All posts tagged in Switch
Mar 21, 2020
Upon arriving at your island, you may be disappointed to find it looking pretty empty. In previous mainline games, the museum, a tailors, and a general store would be on the map from the start. Although disappointing, it makes sense that these amenities wouldn’t be readily available on a deserted island. The good news, however, is that you can unlock them as you progress through the game. And so here’s how to unlock Nook’s Cranny & the museum in New Horizons.
Unlocking Nook’s Cranny
The Nooklings start out by selling a limited amount of items from the resident services tent that they share with their uncle. After a few days, they will ask for your help to build their very own shop. They require the following resources in order to build ‘Nook’s Cranny’, which is named in honour of their uncle:
- 30 wood
- 30 softwood
- 30 hardwood
- 30 iron nuggets
Wood, softwood, and hardwood can all be obtained by chopping at trees with an axe, which can be crafted in the Residents Services tent.
Iron nuggets can be acquired by hitting rocks with a shovel, which again, can be crafted at the Residents Services tent. Hitiing rocks with a shovel can also produce stone, clay, and bells if you find the money rock. This means that it may take a couple of days to gather the 30 iron nuggets necessary. A way to get more iron nuggets is by using Nook Miles to purchase a Nook Miles ticket. These can be redeemed from the terminal inside the Resident Services tent. A Nook Miles ticket allows you to go to the airport and visit a random island. Once there you can gather resources like you would on your own island. Anything obtained whilst there can be brought back with you.
Once you donate the required resources to Timmy in the Resident Services tent, you will be able to pick a spot for the shop. The shop will be built and open for business the next calendar day. It will stock a wider variety of goods, including un-craftable furniture and wallpaper and flooring.
Unlocking The Museum
On your first day on your island, you will be given a DIY crafting lesson from Tom Nook. He will then give you DIY recipes for a flimsy rod and a flimsy net. He says that he would “love to see anything you manage to catch”. If you speak to Tom Nook in the Residents Services tent after catching a critter, you will be able to select the “I found a creature!” option and donate it to him.
To convince Blathers to come to your island, you need to donate five fish or bugs to Tom Nook. Once you have donated five critters, Tom Nook will receive a conveniently well-timed call from Blathers. Blathers is now convinced enough that the island has an interesting variety of fauna, and wishes to visit. You will then be given the task of choosing a spot for his tent. This will be where the museum is eventually located, so make sure to pick the spot carefully.
Blathers will arrive in his tent the next day. Upon talking to him, he will tell you that he needs more exhibit entries in order to open a proper museum. Once you have provided him with 15 exhibits, which include fossils, fish, and bugs, you will be able to construct the museum. The building will take two calendar days until it is constructed.
- Mar 20, 2020
At the beginning of the game, Mr. Nook is one very generous Tanuki (yes, yes!). Instead of having to pay off the itemized bill for the Nook Inc. Getaway Package in bells, you can use Nook Miles instead. Nook Miles can be earned by completing various tasks such as catching fish and bugs, speaking to neighbours, pulling weeds, etc.
After paying off the itemized bill for the Getaway Package however, things will become more costly. Tom Nook will offer to upgrade your tent into a house.
But ever, the enterpeneur, it will require bells as opposed to Nook Miles to pay for it. You won’t have to pay for it up front, but you will still have to pay 98,000 bells for it before you can upgrade it. And once you have a house, you will want to furnish it, and furniture costs bells. Clothing and accessories also cost bells. They say money makes the world go round, and apprently island life is no exception! So here are some ways to make bells.
Use Nook Miles To Buy Bells:
Once you’ve unlocked Nook’s Cranny, you can buy Bell Vouchers from the Nook Stop machine for 500 Nook Miles a pop. Each Bell Voucher will give you 3,000 bells upon purchase. If you save up your Nook Miles, this is a great way to access cash quickly.
Selling Weeds:
In previous mainline Animal Crossing games, weed-pulling was nothing but a monotonous nuisance. In New Horizons however, weeds are a lot more interesting believe it or not. As well as there being a variety of different looking weeds, you can actually sell them and receive Nook Miles for doing so.
The Stalk Market:
The stalk market return in New Horizons. Previously, players could buy turnips from a boar named Joan. In New Horizons however, Joan’s grandaughter, Daisy-Mae, has taken on the role. Daisy-Mae will visit your island every Sunday, where she will sell turnips that vary in price from week to week. If you play your cards right, you can make a tidy profit selling them to the Nooklings. But bare in mind that their prices change daily, so you could end up losing money.
Selling Bugs And Fish:
The Nooklings will buy any bugs and fish that you catch on your island. You can sell your catches at the residential services tent, and at Nook’s Cranny once you have unlocked it. You may want to donate the first new bugs and fish that you catch to the museum though, so that they can be added to the museum’s collection. Beware when trying to catch tarantulas though..
Selling Fossils:
Like with fish and bugs, you may want to donate any new fossils you dig up to the museum. However, fossils can also be sold to the Nooklings and tend to fetch a good price.
Daily Money Rock:
Every day, there will be one rock on your island that is a money rock. A money rock will produce bells when you hit it with a shovel. It can be a little time tiresome going around your island hitting rocks until you find that day’s money rock. However, it’s money at the end of the day. Just make sure to use a stronger shovel than the flimsy shovel, in case the flimsy shovel happens to break whilst your hitting the money rock.
Shaking Trees:
A variety of items can be obtained by shaking trees in New Horizons. You can sell the fruit that you get from shaking fruit trees, and trees will drop branches which can be sold too. Sometimes, shaking a tree will result in a piece of furniture being dropped, which can be sold to the Nooklings. Sometimes shaking a tree will result in a swarm of angry wasps chasing and stinging you. But hey, you win some, you lose some.
Hot Item Of The Day:
This money-making method is similar to the daily premium items that Reese would purchase for a higher price in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. In New Horizons, after you unlock Nook’s Cranny, the Nooklings will randomly select a ‘hot item of the day’. They will buy this item for double the price they’d usually pay you.
Other Money-Making Methods:
- If you see a glowing gold-coloured spot, use a shovel to dig and you will unearth some bells.
- Shells can be collected from the beach and sold to the Nooklings.
- If you shoot down a floating present with your slingshot, you will either receive bells, or furniture which you can sell for bells.
- If you complete favours for other residents, they will reward you with bells, or furniture or clothing which can be sold for bells.
Animal Crossing themed Gardening Kit
Check out this adorable Animal Crossing themed mini gardening kit that comes with everything you need to grow a beautiful little plant!
- Mar 20, 2020
Are you unhappy with where you decided to place a building? Do you want to reorganise your town? Are you fed up with animals who are housed near you wandering through your yard? Well don’t fret, as New Horizons allows players to move buildings.
Post Office, an expanded Museum and even new shops might be coming to Animal Crossing New Horizons!
How To Move A Building:
Whilst you won’t be able to move buildings straight away in New Horizons, it will become possible as you progress through the game. In order to move a building or house that you have placed, you will need to have built the Resident Services building. In order to unlock the Resident Services building, you will need to have built 3 houses, a bridge, Nook’s Cranny, and the museum.
Once you have unlocked the Resident Services building, head inside and talk with Tom Nook, and choose the ‘let’s talk infrastructure’ option and ask for layout changes. You will then be able to choose from a list of buiding types to relocate. These include the museum, shops, and other residents’ homes. The only building that can’t be moved is the Resident Services building itself.
The Cost Of Moving Buildings:
Relocating a building on your island will incur a fee. It will cost you 50,000 bells to move another resident’s home, a shop, or any other building that you do not own. It will cost you 30,000 bells in order to relocate your own home.
How To Move Your Own Home:
To move your house, you will again need to speak with Tom Nook in the Residents Services building. This time, you will need to choose the ‘About my home’ option where you can then opt to relocate your house.
If you make the decision to move a building, you will get a kit from Tom Nook in order to select the new location. This will work in the same manner as when you first placed the building. Simply find your desired spot, and providing it’s a relatively open space with no water or cliffs nearby, you will be able to place your building there. Your building will then appear in your chosen spot the next day.
- Feb 29, 2020
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is bound to be the top of every Nintendo Switch owner’s game wishlist this month. However, here are four other great games that are also coming to the console this month.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a remake of the 2005 matched pair of Pokémon games Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team. The remake will release on Nintendo Switch on March 6th, and will be available to purchase as both a digital or physical copy for USD$59.99.
About
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, you will wake up in a village as a Pokémon including the likes of Pikachi, Eevee, and Charmander. Whilst getting to explore a magnificent reimagined world, your objective is to solve a strange predicament and build a rescue team to find and rescue lost Pokémon from a variety of dangerous dungeons. The game can be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop for USD$59.99 or purchased as a physical copy.
Features
- Begin the game by taking a personality test to determine which of 16 Pokémon you will become.
- Try out the first few levels of the game in the free demo version. If you want to continue playing, you can carryn over your save data to the full version of the game.
- Experience living as a Pokémon in a bustling village and interact with other NPC’s living there.
- Solve the mystery of your strange predicament by befriending others and taking on a variety of missions to find and rescue lost Pokémon from dungeons.
- Build a rescue team who are up to the challenge of saving the world from a variety of natural disasters.
- When not rescuing lost Pokémon from perilous dungeons, return to Pokémon Square to prepare for your next challenge.
Half Past Fate
Half Past Fate is an upcoming 3D Pixel-art-stylised rom-com adventure game developed by Serenity Forge and set to be published by Way Down Deep. The game is set to release on March 12th 2020 on a variety of platforms.
About
In the game, you follow the lives of 6 different individuals who find each other in unusual ways. Half Past Fate is described as a time-jumping saga, from eight days to eight years, that will change how you feel about fate forever. The game will release on a variety of platforms including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and of course, Nintendo Switch, where it can be downloaded for USD$19.99.
Features
- A heartwarming and relatable present day narrative.
- Jump through time and discover how six ordinary people find each other in extraordinary ways over eight years.
- Immerse yourself in a beautiful 3D Pixel-art-stylised world.
- Change a flat tire, eat some spicy ramen, and learn the difference between green and black tea.
- Most importantly, enjoy relatable stories about life and love, and how fate can bring people together.
A Street Cat’s Tale
A Street Cat’s Tale is an emotional pixel-art-stylised adventure game about the survival of a stray kitten. The game is both developed and published by feemodev, and was first released on PC and Mobile last year in 2019. The game will be published and available to download on the Nintendo Switch eShop by CFK for USD$7.99 on March 12th 2020.
About:
A Street Cat’s tale is a game where you play as an orphaned kitten. The aim of the game is to survive thirteen days as a kitten on the streets alone, after the tragic death of your mother. In the game, you will have to find your own food (which can be healthy or unhealthy and affect your health) and forge relationships with other animals and humans. But beware, not all of the NPC’s you encounter will be nice. Will the poor little kitten survive? And will it end up continuing to roam the streets, or find a loving home?
Features:
- Roam the streets as a stray kitten and obtain food in order to avoid starvation and survive.
- The game features a variety of NPC’s each with their own personalities.
- Like in real life, some NPC’s dislike strays and will get angry if you attempt to interact with them.
- However, some people will like you and may give you something to eat.
- If you get close enough to certain NPC’s, they may tell you details about themselves.
- There are 11 different endings in this emotive narrative-driven adventure game.
Cooking Mama: Cookstar
Cooking Mama: Cookstar is the sixth mainline game of the cookery simulation-styled Cooking Mama series. Whilst a specific release date has not been announced, the game is set to release on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 at some point in March 2020.
About
Cooking Mama: Cookstar is the first ever HD Cooking Mama game. It is also the first Cooking Mama game to release on a platform besides Nintendo or mobile. The game has been praised by PETA for featuring a vegetarian mode. screenshots of the game were first leaked back in August of 2019.
Features
- Live out your culinary dreams and become a virtual Cookstar with Mama as your mascot.
- Collect and master over 90 brand new recipes.
- Re-create a variety of dishes from previous games in the series.
- Choose between traditional and vegetarian options for the first time ever.
- Play by yourself or with a friend in the game’s multiplayer mode.
- Take photos of your dishes and apply filters and stickers.
- Share pics of your creations with friends and family on Facebook and Twitter.
- Feb 25, 2020
The recent Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Direct revealed a bunch of features and details. Examples include using QR codes from New Leaf, new NPC’s, details about the airport, and the introduction of terrain customization, to name just a few.
However, it also confirmed and gave details about amiibo compatibility. This is a feature that fans have been asking about since before New Horizons was even named. Amiibo figures and cards are a great way to bring toys to life. Since many Animal Crossing fans own amiibos, it is nice to know that there is still use for them yet. Here’s what has been confirmed about amiibo compatibility in the game so far.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons will support all Animal Crossing amiibo figures and cards apart from the Sanrio collaboration card series.
You can use amiibos by paying a visit to the Resident Services kiosk. Players then hold the figure or card to the NFC touchpoint on a joycon.
All of these amiibos will work in one way or another. Your character may obtain a portrait of the character scanned, and/or be able to invite them to the Campground. You can then invite the regular villagers that visit, to live on your island.
Players can also use Animal Crossing amiibo cards and figures to invite characters to a place called Photopia. Photopia is an island where you can pick outfits for animals to wear in fun and creative photoshoots.
The Nintendo Direct did note that not all characters would be immediately available upon the game’s release. However, there will be free updates in the future to support more characters.
- Feb 25, 2020
Animal Crossing: New Horizons have a few new features that show Nintendo are being more inclusive. Some of these new features are ones that fans of the franchise have been asking for for a while. However, there will also be some new inclusive features in New Horizons that will make it more enjoyable and relatable, that nobody really expected.
Choosing Your Hemisphere
New Horizons lets players choose their hemisphere. The real time clock in previous games was always set to the northern hemisphere. Now, players living in the southern hemisphere will be able to choose their hemisphere and experience appropriate seasons throughout the year.
Customisation from the start
In previous mainline Animal Crossing games, the only way to have control of your character’s initial appearance was by answering the questions of Kapp’n or Rover with specific answers. Being able to customise your character from the start will allow players to create a character they truly identify with.
Different Skin Tones + New Hairstyles And Hair Colours
Initially introduced in Happy Home Designer, New Horizons will be the first mainline Animal Crossing game where players can choose from a variety of skin tones. Players of colour previously had to go through the annoying tanning process to get their player to have darker skin.
Additionally, New Horizons will include a wider variety of hairstyles and hair colours for players to choose from. These additions will allow players to express themselves more freely and have characters they can relate too. This is especially the case with the introduction of hairstyles for people of colour.
All Facial Features And Hairstyles Are Gender Free
New Horizons will have two new nose types (round and square) in addition to the traditional triangle nose shape, and various mouth types and hairstyles to choose from. These are all gender free, so you can be who you really are.
You Can Change Your Look At Any Point In The Game
Like in Pocket Camp, players will be able to customise their look at any point in the game. This is a great feature for many reasons. Whether you’ve dyed your hair, got a new haircut, or changed gender, you will always be able to have a character who reflects who you really are.
First Game In The Franchise To Be Localised in Latin American Spanish + An Introduction Of Mexican Elements
Those of you who speak Latin American Spanish will know that it can differ to European Spanish slightly. Examples include idioms and alternative words for items. Therefore this is great news for Latin American Spanish speakers.
Additionally, there will be elements of Mexican culture in the game. Clothing is a confirmed element, as a character can be seen wearing a “Vestido de China Poblana”, which is an outfit from the Mexican state of Puebla.
Players Can Learn About New Cultures
The recent Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Direct mentions “learning about new customs we aren’t familiar with”. The video then proceeds to show a character wearing a kimono. Whilst different cultures have been a part of previous games, an expansion on this with a wider variety of cultures being represented would be great.
Animals’ Speech Bubble Colour No Longer Tied To Gender
In previous games, an animal’s name in their speech bubble would either appear in pink or blue, depending on their gender. In New Horizons however, the colour will match the NPC’s colour scheme instead.
- Feb 13, 2020
Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold is an endearing action RPG that releases on Nintendo Switch on Valentine’s Day, 2020. Level-5, who are notorious for the highly regarded Professor Layton games, Yo-Kai Watch franchise, and Nintendo 3DS game Fantasy Life, are both the developers and publishers of this game.
About The Snack World franchise:
The Snack World is a multimedia franchise created and developed by Level-5. The franchise consists of a ‘rogue-like’ RPG that was initially released under the name ‘The Snack World: Trejarers for the Nintendo 3DS in August 2017 in Japan. An expanded Nintendo Switch port of the game under the same name was released in Japan on April 12th, 2018. Android and iOS versions have been confirmed, but are yet to be released.
Fast forward to November 2019, when Nintendo announces that the game will be released in the west, where it would be re-titled Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold.
Two manga adaptations of the game have been released, and an anime television series which aired on Cartoon Network in Australia from 2017-2018.
The game also has a toy line by Takara Tomy in Japan.
About Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold:
Described as a dungeon-crawling adventure with ‘real bite’, the game offers players the option to play solo, or to join forces with up to three others (either locally or online). The aim is to save the world from being swallowed whole, so no pressure, right?
Plot:
You are found unconscious at the gates of Tutti-Frutti and have no recollection of who you are. Bummer. Then to make matters worse, it seems that an evil sultan could be resurrecting a mighty deodragon to eat the entire kingdom. Great!
King Papaya and his demanding daughter, Princess Melonia, enlist the help of you and the other heroes of Tutti-Frutti to save the day. With numerous dangerous dungeons (I guess it’s in the game’s title) and plenty of menacing monsters to face, you’re going to have your work cut out.
Features:
- Numerous randonly-generated dungeons to explore (and loot), which contain rare treasures and new equipment. Remember: the more you achieve during a quest, the more chests you’ll attain, each packed with loot.
- The ability to change your hairstyle, facial features and body shape before setting out on your adventure.
- Find and equip jaras (the most important loot-hunting equipment around) to arm yourself with weapons, shields, healing tonics, and status-enhancing colognes. Each of these have their own unique skills, abilities and passive powers.
- craft your own gear by merging materials gathered from dungeons into jaras, clothing and armour. Additionally, you can merge any doubles you find or make to improve their stats.
- Obtain ‘Snacks’ (plastic cards of monsters and characters) by taking their photograph with a device called a Pix-e Pod.
- Defeating monsters and taking their snack shot and lending characters a helping hand are both ways to obtain snack shots.
- You can add Snacks to your party before venturing forth, or summon them in battle to give yourself an advantage.
- Play with up to three other people (either locally or online) and team up to defeat dastardly dungeon-dwellers.
- All downloadable content released for the original Japanese version are included, free of charge.
For more information about the game, click here
Want to buy a physical copy?
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- Feb 8, 2020
Developed by Peachy Keen Games and published by Whitethorn Digital. Calico is a magical, relaxed and family-friendly simulation game where players are given an opportunity to run their very own cat cafe.
The game is expected to be released on Steam at some point during Summer 2020. The game will most likely release on the following platforms shortly afterwards:
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- macOS
- Macintosh operating systems
About Calico
Calico came about due to the game developer’s obsession with cats, magical girls and fluffy animals. However, wanting to create a game that would appeal to everyone, she also included creatures such as lizards, birds, deer, raccoons, dogs, turtles, red pandas, foxes, etc.
She then shares about how she wanted to publish a game that would make players feel ‘soft, happy, cuddly and cozy’. If that wasn’t wholesome enough, she has said in an interview that she just wanted to create a game where the only goal is to have the best time possble.
However, simply running the cat cafe is not the only things that players can do. The game also incorporates enjoyable aspects from other popular gaming franchises such as Animal Crossing. Similarities between Calico and Animal Crossing include the simulation aspects of both games, and the ability to place furnitire and decorations in your buildings. A perk about Calico however, is that the animals will not leave, the shop never closes, and crops never die.
Calico Key Features
- As all animals are interactive, players can explore the village to find cats and other animals, including raccoons, deer, dogs, turtles, red pandas, foxes, lizards, etc. The animals can be befriended, petted and played with
- Players can ride on giant cats ( as you do? ?)
- Run your café by filling it with animals, furniture and yummy café eats!
- Use magic potions to change your animals and environment
- Meet magical girls, witches and other townspeople who you can help and befriend
According to the Steam Website, Calico won’t playable until at least Summer 2020. However, there’s no need to be disappointed, as you can play these cat-themed games in the meantime to tide you over 🙂
For more updates on how the game is progressing, check their Twitter here.
More Magic Games!
Checkout Witchbrook the Stardew Valley of magic as well as Little Witch in the Woods and adorable magic and life simulation game!
If you love life simulation games, take a looksie at this game about Japanese Rural Life!
