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Animal Crossing New Horizons

The Free Summer update – Wave 2 will come to Animal Crossing: New Horizons on July 30th. It will include fireworks and a new “dreaming” mechanic, but (most importantly) it will also include the ability to backup and restore your island so long as you are a Nintendo Switch Online Subscriber. Take a look at the details below!

Baby You’re a Firework!

I had a feeling this was coming when the first wave of summer DLC didn’t include fireworks. I can’t wait to see videos and pictures of the fireworks displays in our various towns.

Enjoy atmospheric fireworks lighting up the sky above your island every Sunday in August at 7 p.m. Get in the spirit by redeeming Bells for raffle tickets in the plaza to get various festive items that you can use. Put your personal spin on the fireworks display by using your own custom design pattern to see it shot in the air as a firework in the sky!

Sweet Dreams!

Players will be able to use a new Dreaming mechanic to visit other players islands or allow other players to visit theirs. The big difference between dreaming and visiting via the airport is that nothing you do while visiting in dreams will be permanent. It is, quite literally, a “dream.”

You can now choose to take a nap in any bed placed in your home.** While dozing off, you may find yourself in a strange realm where you’ll be greeted by Luna. Luna offers visits to other islands as a dream, and with her help, you can share your island as a dream with others too.*** She will grant those who share their island a “Dream Address” which players can exchange and use to visit each other’s island in a dream. In dreams, nothing is permanent because nothing you do is saved, so explore to your heart’s content.

The Island Backup & Restoration Service is FINALLY here!

The most important part of this update is Island backups. Nintendo Switch Online members will have their island data uploaded to the cloud periodically. They can then contact Nintendo Support to have their island reinstated in the event of a damaged Switch.

You cannot, however, transfer the island to another Switch. That ability will be added in an additional patch later this year.

Nintendo Switch Online members can enable the new island backup service, which automatically uploads island and user save data to the internet at certain times. If your Nintendo Switch system is lost or damaged, you may be able to recover your island paradise as long as you’ve enabled island backup. In the event of loss or damage, contact Nintendo Consumer Support about restoring the island and user save data on your new or repaired Nintendo Switch system. After your island data and individual player data is restored, you can get back to building your island community!**** Additional details can be found on the Nintendo Consumer Support page when the update goes live. The island backup feature is separate from the Save Data Cloud functionality offered for select Nintendo Switch games through Nintendo Switch Online. A function specific to Animal Crossing: New Horizons to move users and save data to another system is planned for later this year. Details will be announced in the future.                                                                         

The video also teased a fall update at the end. The teaser icon is a pumpkin and I can’t wait for the autumn season shenanigans!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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A new, free, update has been added to Animal Crossing: New Horizons as of July 3rd. Wave 1 expands the playable space for everyone by letting you play in the ocean!

Below are the new features added in the free Wave 1 Update.

  • Swimming and Diving – You can equip a wet suit and explore the ocean around your island. You can swim and dive to look for new wild life to sell or donate to the museum.
  • New Clothing types – Wet suits, swim masks, and water shoes
  • Pascal Brings Rewarding Recipes – They’ve added a new visitor: Pacal. He is a friendly otter who absolutely LOVES scallops. You can trade scallops that you find while diving (look for the bubbles) for Mermaid themed DIY patterns.
  • Gulliver? – Gulliver gets a pirate themed rescue mission after you download the new update.       

Even better? This isn’t the only free update coming this summer! There is a second wave schedule for sometime in August! The video that accompanied the announcement for the summer updates had fireworks on the splash screen for the August update so that might be the theme? We may not know for sure, but we don’t have to wait very long!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Looking for information about how multiplayer works in Animal Crossing? Check out our guide here!

Our new player tips for Animal Crossing are here!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the biggest games of the year. LOTS of families are picking it up and it can be hard to figure out what to do next sometimes. The EFG staff has pooled our collective knowledge and put together a list of tips for new players. Take a look below (and comment if you think we should include something)!

You can also check out our multiplayer explanation and a story about sharing an island.

The Basics

  • Weeds grow on your island every morning. It can be tedious, but make sure that you pick them every day. They can be used for lots of useful things like:
    • Hay beds. 20 Clumps of weeds = one Hay bed that you can sell for 400 bells. 
    • Medicine (Weeds and a Wasp Nest)
    • Various crafting recipes
  • You can shake trees and gather the fruit that drops. You can then sell that fruit to Timmy and Tommy. Be aware that sometimes shaking trees will drop a beehive or a wasp nest. Be ready to run away (or catch them with a new!)
  • Make sure to go to the beach every day to gather shells and bottles. You can sell the shells to Timmy and Tommy. The bottles contain DIY recipes. 
  • More resource gathering becomes available after you craft your tools.  You can use your net to catch bugs, your fishing pole to catch fish, and your shovel to hit rocks and to dig up fossils. 
  • Make sure you are grabbing branches when you see them. They are very important for making simple tools (and replacing broken ones). All of your simple tools aside from the vaulting pole and ladder will break over time.  
  • Make sure you are grabbing branches when you see them. They are very important for making simple tools (and replacing broken ones). All of your simple tools aside from the vaulting pole and ladder will break over time.  
  • Try to make one of every recipe you have access to. This will help complete Nook Miles tickets. 
  • The first thing to spend your Nook Miles on is your initial home/tent loan. After that you should target increased inventory space. Having more room in your bags will make almost every part of Animal Crossing better/easier. 
  • You can hit rocks with an axe or a shovel. Hitting rocks will give you clay, iron nuggets, and sometimes gold. There is even a rock on the island every day that will give you bells. If you dig holes behind you when you hit the rocks, then you won’t be knocked back and it will help you get the resources faster. Nuggets and clay are important to craft DIY items and advanced tools.

Advanced Tips


  • Visit your friends and have them visit you! This is a great way to share resources and earn Nook Miles and bells. 
  • The first “loan” you have to pay off in Animal Crossing is paid back in Nook Miles. This forces you to participate in a wide range of different activities. You need to earn 5000 Nook Miles to pay it off the first time. After that the loans will be paid in bells (like in previous games). 
  • You unlock “Nook Miles+” after you pay off your first loan.  These are relatively small tasks/challengers compared to regular Nook Miles challenges. They are replaced upon completion so you can grind them for rewards if you need to. They also give you some sense of direction when you are overwhelmed with different activities. 
  • Talk to EVERYONE. Talking to your villagers every day will help you earn NOOK miles over time. They may even give you items like DIY recipes, clothing, or decorations. 
  • Visit the NOOK ATM every day.  Visiting the NOOK ATM every day will help you earn NOOK miles over time. 

Tips for Remote Island Tours


  • Prepare yourself before you go to a remote island using a Nook Ticket. Be sure to empty your inventory except for:
    • Vaulting pole
    • Shovel
    • Net
    • Fishing pole
    • Axe
  • Remote islands don’t belong to other players so it is alright to take all of the resources. So make sure you take everything that you can to make the most of your Nook Ticket (They’re expensive). You will also NEVER return to the same island twice. 
  • Keep in mind that you can craft replacement items for flimsy tools you break. 
  • If the remote island has trees that you do not have, then eat the fruit you have found on the island and use your shovel to dig the tree up. You can then plant that tree on your island. This will help you earn bells and Nook Miles.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know if we missed anything!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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