Hello Kitty Island Adventure has finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch 2 with a native upgrade, but some drawbacks have split the community. Previously, players on Switch 1 and Switch 2 could enjoy the game together, but the new upgrade separates the Switch 2 version, which has caused the player base to split. Another concern is the price of the upgrade. It costs $9.99, yet it does not include any new content to justify the cost for the Switch 2 version on its own.
The new features for Switch 2 include Joy-Con mouse support and CameraPlay functionality, but these additions feel too small to justify the price. If the upgrade had introduced new content or bundled in some of the DLC, it would have made more sense, similar to what was done with the Overcooked! 2 Switch 2 edition.
On the positive side, the game looks better than before. Performance is also solid, though not perfect. Load times are faster, but they were already quick when running the Switch 1 version on a Switch 2. The character models and environments look sharper, and the overall presentation is close to the PS5 version in my view, which is impressive. Still, performance is not flawless. I tried to see if the game was running at 60 frames per second, as the Switch 1 version is known for its issues. While the Switch 2 release feels smoother, certain effects like snow can still cause performance dips. These problems may be fixed in a future update.
As for the game itself, you can read our review to learn more. It is essentially an Animal Crossing-style spin-off featuring Hello Kitty characters. It is quite fun if you enjoy the Sanrio universe. There are plenty of different locations to explore, and building relationships with the various characters is enjoyable on its own. I still do not feel that the mouse support is enough to justify the upgrade price.
Since Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a live service game, it pushes players to log in daily or weekly to collect bonuses or complete quests. The Switch 2 version is a good way to start because the faster loading times make the routine tasks feel less tiring. The performance is also much better, and the characters look great in both handheld and docked modes. The game even feels like it is running at a higher speed, especially if you are moving from the Switch 1 version.
To sum it up, the downsides are the upgrade price, the small performance issues that will hopefully get patched, and the lack of crossplay with Switch 1. If you enjoy Hello Kitty Island Adventure, this native update is fine, but not essential. You can still stick to the Switch 1 version if you want to keep playing with friends, since cross-platform play is not supported.
