Gyroids have been a part of theAnimal Crossingfranchise since the beginning, however, they were largelymissing fromNew Horizonsuntil the 2.0 update, Lloid has always appeared next to construction sites to collect donations. They’re inspired by Japanese clay figures called haniwa, which were usually buried with the dead in ancient Japan. Likewise, they can be found buried in the ground similar to fossils, each making a different tune that can play to the beat of music, and many fans treat them like collectible items.
When gyroids were introduced inAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, they looked quite different from their original designs. It’s widely agreed upon that gyroids were creepy little creatures, looking hollow but also somehow possessing life-like qualities while they move around. But now, the wide majority of them are adorable, brandishing bright pastel colors and exhibiting a wider range of more expressive sound effects, running parallel to the changes and direction theAnimal Crossingfranchise has moved toward withNew Horizons.
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What New Horizons Has Done to Animal Crossing
Aside fromPocket Camp, the mobile spinoff ofAnimal Crossingwhere players can build and decorate a campsite,New Horizonsis the first installment to take crafting and customization to its current level. The series has always been open-ended, with ambiguous goals, though it’s consistently involved paying off loans and decorating the insides of homes. So that’s not to say that the series has never been about decorating, but not to the degree that it currently is at.
By (finally) allowing players to place furniture outside, they’re able to virtually control the look and themes of their islands, and the concepts some have conceived are stunning. Sharing islands via visits from friends and social media has increased the drive for this even more so, almost making the act of decorating theNew Horizonsisland competitive, so as to create the best island possible. While some fans have designed entire islands to be haunted houses, often inspired byResident EvilorSilent Hill,others choose to recreate retro towns, such as Japanese neighborhoods in the 80s.
Furthermore,Animal Crossing: New Horizonshas seen more demand over the cutest villagers than ever before. In the early days, Marshal and Raymond were all the hype, but since the 2.0 update, Shino, Sasha, and Ione have stolen the spotlight and can be sold for an insane number ofNook Mile Ticketsand Bells online.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis more attractive and aesthetically pleasing than past games have been, and the redesign of the gyroids is representative of that. Also being simply a lot smaller than they were before, gyroids now blend in with furniture and suit themes and sets much better, but it’s undeniable that they’re simply considerably cuter than in previous installments. Having done away with the family sets of gyroids, consisting of regular, mini, and mega versions, players have shown viral love for thesqueakoid, the whistloid, and even the crumploidonline.
Now,entire rooms and areas can be themed around gyroidswithout looking like a crypt of mummified husks doing strange dances. Though its also grown its social simulation aspects,Animal Crossingis also about designing and decorating. Over the years, it becomes more sugarcoated in kind words, beautiful scenery, and relaxing music, and the recent additions toAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, including the 2.0 update and the Happy Homes Paradise DLC, prove that.
