Review: Hello Kitty Island Adventure Feels Complete on Switch

Sometimes when a sport comes out on a brand new platform, game-feeds doesn’t assessment it once more. In spite of everything, there are hardly ever variations that benefit it. Within the case of Hi there Kitty Island Journey, Sunblink did a lot to the Sanrio sport since its Apple Arcade debut that the Swap launch genuinely looks like a much bigger, stronger, and higher Animal Crossing like sport.

A part of that entails the marketing campaign. It’s grown since its 2023 debut! Sure, core premise stays unchanged. Your customized avatar joined Sanrio mascots like Hi there Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, and Aggretsuko on a flight to Friendship Island so My Melody might open a store there and others might chill out. Upon touchdown, we discover it’s abandoned save for an uncommon holographic being referred to as TOPHAT and inexperienced blobular characters known as Nulls. The group decides to settle there and remedy the thriller of the island. 

Nonetheless, within the years since launch, Sunblink added quite a bit! New areas like Cloud Island and Metropolis City appeared. Extra quests expanded the preliminary storyline, providing extra to do with acquainted Sanrio characters. Talking of which, extra everlasting residents like My Candy Piano, the Little Twin Stars Kiki and Lala, Want Me Mell, and Usahana grew to become everlasting villagers alongside an array of potential guests who can present up should you enhance cabins that meet their particular wants. A number of occasions popped up! Mainly, the world felt fuller and we bought extra methods to work together with people, which made Hi there Kitty Island Journey really feel extra like Animal Crossing and like a bigger expertise. 

Stated new areas are fairly nice. When Cloud Island and Metropolis City, in addition to new people like My Candy Piano, confirmed up, they tended so as to add new gadgets, cooking choices, recipes, and capabilities. My Candy Piano unlocked the flexibility to additional customise furnishings, which is nice should you actually get into the inside adorning parts current. (It virtually makes Hi there Kitty Island Journey really feel a bit of like Animal Crossing: Completely satisfied Residence Designer.) Cloud Island takes you up into the sky for brand new gathering, new furnishings, extra quests, and cotton sweet recipes. When you get to Metropolis City within the marketing campaign, you achieve entry to the Creativeness Cafe and its restaurant administration parts. To not point out, all areas within the sport really feel distinct and may be quite a lot of enjoyable to discover as you seek for crafting parts, so it’s simply usually nice.

Stated exploring additionally feels so significantly better in Hi there Kitty Island Journey upon its Swap launch, and it isn’t simply in regards to the controller-based management scheme as an alternative of digital joysticks and touchscreen ones. A whole lot of high quality of life changes got here up between 2023 and this 2025 wider launch, with platforming feeling tighter and extra correct than earlier than. Extra accessibility choices, such a glimmer of sunshine that may lead you to quest targets should you allow it, don’t harm both. A whole lot of quirks I skilled when enjoying by means of the sport on the Apple Arcade launch, in addition to limitations tied to solely primary content material being current on the time, are gone. It makes an enormous distinction!

I discovered all of it additionally made it simpler to understand and bond with the Hi there Kitty Island Journey characters within the Swap launch, making it really feel extra relaxed like Animal Crossing. At launch, it could possibly be a little bit of a chore to seek out issues everybody would really like and get alternatives to work together with them. Whereas a part of it’s most likely as a consequence of now having developing on two years of expertise with the title, Sunblink clearly made changes in its many updates and patches that addressed potential irritating factors.

These additions and modifications additionally make Hi there Kitty Island Journey really feel a bit extra balanced. Quests seem at a gradual charge, as do season occasions. The vary of tourists, their various wants, and the variety of cabins imply now you can progressively work on making Friendship Island homier at your individual tempo. There are nonetheless some errand simulator parts, since friendship with characters may be tied to giving items and can naturally go up when sure deliveries are made as a part of questlines. Nonetheless, since there’s a lot to do now, you’ll be able to keep away from feeling inundated should you take your time as you play. It additionally means extra puzzle choices when going to completely different areas, and that you just’ll most likely discover it simpler to get these Apple Slices wanted to get your stamina as much as correctly climb and discover in all places.

Taking part in Hi there Kitty Island Journey on the Swap after following it since its Apple Arcade debut means I bought to see it develop, and this Animal Crossing type sport improved since its debut. Sunblink put quite a lot of work in, each by way of high quality of life modifications, extra quests, extra occasions, and new content material. I’d suggest somebody play it extra now than I did earlier than.

Hi there Kitty Island Journey is accessible on the Nintendo Swap, PC, and Apple Arcade. It is going to additionally come to the PS4 and PS5. 

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