Animal Crossing

CHERRY BLOSSOM PETALS float through the air as Especially as friends who go all the way back to first grade, we step out of our houses into the bright morning sun. we’ve missed having an easy way to see each other. And though It’s time to pick weeds and water the flowers — we need we began our island life at drastically different times, that hasn’t to make sure the yard looks nice. And now, we hunt stopped us from playing “Animal Crossing” together. In the game, down the six rocks on our island, and hit them as many times as one of us just moved out of a tent and the other wears a crown, but possible. Bang bang! Out comes some money we can still teach each other new things. and iron nuggets. Yes! A little centipede tries Being able to find joy We’ve bonded over the cute cherry blosto slither away, but we catch it with a net so we som trees and swirling snowflakes, laughed can sell it. Excited at the prospect of making together in a video over our shared experiences and searched toextra money, we smile at the screens in front game makes a world gether for the items we’ve looked to add to of us. our islands. In a year when our friends were

“Animal Crossing” is a Nintendo video of difference. suddenly just faces on a screen, a year game that allows players to build their own is- that was a final chapter of our childland paradise — specifically we play “Animal Crossing: New Hori- hoods, being able to find joy together in a video game zons.” By performing basic tasks such as fishing, digging up trea- made a world of difference. sures and collecting resources from the landscape, players can craft Next year, we will no longer be a short seven-minor buy customizable items and furniture pieces to create whatever ute walk away from each other’s houses. Instead, we they want on their island home. will be on different college campuses, living new lives

Yet, we found this game is so much more than its premise. and looking to find a way to This school year was supposed to be our last chance to connect continue our friendship. with each other, but the pandemic kept us trapped inside. Despite Luckily, this past all of the hurdles thrown our way, “Animal Crossing” continues year of virtual conto brighten our lives as we begin to move past the pandemic. nection has supRoll out of bed. Open Zoom. Stare at a computer pressed any worries for seven hours. When we all find ourselves repeating about not being able this monotonous routine amidst on-going person- to stay in touch — we’ve al or global conflict, finding an escape is necessary. adjusted to connecting onAlthough we can’t just run away from these issues, line and maintained our it’s been beneficial to take time for ourselves and our friendship in novel ways. mental wellness via “Animal Crossing.” While we will be going Rather than emphasizing the end goals, the our separate ways, we game encourages a slow, peaceful gameplay that’s know with the help of about enjoying the process, straying from the “Animal Crossing: New fast-paced structure of most video games today. Horizons,” we will keep The in-game characters who live on our diving into new horizons, islands also contributed to this uplifting at- together. v mosphere and brought a smile to a year of pandemic life. There’s nothing better than celebrating a quarantine birthday with Bob the cat or having Stu the cow surprise you with a spontaneous present. The main interactive feature of the game is the ability to visit friends’ islands, where you can admire their aesthetic and chat together in a digital space.

Until a year ago, we had numerous activities that gave us a time and place to hang out with each other: from going to each other’s houses for board game nights, to goofing off at family barbeques, to just seeing each other during lunch every day.