Animal Crossing: New Horizons Reveals What Isabelle Does in the Game

Since the series’ inception, Animal Crossing has never really had a true face of the series. K.K. Slider and Tom Nook have both come close, but Isabelle is probably the character that comes closest. Introduced in 2012’s Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Isabelle quickly became a fan favorite, even earning a place as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As such, fans were notably concerned that the character might not have a major role to play in New Horizons. Fortunately, this morning’s Nintendo Direct presentation cleared up a number of details about the upcoming Animal Crossing installment, including the whereabouts of Isabelle!

In New Leaf, players took on the role of the town’s mayor, with Isabelle serving in an administrative assistant position. Since New Horizons is offering players a change in setting, Isabelle is also getting a new position. This time around, Isabelle is actually working for Nook, Inc., and players can go to her with any issues regarding the island’s residents, music that plays, the flag, and more. Unsurprisingly, the character seems to be her normal, cheerful self, which is easy to understand given the island’s peaceful atmosphere!

The island apparently has a different dress code from what Isabelle is used to, and the character has a new, tropical shirt to reflect her new surroundings. It will be interesting to see if that change is reflected elsewhere! Isabelle is the only Animal Crossing character to receive multiple Amiibo releases, two of which feature different outfits for the character. Perhaps a third featuring her new look will see release, particularly since Nintendo has confirmed Amiibo support for the new game. It would certainly be nice to see her new look appear in Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well!

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players are given a deserted island to build-up. While New Leaf gave players a lot of freedom to alter their town, New Horizons looks like it will give players an unprecedented amount of freedom to build and expand on their area. Perhaps the most significant addition to the game’s island setting is the ability to customize the terrain, with a freedom to change where streams, waterfalls and more appear.

Are you excited for Animal Crossing: New Horizons? What did you think of this morning’s Nintendo Direct? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!