On March 20, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released worldwide. The newest game in the popular Nintendo franchise was released at the perfect time, with folks needing an escape from the stresses of current events and also a fun way to connect with friends and loved ones while social distancing.
For those who have never played an Animal Crossing game, New Horizons follows the same basic premise of the other games in the franchise: You are dropped into a new place filled with cute little animal companions for company. In this case, you land on a deserted island, where you can catch local fauna (bugs & fish), plant trees, build furniture, tools, and amenities, and enjoy island life with your animal residents or bring your friends over for a visit! The game syncs to your calendar and clock, so depending on the time and season things happening on the island will change.
One fun feature in the game is the ability to make your own custom designs for items like wallpaper, flooring, and clothes. And hockey fans have definitely ran with making sure they can show off their team’s pride in-game.
RMNB’s Donya Abramo use the custom design editor to make her very own Braden Holtby jersey!
I spent way too long on this… #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/noc4LeqfrH
— Donya 🏴🏳️🌈✨ (@virtual_don) March 21, 2020
She also made an away variant, and a Sabres jersey as well.
Ah. That's better! #ALLCAPS #Sabres50 #HockeyTwitter #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/KYvR8MCVKP
— Donya 🏴🏳️🌈✨ (@virtual_don) March 22, 2020
Her inspiration came from user @TheMizCB on twitter, who had made their own Holtby jersey:
@russianmachine if anyone wants a Holtby jersey for New Horizons I can send y'all the QR codes! I also have a road and throwbacks! DM me! pic.twitter.com/EyKIovZSfG
— Mike (@TheMizCB) March 20, 2020
User @tjoshov made a snazzy Caps tank top
definitely meant to include the picture my bad lmao i am 100% animal crossing n00b so i like. didn’t know how to make it the full sleeve actual jersey lmao pic.twitter.com/XlsFSiZRYJ
— just another dude (@tjoshov) March 22, 2020
Joshua Robinson made a throwback shirt and a VERY SNAZZY Stanley Cup Champs hat to go with it
Designing caps related things over and over again pic.twitter.com/5ZwgJGwJjI
— Joshua Robinson (@jrobinson__14) March 21, 2020
On Reddit, user u/Goomba_Face made a whole smorgasbord of NHL jerseys for your character to wear (the designs can be scanned into the game via QR code using the NookLink secion of the Nintendo Switch app on your mobile device). Including several throwback Capitals designs:
RMNB’s Rachel Cohen (it me!) also couldn’t wait for the game’s release. So using that hype as my inspiration, I drew every NHL mascot how I imagined they would look like a villager in Animal Crossing!
I am SO UNBELIEVABLY HYPE for Animal Crossing: New Horizons coming out next week so I've decided to take a crack at drawing all the NHL's Mascots how I think they'd look as an AC Villager. 🍃 pic.twitter.com/wkHoPr2eNf
— ✨🌸🌵 Rachel🌵🌸✨ (@kat326) March 9, 2020
My favorites from the series include:
Harvey the Hound from Calgary
@HarveyTheHound_ was the NHL’s VERY 1ST MASCOT, entertaining fans of the @NHLFlames since 1983.
Harvey made headlines in 2003 when EDM coach Craig McTavish, fed up w/ Harvey’s taunting, tore off his signature red tongue! This pup is hockey tough tho, and was quickly patched up. pic.twitter.com/Hre7vzZ9hQ
— ✨🌸🌵 Rachel🌵🌸✨ (@kat326) March 10, 2020
Detroit’s Al the Octopus
During the 1952 NHL Playoffs, the tradition of throwing an
octopus onto the @DetroitRedWings' rink for luck was born.Al the Octopus made his official debut in Hockeytown during the 1995 playoffs, and is named after the team’s arena manager, Al Sobotka. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/rFdmyi8O6h
— ✨🌸🌵 Rachel🌵🌸✨ (@kat326) March 12, 2020
Gritty
"IT ME." @GrittyNHL is the NHL’s newest mascot, emerging from his secret hideout in 2018 due to construction at the @NHLFlyers' arena.
An odd but always lovable guy, Gritty enjoys making lot of mischief with opposing teams, but loves his fans, aka “gritizens.” #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/xVve2bvhxd
— ✨🌸🌵 Rachel🌵🌸✨ (@kat326) March 16, 2020
Fin of the Vancouver Canucks
.@CanucksFIN has been helping cheer on the @Canucks since 2001. He is one of the few mascots who loves playing goalie!
His signature moves include shooting mist from his blowhole and chomping on the heads of the opposition. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/YORxj41zeF
— ✨🌸🌵 Rachel🌵🌸✨ (@kat326) March 18, 2020
Slapshot
The original model for the Great Seal of the USA, @Caps_Slapshot is a bald eagle who has been Unleashing the Fury with the @Capitals since “landing gracefully somewhere between the penalty box and the blue line” in 1995.
His favourite food is Swedish Fish. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/WiSZOEKoSW
— ✨🌸🌵 Rachel🌵🌸✨ (@kat326) March 19, 2020
The whole series is also available as a printed zine, with fun little factoids about each team’s mascot.
Are you showing off your hockey team’s pride in New Horizons?? If so, show us how! And in these turbulent times, we should all take to heart the wise words of the fortune teller Katrina and remember that the bad times… are just times that are bad.
Headline photo: u/Goomba_Face on reddit
