Under the Island Review (Switch)
Summary: Under the Island is a bright, character driven adventure that balances lighthearted humor with a steady sense of discovery. As you explore its layered world, each new tool opens paths that once seemed out of reach, making progression feel natural and rewarding. It is the kind of compact journey that stays focused, delivers consistent surprises, and leaves you satisfied.
4.1
Sojourn Slapshot
Seashell Island may look calm on the surface, but the real adventure waits beneath your feet! Under the Island is a 2D action adventure developed by Slime King Games and published by Top Hat Studios Inc and Doyoyo Games. It launched on February 17, 2026 across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. The game proudly wears its 90s inspiration on its sleeve, channeling the spirit of top down classics like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, but it never comes across as a simple imitation. It is welcoming, colorful, and easy to slip into, with an adventurous tone that stays light and exciting.
You step into the shoes of Nia, who reluctantly travels with her parents to Seashell Island during the so-called Wild Season. Storms surround the island for months at a time, cutting it off from the rest of the world. Nia is not thrilled about being stuck somewhere remote when she would rather be home with her friends. Things shift quickly when she meets a local girl named Avocado and learns about a shrine where shells are offered to a god named Arashi to calm the storms. One curious touch later, both girls fall beneath the surface of the island and meet Karasu, the last Volerian, who reveals that the island is actually an ancient ark built thousands of years ago to save people from a dying world. Now it is sinking, the protective storms are failing, and the central gears that keep it functioning are broken.
It sounds grand, and in some ways it is, but the game keeps the story simple and approachable. Characters explain events clearly and often from different angles, so you are rarely left confused. If you talk to townsfolk enough, you will get useful hints and even map markers pointing you toward your next objective. When you load your save, Nia gives a quick recap of what just happened and what she plans to do next. It is a thoughtful design element that keeps the pace smooth and respects your time.
Under the Island is all about exploration. The structure is classic top down adventure. You roam the island, enter distinct regions, discover dungeons, unlock new abilities, and circle back to previously blocked paths. Due to the nature of the game, each area feels dense rather than oversized. You are constantly finding side paths, hidden items, trading quests, shops, and optional challenges. There is a music band you can be a part of, cats to find, and arcade games to get high scores in. The world does a great job at feeling alive through the abundance of activities it throws at you.
Combat is simple but clever. Early on, you expect to find a heroic sword in a treasure chest, only to discover someone left a note apologizing for taking it and replacing it with a hockey stick. That joke turns into one of the game’s best mechanics. Instead of just swinging at enemies, you can smack objects around like a puck. Knock coconuts into foes to chip away at their health or hit bombs into groups for heavy damage. Some puzzles even have you batting objects through narrow mazes to trigger switches. It is a playful way to add depth to both combat and puzzle solving.
Abilities build on that foundation in satisfying ways. You will need bombs to break cracked walls, a fire plant that spits flames to burn plants or melt ice, and a treat bag to lure animals into position. At one point you need a trumpet to wake a frog blocking a bridge. You can change the time of day using a handheld device called the Game Dude. You can even hatch a dinosaur that doubles as a key. The game leans fully into its silly side with talking animals, exaggerated reactions, and offbeat scenarios like cooking competitions. Yet underneath the humor is tight design. Each dungeon grants an item that reshapes how you interact with the overworld, encouraging you to revisit older areas and uncover secrets that were previously out of reach.
Boss encounters are varied. Some throw waves of enemies at you, some feel like event battles, and others test how well you understand a dungeon’s unique mechanic. Most are inventive and memorable, though a handful of late game encounters may feel more punishing than their build up suggests. The difficulty overall stays fair, but certain mini game segments and required side challenges can spike unexpectedly. Still, these moments are the exception rather than the rule.
Progression systems keep you motivated throughout your playtime. You gather resources like Honey Pots and Slime to upgrade your gear, including strengthening your hockey stick. You can find heart medallions, and collecting four lets you trade them in for a permanent health increase. Your ramen bowl acts as a healing item that you refill in town before heading back out. Small environmental puzzles unlock fast travel points, making backtracking less tedious. If you enjoy collecting and clearing everything, there is plenty here to chase.
Visually, the game is vibrant and expressive. The pixel art is bright and clean, with lively animations that make the island feel animated even when you are standing still. Enemies nap in the grass, hippos react in shock if you step on them, mice scurry across paths, and even intimidating earthworms relax once you feed them treats. The charm carries through every biome. Playing primarily in handheld mode on Switch, performance holds steady with no technical issues. The art direction and scale feel tailored to the system.
The soundtrack matches the tone perfectly. Upbeat chip inspired melodies fill towns and dungeons with energy, and several themes linger in your head after you power down. The town music in particular becomes a familiar comfort as you travel back and forth. Sound effects are crisp and satisfying. The thwack of your hockey stick, the charge of your fire plant, enemy grunts, falling spike balls, and even menu clicks all feel polished. Ambient environmental audio has some nice depth and overall the presentation is strong.
Final Thoughts?
Under the Island understands why people love this genre. There’s a great focus on exploration and combat is accessible without being complex. You are rewarded for curiosity with new gear, expanded wallets, hidden secrets, and clever shortcuts. The pacing picks up significantly once you earn your first dungeon item, and from there progression feels steady and gratifying. It is a heartfelt take on the classic top down adventure formula. It blends nostalgia with its own quirky identity and keeps the experience compact and inviting from start to finish. On Switch especially, it feels like the kind of game you can pick up for a quick session and accidentally play for hours. It is lighthearted without being shallow, simple without being empty, and creative without losing clarity. If you have been craving a Zelda-like experience that remembers what made those older adventures special while still carving out its own personality, this is one you should not let slip beneath the surface.
About the Author
Nay Clark Gaming holds a special place in my heart and I never stop talking about video games. I really love all types of games and have an interest in games that have complicated stories and lore because I enjoy untangling the mystery of it all. When I'm not gaming, I unsuccessfully try to control three amazing and incredibly bright kids.
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