Summary
LEGO has had a surprisingly lengthy career in the video game landscape, beginning all the way back in 1995 with the release ofLEGO Fun to Build, a Japan-exclusive puzzle game for the SEGA Pico. Since then, LEGO has experimented with a wealth of genres, from its long line of action-adventure movie adaptations to racing games totycoon simulators. But LEGO is still yet to try its hand at making anAnimal Crossing-like life-simulation game.
Though it was far from the first life-simulator to hit the gaming market, theAnimal Crossingseries has remained a gold standard for the genre, delivering vibrant and charming worlds filled with colorful characters and a compelling checklist of daily activities. WithLEGO Fortnitebeing quite the successful departure from the company’s usual video game output, it seems likely that it would want to continue experimenting with other popular genres, and anAnimal Crossing-like LEGO life-sim already has some old foundations to build on.
LEGO Island Laid Great Foundations for a LEGO Animal Crossing-Like Game
A Brief History of LEGO Island
Only the second game that LEGO released,1997’sLEGO Islandwas an extremely ambitious PC game that attempted to deliver a fully-explorable open-world long before it became a regular occurrence in the industry. Taking control of the pizza delivery boy Pepper Roni, players are tasked with exploring the titular world, talking with its citizens, completing various side activities, and ultimately putting an end to the evil Brickster’s plans to harm the island. Far ahead of its time,LEGO Islandlets players freely explore the island via a range of different vehicles including a car, jet ski, ambulance, and helicopter.
In 2001, Silicon Dreams would produce a sequel to the 1997 classic. TitledLEGO Island 2: The Brickster’s Revenge, this PC and PS1 title essentially took the solid foundations of its predecessor and improved upon them in every way. Rather than exploring just one area,LEGO Island 2gave players three distinct worlds to roam, each one based on aniconic LEGO theme, such as Castle, Adventure, and Space. Players could once again freely explore each area and interact with a variety of colorful NPCs, including beloved LEGO characters like Johnny Thunder.
Just a year later, Silicon Dreams would releaseIsland Xtreme Stunts, the final game intheLEGO Islandseries. This third and final installment once again allowed players to explore the island in a non-linear fashion, but this time players can participate in filming various stunts for an in-universe action movie. Though the vehicle controls are still simple,Island Xtreme Stuntsdoes offer someTony Hawk-like trick mechanics, which makes traversal feel a bit more engaging.
How LEGO Island Could Evolve Into a Life-Sim
Though theLEGO Islandgames were mostly vehicle-oriented open-world exploration games, their DNA actually lays some pretty strong foundations for a hypothetical LEGOAnimal Crossing-like life-sim. For instance,LEGO Island’s emphasis on colorful NPCs and their humorous interactions would work perfectly in a LEGO life-sim game, as would their link to a uniquely-themed world. Players could take control of Pepper Roni once more and venture out to each of these themed worlds, meeting new characters, furthering social relationships, completing menial tasks, and bringing home some resources to craft some new items of furniture to customize their home or build new vehicles and tools that would make island exploration easier.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
WHERE TO PLAY
Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. you may hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online** or with others beside you***, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you’ll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want.
