Where were you when Nintendo patched same-sex relationships out of Tomodachi Life? I’m joking, of course, about a controversial rumour originating from a bug found in the Japanese version that allowed you to pair Miis of the same gender together. Nintendo denied that such a feature ever existed and that it sought to patch it out of the international release, stating at the time that it “never intended to make any form of social commentary.” How woke.
But revisiting this relic of gaming discourse after picking up a Japanese copy of Tomodachi Life on a recent trip got me thinking about how great this strange little game really is, and how, in the years since, there hasn’t really been anything like it. Miitopia was good fun, but it came across as more of an expansion of StreetPass than a fully-fledged sequel to this gem. It’s a game that at times I can’t believe Nintendo dared to make, essentially allowing you to make virtual renditions of Shaq and Hitler before turning their existence into an oddball sitcom.
Nope, I definitely didn’t do that as a teenager. Absolutely not.
Tomodachi Life Is Long Overdue For A Comeback
In this twisted delight of a game, you are able to create Miis or import them from the 3DS Mii Maker and then have them move into an apartment complex filled with loads of others. Those who prefer to be hands-on can allow Miis to make friends of their own accord, or step in and fulfil each one of their wishes.
If a Mii has a specific request or needs to speak to you, a notification will appear near their window, whether they want to request some food or just admit they have a crush on Jonah Hill next door. It’s ridiculous.
One thing I love about Tomodachi Life is how, beyond the characters you create, the game gives them individual likes and dislikes that eventually form a personality.
You could create your Nan, and she could love nothing more than scranning steak and rollerskating, or you could throw Nicolas Cage into an impromptu concert where he sings about his bad mental health. Tomodachi Life is so weird, wild, and full of unusual surprises as you are recruited as the keeper of peace amidst an island paradise where Miis grow to love and hate each other.
One of my favourite features was a minigame that told you the relationship level that two Miis shared. Nicolas Cage and Lightning from Final Fantasy 13 are ride or die besties.
But this isn’t a game that is designed to be played from start to finish. If you went in with that attitude, it would get boring very quickly. I instead treat it as a parallel to Animal Crossing where you benefit from logging into every day to see what your Miis are up to. Once you populate much of the complex, you can walk away for weeks and come back to what should be a developing situation.
Miis will have hooked up, made enemies, and developed a sense of self that you’ll be in a position to either contribute to or decimate. You are playing god to these little weirdos and should treat them as the peons they are. Like, why are they dreaming about peanuts?
And It Would Be Perfect On Nintendo Switch 2
When I think about Tomodachi Life coming to Nintendo Switch 2, it isn’t just in the form of a remastered port, but an expansion of what it means to create and host Miis on the platform. We all know the original Switch was somewhat boring and lifeless in its user interface, with the addition of customisable icons and cute sound effects doing little to alleviate that.
Its successor needs to address that shortcoming later this year with a user interface that can express the charm, whimsy, and functionality that Nintendo has always been known for, and why not fold Miis into that equation to really hammer home the brand recognition?
Better yet, usher in the return of StreetPass in the form of a souped-up version of Tomodachi Life. It’s a purpose-built experience that could come pre-installed on all consoles that encourage each user to create a character, or perhaps multiple, and have them befriend one another.
I obviously wouldn’t turn down the return of classics like Puzzle Swap, so I can go to town on new puzzle pieces every day. God I miss the 3DS…
There is so much potential for a remaster to redefine what it means to interact with Miis on a system level, especially on the successor to a console that outright rejected them.
Make the act of not only playing games on the Switch 2, but using it in general more fun with a terrific idea like this one. Tomodachi Life is a strange delight of a game more people need to play.
Tomodachi Life
- Released
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April 18, 2013
- ESRB
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