model was designed to have a "likeness" to it which would show exactly what to expect and what the player envisions; the pieces of furniture and items implemented various portions on how players view an object to look like and combine the commons ideas into one model. From there, using the "imagination gap", the player could fill in the smaller nitpicky info they would expect and further imagine how they could use the item. Release The March 20, 2020, release date for New Horizons came to coincide with that of id Software's Doom Eternal. Due to the demand expected for both games, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, GameStop decided to begin selling Doom Eternal one day earlier, on the 19th, to minimize crowding. The stark contrast in tone between both games, combined with them being released on the same day, prompted fans of both series to celebrate the coincidence by creating light-hearted crossover art featuring Dooms Doomguy and Isabelle as "best friends". When New Horizons released on March 20, 2020, video game retailer EB Games attracted criticism for allowing fans who pre-ordered the game along with Doom Eternal to line up at its flagship Canadian location on Yonge Street, Toronto amid a COVID-19 pandemic in the country, when all levels of government urged the public to close non-essential businesses and maintain social distancing. Touching on New Horizons in a December 2020 interview with Polygon, Doug Bowser stated the game sold "well beyond expectations" and applauded the developers for their efforts. He noted the game would continue to see updates all throughout 2021. Reception Animal Crossing: New Horizons received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic, becoming the highest-rated game in the series on the website. However, the game has been subject to review bombing due to its handling of Switch profiles and multiplayer. The game was cited to be the best in the series, and was given a perfect score by Nintendo Life and Pocket Gamer. Most enjoyed the Nook Miles system, stating that it gave the player something to do and a goal to reach. Dann Sullivan, writing for Pocket Gamer, liked how it gave the player "optional direction". USGamer also joked how nobody can complain how there is nothing to do. The D.I.Y. system was also praised, with Nintendo Life taking note of how no resource is useless. Polygons Russ Frushtick lauded the ability for unrestricted