As we mark one year of the pandemic this week, there has been a time of reflection for all of us. We have all had to adapt in ways we never imagined, and try new things. In addition we learned to cope with the reality of what was unfolding around us. Today Marco shares more of how he has found one way to cope over the last year.
ACNH HOME AWAY FROM HOME UPDATE
Marco Orlando
I still find it hard to believe at times that it’s practically been a whole year since our world has been turned upside down due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve all had to find ways to cope with the reality of a messed up situation. Thankfully, it’s also been about a whole year since the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch. It’s almost like it was meant to be. This game had to come out at just the right time for everyone looking for an escape to happier times.
I’ll admit that playing this game regularly has been one of the few things I can count on to keep me from going crazy. For someone who got hooked on the original Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Gamecube, it was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. And with Nintendo consistently adding more content to the game over time with regular updates, it’s hard not to get excited looking forward to whatever comes next.
The most recent update came in the form of the highly anticipated Super Mario crossover event to cap off Nintendo’s six month long celebration of 35 years of Super Mario. 33 limited edition promotional items are available until March 31 on Animal Crossing for people to collect as they play, and I’ve already started working my way through the list from iconic power up items to unmistakable fashion items.
To give people an idea of how far I’ve come since the last time I shared my progress, I thought I’d show some more current pictures of my home away from home. I relocated to the northeastern corner of the island to give my home the appearance of coastal Downeast Maine waterfront property (where most of my mom’s side of my family is from). Not too far off in the distance, you can see a lighthouse set up on some rocks on the beach.
Right when you walk in, you can see I’ve gone right to work on collecting those Super Mario crossover items as my game hall and sports lounge gets a Mushroom Kingdom makeover. I’ve even added a couple of wall-mounted TVs. It was impossible to get everything in this room to fit in one picture, but I can assure you the pinball machine and the dartboard from my last update are still in this room. There’s also a popcorn machine and a candy machine in the corner if guests get hungry.
The room in the back of the house has become more of a children’s playroom and less of a college dorm room since the last update.
On the left side of the house is the kitchen. Once in a while, I’ll get something in the mail on this game to add more of a mother’s loving touch to this room.
On the right side of the house is what I’ve dubbed my “mermaid pirate bathroom” for reasons that become glaringly obvious upon walking in.
Upstairs is my “spooky mushroom turkey day room,” named for the assortment of seasonal fall items I’ve collected from when I first started playing a few short months ago. A few science and academic items can also be seen here, including an office desk and a new desktop computer just out of range when this shot was taken.
My “frozen festive basement” is probably the room I’m the most proud of. This house upgrade was not easy to get, and the loan I took out for it was very expensive. I was very happy to pay this loan off as I made a routine of selling fruit, going fishing, and swimming in the ocean. And in the process, I acquired and learned numerous DIY recipes so I could craft many of the frozen and festive items in this room over the winter months.
My “frozen festive basement” is probably the room I’m the most proud of. This house upgrade was not easy to get, and the loan I took out for it was very expensive. I was very happy to pay this loan off as I made a routine of selling fruit, going fishing, and swimming in the ocean. And in the process, I acquired and learned numerous DIY recipes so I could craft many of the frozen and festive items in this room over the winter months.
With my house completely paid off, all that was left was to pay a one-time fee to expand my storage. So I saved up for it, and I managed to make that money back and more pretty quickly. At this point, I’ve pretty much “beaten” the “main quest” of home ownership on this game. Now my approach has shifted to game maintenance. I still sell fruit and go fishing and swim in the ocean to build up my savings. And there’s still items in the game I haven’t crafted or collected yet so I can add them to my catalog. I also make a point to stay in touch with my neighbors when I play since it adds to the gameplay experience.
THE END
(FOR NOW)
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