How to Restart Your Island Paradise: A Comprehensive Guide to Resetting Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers a delightful escape to a deserted island where you can build your dream community. However, sometimes the initial island layout, villager selection, or even a change in personal preferences can lead to the desire for a fresh start. Resetting your island allows you to begin anew, with a completely randomized island map, villagers, and starting fruits. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of resetting your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island, covering everything you need to know before, during, and after the reset.

## Why Reset Your Animal Crossing Island?

There are several reasons why you might consider resetting your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island:

* **Unfavorable Island Layout:** The initial island layout is randomly generated, and you might not be happy with the river placements, peninsula locations, Resident Services location, or the placement of the secret beach. A reset allows you to try for a layout that better suits your vision.
* **Undesirable Starting Villagers:** The first two villagers to move to your island are randomly selected. If you don’t like their personalities or aesthetics, resetting is the only way to get a different set of starting villagers.
* **Dissatisfaction with Native Fruit:** Each island has a native fruit that will grow on its trees. While you can eventually obtain other fruits, you might prefer a different fruit from the beginning.
* **Change of Island Theme/Vision:** Perhaps you started with a specific theme in mind but now want to pursue a different direction. Resetting provides a clean slate to fully realize your new vision without having to demolish and rebuild your existing island.
* **Simply Wanting a Fresh Start:** Sometimes, you might just want to experience the game from the very beginning, reliving the early stages of island development and rediscovering the joys of building your community from scratch.

## Before You Reset: Important Considerations

Resetting your island is a permanent action, so it’s crucial to understand the implications before proceeding. Here are some important considerations:

* **Data Loss:** Resetting your island will erase all progress, including your house, island development, collected items, villagers, friendships, and everything else you’ve accomplished. There’s no way to recover this data once it’s gone.
* **Irreversible Action:** The reset is irreversible. Once you initiate the process, there’s no turning back.
* **Consider Island Designer App Changes:** Remember any terraforming or pathing licenses you unlocked using Nook Miles. These will be reset as well. Consider if re-earning these is something you want to do.
* **Alternatives to Resetting:** Before resorting to a reset, consider if there are alternative solutions. Terraforming allows you to reshape your island’s landscape, and you can eventually invite different villagers to your island. Trading with other players can help you obtain missing items or resources.

## Backing Up Your Island (Optional, But Highly Recommended)

While resetting your island inherently means losing your current progress, there’s a way to back up your island data if you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. This backup won’t prevent the reset, but it allows you to restore your island to a previous state if something unexpected happens or if you later regret the reset.

**Important Note:** Island Backup is enabled by default for most players, but it’s essential to confirm that it’s active before proceeding. If your island is backed up you can contact Nintendo Support to attempt a restoration.

**How to Check if Island Backup is Enabled:**

1. **Press the Minus (-) Button at the Title Screen:** When you start the game, don’t press A to continue. Instead, press the minus (-) button on your left Joy-Con or controller when the Animal Crossing: New Horizons logo appears on the title screen.
2. **Talk to Tom Nook:** Tom Nook will appear. Select “Island backup settings.”
3. **Check Backup Status:** The game will display your island backup status. It will indicate whether backups are enabled or disabled.

If backups are disabled, follow the prompts to enable them. Please note, you will need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to use the backup feature.

## Step-by-Step Guide to Resetting Your Animal Crossing: New Horizons Island

Now that you understand the implications and have considered backing up your island (if desired), here’s how to reset your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island:

**1. Close the Game Completely:**

* Ensure Animal Crossing: New Horizons is completely closed. Don’t just put the console in sleep mode. You need to close the software entirely.
* From the Nintendo Switch home screen, highlight Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
* Press the X button on your controller. This will bring up the options menu.
* Select “Close Software.” This ensures the game is fully shut down before proceeding.

**2. Access System Settings:**

* From the Nintendo Switch home screen, select “System Settings.” This is the gear icon located at the bottom of the screen.
* Use the joystick or directional buttons to navigate to the System Settings icon.
* Press the A button to open System Settings.

**3. Navigate to Data Management:**

* Within System Settings, scroll down the left-hand menu until you find “Data Management.”
* Select “Data Management” by pressing the A button.

**4. Choose Delete Save Data:**

* In the Data Management menu, select “Delete Save Data.” This option will lead you to the screen where you can delete the save data for various games.

**5. Select Animal Crossing: New Horizons:**

* A list of installed games will appear. Scroll through the list and select “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.” Be careful not to accidentally select the wrong game.

**6. Confirm Deletion:**

* You’ll be presented with a warning message. This message will reiterate that deleting the save data is permanent and cannot be undone. Read the message carefully to ensure you understand the consequences.
* You will likely see two options: “Delete Save Data” and “Cancel”. Select “Delete Save Data” by pressing the A button. This will be highlighted in red.
* You might be prompted to confirm your decision again. If so, follow the on-screen instructions to confirm that you want to delete the save data.

**7. Wait for Deletion to Complete:**

* The system will begin deleting the save data for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This process might take a few moments, depending on the size of your save file. Do not turn off the Nintendo Switch during this process.
* Once the deletion is complete, you’ll be returned to the Data Management menu or the Nintendo Switch home screen.

**8. Start Animal Crossing: New Horizons:**

* Return to the Nintendo Switch home screen and select Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
* The game will start as if it’s the first time you’ve played it.
* You’ll be greeted by Tom Nook and Timmy and Tommy, who will guide you through the initial island setup process.

**9. Choose Your Island Name and Character:**

* Follow the on-screen prompts to choose a name for your island.
* Customize your character’s appearance, including hairstyle, eyes, mouth, and skin tone. You can change these later in the game if you wish.

**10. Select Your Island Layout (Optional Rerolling):**

* Tom Nook will present you with a selection of four island layouts to choose from. This is a crucial step, as the island layout will significantly impact your gameplay experience.
* Carefully examine each island layout, paying attention to the river placements, peninsula locations, Resident Services location, secret beach location, and the overall topography.
* If you’re not happy with any of the presented layouts, you can close the game completely (as described in Step 1) and restart the process. This will generate a new set of four island layouts. This process is often referred to as “rerolling” for a desirable island.
* Repeat this process until you find an island layout that you like. Be patient, as it might take several attempts to find the perfect island.

**11. Determine Your Starting Fruit and Villagers**

* Once you’ve selected your island layout, you will be introduced to your first two villagers. These villagers are randomly assigned, and their personalities will be one of the following combinations: Uchi/Jock or Normal/Lazy.
* Your native fruit will also be shown in the opening sequence. This cannot be changed unless you restart the game and select a new island layout.

**12. Begin Your New Island Adventure:**

* Once you’re satisfied with your island layout, name, character, starting villagers, and native fruit, confirm your choices and begin your new island adventure.
* Follow Tom Nook’s instructions to set up your tent, gather resources, and start building your new community.

## Tips for Rerolling Your Island Layout

If you’re planning to reroll for a specific island layout, here are some tips to help you streamline the process:

* **Focus on Key Features:** Instead of trying to analyze every detail of the island layout, focus on the features that are most important to you, such as the river placements, Resident Services location, and the secret beach location.
* **Use a Checklist:** Create a checklist of your desired features to help you quickly assess each island layout.
* **Take Screenshots:** Use the Nintendo Switch’s screenshot function to capture images of island layouts that you’re considering. This will allow you to compare them side-by-side and make a more informed decision.
* **Be Patient:** Rerolling for the perfect island layout can be time-consuming, so be patient and persistent. Don’t settle for an island layout that you’re not happy with.

## What to Do After Resetting Your Island

Once you’ve successfully reset your island and started your new adventure, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your fresh start:

* **Prioritize Resident Services:** Upgrading Resident Services is crucial for unlocking key features, such as the Island Designer app and the ability to invite more villagers to your island. Focus on completing Tom Nook’s tasks to upgrade Resident Services as quickly as possible.
* **Gather Resources:** Resources like wood, stone, clay, and iron nuggets are essential for crafting tools and building structures. Make sure to gather resources regularly.
* **Build Relationships with Your Villagers:** Talk to your villagers every day to build friendships. Strong friendships will unlock new dialogue, quests, and even the ability to receive gifts.
* **Explore Your Island:** Take the time to explore every corner of your island. You might discover hidden areas, rare resources, or unique wildlife.
* **Customize Your Island:** Use the Island Designer app to reshape your island’s landscape, create custom paths, and decorate your island with furniture and decorations. Let your creativity shine and build the island of your dreams.
* **Have Fun:** Most importantly, remember to have fun and enjoy the process of building your new island paradise.

## Troubleshooting Common Resetting Issues

Here are some common issues you might encounter during the resetting process and how to troubleshoot them:

* **Accidentally Deleted Save Data for the Wrong Game:** If you accidentally deleted the save data for the wrong game, there’s no way to recover it. Always double-check that you’ve selected the correct game before deleting the save data.
* **Game Not Starting After Deleting Save Data:** If the game doesn’t start after deleting the save data, try restarting your Nintendo Switch. This should resolve the issue.
* **Island Layouts Not Changing When Rerolling:** Make sure you’re completely closing the game before restarting the process. Simply putting the console in sleep mode won’t generate new island layouts.
* **Nintendo Account Linked to the Previous Island:** Your Nintendo Account is linked to your Nintendo Switch console, not your Animal Crossing island. Resetting your island will erase all save data for that specific island but won’t affect your Nintendo Account.

## Conclusion

Resetting your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island is a significant decision that should be carefully considered. While it involves losing all your progress, it also offers the opportunity to start fresh with a new island layout, villagers, and a renewed sense of excitement. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can safely and effectively reset your island and embark on a new island adventure. Remember to weigh the pros and cons, consider backing up your island data (if desired), and take your time when selecting your new island layout. With a little patience and planning, you can create the island paradise of your dreams in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.