History YMMV / AnimalCrossingNewHorizons

** While the villagers in ''New Horizons'' aren't nearly as mean-spirited as they were in the original game, many players have pointed out that the villagers do still have a bit of meanness in them, contrary to the belief that they're nice and polite all of the time. For example, their passive aggression is thinly veiled when interacted with too many times in a timespan, Cranky villagers glare threateningly and snap at the player if pissed off, and Sisterly villagers have rougher personalities in general, are extremely blunt, and laugh at you if you're stung by wasps. As well, Smug Villagers will abandon the player to deal with their wasp problem on their own if the player tries to interact with them while being chased.

** The fact that the November 5th 2.0 update is the final major free and paid update for the game has lead to decent chunk of discontent with fans, which was discussed before the update was live. one side argues that it being the final major update for the game is unfair, considering the game is barely over a year old and the players were promised updates for years to come[[note]]It should be noted that this is a popular misconception. The developers promised the players a game that could be enjoyed for over 3 years in a past interview. Along the way, this was misconstrued into them saying that players would receive updates for the game for over 3 years.[[/note]], and not only that, but there's ''still'' characters and mainstay mechanics missing from past games. The other side argue that while the lack of major updates in the future is going to be disappointing, they argue the game has already done enough to introduce new and missing content with 2.0, putting it more on par with earlier entries, and thus "completes" the game.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Flick's intense interest in bugs, apparant trouble speaking to people other than C.J and eventually the player, and tendency to say his rather unusual thoughts about insects out loud are all traits commonly found in people on the autism spectrum or with other neurodivergencies

** Another common criticism of ''New Horizons'', even among those who consider the game a step up from ''New Leaf'', is that villager dialogue is noticeably limited and one-note, with characters feeling static and saccharine as a result of their small interaction pools (with more variable dialogue being locked behind the game's RelationshipValues). The limited amount of possible interactions is actually a trend that stretches all the way back to the first game. However, in earlier cases it was excusable due to the technical limitations of the respective systems; while the Switch is also limited, it's considerably more powerful than previous systems. [[AuthorsSavingThrow The November 2.0 update has updated villager dialogue, giving them more diverse things to say when interacted with]].

* TierInducedScrappy: Label is this in terms of weekday visitors. Having assigned you a task to show off an outfit based on a random theme, if you don't have suitable clothes already in your wardrobe then you're more likely to ''spend'' more money than the rewards she gives you (Kicks, Leif, and Saharah at least have the excuse of being stores with random items that can't be obtained anywhere else, and the Gullivers' rewards are also exclusive to them) which are discount tickets to the clothing store (which would have helped ''before'' doing her missions, you can't use the tailor tickets on anything more expensive than 3,000 bells which ironically would have been the ideal time to use them, and are mostly redundant if one is already swimming in bells) and a line of (mostly) female-centric clothes with a pattern not everyone will think is appealing, especially since the game already showers the player in free cosmetics from your villagers and the occasional balloon. She also lacks any Nook Mile achievements tied to her, unlike Redd, Gulliver, and KK Slider.

** At launch, there was a second floor of the museum with a few benches and nothing else, prompting speculation of a future expansion, such as an art wing or the Roost. [[MissingSecret Villagers would even rarely mention these locations]]. DummiedOut room [=IDs=] [[https://tcrf.net/Animal_Crossing:_New_Horizons#Unused_Rooms were later discovered]] corresponding to a two-room art gallery, the Roost, and a Gyroid gallery. The April 2020 content update did indeed add the art wing, and the Roost and Gyroids are going to be added in a November 2021 update.

* OlderThanTheyThink: Many veteran players have complained that the villagers in ''New Horizons'' are so nice that not only does it border on saccharine, but also make them fall flat as characters, and thus yearn for their villagers [[WeWantOurJerkBack to be rude again]] like they were in past games. ''New Horizons'' is not the first ''Animal Crossing'' game with villagers that are "too nice", and the only game in which the villagers' rudeness was cranked UpToEleven was in [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing2001 the original GameCube game]], and that only applies to the English localization, as the localizers [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore seemingly felt like the game needed to have its script spiced up]]. The villagers TookALevelInKindness come ''Wild World'' and ''City Folk'', and in ''New Leaf'' they acted pretty much the same way as they do in ''New Horizons''. [[{{Irony}} Ironically enough]], the Snowboys are not too different from the rude villagers of the [=GameCube=] game, and [[TheScrappy are not very well-liked by players for this reason]].

** One of the few points of contention lashed towards the [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf previous mainline]] ''[[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf Animal Crossing]]'' [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf entry]] were villagers becoming so nice that they've become "bland". ''New Horizons'' shares a similar criticism towards the dialogue, with many arguing that the {{Jerkass}} tendencies of the villagers (particularly those of the Snooty and Cranky villagers) [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing2001 in the GameCube game]] (and ''[[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingWildWorld Wild World]]'' to a lesser extent) lended their characters some humor and diversity, and that the possibility that they could warm up to the player character if they spent enough time getting to know them made befriending villagers more rewarding (Although this is only popular belief. They will still be rude no matter how much the player helps them, and this sort of dialogue [[DubPersonalityChange is only seen in the various localizations of the game]]. The villagers are much nicer in the original Japanese version). Others are glad that villagers no longer insult you just for simply communicating with them, and find the rudeness to be obnoxious, unfunny, or unfit for a children's game that's supposed to be a form of escapism. Others find themselves in the middle of this, appreciating that villagers are ''nicer'' than they once were, but still wishing there was more variety or noticeable change when they eventually warm to the player character. Overall, the fanbase can't decide if the gradual change of characterisation in this series has become legitimately blander and softer overtime, or if it's just a NostalgiaFilter and WhenIWasYourAge talk.

* CommonKnowledge: Since the release of the fan-made ''New Horizons'' buying and trading website dubbed Nookazon, a parody of Amazon, there has been an outcry of fans claiming that it goes against what ''Animal Crossing'' is about, creating a toxic space that hadn’t existed in previous instalments of the franchise. This is ultimately false, as dating back to ''Wild World'' all the way back in 2006 there existed an [=eBay=] parody website called Nookbay which served the same purpose. The "toxic" aspect as also existed as far back as [[https://nookipedia.com/wiki/Seeds_(hacking) seeding]], which online {{Griefer}}s used in ''Wild World'' to brick cartridges without warning; in this manner, the current space of the series is far gentler, if perhaps a bit greedier.

* TheScrappy: The Snowboys have attracted significant vitriol from fans for being picky about their proportions, complaining when they aren't made "perfect", which is tricky for players to achieve. It doesn't help that you only get one shot a day at building a Snowboy, which means building him wrong means losing out on a large snowflake and/or DIY recipe for that day, and every other day it remains until it melts. Many players wanted the option to smash a Snowboy with a shovel or axe if he complains about his size.

* BetterOffSold: Most Bunny Day items were treated this way by the player base, since they sold for 400 bells per component egg (double the egg's selling price) and no one really wanted them.

** A couple of online communities for the game allow players to use Nook Mile Tickets as a sort of "second currency". Reception on this practice is rather mixed. Some argue that Nook Mile Tickets aren't that valuable to begin with; they're really cheap all things considered, especially with how plentiful Nook Miles are to obtain. Others argue that mystery islands can be used to make substantial profits (especially by using them to farm scorpions or tarantulas), as well as a means of finding a desired villager when the player has an empty plot, and these justify their demand.

* TheScrappy: The Snowboys have attracted significant vitriol for being ridiculously picky about their proportions, complaining and generally being rude to you when their heads and bodies aren't made exactly the right size, which is very tricky to do. It doesn't help that you only get one shot a day at building a Snowboy, which means building him wrong means losing out on a large snowflake and/or DIY recipe for that day and every other day it remains until it melts. Many players want the option to smash a Snowboy with a shovel or axe if he complains about his size.

* OlderThanTheyThink: Many veteran players have complained that the villagers in ''New Horizons'' are so nice that not only does it border on TastesLikeDiabetes, but also make them fall flat as characters, and thus yearn for their villagers [[WeWantOurJerkBack to be rude again]] like they were in past games. ''New Horizons'' is not the first ''Animal Crossing'' game with villagers that are "too nice", and the only game in which the villagers' rudeness was cranked UpToEleven was in [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing2001 the original GameCube game]], and that only applies to the English localization, as the localizers [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore seemingly felt like the game needed to have its script spiced up]]. The villagers TookALevelInKindness come ''Wild World'' and ''City Folk'', and in ''New Leaf'' they acted pretty much the same way as they do in ''New Horizons''. [[{{Irony}} Ironically enough]], the Snowboys are not too different from the rude villagers of the [=GameCube=] game, and [[TheScrappy are not very well-liked by players for this reason]].

* UnexpectedCharacter: During the fall, Tortimer's co-op on Harv's Island will be headed by Cornimer, the almost-certainly-a-costume autumn wares NPC who hasn't made a canonical appearance in the games [[note]]though he is in a minigame side mode in ''Welcome amiibo''[[/note]] since ''Wild World''.

* RonTheDeathEater: Zipper in this game very quickly became this due to his [[UncannyValley creepy appearance]] and him being attached to the [[ScrappyMechanic negatively-received Bunny Day event]], with popular fan art portraying him as either an AxeCrazy murderous psychopath or an EldritchAbomination.

* UncannyValley: A number of people have admitted to being rather creeped out by some of the fish in the game now that they're depicted more realistically.

* MorePopularReplacement:
** Flick and C.J. the sons of Nat and Chip who take over their jobs, seem to have resonated more with fans than their dads did in past games, likely due to their more interesting and relatable archetypes and their described offscreen friendship dynamic.

** CJ and Flick are written as "partners," so even after Nintendo clarified it as being a business partnership, many still headcanon the pair as [[ShippingGoggles being in a relationship]] given how close they are.

** The Bunny Day Wand is only available after crafting every other Bunny Day-themed DIY recipe by the end of the Bunny Day event. However, there's no functional reason to own multiple wands despite craftable wands being only received from Celeste (who visits rarely in evenings) and special events such as holidays and the Fishing Tourney/Bug Off; you can only set eight wand outfits ''total'', as opposed to setting a different eight for each wand you own. The entire Bunny Day event up to this point was already ...[[ScrappyMechanic poorly regarded]], and the fact that the final prize is nothing special didn't improve its image.

* MemeticTroll: Zipper T. Bunny has infamously gained this reputation due to the Bunny day event taking up almost half of April, disrupting players that want to grind money from fishing, chopping wood for items and hitting rocks for Iron and Gold Nuggets and making the game almost completely unenjoyable, especially for players who happened to first start a new game during the event.

** ''New Leaf'' already had a lot of UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} fans, but ''New Horizons'' adds onto that fanbase by making the series even more unisex. The hairstyles, clothing, body options, and dialogue aren't gendered[[note]]at least not visibly; the "female" style adds a bra texture not normally viewable in-game[[/note]], and players can change their gender (referred to as "style") at any time.

** In a case not related to Malaysian corporations, one of the songs K.K. can play if given an invalid request (featuring the internal filename [="Hazure02"=]) is commonly referred to as "K.K. Sparkle" or "K.K. City Pop" by fans thanks to its uncanny similarities to the 1982 song "Sparkle" by J-pop artist Tatsuro Yamashita.

** ''New Leaf'' already had a lot of UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} fans, but ''New Horizons'' adds onto that fanbase by making the series even more unisex. The hairstyles, clothing, body options, and dialogue aren't gendered, and players can change their gender (referred to as "style") at any time.

* SlowPacedBeginning: The tutorial is a week long (potentially more if you take more than one day to finish certain tasks Nook enlists onto you), which is unusually long for an ''Animal Crossing'' game and meters out what can be done on given days, with basic features not unlocking until midway through like the store and the museum. After that, at least one additional week is needed to get the town up to a 3-star rating in order to attract the attention of K.K. Slider, with the process of getting this rating being its own second tutorial for town customization and managing to be even more tedious thanks to the lack of specific objectives beyond vague suggestions from Isabelle. This trope is amplified if one happened to start a new game during [[ScrappyMechanic the Bunny Day event]], thanks to candy eggs overriding assets needed for tasks such as getting the museum's first 15 donations (thanks to the more limited appearances of fish compared to sea eggs) and getting 30 pieces of hardwood, softwood, wood, and iron for Nook's Cranny (thanks to wood eggs overriding pieces of wood, which impacts both the shop materials and crafting shovels to hit rocks with, and stone eggs overriding stones, which impacts crafting the flimsy axe that -- aside from being another way of hitting rocks -- is necessary for gathering wood in the first place; contrary to popular belief, stone eggs only override regular stones, not iron nuggets). Once it's complete, the sandbox opens up and the amount of content available increases exponentially.

* DiscreditedMeme: The popularity of the game has led to increased pushback at the idea of Tom Nook [[MemeticPsychopath being a crooked, hyper-capitalist landlord/loan shark/mob boss]], [[TookALevelInKindness at least now if not in the past.]] Some longstanding aspects dispelling this are still present (namely fact his loans are opt-in[[note]]though this only began in ''New Leaf''[[/note]] and have no deadlines or interest fees), while new changes like his Nook Miles deals (where he outright rewards you for fulfilling public service tasks) and overall [[TookALevelInKindness kindlier characterization]] blew further holes in the idea. Combined with out-of-universe backlash towards player-driven "villager black markets" [[SeriousBusiness treating villagers as high-value commodities]], as well as attention towards [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential players fully willing to bully villagers off their islands]] simply for their unappealing designs, more fans are seeing him as a [[BenevolentBoss a pretty generous boss, all things considered.]]

* DiscreditedMeme: The popularity of the game has led to increased pushback at the idea of Tom Nook [[MemeticPsychopath being a crooked, hyper-capitalist landlord/loan shark/mob boss]], for reasons new and old. Some longstanding aspects dispelling this are still present (namely fact his loans are opt-in[[note]]though this only began in ''New Leaf''[[/note]] and have no deadlines or interest fees), while new changes like his Nook Miles deals (where he outright rewards you for fulfilling public service tasks) and overall [[TookALevelInKindness kindlier characterization]] blew further holes in the idea. Combined with out-of-universe backlash towards player-driven "villager black markets" [[SeriousBusiness treating villagers as high-value commodities]], as well as attention towards [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential players fully willing to bully villagers off their islands]] simply for their unappealing designs, more fans are seeing him as [[BenevolentBoss a pretty generous boss, all things considered.]]

** One of the few points of contention lashed towards the [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf previous mainline]] ''[[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf Animal Crossing]]'' [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf entry]] were villagers becoming so nice that they've become "bland". ''New Horizons'' shares a similar criticism towards the dialogue, with many arguing that the Jerkass tendencies of the villagers (particularly those of the Snooty and Cranky villagers) in the [=GameCube=] game (and ''Wild World'' to a lesser extent) lended their characters some humor and diversity, and that the possibility that they could warm up to the player character if they spent enough time getting to know them made befriending villagers more rewarding (Although this is only popular belief. They will still be rude no matter how much the player helps them). Others are glad that villagers no longer insult you just for simply communicating with them, and find the rudeness to be obnoxious, unfunny, or unfit for a children's game that's supposed to be a form of escapism. Others find themselves in the middle of this, appreciating that villagers are ''nicer'' than they once were, but still wishing there was more variety or noticeable change when they eventually warm to the player character. Overall, the fanbase can't decide if the gradual change of characterisation in this series has become legitimately blander and softer overtime, or if it's just a NostalgiaFilter and WhenIWasYourAge talk.

** Does ''New Horizons'' really lack content or are players nowadays just impatient and entitled? Fans can't seem to agree. The 2.0 update did make this debate die down, especially since it added quite a lot of old mechanics and characters from past games, with some saying the release of this update means the game is finally on-par (or close to it) with the previous entries in the franchise.

** ''New Leaf'' fans versus ''New Horizons'' fans, largely over the gameplay differences, changes to the business model, and other changes extensively documented on the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons They Changed It, Now It Sucks Page]]. There are fans of ''New Leaf'' who are detractors of the game because [[FanHater people enjoy playing ''New Horizons'']], despite its issues.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** It depends on your sense of humor, but the line "Island life is so invigorating! Staying inside all day would be a terrible waste" took on [[https://twitter.com/icklenellierose/status/1259837990970576904 unexpected layers of meaning]] during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic.
-->''I never thought I'd hear a picture scream, but here we are.''
** Back in 2013, someone made an ''Animal Crossing'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OVKL8AQzO8 fangame]] with this game's title.

** One of the few points of contention lashed towards the [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf previous mainline ''Animal Crossing'' entry]] were villagers becoming so nice that they've become "bland". ''New Horizons'' shares a similar criticism towards the dialogue, with many arguing that the Jerkass tendencies (particularly those of the Snooty and Cranky villagers and in the [=GameCube=] game) lended their characters some humor and diversity, and that the possibility that they could warm up to the player character if they spent enough time getting to know them made befriending villagers more rewarding (despite ''Population Growing!'' barely showing any indication that this was the case). Others are glad that villagers no longer insult you just for simply communicating with them, and find the rudeness to be obnoxious, unfunny, or unfit for a children's game that's supposed to be a form of escapism. Others find themselves in the middle of this, appreciating that villagers are ''nicer'' than they once were, but still wishing there was more variety or noticeable change when they eventually warm to the player character. Overall, the fanbase can't decide if the gradual change of characterisation in this series has become legitimately blander and softer overtime, or if it's just a NostalgiaFilter and WhenIWasYourAge talk.

** [[https://animalcrossingworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/animal-crossing-new-horizons-april-update-nook-shopping-childrens-day.jpg This picture preview]] of the 1.10.0 update shows a villager house that didn't belong to any of the villagers that were in ''New Horizons'' at the time. Many players began speculating about what this house could possibly mean, ranging from foreshadowing for new or returning villagers (such as ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''Splatoon'' villagers introduced in the ''Welcome Amiibo'' update of ''New Leaf'', or villagers that haven't appeared in the series since the [=GameCube=] installment) to simply being able to customize the exterior of the villagers' house.

* PanderingToTheBase: The Wedding Season event may be this. Not only is it the first wedding themed event in a main line ''Animal Crossing'' game, it practically encourages the player to dress their villagers up in wedding themed outfits, create a chapel and fake marry their villagers or [[{{Shipping}} have them marry each other on Harv’s Island]] if they wish it. The player can also give the villagers heart crystals[[note]]The events currency needed to trade for Wedding Themed furniture[[/note]] to which the villagers will have a unique reaction, resulting in them either [[ShipTease blushing in embarrassment]], [[ObliviousToLove being oblivious to the implications of the gift]], or [[JustFriends friend-zoning the player]] ... because they were oblivious to the implications of the gift. It is perhaps the closest the player will get to breaking the NoHuggingNoKissing rule with the villagers, even though it doesn’t actually lead anywhere. Perhaps Nintendo has officially taken notice of the [[PopularWithFurries furry fandom]].

* FanPreferredCouple:
** Flik/C.J. quickly became the most widely-liked ship among the fanbase when the characters were introduced, since the two are written as "partners". The fact that they live together certainly helps things. Nintendo going on record that them being "partners" meant business partners did nothing to stop fans from shipping them.
** Tom Nook/Sable has always been a fairly popular pairing, but this game in particular really gave it some steam due to the way both characters are portrayed. Nook’s personality is the kindest so far and the conversations the player can have with Sable show that she’s more at peace with her past than ever before, giving them a very real chance to finally start to reconnect.

*** Some have issues with the live service time-locking events like Toy Day. Either players are fine with locking events behind internet time so as to discourage time traveling and allow everyone a chance to experience the event on the day. Or others find that time-locking events causes more issues than it solves; it encourages a bigger black market trading scene for items that cannot be obtained legitimately (unlike in ''New Leaf'' which has event NPC camper vans, which contained most, if not all, of the event items you could get from say, Jingle), it locks out players who missed the event in question through no fault of their own; if they either did not own the game when that event was active, if they couldn't play due to real life commitments, or simply missed the day by forgetting there was an event, and because of the new system, cannot time-travel back to experience it, something prior games allowed for, and so must wait for anything up to a year for that event to reappear in the game. It also means that the events are tied to an always-online connection, meaning offline play is impossible. This was updated with the 2.0 update, as seasonal events are able to be time-travelled to without being time-locked, negating the issue players had with the system.