Some of you may read this and reject the most recent game's placement at the top as a clear case of recency bias. That is certainly something that game writers must keep in mind when they are in the throes of passion with a fresh-off-the-press entry in a beloved series, but it is also true that video games, perhaps more than any other medium, tend to get better and better, with each iteration refining and building on the foundation of what came before. The Switch entries of several Nintendo franchises may justifiably be labeled the pinnacles of their respective series.

With a game as intimate as Animal Crossing, there will never be another like it, and Team NL holds a torch to numerous entrants on that premise. However, Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides such a bounty of goodness, such a wealth of nostalgia, refinement, and subtle advancement - and comes at a time when many people around the world desperately need a little good cheer and comfort - that it's quite easy to place it at the top of this list.

Series: Animal Crossing
Genre: Social simulation game

Link: amazon.com/dp/B07SL6ZXBL

Animal Crossing: New Leaf improved everything from its portable predecessor to the Nth degree. Rather than subjecting you to Tom Nook's yoke, New Leaf appointed you mayor and granted you unprecedented municipal authority to shape the town to your satisfaction. These modifications were made possible by your adorable doggie helper Isabelle, a diligent public servant on standby to handle day-to-day office responsibilities while you go about your vital mayoral duties such as beachcombing, fishing, shaking trees, and annoying bees.

Using the 3DS' SpotPass feature, you could look around the residences of players you saw on the street and order their furnishings if something caught your eye. It's also easy to overlook the system's distinctive 3D effect, which rendered the world more appealing than ever before. It wasn't in HD, but New Leaf was a nice-looking game, and with the 3D slider set to maximum, it was never simpler to get lost in your small village. Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch still has a long way to go to surpass this.

Series: Animal Crossing
Publisher: Nintendo

Link: amazon.com/dp/B0053BCML6

Taking the underlying foundation and adding sweet, sweet portability, Animal Crossing: Wild World was the ideal game on the perfect platform. Having your town with you on the move made a huge difference for many gamers, allowing you to check turnip prices in bed, water your plants on your way to work, or double-check that your favorite animal buddy wasn't packing their bags during your lunch break. The Nintendo DS's portability makes the globe more accessible and its delights more accessible to the masses.

Many individuals began their love affair with the series here, with intuitive usage of the touch screen and the day-night cycle reflected in the sky continuously visible on the top screen. Subsequent entries may have refined its mechanics and smoothed off Wild World's rough edges, but the series' brilliance shone brilliantly on DS.

Series: Animal Crossing
Publisher: Nintendo

Link: amazon.com/dp/B0009Z3MQK

Subtitled Outside of North America, Let's Go to the City! was released in 2008. City Folk allowed up to four players to assume ownership of their own home in a single village and provided a city for players to explore. It may not have been the bustling MMO city that some fans desired, but it was a delightful addition to a game that may be played things a little too safe to be considered top-tier. The compatibility of City Folks with the Wii's ill-fated room-wide microphone attachment Wii Speak indicated Nintendo's desire for you to enjoy City Folk as a family.

There's nothing wrong with that, but solitary players couldn't experience the innovative interactions of sharing a town and leaving each other notes, and the game ended up seeming like an upscaled version of Wild World without any meaningful innovation, much alone the portability. It wasn't horrible - far from it - but it didn't contribute much to the fundamental recipe, and it was difficult to be tied to your TV after the delights of a portable town.

Series: Animal Crossing
Publisher: Nintendo

Link: amazon.com/dp/B001CM0PR8

This was also the first series entry to benefit from high definition, however, Animal Crossing fans were understandably disappointed to learn that Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival would be the series' last entry on Wii U.

Almost all of the mini-games rapidly became redundant, and the accompanying amiibo series is arguably the greatest thing to justify Amiibo Festival's existence. If you encounter the Amiibo Festival pack for less than a tenner, it may be worth picking up the Isabelle and Digby figures that came with it. Otherwise, even die-hard admirers should definitely divert their attention and energy elsewhere.

Series: Animal Crossing
Publisher: Nintendo

Link: amazon.com/dp/B00ZSHRPN0