This week, Animal Crossing fans finally get the island getaway they’ve been waiting for when Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases on Nintendo Switch tomorrow, March 20. Best of all, Ebay recently discounted Animal Crossing: New Horizons to $51 in a rare online deal, if you prefer to buy a physical copy. New Horizons is the first mainline entry in the series since 2012’s Animal Crossing: New Leaf, so it’s easy to see why fans are so excited. The Switch entry is making some big changes, including the ability to mold your island village however you see fit.
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, your character will be ferried (via the Nook, Inc. charter) to a deserted island, where you can set up a tent and start growing your own town through many of the same activities seen in previous Animal Crossing games: crafting items, shaking trees, fishing, and more. You can read the GameSpot Animal Crossing: New Horizons review-in-progress to learn more.
In its Animal Crossing Direct last month, Nintendo revealed a slew of new information about the upcoming Switch game. We finally know quite a few details about New Horizons, including brand-new characters that will turn up on the island, Amiibo compatibility, a new terraforming gameplay mechanic, restrictions on save data recovery, and more.
As the release date for Animal Crossing: New Horizons draws closer, you might be wondering where you can pre-order the game and if there are any bonuses. Read on for more info on the best places to pre-order Animal Crossing: New Horizons as well as its adorable special-edition Switch console. (Also, if you like what you see below, check out our full guide to where to find all the compatible Animal Crossing Amiibo, as well as the best Animal Crossing accessories and merchandise being released for New Horizons–there are so many cute products coming out soon!)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons pre-order bonuses
Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn’t have a universal pre-order bonus you get by pre-ordering at any retailer. However, some retailers have been offering exclusive pre-order bonuses. Target was offering an adorable New Horizons-themed journal with a 2020 calendar, but it’s out of stock online. Best Buy and Walmart have sold out of their pre-order bonuses too. Best Buy was offering a Tom Nook tech sticker and Walmart had a Tom Nook tote bag, but neither are available now. However, you can still get $10 reward credit with your purchase at Best Buy–you just need a free My Best Buy membership.
The remaining available pre-order bonus is at GameStop, which is offering a double-sided poster with purchases of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Pre-order Animal Crossing: New Horizons standard edition
The standard edition will come with the base game and any pre-order bonuses.
Pre-order Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bell Bag bundle
While it’ll cost you a little more, Best Buy has a cute bundle available to pre-order. For $65, you get a copy of the game the plush Bell Bag shown above.
Pre-order Animal Crossing: New Horizons edition Switch console
Finally, Animal Crossing fans’ prayers have true: a special-edition Nintendo Switch console inspired by Animal Crossing: New Horizons released on March 13. This is the newer model Switch that includes longer battery life, and it’ll cost you $300.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of people wanted to get their hands on this pretty console, and it’s now sold out online at all major retailers. We’ve been seeing it restocked sporadically at some stores since its release on March 13, but it never lasts for long. Some retailers have relisted it a pretty steep markup, too. You can see the online listings for each retailer below. Some stores will allow you to sign up with your email to get notified when it’s back in stock.
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