Animal Crossing: New Horizons is about to get ton of new features through its final free update. Although its sad to say goodbye to the game after so many good times, this update looks like it'll keep Animal Crossing fans engaged for a while. Tons of beloved NPCs will finally make their way into Animal Crossing: New Horizons with the final update, including Brewster and his cafe, as well as the reliable seafarer Kapp'n. On top of that, there's a collection of new villagers joining the game after making early appearances in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. One of those new villagers is Shino.
Although all the new Animal Crossing: New Horizons villagers are charming in their own ways, Shino seems to be have won a popularity contest out of the group of them. Lots of fans have taken to social media to express their excitement for Shino's arrival, making it clear that a great many players will be doing everything they can to have Shino move into their islands. Between some unique traits that make her distinct from other Animal Crossing villagers and a very cute aesthetic, it's no surprise that Shino is so popular. As such, she's already been a big help in giving Animal Crossing: New Horizons a proper sendoff.
Shino's Traits in Animal Crossing
Shino is a deer villager, and although Animal Crossing's deer villagers already look pretty distinct from one another with their unique color patterns and horn shapes, Shino still stands out from the crowd. That's largely because Shino is distinctly inspired by Japanese culture. Shino has thin red horns, small eyebrows, and elaborate eye makeup that make her resemble a Noh theater mask for a demon character. She's also the first Animal Crossing: New Horizons villager to wear a Morning-Glory Yukata as her default clothing, adding to her already distinct appearance.
Aside from her physical aesthetic, Shino has a noteworthy personality. She's the first peppy deer villager to be introduced to Animal Crossing, adding a fun new combination of traits for fans of peppy villagers or deer villagers. Nintendo describes her as seeming like a mysterious figure until players talk to her, when she proves to be very friendly and chatty. There does seem to be an air of mystique around her, probably related to her slightly demonic appearance. Her birthday is on October 31st; a Halloween birthday seems like the perfect way to acknowledge both Sasha's mysterious vibe and her true spunky personality.
Welcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Final Villagers
There's some more good news to be had for anyone clamoring to add Shino and her fellow new villagers to their island. All the new villagers joining New Horizons in the game's final free update will get Amiibo Cards that fans can buy. Once fans have a villager's card, it's just a matter of scanning the card with a Switch to invite the new villager to an island. Otherwise, New Horizons players can still do things the old fashioned way, waiting for Shino to show up somewhere and strike up a conversation with the player.
It's frankly hard to be overly sad about Animal Crossing: New Horizons wrapping up its free updates because of the upcoming update's caliber. It fulfills so many longtime fan demands while adding tons of great new feature that can keep fans entertained for a long time. Between this free update and the Happy Home Paradise DLC, there's still a lot to do in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, even as the game reaches the end of its lifespan. In a way, Shino helps create the perfect capstone for New Horizons, celebrating the game's legacy while hinting at where Animal Crossing still has room to grow. It could be a couple years before the next Animal Crossing game comes out, but at least New Horizons has lots of content to enjoy for the time being.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for Nintendo Switch.