Why 'Hello Kitty Island Adventure' is the Ultimate Feel-Good Game Sponsored

Picture the cozy, warm feeling of exploring a tropical island, unlocking mysteries, and playing with your friends. These are the emotions evoked by Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

Brought to life by Sanrio and Sunblink, and available on Apple Arcade, the videogame creates an enchanting world where players interact with their surroundings while getting to know Hello Kitty, My Melody, Badtz-Maru, and many more beloved Sanrio characters.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure has already garnered worldwide attention from players and critics alike. It was the top Apple Arcade game of 2023 and has kept entertaining fans with new updates since its first release the same year. To bring smiles to even more people, the videogame is set to launch broadly into the console market with Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2025.

As the holiday season begins, JAPAN Forward teamed up with Daniel Robson, Chief Editor of IGN Japan, to explore the videogame's appeal. He shared his insights on the game and its exciting prospects going forward.

"This is a super colorful world, a really fun place to be and explore," comments Robson. Furthermore, highlighting the wholesome message the game conveys, he says, "I think Sanrio and Sunblink have implemented the core theme of friendship really well."

*Nintendo Switch screenshots of Hello Kitty Island Adventure. The game centers around the theme of friendship. (© 2024 SANRIO CO., LTD, Used Under License.)*

Friendship at Its Core

The premise of the story is that players can customize their original characters and ride on a plane with the likes of Hello Kitty and My Melody. The plane crash lands on an abandoned theme park island, where players are tasked with bringing the park to its original glory.

Players progress through the game by interacting with beloved Sanrio characters, collecting items, playing mini-games, crafting instruments, and much more.

Watch JAPAN Forward's Natasha Takahashi (left) and Arielle Busetto (right) play the game. (©JAPAN Forward)

A key point of the game is making friends. With those connections, players unlock quests, advancing levels. During the journey, players discover My Melody operating a cafe, or Badtz-Maru searching for a comic book collection that got lost in the crash. In exchange for helping them accomplish their goals, players can receive items or information while progressing through the map. It's a cute way of teaching the value of friendship.

This objective is by design. The gameplay highlights Hello Kitty's popular maxim: "You can never have too many friends!"

What makes the game so compelling is that on top of encouraging collaboration with personable characters in the game, one can also play with their family or friends (or new ones) in the multi-player mode.

*Daniel Robson, Chief Editor at IGN Japan. (©Daniel Robson)*

Exploring the Sanrio World

Players get to know the characters while exploring the beautiful setting and what Sanrio calls "biomes," or themed locations. Here, players can venture into worlds that include beautifully designed images of deep sea diving, sunken ships to aerial scenes of effervescent, cloud-like settings, all explored in intricate detail. Another nice touch is that during the rain, players can collect "rainbow beams" to unlock a quest — yes, in Hello Kitty Island Adventure, even the rain has a silver lining.

"There is an area where you can plant your own flower beds, and the flowers are in the shape of Hello Kitty's bow!" says Robson. When playing, I was particularly amused by a side quest that involved taking pictures with Gudetama.

In addition, thanks to the game's customizable features, the interaction has a great appeal. As Robson puts it, "At different locations, you can unlock new furniture or new outfits. It's a really nice way to express yourself, and be in a Sanrio world that's exactly the way you like it."

*Nintendo Switch screenshots of Hello Kitty Island Adventure. Characters can glide through the air using balloons.. (© 2024 SANRIO CO., LTD, Used Under License.)*

A Game for the Entire Family

While the game is made ostensibly with children in mind, there are many reasons why all family members would find Hello Kitty Island Adventure the perfect entertainment experience.

While playing, the relaxing and colorful aesthetic is appealing to children. There are many items to collect and stimuli along the way that are both entertaining and engaging.

But also, as Robson explains, the game includes a "platforming" element, allowing players to test their skills by jumping and climbing to new areas as they progress through quests. This makes the rewards more satisfying. The IGN Japan Chief Editor reassures that "it's not taxing or stressful by any means, but it adds a feeling of discovery that is rewarding."

Parents can also let their children play without worrying about hidden costs. The title has no in-app purchases, making it a game that parents can trust. A parent himself, Robson comments, "You can play to your heart's content without having to worry about any extra transactions."

As a plus for those looking for a multilingual environment, the dialogue is available in several languages. It is well crafted and includes a lot of everyday vocabulary, so it's also a great way to improve one's language skills.

*JAPAN Forward's Natasha Takahashi (left) and Arielle Busetto (right) play the game. (©JAPAN Forward)*

A Perfect Comfort Game

Robson highlights that the game is gaining a lot of traction among adults as a perfect "cozy" game.

This game category emphasizes relaxation and has been growing in popularity in recent years.

"There is a big trend of people streaming cozy games so that their audience can just chill and watch while they play together and chat with their audience," Robson highlights. "Sanrio and Sunblink have absolutely nailed the cozy game format."

From the very first scene of the videogame, the relaxing vibe is apparent. Holiday seasonal music plays in the background, creating an instantly soothing atmosphere.

Interactions with the characters are heartwarming. Throughout the game, everything is both vibrant and cheerful. Even the plane crash is done in a rather cute way. It is set off by a malfunctioning cake oven aboard the plane that starts spurting out baked goods.

*Cakes fly out of the oven in the opening scene of Hello Kitty Island Adventure. (© 2024 SANRIO CO., LTD.Used Under License.)*

Robson further explains the appeal of cozy games. "Imagine I've had a stressful day at school or work and I don't want to get into a game that is demanding something from me. I just want to sit and decorate my bedroom. Or I just want to make cakes for Hello Kitty. It's a nice place to be and to hang out."

Robson also highlights how this fits nicely with the "relatively uncommon" game characteristic of its altruistic values. "This is a game where you spend a lot of time helping other people," as he puts it.

What better game to spread positivity during the holiday season?

*Nintendo Switch screenshots of Hello Kitty Island Adventure. The game features characters becoming mermaids when swimming underwater. (© 2024 SANRIO CO., LTD.Used Under License.)*

The Future for Sanrio and Gaming

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is now poised to reach new heights. The game is set to launch on consoles including Nintendo Switch in 2025. The new platform will bring Sanrio's characters to an even broader community of fans and core gamers alike.

"Apple Arcade is only available on Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The fact that the game has managed to get so much attention and recognition, even while being only available in one place, is quite impressive," points out Robson.

Given the game's popularity on Apple Arcade, Robson is optimistic about its prospects when it reaches the Nintendo Switch.

"It's going to just open up that potential audience massively. Switch, in particular, is a really good place for this game to be, because other similar games have not had any new updates for a while. It'll be a game that the audience recognizes and understands quite easily. But also it's Hello Kitty and it's very cute, so it will have strong appeal."

In addition, Robson highlights how the game features seasonal updates that keep fans entertained and coming back to play, whether it's centered around the gift-giving season or special days like Halloween.

More widely, he sheds some light on the potential of Sanrio as a brand to expand in the videogame space.

"Sanrio has such a wide portfolio of characters that they could do any genre they wanted: a music game with Aggretsuko, platform action games, adventure games, or even a Kuromi or Badtz-Maru cute horror game." He points out with a smile, "There's a limitless potential."

This article is published in cooperation with Sanrio Company Ltd. All Sanrio characters and character images: ©️ 2024 SANRIO CO., LTD. All Sanrio characters and character images in screenshots: © 2024 SANRIO CO., LTD.Used Under License.