Stay safe, Island Representatives. And remember to water your flowers.

For the casual user, however, the complexity of firmware, sigpatches, DLC unlockers, and region matching often results in hours of troubleshooting a black loading screen.

If you own the game legally and want to back it up for preservation or modding, learn to dump your own cartridges. If you are just curious, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is widely available used for under $40—a small price for the peace of mind of online play and zero risk of a bricked console.