Hello Kitty Island Adventure, a life simulation game with strong similarities to theAnimal Crossingfranchise, recently launched on PC and Nintendo Switch. It initially debuted in July 2023 as anApple Arcade exclusive. However, January 30 marked a significant milestone for the Sanrio title as it expanded to other platforms, with a PlayStation release targeted for some time in 2025 as well.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure’s popularity can be attributed to several factors, including its iconic characters, cozy atmosphere, andAnimal Crossing-like gameplay. One area where it stands out is its expansive map and numerous explorable biomes. If Nintendo opted to take inspiration fromHello Kitty Island Adventure, the nextAnimal Crossingcould find great success with this feature.
The Next Animal Crossing Should Embrace a Larger Map
Hello Kitty Island Adventure Makes the Case for Bigger Islands
Animal Crossing: New Horizonshas nearly 100 default island layouts, according to research done byReddit user gamingchibix. Variations on islands include, but aren’t limited to:
While this offers an impressive amount of variety, the islands themselves aren’t very large, which may leave some players wanting in terms of unique scenery and space to fill. Fortunately, there is a solution withinHello Kitty Island Adventure’s diverse locations. Settings suсh as Seaside Resort, Spooky Swamp, Icy Peak, Rаinbow Reef, Mount HotHead, Gemstone Mountain, аnd Merry Meadow deliver a satisfying arrаy of environments for exploration. Not only are different items collectible in these biomes, butHello Kitty Island Adventure’s enormous map ensures plenty of areas to explore.
Animal Crossingcould adopt this concept now that Sunblink Entertainment’s game has proven it works. In this case, bigger could also mean better. Inthe nextAnimal Crossinggame, players could potentially have more than ten villagers without worrying as much about running out of space to house them. In this manner, players wouldn’t need to remove villagers they’ve formed an emotional attachment to in favor of a new villager if it comes down to it.
Furthermore, increasing the map size could also address some players' frustrations with the proximity of villagers' homes, points of interest, and decorations. Bigger plots of land, in addition to more land mass to terraform and customize, seem like a guaranteed way to retain player interest, especially since some have noted that they run out of things to do after a certain point. While it’s inevitable that players will eventually reach the end of thestory in anyAnimal Crossinggame, providing more customization features could help alleviate some of these concerns.
Similarly,Hello Kitty Island Adventure might benefit from a future update if it offered a few more in-depth mechanics, such as environmental decoration andterraforming, like inAnimal Crossing. Currently, players have the option to decorate their cabins and Visitor Cabins, which offers a fun way to personalize individual spaces. However, this does not include plots of land, which some fans have expressed they would love to tailor to their tastes.
Nintendo has yet to confirm if anotherAnimal Crossinggame will be released or if one is already in development. However, given the overwhelmingsuccess ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, it seems likely. Some rumors have even suggested a future installment could arrive on the Switch 2, and the stronger hardware could certainly support a larger map. With the next game likely still some time away, developers should have ample time to consider adopting some ofHello Kitty Island Adventure’s most popular features.
