If you've opted to pick up Animal Crossing: New Horizons' new DLC, or if you've got it through Nintendo's Switch Online Expansion Pack, you'll already have seen some of the lovely new content Happy Home Paradise has to offer. There are new characters to meet, new items to get, and plenty more besides, but there's one new feature that might not be immediately obvious.
As anyone who's found themselves having to share a copy of New Horizons will know, one of the base game's most infuriating features is that only one island is available per Switch console and progress is tied to that account. What this means is that if you have multiple users on the same Switch (like your traditional family setup, for example), whoever boots the game up first gets to play the game as normal, while everyone else is forced to live on the same island with restricted gameplay options.
The issue caused quite the outrage amongst fans when the game first launched, with angry buyers – and some who just wanted to jump on the bandwagon – taking to the internet to review bomb the game.
Thankfully, Happy Home Paradise does away with that, allowing all players to enjoy the DLC campaign independently with their very own save data. That's right – even if you're stuck playing second fiddle on your family's main island, you won't have to share duties in Happy Home Paradise and can design your own holiday homes at will. Finally.
Had you spotted this handy feature yourself? Have you been enjoying the Happy Home Paradise DLC? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 45
Nice! This will hopefully make a lot of people happy. 🙂
Release another update to have multiple Save slots, just like Dragon Quest Builders 2.
One save data is not enough.
Phew. I'm glad that Nintendo finally added this. It's not like anyone else plays on my Switch, but I definitely understand how the 1 island per save restriction can be really annoying to other people.
Does this also fix the issue with only one island per switch? Or is it just the happy home designer part of the game?
All I really want from the game at this point:
That's pretty much it, besides the lack of minigames and there only being 20 gyroids to collect (edit: turns out there's 36 so never mind). The game is otherwise perfect now after the update. I know they said they're done with big updates but it just feels like there's a bit left to do for it to reach its potential, hopefully we see a couple of these things I listed in smaller updates.
Am I being critical, or is this article a bit misleading? It mentions the DLC fixes the biggest issue with AC - and that is having only one home island per Switch console, no matter how many additional players, they must all share the home island.
All this is saying is the DLC content itself has separate progress per player on the console, but that has nothing to do with the home island limitation per console. Am I missing something? I've read it twice now.
But… these are two separate things? You still can’t have more than one island. What a weird way to word it.
@Astral-Grain That was my impression too...if that is the case this is very misleading.
Why are we still missing all the cool Nintendo IP items? I don't care about Mario stuff. Where's the Zelda or Metroid items?
Sorry, the most hated feature to me is by far golden tools breaking.
The article title made me have hope for a moment.
Are they not gonna let us change resident reps at least? My wife and daughter have abandoned their villager accounts in my Switch lite. My daughter is resident rep and I just want to be able to play properly without the need to open her villager account just to do some things.
Wouldn't mind if the local multilayer wasn't terrible
@Octane_st1m
They can orphan their islands, at which point you'll become resident rep the first time you log in. I don't remember the exact steps and it wasn't intuitive, but I'm sure you can find a walkthrough somewhere.
The article: Bait
The readers: Sea bass
@Silly_G
I'm at least a C+
@igornorado Yeah, the problem with these weapon/tool breaking games is not eventually giving us a weapon/tool that doesn't break. It makes sense to start off with flimsy tools in New Horizons, it really does. But to have Golden tools that break is a joke. =/
@Friendly It's just the DLC. Every player has separate progression in Happy Home Paradise, but there's still only one main island per Switch.
My wife tried playing New Horizons after all the hype when it first came out and as soon as she started her file she saw she couldn't pick her own island, she stopped right there. Now my wife shows up on my island map as living in the resident services building to this day.
Anyway, it was clearly a deal-breaker for some people so this is a great little improvement that goes a long way!
EDIT: Oh.. ah.. never mind then... I see there is still one island per Switch; it's just the DLC womp womp.
EDIT 2: My most hated feature are the tools breaking, personally. It stresses me out pretty bad every time I use tools. I get so mad when they do eventually break and I have to stop everything I'm doing to go back to my house, take out materials, loading screen, loading screen, loading screen.... blah blah blah.. it's such a PITA.
Removed - unconstructive feedback
@Anti-Matter
It would also be nice to be able to access your inventory when doing DIYs, especially the cooking. DQB2 got it right, ACNH still hasn't.
@ChromaticDracula
I carry a crafting table with me. Also, if you customize your tools after using them a bit they reset to new.
@k8sMum I like that idea of carrying the crafting table! Even carrying a garbage can around has helped me... Great tip! I'm aware of the customization durability reset too but just having to keep track of how many uses, etc, sort of stresses me out too. I wouldn't want to customize too early and waste a customization kit, for example. It's me making it a bigger problem I suppose I just don't like having to worry about them breaking at all. I don't want to worry about how many uses I have left or any of that.
I just carry extras of essential tools, just so I don't miss any golden opportunities in the event that a tool breaks. A spare slingshot, net, and rod is a must. Everything else is optional.
So… nothing is really fixed then. Everyone is still forced to play on the same island. The DLC is completely separate.
@HeadPirate I'll be sure to look up that one. Thanks for the info
@SpaceboyScreams *36 gyroids.
@Crockin Oh that's a bit better, I'll take 36. I'd heard a couple people say 20 in the last couple days and was pretty disappointed.
Tldr, it didn’t fix the biggest issue
Most Hated Feature? You mean Isabelle talking nonsense every new day?
Or the fact that I can't change the island rep?
@SpaceboyScreams I also like they designed brand new gyroids instead just using the same ones, which i totally expected.
So what this article is really saying is that Nintendo hasn't done anything to address the chief complaint of only one island per Switch (even though multiple players on a single island has been a central feature of this series since the original).
There's still so much they could do to further add content or improve the game. And I'm not talking about new content, just bringing back features that were in New Leaf.
I'm happy with what was added, but there's still so much more they could do in a theoretical 3.0 update. Even if paid...
....I thought the most hated feature was the items breaking...lol
@Friendly
Only the Happy home portion of the game which is on another island. So it really doesnt fix anything. it just sells an alternative while making you deal with the same stuff. Also the free dlc gave more options that were stripped from the last game but the island representative is the only one that can change that.
I wish they would allow other players on secondary consoles access to the main account holders games. It seriously sucks because if my partner wants to use the Switch Lite, she can only play physical titles or has to play on my profile. Or I make that the primary but then ahe can't play other titlea I have on the larger memory card on the main model
@Joeynator3000
Actually loved that, just wish we had indication of them breaking.
Or at least after we got the miles ticket for breaking a number of them at least or repairing them also counting towards the break number.
Yes!
This was our biggest question block beforehand and it has come as a huge relief. Now all 4 of us (on our one original launch version switch) can each saunter through our own archipelagos at our own pace.
That isn't a fix, you are STILL stuck with only ONE island per console!
Most hated feature:
Also:
This article is titled in a misleading way. However, it's a bit ridiculous that people were review bombing the game for that fact even though the series has always been that way. One island/town/city (whatever) to start and every save after that is a resident in that town. It's nothing new and it was silly that people blew a gasket over it. Although, a lot of the complaints about this game are silly and are probably mostly being made by people who have never played an AC game before.
@Astral-Grain You aren't being nitpicky. This article is WILDLY misleading and downright clickbait. It's not even remotely what the article claims. It doesn't "fix" anything about having one island per Switch. It isn't even analogous as there are many examples of players all being able to have their own things on an island anyway (everyone can have their own house to upgrade/decorate, progress/pay their own debt, etc).
@Spider-Kev
Oh Gawd yes!
I've actually recruited a friend who's broke after paying off their final home loan to help me make fish bait so I can try to find a Mahi-Mahi; and am paying them in Bells because of how much of a pain it is to craft a SINGLE fish bait every time. -_-;
The original problem still exists, my wife's is still primary on "our" island and I can't start my own. But you answer your question, yes, I noticed this new "feature" - when my wife was able to play the DLC and I wasn't!! Until, that is, I bought it on my account!! That right, if two (or more?) Family members want to play the DLC they each have to pony up 25 bucks to Nintendo! No wonder they included individual save games. DUH...
I was able to login under an additional account I have living at my island and I was able to sign on my other account and do the happy home paradise like new on my other one I have over 30 homes completed.
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