Animal Crossing datamine finds bushes, vegetables and diving references
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If Animal Crossing: New Horizons' terraforming tool isn't already enough to keep you busy (it certainly absorbed my weekend), then there's promising news for you, as an extensive datamine of the game's code has found several references to exciting new features.
Along with previously-discovered features (such as a Museum cafe, art gallery and a gyroid room), the new datamine by Ninji lists a whole bunch of potential features. Redd, the nefarious art dealer seen in previous titles, apparently has a ship which can dock on the secret beach at the back of the player's island, and the fake art mechanic could also be making a return.
For the green-fingered among you, bushes could be making an appearance, as several varieties are listed in the files: such as azalea, hibiscus, holly, hydrangea, camellia and osmanthus. Vegetables that you can grow and pick have also been found, including tomatoes, wheat, potatoes, carrots, pumpkins and sugar cane.
To add to your feast, there's evidence of a Critterpedia category called Seafood which contains 33 items - of which only one is currently available in-game, the humble manila clam. I'm guessing some of these could be obtained by diving, another mechanic Ninji found in the files, which should allow the player to obtain fish and seaweed.
There are also some brief references to a third Nook's Cranny upgrade, along with shops such as a gallery, real estate agent and gardening store. Ninji reckons the shops could be stalls rather than fully-fledged buildings, in the same manner as visiting merchants such as Kicks.
It's worth noting that these features may never make it into the game: development plans change, and the references could just be cut content. Still, it's interesting to get a taste of what's on the horizon - and it's possible some of this could pop up in this Wednesday's Earth Day event. At least the datamine has finally got me excited about vegetables.