With the Animal Crossing: New Horizons update now available, many fans should notice changes that they’ve been eagerly awaiting. From quality-of-life improvements to item additions, there’s a lot to unpack when going through what comes with the 2.0 update for the game. Nestled next to all these great additions in the update is an increase in the use of Nook Miles. The reward currency is used to make purchases from the Nook Stop, but in the past most of its value came through Nook Miles Tickets and as an achievement tracker for Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
With Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 update, however, Nook Miles have seen a substantial increase in their value. Including several key additions to the game, the Nook Stop has an expanded inventory for players to check out. While not every item that is available might pique a fan's interest, there are some great options to look at when considering spending the Nook Miles that players have earned over the last year and a half.
How to Spend Nook Miles
While some fans feel the 2.0 update should have been in Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ base game, there's no doubt it has improved almost every aspect of the player experience. New NPCs are just the tip of the iceberg, and one of the unsung heroes of the 2.0 update will likely be Nook Miles.
The rewards from the Nook Stop have often been unique but lacked variety. Aside from different islands having alternatively designed furniture or decorations, the items themselves remained limited. This made trading important, but it also felt like an unnecessary hurdle. “Why not increase the number of items and allow players to customize the unique rewards from the Nook Stop?” was a question that remained in many fans’ minds. The Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 update has worked this into the game and made it part of progression, allowing players to fund a new plaza on Harv's Island that will be key to getting the most out of Nook Stop items.
With all the characters that appear on Harv’s Island, there will be new shops to visit. Quite possibly the most important of them, when it comes to Nook Miles and Nook Stop special items, will be Cyrus and Reese. Players have wanted the two NPCs back for a while, and now their return will help to expand customization options. By bringing special items to them on Harv’s Island, the newly expanded inventory of the Nook Stop can be altered, allowing fans to have an even greater influence over their island’s aesthetic.
Players can also find several new DIY recipes available for them at the Nook Stop within the Resident Services building. This will add features that were announced during the Animal Crossing Direct and help incorporate new activities into Animal Crossing: New Horizons, like farming and cooking. While this might not seem like much for some, Animal Crossing is right to take cues from Stardew Valley and offer a more developed player experience.
Apart from the Nook Stop, players can trade Miles with Kapp'n to take Boat Tours now, too. The addition of Kapp’n should make it way easier to complete fauna collections while also providing another service. His return to the game has helped to round out the 2.0 update and turn Animal Crossing: New Horizons into a more complete experience as well. There’s no denying that much of what players are seeing this month has been on most fans’ wish lists for over a year, and returning to an island should be a better experience than ever before once players have the new update installed.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for Nintendo Switch.