Top reasons why ACNH is better than ACNL and vice versa

[-Apples-]

Inspired by these news articles on “Five reasons why X is better than Y (and five reasons why Y is better than X)”, let’s all list our reasons why ACNH is better, and why ACNL is better.

The two questions of the thread are:

1. What are your top five reasons why Animal Crossing: New Horizons is better than Animal Crossing: New Leaf?
2. What are your top five reasons why Animal Crossing: New Leaf is better than Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

 

[Suguri]

OK this is mine, and I didn’t put these reasons in any particular order.

ACNH > ACNL?

1. (Almost) unlimited creative opportunities!
2. Premise puts a fun spin on the classic games
3. Easier to get dream villagers through NMTs without amiibo cards
4. Beautiful museum exhibits
5. I like the game’s minimalist artstyle

ACNL > ACNH?

1. No need to buy a subscription to play online.
2. Club LOL, where it’s easier to learn reactions and you can groove to some good ol’ DJ K.K.
3. You can sell bugs and fish caught at Tortimer Island to farm bells
4. Last game (IMO) to retain the classic AC formula, while giving the player some control over the town
5. Sitting on the plaza tree and looking back at the history of my town, I miss that

 

[Rubygame]

These types of threads allow me to be short and concise, so here I am!

ACNH better than ACNL?

Yes, because:
1. You can decide villager's houses locations (THANKS goodness)
2. No grass desertification (a dream, for sure)
3. You can directly give gifts to your villagers without waiting for them to arrive by post and then wait about 2 days for villagers to change a terrible piece of clothing or furniture in the house
4. you can unlock special decoration elements, that are the equivalent of public works(the schemes available in the Nook catalog) without the horrible mechanic of requests for public works of NL.
5. FENCES (I don't care about the furniture you can put outside, I am satisfied with pwps, but you cannot take away the fences, I NEED them)

ACNL better than ACNH?

Yes, because:
1. Music (I'm not blinded by nostalgia, my first AC games was WW and I LOVE its musics too, but the piano tracks of New Leaf are a masterpiece)
2. Colors (I love SO much the colors palette of New Leaf, I don't particularly like the bright and flashy colors of New Horizons, although they certainly match the tropical island theme, while Wild World colors scared me a bit and honestly still do)
3. Island (you can farm bells without too much stress, you can play minigames, you can mess around with your friends without worrying about ruining flowers, digging holes etc)
4. ORES (the wonderful possibilities for furniture customization are a bless in this game)
5. Main Street(I just love it and I would like a WHOLE city full of new building in the next game, a mix between City Folk, New Leaf and Happy Home Designer, with at least 30 past villagers saved in the game memory who can visit, instead of 16)

 

[eeveelovee]

What are your top five reasons why Animal Crossing: New Horizons is better than Animal Crossing: New Leaf?
1. First and foremost, the ability to KEEP your beloved villagers, and prevent them from ever leaving your island. I have heard so many horror stories of people crying and having an emotional breakdown because their favourite villager moved out. Myself included lol! So, I am glad that aspect has eased our minds.
2. Second, I love the variety of furniture, and clothing, and the fact that certain items have never been in any Animal Crossing game before, example, castle towers and walls! I was finally able to create my own medieval castle that I was never able to make in New Leaf!
3. Third, the ability to move your villagers homes, as well as re-design them!
4. I love the addition of terraforming and waterfalls! I know we had waterfalls in New Leaf, but we were never able to CREATE and DESIGN one!
5. Lastly, I know New Leaf implemented the amiibo system, however it wasn't available initially, so, the fact that we are able to use amiibo cards to move in your favourite villagers, instead of coming to TBT to buy them, (although I know people still do) was great for me.

What are your top five reasons why Animal Crossing: New Leaf is better than Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
1. I am going to be biased and say that my first reason is for nostalgic purposes. This game was monumental for the Animal Crossing community, and brought together people who all have a collective love for these adorable animals!
2. Second, I miss being able to see your previous villagers on Main Street. I was so sad when I went to HHP and Antonio didn't remember me. So, being able to "visit" old villagers, and have them remember you, was a sweet touch.
3. I actually love the simplistic graphics, referring to the clothes the characters wear. For example, in NH we have sleeves for villagers, and a wide selection of dresses for the player to wear. In New Leaf, there was ONE basic dress shape, and I actually liked it. Sure, you couldn't have a long gown like you can in NH, but the fact that all dresses had to fit this mold just made for adorable QR Code designs from very talented artists!
4. I will elaborate on my third reason, as I miss the fact that all villagers do not have sleeves for their clothing. I liked how no matter what clothing item they wore, it was a tank top shape whenever they wore it. Call me simple, but I just love how they can all match with the same shape, with no sleeves. (*Also I hate how the sheep have shirts and not scarves*)
5. Lastly, the reason New Leaf is better than New Horizons, is because of how easy it was to decorate your town, and have it completed in a timely fashion. With NH, it takes a WHILE to design the entire island, with all the terraforming options available. With New Leaf, because of it's restrictions, it doesn't take long to make a town look aesthetically pleasing. So, I miss knocking out an entire town within a month. Lol.

 

[-Apples-]

Here’s my take:

Reasons why New Horizons is better than New Leaf:

1. Town Customization is much better. You can place buildings anywhere at any time (rather than being set in stone), you can place fences, you can freely place PWPs/scenery/furniture anywhere outside.
2. Terraforming. I can now have islands within the middle of a river (like in the GameCube version) with human houses on them, three levels of elevation, holding ponds with bridges over them, and a natural waterfall statue.
3. Interior design features are better. While it’s still missing doors, windows, and curtains from Happy Home Designer, and we should be allowed to resize our rooms on the mainland like in Happy Home Paradise, I do like how precision is added into the game, we can change the elevation of wall furniture, and rugs can be placed. And let’s not forget that you can design animal homes the way you like.
4. Character customization, and the character design surrounding it, has improved. Skin color is an option, eye color, eye shape, hair color, and hairstyle is determined directly and not by questions, you can wear coats over pants, and there are multiple colors of each clothes (like the denim ones having three shades of blue, plus white and black).
5. You can choose which villagers you want through amiibo cards, and they don’t move out without your approval. Oh, and with town customization improvements, they’ll only move in specific areas.

Reasons why New Leaf is better than New Horizons:

1. Money making is so much easier. There’s no paywall to selling your turnips online, you had the same island to visit (which is summer all year round), rare fish and insects were easier to catch (and spawned more), and tools never broke.
2. Ordinances were much better and more useful.
3. There were more buildings. The Café can be separate from the Museum, Timmy and Tommy had more expansions with their own designs, opening times, and shelf spaces, the island had a hut and not campers, and you had Main Street.
4. It had traditional series furniture, like the GracieGrace themes, the sci-fi themes, and more organization of furniture series. New Horizons did better on the holiday items and “commercial furniture” (like store shelves), but New Leaf still holds the advantage.
5. It had mini-games like Desert Island Escape and Animal Crossing: Puzzle League.

Some honorable mentions:

• New Leaf had better hourly music in general, but New Horizons had better graphics.
• New Leaf had better seasons changing design, but New Horizons had a better Museum design.
• New Leaf allowed 8x8 rooms in the main house, but New Horizons had better wallpapers.

 

[oath2order]

OK this is mine, and I didn’t put these reasons in any particular order.

ACNH > ACNL?

1. (Almost) unlimited creative opportunities!
2. Premise puts a fun spin on the classic games
3. Easier to get dream villagers through NMTs without amiibo cards
4. Beautiful museum exhibits
5. I like the game’s minimalist artstyle

ACNL > ACNH?

1. No need to buy a subscription to play online.
2. Club LOL, where it’s easier to learn reactions and you can groove to some good ol’ DJ K.K.
3. You can sell bugs and fish caught at Tortimer Island to farm bells
4. Last game (IMO) to retain the classic AC formula, while giving the player some control over the town
5. Sitting on the plaza tree and looking back at the history of my town, I miss that

I mean, for ACNL I'd argue you do need a subscription to get online, it's the subscription to Verizon or AT&T or whatever. And online is going away anyways.

I do agree on Club LOL and the plaza tree.

 

[Snek]

What are your top five reasons why Animal Crossing: New Horizons is better than Animal Crossing: New Leaf?

1. Terraforming and outside decorating. In NL there were only the public work projects that could be put outside and there were a limited number that you could put out there. In NH its almost unlimited. I consider terraforming an aspect of outside decorating as your island can designed the way you would like it.

2. Character customisation. Better physical characteristics such as hairstyles, skin colour, eye colour, etc. Better accessories to enhance customisation such as wigs, beards, etc. In NL, there were the beginning questions. Skin colour was determined by suntan. In NH, no questions.

3. Grass, Weeds and Flowers. Despite flowers growing like weeds, I don't mind it as much. Its better than the flower hybrids dying by not watering them (this happened to me in NL). Weeds also serve a newer purpose in NH and even have nice designs when they flower. Grass deterioration isn't a thing and not a worry.

4. Villagers moving out/moving in. The common compliant in NL was villagers randomly moving out and villagers moving in unwanted spots and/or unwanted villagers moving in. Even though it is tedious, island hopping via Nook Miles tickets is a better way obtaining wanted villager if you dont have amiibos. You can also have designated spots for villagers so the next one doesnt destroy your hybrid garden (like what happened to me in NL. Thanks Mac!)

5. Crafting. Some love it or hate it, but crafting isnt that bad. Now...tools breaking is another story but I feel theres more good than bad. DIY recipes can lessen Bell burden and self made crafts in turn can help get more Bells. Not to mention that most DIYs are useful and can be made repeatedly.

What are your top five reasons why Animal Crossing: New Leaf is better than Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

1. No paywall subscription. You could go to Tortimer Island and play with other players without a NIntendo subscription. Like others have mentioned, selling turnips is easier in this game than in NH.

2. More diverse fruits and perfect fruit. I thought that the tropical fruits would return in the tropical desert island game but I was wrong. I miss bananas, lemons and persimmons. I also miss "real" dead trees and not the creepy tree decoration since the only way to get them was by having perfect fruit trees.

3. An actual town area. I had to design my island in NH in a way to make sure that the Resident Services, Airport, Museum, Ables and Nooks are all near each other. I know its against the wishes of the NH team but I wanted an urban area like in NL. In NL, Kicks, Cyrus, and Katrina had their own stores, not trailers in a hippie commune. I also liked that The Roost was separate from the museum.

4. Tortimer Island. This is the content that kept me returning. The mini games were varied and fun. I really liked the Scavenger Hunt game. It fwlt like the rewards were also better earned. I mentioned Scavenger Hunt because the NH version is very watered down (finding the non-fossil).

5. Furniture series/better organised sets of furniture. In my opinion, NL had better series of furniture. Grace furniture series, astro series, spooky series...it was better organised. Crafting has made some like the spooky series, completely different now. The numerous customisations to furniture can make the inventory feel very messy and difficult to find certain things.

 

[Xara]

I’m not sure how long or short my answers will end up being, so I apologize if I ramble. This is a fun idea for a thread!

5 reasons why New Horizons is better than New Leaf, in no particular order:

1. Terraforming - Despite being a feature that I haven‘t utilized often, I think it‘s great! Seeing all of the different incredible builds and island layouts people have been able to create with it has been so inspiring, and I love the creative freedom that it gives us! I haven’t done much terraforming since it’s so far been too overwhelming for me between trying to decide what I want to do and actually doing the terraforming, but it’s definitely one of New Horizons’ highlights.

2. Villagers don’t move out without permission - Villagers not needing to ask to move out admittedly made cycling villagers a little easier in New Leaf, but it was needlessly stressful otherwise. I absolutely hated not being able to not play for a while without keeping note of the last day I played, unless I wanted to boot the game up weeks/months later to find one of my favourite villagers moved out. I’ve talked about this a few times, but not playing New Leaf for a few weeks due to a depressive episode and then finally booting the game up again to find Beau, my absolute favourite villager at the time, in boxes was heartbreaking. I’m so grateful that villagers can no longer move out without permission in New Horizons, especially since it’s common for me to go months without playing. It brings me peace knowing that even though I haven’t checked in on my villagers in ages, they’re all still there.

3. Going to Nook Mile islands to hunt for new villagers - Island hopping for new villagers is one of my favourite things to do in New Horizons! I think it’s so fun. I love the excitement of not knowing what villager will be on each island that you go to, or what kind of island you’ll end up at. My favourite is definitely shark island despite only being lucky enough to go there once, but I miss the hybrid island as well. I got a lot of my hybrid tulips from them.

4. Graphics - New Horizons’ graphics are so beautiful. They’ve always been one of my favourite things about the game. The sunsets and the Museum exhibits are especially gorgeous in New Horizons.

5. Being able to choose where buildings go/relocate them - Moving a new villager into my New Leaf town was always a pain in the ass because of having to plot reset to make sure their house didn’t destroy any items, paths or flowers, so I’m really thankful that we can choose where most buildings go in New Horizons, and relocate most of them later as well. It’s really made getting new villagers and decorating less stressful.

Runner-up reasons:
Wardell - One of the cutest NPCS ever, I love my quiet manatee!! I miss Wendell a lot, but Wardell is so lovely! I love he, I hope he’s in future games as well!
Character customization - I’m not the biggest fan of a lot of the hairstyles in New Horizons, but the character customization is still superior to New Leaf’s because you can actually choose your skin tone. I think it’s ridiculous that it took until New Horizons for people to be able to have a dark-skinned character without having to tan. And the tans weren’t even permanent in past games iirc?
All of the new/returning villagers - Audie, Shino, Ione, Ace and Chabwick my beloveds

5 reasons why New Leaf is better than New Horizons, again in no particular order:

1. Tortimer’s Island, farming for rare fishes/beetles, and island tours - I miss Tortimer’s Island in New Horizons so bad. I honestly could spend hours there in New Leaf, and I often did. It was one of my favourite features. I have so many fond memories of nights spent farming for rare beetles/fishes and filling my drop-off box. I also loved the island tours, even though I often did them by myself. They were still fun to do alone, and I think that speaks for how fun they were overall. I can live without Club Tortimer, especially since it sounds like it’s overrun by hackers now, but it was a lot of fun as well.

2. All of the NPCS that are missing in New Horizons - I miss all the NPCS that aren’t in New Horizons a lot, especially Pete, Pelly and Phyllis, Gracie, Phineas, and Dr. Shrunk. All of them helped give New Leaf the community-oriented feel that it had, and made it as great of a game as it was. Especially considering how much I adore axolotls and what my island name is, I really miss Dr. Shrunk. I miss learning reactions from him. I miss getting excited to see Phineas wandering around town and getting a new badge from him. I miss Gracie telling me how hideous my outfits are. New Horizons feels so empty without all of them tbh, despite how lovely the new NPCS are.

3. Pelly, Phyllis, Pete and the Post Office - Orville and Wilbur are cool, but they are no Pelly, Phyllis and Pete. I miss the contrast between Pelly and Phyllis; how sweet and lovely Pelly was, and how sarcastic and funny Phyllis was. I miss Pete delivering my mail. The postal system was also a lot better in New Leaf and prior games. You could store and send letters for free, and a 4-pack of stationary costed 80 bells. It costs 200 bells to send just one letter in New Horizons. Writing letters also feels more tedious in New Horizons for some reason.

4. Online play/features were free - This might be more of a reason why the 3DS is better than the switch instead of why New Leaf is better than New Horizons, but I’m including it anyways. I miss the days where I didn’t have to pay for a subscription just to download custom designs, visit other players and have them visit me, etc. I can’t imagine Nintendo ever going back to free online play again, so the 3DS servers shutting down soon is especially sad.

5. Main Street - I loved Main Street in New Horizons. I loved having most of the shops and buildings in one area, and I especially loved getting to see villagers that used to live in my town there. It feels ironic having Main Street as one of my reasons considering I want more buildings on my New Horizons island, just so I have less space to have to try and decorate lol, but still. Main Street was great!

Runner-up reasons:
Town Hall/Train Station customization - The Town Hall and Train Station customization options in New Leaf were really cool. I wish we could remodel our Airport and Resident Services’ exteriors in New Horizons.
Small details - The small details in New Horizons are lovely, but there were a couple in New Leaf that I loved and miss. The campsite tent turning into an igloo during the winter months, and our character shivering in the winter months and sweating in the summer months when we first boot the game up and leave the house. Our character shivering after diving in winter was a super nice detail as well.
Perfect and tropical fruits - It’ll never not be crazy to me that tropical fruits were left out in New Horizons, considering that it takes place on a tropical island.
PWPS - I love that some of the PWPs came back in New Horizons in some way, but I’m bummed that some of my favourites were left out. Namely the illuminated arch and heart, and the tulip topiary. I also miss the fairytale bridge.
Playing hide-and-seek with villagers - The treasure hunt in New Horizons is fun, but I miss playing hide-and-seek with my villagers. I also miss when they’d ask you to bury a time capsule for them, and then dig it back up for them at a later time.
Working part-time at The Roost - I was really hoping that this feature would return in New Horizons as well when the 2.0 update was first teased. I also miss The Roost being a standalone building.
The small events - The smaller events like April Fool’s Day, Winter/Summer Solstice etc were a lot of fun. I really liked seeing the photo cutouts in the Town Plaza during a lot of them.
The town tree - The Town Tree was one of the most beautiful features in New Leaf imo. Watching it be planted as a sapling on your first day and watching it grow bigger and bigger over time was so lovely. I loved sitting in front of it and getting to look at the history of my town.

I’m probably missing reasons for both games, but that’s all I can think of right now!

 

[micat]

I tried to think of things I appreciated in each game. in no particular order here's my reasoning...

Why ACNH > ACNL
1. Can actually change your skin tone - need I say more??
2. Having a menu to change your clothes - it's so much fun. I loved changing my outfit in New Leaf so of course I would like what they did in NH. I also appreciate being able to see the clothes (and furniture) before using it.
3. Villagers singing and doing random actions - I wish they tried to improve the dialogue (like villagers being surprised at me digging fossils for the 100th time), but I did enjoy seeing villagers do more things aside from critter catching (and holding shovels menacingly).
4. Placing furniture outside - This was the biggest selling point of the game for me, even though I’m not as impressed by it anymore.
5. 40 inventory slots - a small reason, but I liked not constantly running out of inventory space, especially when tools tend to take a good amount of it.

Why ACNL > ACNH
1. Villagers actually ask for requests - this is also not a replacement for dialogue, but it made your villagers feel alive. The villagers had their own wants and you could fulfill them and get closer to them. Even with PWPs, the feature isn’t the best in hindsight, but I liked the idea of building them for your villagers.
2. Furniture and clothing sets were more whimsical and weird - I haven’t played enough NH to get most of the DIYs, so maybe I just haven’t seen enough of the furniture, but I prefer the furniture from New Leaf more than the ones from NH. I like that they aren't as realistic in NL. I also feel this way with the clothes.
*3. So much progression - There are so many upgrades and things to unlock. I like that I can keep coming back to the game for reasons aside from goals I make for myself.
4. Tortimer Island - something about Tortimer Island is so much better than Nook Miles Islands. It isn’t random, and it’s way easier to access. I prefer going to the island for bells over gathering materials for DIYs as well.
*5. all the special character NPCs - I love the NPCs in this game! I wish they didn’t have to get rid of so many of them in New Horizons.

*I would explain more but I think other people have said it better

 

[Shawna]

I am going to be listing why New Leaf is better first, since it is older. I like doing things in chronological order. Also, these will not be in any particular order. Also, I'm going to list 9 instead, because 5 is too few and they are so many advantages these games have over each other.

Why New Leaf is better:
1. Tortimer Island!!! Need I say more?
2. I prefer how the personalities are portrayed in this game
3. A lot of awesome furniture sets (e.g. lovely, regal, rococo, etc.)
4. The events are executed better and there are more of them (including April Fools)
5. Amiibo-ing in villagers does not take as long
6. More and bigger store upgrades
7. Tools do not break
8. Had a better balance of different aspects of the game: Social/Villagers, Collecting, Decorating
9. A better variety of available starting villagers. The best of all the mainline games, in fact.

---

Why New Horizons is better:
1. A bigger selection of critters to catch (some got removed, but I think more got added than removed).
2. A new method of obtaining dreamies (or villagers in general): Going on mystery island tours.
3. The graphics are gorgeous
4. You can just customize your own character from the get-go (granted, with a limited selection) rather than relying on how you answered questions and unlocking Shampoodle
5. You can place furniture outside
6. You can relocate buildings
7. It is A LOT easier to navigate your island, thanks to the vaulting pole and ladder. I hope these tools are hereto stay.
8. You have much more pocket space and more items are stackable.
9. Villagers cannot move out unless you tell them they can.

 

[Yoshi155]

Here’s what I think:



Why New Leaf is better:

1. Money making: compared to New Horizons, this is way easier. Tortimer Island exists, after all. It makes paying off your loan less of a pain
2. Shop selection: not just stores, but there’s a lot more businesses in general. You can’t forget that in New Leaf, the main store actually has a reasonable amount of upgrades
3. Ordinances: every single ordinance works better in New Leaf than in New Horizons
4. Music: I prefer the music in this game to New Horizons’ soundtrack. I’m not one of those people that acts like New Horizons’ soundtrack is what Jigsaw would make his victims listen to to make them appreciate life, but I can say without a doubt that it’s not nearly as good as New Leaf’s
5. Tools not breaking: I think this can go unexplained

Why New Horizons is better:

1. Villagers moving in: villagers moving in is ten times better than in New Leaf, mainly because, you know, they don’t just move in wherever they want, meaning you don’t have a chance of losing a perfect foreign fruit tree because someone moved in and placed their house in an unfortunate spot.
2. Graphics: the water and the sky look really good in this game. I think it’s a good thing that they didn’t put the game on RTX mode, so while the creatures like fish and bugs may look slightly out of place, players and villagers look, for the most part, normal. And some bugs are pretty beautiful too. The only thing I can’t get over is how realistic the fur and paws on some villagers. It makes me feel like a furry for having a cat villager on my island
3. Bigger inventory: there’s not that much more that I need to say. I especially love how, compared to New Leaf, way more items stack and do so automatically
4. Tarantulas and scorpions: they might be the bane of some players’ existences, but the fact that they spawn year round means that there’s always a bug that sells for at least 8,000 Bells. Of course, the only issue being how difficult they are to catch and their rarity
5. Customization: one of the best things New Horizons does better than New Leaf. This is kind of an umbrella term, but to give some examples, you can place furniture outside, change your skin color, terraform, etc.

In the end, I think New Leaf is better overall, but New Horizons has a lot more quality of life features, including some I never listed.

 

[Sheando]

Cool idea for a thread!

Favorite things about New Horizons:

• Clear character customization, including skin tones. This one is a no-brainer. Every Animal Crossing game should allow players to represent themselves as they choose. I enjoy the vast majority of "inconveniences" from earlier AC games, but locking the player character's appearance behind an unrelated questionnaire is probably a trend best left in the past.
• Gorgeous environmental animations. Remember the early trailers? Windy days, sunsets, rain storms, and lazy rivers all look incredible without creating that uncanny valley feeling.
• Huge clothing selection. I normally don't like outfits in most games, but NH has something for everyone. The clothes are varied and creative; none of them look out of place.
• Mystery islands. I like the idea of being able to travel and invite a new neighbor. It's a nice in-between way to have a little bit of input into who is moving onto my island without just hand-picking from 400 possibilities. It feels more organic--I like villager hunting, but I only ever go to 5-15 islands. I invite the first villager who appeals to me.
• The museum is mind-blowing. I wish it was more interactive, because it's truly the most beautiful thing in the game.
• Villagers don't move out randomly. I would like to see a move back toward life simulation for the series, where villagers have a life of their own and the player isn't a minor deity ruling over the town, but I do think this particular change is a wise one. So many people wouldn't boot up the game after an absence because they were terrified of losing a virtual friend. Making sure that villagers stay put is a good way to keep the game appealing and to cater to the natural ebb and flow of people's interest in the game.
• Great DLC. For the price, the HHP DLC was really high value. I have loved customizing houses for my villagers; it feels like a labor of love and it's so cool to walk in and see them using the spaces I've created. This is an example of DLC done right--it's a whole new game, not just a bunch of obvious features the game should have contained at launch.

Favorite things about New Leaf:

• Town size feels cozy and more proportional. The large island in NH actually feels intimidating and too bare to me. If you're not an amazing designer who can turn all the space into a cohesive masterpiece, I feel like things end up looking either cluttered or sparse--unnatural either way. In NL it was much easier to decorate simply and still come away with a town that looked like a town. 10 villagers actually fill up the space and no part of the town goes unused.
• More buildings. Goes hand-in-hand with my first point. Having more buildings, and building upgrades, makes the town feel active and fully inhabited.
• Animals haven't all been cutesified. I miss the spherical sheep and the big-headed hippos. Everything has been smoothed out and standardized for NH to appeal to a more aesthetic-based market, but I really liked that different animal species had such wildly different body shapes.
• Public Works Projects. Building projects suggested by residents felt so rewarding, and the size of the projects was so much more proportional to the town. They actually felt like centerpieces, not just clunky hyper-specific decor.
• More fruits! Important because trees always look natural and pleasing. The extra fruits added visual variety and were accessible to anyone as decoration.
• Memorable music. WW had the strongest soundtrack of any AC game, in my opinion, but NL's was still pretty strong. NH's soundtrack is genuinely so forgettable to me that despite putting almost a thousand hours into the game, I still can't summon the soundtrack to mind while sitting here at my desk. I can, however, still hear WW or NL music in my head even after many years of not playing.
• NPC and villager personality/interactivity. So many more NPCs with a greater variety of things to say. Stronger, more varied dialogue was more common. Honestly, this issue has been in slow decline (in my opinion) since WW. I feel like people complained about having to interact with villagers instead of just using them as decorative set pieces, so now we don't have things like hide-and-seek, and home invitations have become so rare that I have literally only ever received one invite in four years.
• Tools don't break. I don't actually love the crafting mechanic in general for AC, but it's especially frustrating when it continually interrupts normal gameplay. I don't like feeling as if I have to plan ahead and keep backup tools or materials on me at all times. I miss when fishing or bug hunting was a leisurely activity where I could lose track of time.

 

[annika]

Mmm I feel a bit late to this thread considering a lot of things that immediately came to mind are things people have already discussed in thread, buuut... I still wanna ramble about this anyway

I guess I ended up writing this as more of a "pros" list rather than why I think things are objectively better since some reasons overlap, but I think it's similar enough to still count eheh

Pros for New Horizons:

• ❁ The graphics in NH bring a subtle charm to the game that I personally find more appealing. The attention to small details—like the way the leaves rustle or sunlight gently plays on the water—adds a pleasant layer to the overall experience. The understated beauty of the color palette enhances the visuals for me, making each season feel cozy and inviting. It's the kind of visual style that I find more endearing in general.
• ❁ I love the freedom to shape my island exactly how I envision it. The introduction of terraforming and enhanced customization options in NH allowed the community to make really amazing and beautiful islands that compliment the intricate decoration we were used to. It can definitely be a bit time-consuming to get everything just right, but the ability to shape cliffs, rivers, and pathways according to my preferences is a great addition imo.
• ❁ The streamlined multiplayer experience in New Horizons, particularly with the improved Dodo Code system, has turned island hopping into a seamless and enjoyable affair. The ability to easily join friends, trade items, and participate in collaborative activities adds a layer of social engagement that surpasses the connectivity options in New Leaf.
• ❁ I'll admit this is a pretty basic reason, but the consistent flow of updates and seasonal events has objectively been a great way to keep players engaged, and I'm personally a fan that the devs never let things get dreary or repetitive in that sense.
• ❁ There were a ton of small details and QoL changes that were missing in NL. Like, the process of juggling items and tools felt clunky, especially during island exploration or bug-catching sessions. NH introduced a more streamlined inventory system that felt more intuitive and user-friendly ig. Tool rings are so convenient . Being able to organize my inventory with click-and-drag is another thing I'm fond of. The camera controls being more flexible is also something I've definitely liked more in NH, the fixed angles when taking a screenshot in NL were a bit annoying. + not something that affected me but it's seriously been a long time coming for you to be able to change your skin tone... aaand aside from that, character customization has improved a bunch in general.

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Pros for New Leaf:

• ❁ I've always felt that the villager personalities in NL are more intricate and memorable. The unique quirks and interactions with each villager added a special charm to the game. Like Fauna for example, one of—actually no, my absolute favorite villager feels more... like, dead inside in NH LOL. In NL Fauna's conversations often revolved around her love for literature and nature walks ig, and she had a distinct serene nature that made her feel fleshed out and distinct, like a real person. In NH, Fauna still carries the same vague personality, but... the game's broader dialogue pool and interactions might have diluted some of those specific nuances if you know what I mean? NL dialogue just felt more... real.
• ❁ Somewhat tying into that, but still a different point—one of my favorite things in NL was when villagers suggested public works projects. It felt like they were actively contributing to our town's growth. In ACNH, I find myself shouldering more of the island development responsibilities, and I miss the delightful surprises of villagers proposing unique projects.
• ❁ I adored the cozy atmosphere of The Roost in NL. Having a standalone coffee shop REALLY fit with the aesthetic of my small comfy town. In NH, even though Brewster is there, I miss the special charm of having The Roost as a dedicated space.
• ❁ Main Street in NL had this unique appeal with its diverse shops. Each upgrade felt like a significant milestone. In NH, while I appreciate the central plaza, I kinda miss the distinctive storefronts and the sense of progression that came with upgrading each shop individually ^^;
• ❁ Again this is somewhat branching off of a previous point, but NL had these distinct areas like the shopping district, campground, and police station that added to the vibe. NH's open design is great for flexibility, but I admittedly find myself missing the defined and separate areas that rlly made it feel like... a town. (If you can't tell by now I'm a sucker for themes and aesthetics LOL)

 

[Boccages]

ACNH > ACNL

1. Way better graphics
2. Better overall art direction
3. Choosing where to place buildings and moving other buildings
4. Most coherent theme yet (island)
5. More interactions with the villagers (i.e. Animal neighbours) and dialogues
6. Villagers seem more lifelike, and will have more environmental interactions
7. Beautiful museum exhibits
8. Crafting and collecting blueprints and recipes
9. Easier decorating interface
10. More furniture
11. Outside decorations
12. Terraforming
13. Customizable paths
14. Bigger map
15. Pole to cross the water
16. Weeds actually look good in this version of AC, I like to keep them around, they look like tall grass
17. Generally more things to do when you play
18. More fish, insects and other sea critters types
19. More ways to customize your character
20. More clothes
21. More space for designs
22. Better integration of amiibos
23. Better photo mode
24. Way better wallpapers and floorings, also carpets and hanging furniture from the ceiling

ACNL > ACNH

1. Planting of the tree ceremony that should have returned in AC:NH
2. More memorable soundtrack. Even if ACNH has a great soundtrack, ACNL had more memorable melodies.
3. More games online (althought they grow old fast).