Introduction
The never ending grind of mortgages, fossil collecting and finding Gulliver on the beach. Animal Crossing has always represented the best of the “slice-of-life” genre of gaming. New Horizons being the latest in the series it comes with that extra layer of polish and all new features to keep you on your toes. It does however come with the unfortunate downside that I may have lost my partner for the forseeable future.
Glossary
Platforms and Language – 6/10
New Horizons is only available on Nintendo Switch and is also still quite highly priced due to the slow depreciation of AAA Switch games. As such it’s not the most accessible game if you’re looking to add to your collection however it is well worth the purchase, especially if you happen to catch it on a sale.
The language itself is not accessible through the options and is instead adjusted by setting the switch console settings instead. This is a simple thing to change and I would recommend this for further immersion, just make sure if you live with any non-Japanese speakers that you set the console back afterwards.
Usability – 8/10
New Horizons is a fully living and breathable world, each island will be different with the residents being selected at random and with their own distinct manner of speaking. The simplest way of taking in this language is to go around and speak to your neighbours, they will have new topics to discuss depending on the time of day or other residents you or they have interacted with. You will also find that the morning announcements and shopkeepers have more repetitive expressions that can help you gain familiarity. The disadvantage is that there technically isn’t voice acting in the game as everyone speaks in a garbled string of sounds however, if you listen really closely you can hear that it is actually spoken language sped up, even in Japanese. I wouldn’t recommend using this as listening practice though!
Aside from the spoken language you can find all manner of items, letters and the new mobile with apps to read through. 2 aspects I really enjoy reading are the Nook Miles challenges, each one a small Nook-ism in his unusual dialect, and the jokes and anecdotes whenever you catch a fish or insect. These phrases have a variety of jokes that are derived from Japanese puns and humour too.
The writing throughout the game is very clear and easy on the eye and most notably comes with furigana on all kanji that is displayed. This is incredibly useful for searching some of the more intermediate vocabulary however it does come with some downsides. The furigana can’t be removed which makes it difficult to confirm your ability to read the kanji. The other downside is that, due to kanji and furigana being a cumbersome writing style, when you go to pick up items the items names show only in hiragana. Reading hiragana on its own is unnatural to Japanese speakers and can be particularly difficult for Japanese learners too. I personally feel that the items in-game would have been better as kanji, maybe with furigana only shown in the menu.
Challenges and Methods – 6/10
Speaking with the residents
I would say the most beneficial method to learn in Animal crossing is simply speaking with your residents regularly. The dialogue and clarity of emotions while characters speak help strengthen your understanding of casual grammar terms and formality. It’s so easy to stand with your favourite islander and speak to them repeatedly until they run out of things to say. Try pondering how you would respond to their statements, utilise the words and style they use to see if you can imitate the characters
Nook Miles
Most of the challenges I set myself are based around finding a collection of text items and attempting to read them continuously, the best tool here is to try reading through all of the nook miles in succession. Obviously the reading won’t be the challenge here as the furigana will guide your pronunciation but see if you can understand what is being said, I found speaking out loud as you read through will help feel the pace and flow of the dialogue.
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