A few years ago, Hello Kitty Island Adventure debuted on Apple Arcade. I wrote it off as a typical licensed game that Apple brought to the service when it was announced. I gave it a shot when it released and was very impressed at how well it managed to capture the Animal Crossing vibe with its own charm. What I didn’t expect was to find just how much it already shipped with back in 2023 to the point where it felt like a full-blown console life simulation game.
Since launching, Hello Kitty Island Adventure saw tons of content updates and improvements to the Apple Arcade release, and they were all included when it shipped on PC and Nintendo Switch earlier this year, followed by its more recent PS5 version. While I think Hello Kitty Island Adventure is excellent on modern iOS devices, it really felt perfect on Steam Deck, but the Switch version was quite lacking compared to other versions. I’m going to focus on the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and upgrade in this shorter port review.
If you’ve never played it before and think a blend of Animal Crossing (though this has a lot more to do compared to New Horizons) and Hello Kitty is up your alley, Hello Kitty Island Adventure will not disappoint you. It also features full multiplayer support, mini-games, loads of characters to interact with, events, decoration, many new areas to unlock, and more. Even without taking into account the paid DLC expansion available, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is well worth your time right now.
That brings us to Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. I mentioned how the Switch version was lacking, and I’m pleased with how much of an upgrade Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is over the original Switch release. You get double the frame rate target with crisp visuals, both docked and handheld on Switch 2. Even the load times are a lot faster on Switch 2.
Since I have Hello Kitty Island Adventure on all platforms, I decided to do some comparisons. Hello Kitty Island Adventure takes 7 seconds to load the title screen and 25 to load the save with Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. The Switch version on the original Switch takes 12 seconds to the title screen and about 1 minute to load the save. The Steam Deck loads the title screen in 14 seconds and the save file in 22 seconds. The PS5 version and iPhone 15 Pro are very close, with the former taking 3-4 seconds to load the title screen and 18 seconds for the save, while the latter takes 5 seconds and 19 seconds, respectively.
When it comes to the visual differences, Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch 2 Edition has seen some improvements over even the PS5 with anti-aliasing, but the shadows and draw distance are cut back in parts. Performance is where the PS5 has no issues hitting a locked 60fps with proper frame pacing, but the Switch 2 has some hitching here and there, even early on. I hope this can be resolved because Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is otherwise the best way to play it, given the hybrid nature of the system.
Barring the visual and performance improvements, I want to note that it is great to see Joy-Con 2 mouse support added, as well as how the game scales the user interface when you play docked or handheld to be more readable depending on the display.
All things considered, Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is the best version of the game right now, given the hybrid nature of the console and the great port. If you own the original Nintendo Switch version and play on Switch 2, the upgrade is a no-brainer. If you found yourself let down by recent life simulation games, this one is absolutely worth your time. Don’t be fooled like I was, thinking it is yet another licensed game.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch 2
Review copy provided by Sunblink
