Even though most of us (who aren’t playing with time manipulation, that is) are only on day four of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons adventures, there’s a cool secret to mining star fragments, which I strongly suspect will come further into play later: it involves wishing on a shooting star. The best part: as far as we know, none of it is time-locked, so you can begin collecting the starry bits early on! Keep reading onward as our Animal Crossing Shooting Stars Guide will explain how to do this with ease.
How to Wish Upon a Shooting Star
It’s an easy process. You’ll need to stare at the night sky, to start. I’ve found the most luck on the coasts, with a flat background, so I can see the most of the sky. Tilt the camera up ever so slightly with the right stick, and you’ll have a nice, wide expanse of the starry sky to check for meteors.
Once you spy a shooting star — a quick streak of light that flashes across the sky — quickly unequip any equipment you are holding and press and hold A. If you are successful, your character will go into a “wishing” animation, and the next day, a tasty star fragment will be waiting for you on the ground (so far, I’ve found them on the beach!).
The fastest way to unequip your item is to bring up the tool ring wheel (on the arrow buttons) and hit the down arrow. If you don’t have the wheel yet, that’s ok! You can always just go into your pockets and hit “put away.” But be quick! The shooting stars only last a few fleeting moments.
When Are Meteor Showers?
Thankfully there’s a way to know in advance if there’s a meteor shower to wish upon. If you’re far enough in the game, Isabelle and Tom Nook can let you know if they’re going to happen. Make sure to check in with them every day!
What Are Star Fragments For?
Star Fragments are primarily used to craft wands, but there are some other DIY recipes that use them as well.
What Do Wands Do?
Wands are super useful in that they allow you to switch between eight outfits at will! No more having to run inside and change your clothes at a dresser. Just whip out your wand and you can select them like you do with the Tool Ring and all of your tools. Now you actually have a really good reason to define those outfit slots!
And that’s it! Hopefully this helps you get settled into your new Animal Crossing: New Horizons island! Much like the game itself, check back throughout the day to see what’s new here on Fanbyte. We already have guides for how to move your tent and how to get across rivers using either the Pole Vault or constructing bridges. Later today we’ll have more guides up including how to get Nook’s Cranny, how to visit mystery islands, and buy and sell turnips!
