Animal Crossing: New Horizons is staggeringly popular, in no small part due to so many people across the world staying at home and looking for a distraction. The popularity of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is so impressive that the excitement is even overflowing into other areas, at least in Japan. Judging from Amazon Japan listings for Animal Crossing: New Leaf, many people are driven to return to their Nintendo 3DS to share in the general Animal Crossing excitement.
As Go Nintendo reports, the prices for both Animal Crossing: New Leaf and the Animal Crossing: New Leaf Welcome amiibo edition are both climbing fast in Japan. The implication being that demand is so high that the only copies of the game are available through market places taking advantage of the shortage. Gamers in Japan are looking to play Animal Crossing one way or another.
The big reasons for Animal Crossing: New Leaf getting suddenly popular again are likely twofold. First, Animal Crossing is back in the public light and a lot of people, especially in Japan, already have Nintendo 3DS handhelds. The bigger reason, however, being that the Nintendo Switch is in extremely short supply. The console is selling out all over the world. There are likely a lot of people in Japan wanting to buy a Switch and Animal Crossing: New Horizons settling for their 3DS and Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
A good question is why a similar trend isn't happening in the USA. Nintendo Switches are in short supply in the US, too, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons is also very popular in the USA. It may actually be happening. Perhaps buyers are purchasing the game digitally instead of via retail, though. But it probably has to do with the 3DS being less widespread.
What's awesome is that Animal Crossing: New Leaf isn't really too different of a game than Animal Crossing: New Horizons. New Leaf even has a lot of features that New Horizons seems likely to be rolling out via DLC. It's a great alternative for those who don't have access to a Nintendo Switch or Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Nintendo continues to introduce new Nintendo Switch hardware across the world as it's able, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons looks like it will continue being a popular escape from the world for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, in the months to come, everyone who wants to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be able to.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Nintendo Switch.
Source: Go Nintendo