Why Bigger Maps Could Ruin Animal Crossing's Charm

Animal Crossing is one of Nintendo's biggest success stories. An off-beat game attempting a somewhat unprecedented genre mix was a hit from day one, and decades later, the series is bigger than ever. Plenty of changes have been made along the way, but certain core elements of the franchise have remained largely untouched.

Whether playing the GameCube release of Animal Crossing in 2002 or picking up New Horizons in 2025, there's a fundamental familiarity to Animal Crossing . You chat, fish, decorate, and otherwise occupy yourself in a charming, small-scale environment. That setting has shifted in minor ways over time, ranging from a village in the wilderness to an island getaway, but it's never grown more ambitious than City Folk 's inclusion of an auxiliary town square.