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Animal Crossing’s free March update brings the dreaded Bunny Day back

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a new free update this week that brings several features to the game. The much-maligned Bunny Day event will return to the game as part of the content drop.

Players can download the free update on Thursday, March 18. That paves the way for the game’s Easter event, which takes place on April 4. Bunny Day was New Horizons‘ first big event after it launched last year and it spawned a rush of memes from angry fans who detested its lead mascot, Zipper.

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[Announcement]
Bunny Day is back this year on 4/4! Collect a variety of eggs and craft DIY Bunny Day themed items. You can also visit Nook’s Cranny from 3/28 to 4/4 to grab one item from the Bunny Day series each day. The newly added items are exclusive to Nook’s Cranny. pic.twitter.com/Sj2xlTHJxH

— Isabelle (@animalcrossing) March 16, 2021

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This year’s event will play out similarly to last year with players finding eggs and crafting items. In addition to that, Nook’s Cranny will have a collection of new items, which will be on sale from March 28 to April 4.

The update adds a new Custom Design Pro Editor+ to the game. This tool adds 50 more slots for custom and pro designs and can be purchased through the Nook ATM. Players will be able to customize umbrellas, flags, photo stands, and more with the update. Players can also grab a Custom Design Portal, which brings a feature from the Able Sisters shop to their Nook Phone.

Other additions include new seasonal items, a birthday cake for the game’s first anniversary, and a new set of Sanrio-themed items. Players will have to buy the Sanrio Collection card pack to unlock the latter in the game.

Nintendo is also releasing a limited-time screenshot sharing tool called Island Tour Creator. Starting March 23, players will be able to upload photos and videos from the game to a website and create posters for their island. The service will be available through the end of the year.

Giovanni Colantonio
As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…
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Catching a fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

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Disney Dreamlight Valley and Harvestella make one critical farming mistake
Donald Duck walks through a town in Disney Dreamlight Valley,

Thanks to games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, farming and life-simulation games are back in fashion. They've also dominated September, as Disney Dreamlight Valley launched earlier this month and games like Harvestella, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, Fae Farm, Rune Factory 3 Special, and a brand new Rune Factory title all got segments in the latest Nintendo Direct. Harvestella even got a demo after the September 13 Nintendo Direct -- one I immediately downloaded to get my farm on early.
Getting into it though, I found that Harvestella already has a problem I've noticed in many titles that are part of the genre boom, including Disney Dreamlight Valley: they don't get to the farming fast enough, damnit!
While that might seem obvious, recent games in the genre have had long-winded opening before the player has any farming tools in hand. As players come to these games for the farming and simulation elements, developers looking to join in on the trend may want to take some pacing cues from games like Stardew Valley by trimming down their front-heavy lore drops and getting players to the fields sooner.
Let's jump into it
Part of the beauty of Stardew Valley is how quickly it immerses the player in the game's core concepts. The indie hit lets players loose to farm or build within 10 minutes before slowly expanding systems outwards and letting players get more invested in the game's world and story. You'll know whether or not you'll like Stardew Valley within 10 minutes of playing, and will already have crops that give you a reason to stick around if you do like it. 
Disney Dreamlight Valley – Gameplay Overview Trailer
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Shortly after, I checked Harvestella's demo out after it dropped during the September 13 Nintendo Direct. I expect I'll end up playing more when it launches, as I'm intrigued by its world and mix of action RPG and fantasy sim. That said, I found myself trudging through the demo as I had to deal with lots of exposition and simple "walk to" objective gameplay before I could actually get to any farming or RPG elements. While I'm glad I didn't stop playing the demo, I almost did due to the glacial pacing.
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HARVESTELLA - 2nd Trailer
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