivals has once again placed Assault Android Cactus back on my playlist. eShop releases round up the week with Exit The Gungeon, Red Death and Dezatopia providing all the shooting action needed until Monday.

My game of the week is DOOM 64. If you had the original Nintendo 64 cartridge you will probably be extremely pleased that we are able to finally see everything without the need to put the TV brightness up to 100%.

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer

I've never really been that into Animal Crossing, so I'll be in the small minority of people who won't be spending our collective self-isolation on the warm sands of New Horizons. Instead, I'll be having another playthrough of the brilliant and underrated DOOM 64. Who wouldn't want to stave off boredom with a good session of demon slaying?

My eldest son is still obsessed with Fortnite (like most kids his age) so I'll also be helping him complete the latest challenges for Season 2. Honestly, the things we dads do to keep our children happy. I've also been replaying The Banner Saga because I had a hankering for some turn-based battling. Can't say my tastes aren't eclectic! Stay safe, everyone!

Gavin Lane, staff writer

I'd like to say Hyper Light Drifter. I've been enjoying that game and its wordless narrative a lot recently. The way it just leaves the player to poke around and get on with it is refreshing, and it has that NES Zelda-like spirit of exploration where so many games spell everything out for you. It's good.

Nuts to Hyper Light Drifter, though. It's Animal Crossing, innit.

Ollie Reynolds, reviewer

This weekend, I'll be doing what pretty much everyone else is doing and starting my new desert island getaway with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I'm so glad it's here, and I'm sure everyone would agree that its timing during such a troublesome period of our lives is much appreciated.

I'll also be booting up DOOM 64 at some point, if I can tear myself from Tom Nook's iron grip! I'll be getting DOOM Eternal at a later date - there's only so much you can possibly play in one go!

Which games are you playing this weekend?

(You can select up to 3 answers)

As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a vote in the poll above and a comment below with your gaming choices over the next few days...