To the joy of many players, Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ 2.0.0 update finally brought back a beloved character from the series. Kapp’n, the sailor/taxi driver/bus driver, can be found on the pier after achieving a three-star island rating, ready and waiting to take you to a mysterious island on the high seas for the low price of 1,000 Nook Miles.
Kapp’n’s islands have a lot in common with the ones you can access via the airport using a Nook Miles Ticket: you may come across flowers or trees that you don’t have on your island yet, and you have a chance of coming across a recipe in a bottle if you’re lucky. There’s a workbench present to do any crafting, and you can buy tools as needed from Kapp’n just like you can from Wilbur. But the islands you can visit via Kapp’n differ in some fundamental ways as well.
Perhaps most importantly, Kapp’n’s islands aren’t tied to your own island’s clock and season in the same way that the regular Mystery Islands are. This means that there’s a possibility that you’ll land on an island at a completely different time — or even a completely different season — then on your main island. This can be very handy for getting out-of-season bugs or fish, or special items such as cherry blossom petals or snowflakes.
Coming a close second in importance is the fact that Kapp’n’s islands are some of the few places you can find gyroid fragments. Dig one of those up and take it home, and before long you’ll have a fully-functioning gyroid of your own making weird and charming noises.
Also of note is some of the flora available on these islands. While you may come across some familiar-looking plants, there’s also the possibility of discovering climbable vines or glowing flowers. You can gather these up and bring them home with you to add a touch of wilderness to your own island.
There’s plenty to find on these new islands, so hop in the boat and get exploring. Be warned though: unlike with the regular Mystery Islands, Kapp’n can only take you out to sea once a day, so make sure you comb that beach thoroughly before heading home.
