TheAnimal Crossingfranchise has a lot to live up to moving forward, as the series' last installment,New Horizons, is one of the most beloved simulation games. Nintendo may be tempted to recreate popular aspects ofNew Horizons’ gameplay for the nextAnimal Crossingtitle, but one new simulation game from a major IP proves that the developer should mimicNew Horizons’ approach rather than its central gameplay.
Hello Kitty Island Adventureonly had its PC and console debut back in January. The game was first released for Apple Arcade, and some major aspects ofHello Kitty Island Adventureremain exclusive to that platform to this day. Nevertheless,Hello Kitty Island Adventurehas solidified itself as a popular challenger to many games in the simulation genre, and itsrivalry with theAnimal Crossingfranchisecould loom large.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is Stiff Competition
Despite the unique aspects ofHello Kitty Island Adventure, comparisons between the Sanrio-themed simulation game and theAnimal Crossingfranchise are unavoidable. Like many of the simulation games that have followed inAnimal Crossing’s wake,Hello Kitty Island Adventurehas gameplay that is similar toAnimal Crossingtitles, and it features an island setting, item crafting, fishing, catching critters thatcan be donated to a Nature Preserve, villagers, and much more. It’s clear thatHello Kitty Island Adventuretakes inspiration fromAnimal Crossing.
ButHello Kitty Island Adventureputs its own spin on these pre-established tropes. Rather than having players create a human avatar,Hello Kitty Island Adventure’s avatars are animals, just like the island’s iconic Sanrio villagers. Additionally, the critters that players can catch aren’t restricted to bugs, fish and sea creatures, as there are also birds and mythical beasts.Hello Kitty Island Adventurealso has quality of life differences fromNew Horizons, such as allowing players to craft multiple items at a time.
Simply put,Hello Kitty Island Adventureis proof thatNew Horizonscan be improved upon. As more competitors, especially those tied to large IPs like Sanrio, expand into simulation gaming, it’s clear that Nintendo needs to step up its game with the nextAnimal Crossingtitle.
Animal Crossing Needs to Keep the Spirit of New Horizons Alive by Innovating Rather than Remaining Static
Improving uponAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis obviously easier said than done. Players have a laundry list of improvements that they would like to see made for the next entry, but many of those imporvements are quality-of-life fixes rather than new gameplay features that could make a newAnimal Crossingtitle distinct from its predecessors. While the nextAnimal Crossingcould allow players to craft multiple items at the same time, improve multiplayer interactions, add more tasks, and fix otherissues thatNew Horizonscurrently faces, the game also has to have a unique hook. Simply beingAnimal Crossingmight not be enough for the franchise any longer as it faces so much competition.
New Horizonschanged the location that players renovate from a village to an island, a move that provedNew Horizonswanted to set itself apart from previous entries in the series. The next title could also feature a similar change of location, but expanding upon the gameplay features that players love fromNew Horizons, and theAnimal Crossingfranchise in general, would probably be a safer option.
The next title also shouldn’t blatantly copy its competitors, likeHello Kitty Island AdventureorDisney Dreamlight Valley. For example, expandingNew Horizons’diving mechanicwould make the nextAnimal Crossingtitle stand out, but it would need to be distinct fromHello Kitty Island Adventure’s take on that system. Nevertheless,Hello Kitty Island Adventurehas proven itself to be a worthy competitor to theAnimal Crossingfranchise. Time will only tell if the nextAnimal Crossingtitle can stand up toHello Kitty Island Adventureand the current state of the simulation genre.
