Staying Sane With Animal Crossing

3 months left for 2020 and I'm going crazy.

2020 is proving to be the craziest year yet. And I bet that everyone is just done with this year now too (although I don't think that 2021 is gonna be any better). Most of the people I know in the Philippines are just having a bad time and they are forced to stay at home. I guess it isn't as bad here in Japan, but we're not having a good time either. We are just getting used to how life is now--The New Normal--as they call it.

Look at me blabbing about how I hate this year while I'm not even being productive either. My last post was last February which was also about how bad my life has been, not very inspiring I know. Give me a slack, I'm trying. All I've been doing lately is play video games and binge watch on Netflix.

This is probably the first time that you heard read that I play video games. Well it's because I didn't, not until Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released. I didn't have a Nintendo Switch when the game came out and I swear I wanted it so much I even had dreams about it. So one day, I decided to get one.

I was obsessed. I start my day and ended it playing Animal Crossing.  I created Sparkle Island, (pretty obvious why) and since basically life in the pandemic is life at home, mine revolved around this tiny virtual island I made. Isabelle would greet me in the morning when I turn the game on and stayed up late catching bugs and fishes (mainly sea bass UGH).

But why is it that I started playing? I've listed some of the reasons why I love this game and why I kept playing even after 5 months.

                                       

                                       

                                       

Coco just being Coco

KAWAIINESS OVERLOAD

You guys know how much of a sucker I am for anything cute. And this game screams of cuteness. Everything about this game is cute, from designing your own avatar to the very cute islanders you can  interact with, the amount of kawaii is endless!

I think this was 2 days after I started playing.

NOSTALGIA

I didn't really play the first version of this game in Game Cube but I do remember playing it on a Nintendo 3DS which wasn't even mine. I was sharing the town with my cousin back then, but I remember how much I enjoyed it. I even designed my own Nyan Cat dress back then. I'm pretty sure a lot of those who are playing New Horizons now are also the ones who played the older versions. It just feels good to relive your memories in your old towns, no?

Trying to breed flowers.

Now I have a flower field!

                                       

THE SENSE OF CONTROL

Don't we all feel we don't have control over our lives anymore with everything that's happening? This game gives you that sense of control that we feel we lost recently. You get to control your island to your liking. Sometimes even change what you islanders would say of how'd they would call you. In this crazy world we are in now, we all just want that sense of control.

Kitchen

     

                                       

 

I made my own design of a UA uniform

UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY

This game can test the limit of your creativity. I have seen islands so beautiful that I couldn't fathom how they managed such a feat. While mine after playing for more than  300 hours still look like sh*t. Terraforming might look and sound exciting but it's definitely not as fun as I thought it would be. I would suggest to just play casually and don't stress about it too much. I meant don't be like me.

Juju, me and Albion

Kai, me and Juju

Game night with friends

VISIT AND SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS

This pandemic had us spend less or no time with our friends and love ones. We've been in quarantine for so long it hurts. Luckily if your friends have the game and internet connection, you can go and visit each others islands and hang out virtually. Me and my friends from other countries (mainly Singapore and the Philippines) have been virtually hanging out and it's been so much fun! Although nothing beats seeing each other in person, we need to endure for now.

I know it's hard, but we mustn't lose hope Everything will be better, maybe not soon but I'm sure it will. Let's find things to be happy about and things to do that makes you happy.

As for me, I'm going back to playing. See you again in a hundred years. LOL. Bye!