Those who have been fans of Nintendo for the last 20 years will surely know what a Mii is. First introduced as avatars for the Nintendo Wii, these mini characters would go on to be featured in countless titles, including as fighters in the Super Smash Bros. series. Though simple in design, the Mii creator itself has always offered just enough tools for fans to let their imaginations run wild and create nearly anything they want. It was in 2014 that Nintendo decided to capitalize on this by releasing Tomodachi Life on the Nintendo 3DS.
Tomodachi Life was a life simulation title where players could create their own Miis and watch them interact with each other. Voices were generated and could be altered in pitch and tone, and unique personality traits could be assigned to tailor each Mii into a unique individual. By mixing and matching Miis and unlocking new activities, players were treated to a variety of amusing situations each time they booted up the game, and that alone was enough of a reason to return time and time again. Unfortunately, there were limitations, such as word censors and restrictions on romance, so for some, Tomodachi Life couldn't be everything they wanted it to be.
Well, after a roughly 12-year wait, the series is back with Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, and that curtain has now been lifted. With nearly unlimited freedom, the title also follows in the footsteps of Nintendo's very own Animal Crossing: New Horizons by giving players an entire island to customize and shape to their liking. This amount of freedom came at the cost of being able to share your creations online, making this a single-player and local multiplayer title only, but for many, the trade-off was worth it. Now, players can truly let their imaginations run wild and, as they say, live the dream.
But with that being said, what is Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream exactly, and is it worth playing? To be honest, this is a title that hinges completely on your own creativity and artistic skills; those unable to fully embrace their quirky side will be left with a hollow, repetitive shell of a game. On the other hand, players who do take the time to go all out will constantly be upsetting the pre-existing balance they once created and causing chaos in new and imaginative ways. Just as with the previous title, it is this randomness that makes jumping into Tomodachi Life worth it, making each new day a delightful treat.
Welcome to Your Island:
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream begins with players getting to create their first Mii character, and getting a first look at their own island. Like nearly everything in this game, the island itself can be named whatever the player wishes, and the Mii can either be completely new, or imported from previous consoles or games such as Miitopia. I personally pulled in my Mii from Christmas Day of 2006, who was transferred from a Wii to a Wii U, and then to an Amiibo to the Switch, and then once again to the Switch 2, and left him as is. From here a house is automatically placed, and players are given the freedom to customize and interact with the world.
New features are drip fed as players progress through the basic tutorial of creating new Miis, and using currency to unlock new objects and facilities to place on the island. The first of these locations is none other than the wishing fountain, which also serves as the heart of the entire game. As Miis are interacted with, happiness points are collected, and these points can then be thrown into the fountain to level up the island and unlock more content. This content includes new functions for the island builder, new facilities to place, additional traits and items for Miis to use, new house interior designs, and even quick vacation trips. Each unlock adds a new function to the game, and it is this initial setup that all players must undergo. Thankfully it doesn't take too long to begin unlocking things, but it's a marathon and not a race.
After general functions are unlocked, players can begin customizing their island as they wish. Different types of paths can be placed, Mii houses and other facilities can be moved, and objects such as plants, trees, fences, chairs, etc, can also be added to decorate the island. While the island initially begins as a small patch of land, it continues to upgrade in size as the population increases, with a max size unlocking once 35 Miis have moved in. This is when players are fully free to begin customizing and building their dream island paradise, which will then serve as the backdrop to the insane lives of the Miis living on it.
A Mii's Life:
While players can spend countless hours just focusing on their island, the main focus of Tomodachi Life is in fact the Miis.
After creating your initial Mii and a handful of additional ones to keep the unlockables rolling, you can then take a minute to actually observe them and help them when needed. This is a game that continues playing itself even when you are not there, meaning each day will always bring something new. While you can quit the game while all of your Miis are happy, you may return the next day to find mortal enemies being formed or Miis questioning if they truly like the person they have been crushing on for days. These issues can be somewhat controlled while playing, but the Miis have minds of their own and instead only ask the player for advice. Whether they choose to follow that advice is completely random, which only results in more hectic situations down the line.
As for how the Miis actually live their lives, there are a lot of mechanics at play. Players are able to pick up Miis and drop them next to others to force them to talk or meet, but from there, friendships are formed because of their own actions. Miis who are acquainted will typically spend more time together when the player isn't watching, and interacting with them when an "issue" pops up will often be an event that deepens their relationship. Sometimes these issues involve a Mii contemplating introducing their friends to other Miis, which the player can then either approve or refuse—but even then, the Mii asking may not listen. From there, Miis will also begin interacting with the objects placed around the world and forming friend groups.
With a handy relationship chart on display at the top left, players can easily track who knows whom and their current standing, but more in-depth trackers can be found within each Mii's profile. These relationships also impact the general interactions and events that occur across the island, so it is ultimately better for every Mii to meet at least once. Doing so will cause more events to trigger, which are often short and wacky mini-cutscenes that greatly add to your enjoyment of the island.
Outside of general interactions, each Mii can be given different clothes to wear, gifts to show off, or even pets to follow beside them. Interacting with Miis will also level up their happiness ranking, which allows players to customize them even further. This is how special quirks can be assigned and specific sayings or catchphrases can be added to their vocabulary.
By using all of the available options, each Mii can truly be unique and act exactly how the player wishes—they can even give special nicknames to their friends, making their personal interactions feel just a bit more special. For those who have recreated real people or fictional characters within Tomodachi Life, this is how those characters fully become "themselves," though you can never fully separate them from the crazy world and the Nintendo humor featured within it.
In addition to all of this, Miis will request to play minigames from time to time, and winning them will reward you with additional items. These items can then be gifted to other Miis, allowing for nearly endless fun thanks to the combinations of items that can be passed around. Although there are technically only a handful of "types" of items—movies, games, music, pets, etc.—a simple new introduction can go a long way. One minute your island might be obsessing over a newly gifted horror movie, and the next, everyone has to own a doorknob and can only talk about how they don't have one themselves. It is these weird and funny conversations that make the game so enjoyable, and you honestly never know what to expect next.
The Daily Grind:
As a game that plays out in real time, Living the Dream is not a title one can simply "speedrun." This is a game that expects everyone to check in daily, or from time to time when the mood hits them. While friendships will be born and romance will blossom, none of this can be forced, and it will take time to see it all play out. By simply checking on the island each day, players will get to experience all of its changes one step at a time, and there is plenty to check out each time the game is powered on.
Besides checking in with each Mii to see how they are doing, there are daily updates to the island that players will need to check in on. First of all, the fountain will have change players can collect to help pay for items—though money is rarely an issue considering you get paid for talking to Miis as well—and the news station will also have a daily report. From there, new clothing items are added to the shop, and new food items can be found at the local market. Seasonal items also exist, so players are encouraged to check back throughout the year.
In addition to the normal shops, a market with a rotating selection of items exists as well. While the morning and afternoon selection is a single item at a discounted price, the Night Market sells a random bundle of items for $50. Here is where players can get lucky and unlock unique items ahead of their normal shop debut, or they can simply get an expensive item for a lot cheaper. Again, it is completely random, but it is certainly worth checking each day.
These are just some of the examples of what playing each day will provide, but there are many other secrets to discover as well. With so many events to see, it is physically impossible to do everything in one go, and it could take months before each type of event plays. This also comes down to luck, but it also depends on the types of Miis living on the island and the items placed around.
Let Your Creativity Shine:
Although Living the Dream does provide dozens of items and objects to place, the game also allows players to create nearly anything they want! While this is great for many, it honestly does depend on your own artistic skills or the ability to look at guides online as you painstakingly place every pixel of whatever you are making on a grid. This is the downside to not being able to share content, but it can still be done if one is willing to work at it.
Custom items come in a wide variety and are limited to 100 items of each type. This means 100 pieces of custom food, 100 pets, and 100 "objects." Each of these items can also be customized to add properties, such as making cold food cold or making TV screens glow, and they can, of course, be named whatever you like. If you want your horror movie to be The Walking Dead or if you want islanders to be able to pick up the Death Note—it is doable! There is no censor to block what is created, but one needs the art to back it up. Thankfully, previously discovered items can be used as "stamps" in your designs, which makes some things easier, but more specific ideas will require players to create them themselves.
In addition to the items, the game allows up to 300 custom clothing designs to be created, allowing you to match your characters' actual outfits if they are based on someone, and island objects can be created as well. This includes custom houses, custom ground patterns, signboards, walls, and general shapes that can be stretched or flattened as needed and scaled up to whatever size you require. Those who are creative enough to envision their uses can do some truly wondrous things, but again, it requires the skills to do so.
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| (Just look at that work of art!) |
In the end, this is where the most fun in Living the Dream can be had, with those with a creative mind being able to use the tools to their true advantage. In theory, it would be possible to recreate all of SpongeBob SquarePants if one were to just put enough time and effort into their designs, and that includes using the paint options to customize Miis even further as well. Or, for those who do not want to go that far, turning character houses into their real-life or fictional-life versions is always a possibility. Either way, there is a lot that can be done here, and it is up to the individual player to make use of such tools. (But thankfully, even without them, the game provides more than enough to enjoy it on its own, so don't feel bad if you can't draw yourself!)
Tomodachi Life is Only as Fun as You Make it:
With all of this being said, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is only as fun as you want to make it, and that does require some work.
The best part of the game comes from having not just a well-developed island, but also a large cast of Miis to interact with, with a wide variety of sayings or objects they can work with. For the greatest results, at least one Mii of each personality type should be created, every Mii should be at least introduced to each other, and at least two Miis should have the same "level-up gift" to play with or use. These Miis will interact with each other using these gifts, and one cannot see all of the events if only one of each item exists in the wild.
Along with this, when Miis ask to speak to others regarding different topics, players should get creative with their topic of choice! The game can store well over 100 pieces of "island lingo," which are topics that will appear in future conversations. This can result in some truly laugh-out-loud moments, such as seeing Mr. Rogers go from talking about "being a good neighbor" to hanging out with Wednesday Addams, who wants to go grave digging with Sora from Kingdom Hearts. The more outlandish your topics are, the funnier things can be, and with dozens of island lingo registered, you will eventually reach a point where you will truly never know what will come out of a Mii's mouth.
Along with the island lingo and allowing Miis to actually meet each other, designing an island and making use of every object possible will also go a long way. Build parks and fill them with playground equipment, make a beach with bonfires and lounge chairs, and put outdoor seating or picnic tables in areas you want your Miis to gather. Eventually, they will come with their massive vocabulary in tow, and the fun times will begin. Someone might even bring along their copy of Mega Man Battle Network.
On the other hand, for players who do not embrace their creative side and do not put in the effort to create a large selection of Miis, objects, and sayings, the game will simply become stale very quickly. The same events will repeat time and time again, the same sayings will be uttered nonstop, the pool of items being played with or used will be limited, and the island itself will be lacking in character. Rather than being a dream, the world will be a stale, monotonous wasteland, and your Miis will have nothing better to do than repeat the same old problems. Of course, repetition will happen either way, but there is a big difference between having only 20 combinations of interactions and having 20,000—even if the vast majority of them are the "same" but with different objects and participants involved.
Additionally, players should take the time to sit back and simply watch their island as well. Not everything that can happen is a cutscene; many of the smaller and funnier moments happen as your Miis explore the island. These are not as "in your face," but they are worth seeing.
Should you play it?
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a simple yet fun simulation game that fully doubles down on the bizarre and provides players with an island canvas to create nearly anything they can imagine. How much enjoyment one can get out of the game completely hinges on your own creativity, and those willing to invest their time will simply have a better experience. It is a slow burn, however, and players wanting instant gratification will not find it here. Instead, Living the Dream encourages players to stop by each day and live this life with the Miis themselves, simply enjoying the ride.
If this type of relaxed and creative-focused gameplay isn't your cup of tea, or if you are someone who wasn't entirely sold on the original release, then this one might not be for you. As for everyone else, this game can easily be a mainstay and a perfect title to return to as the years go on. It isn't too hard to sink hundreds of hours into it, though doing so too quickly might burn you out.
Thankfully, your island isn't going anywhere, so you can always take breaks as needed.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
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