Tomodachi Life is finally making its long-awaited comeback on the Nintendo Switch. Over a decade after the release of the last entry on the Nintendo 3DS, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream brings the life simulation franchise back with a proper console entry. Set to release in 2026, this new game will serve as one of the last major Nintendo Switch games, while also playing out as a major backward-compatible game on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Whenever a new entry in a Nintendo franchise is announced, there’s a whole different game that fans often think about from the publisher, and that’s the Super Smash Bros. series. As Nintendo’s big crossover franchise that brings in characters and locations from a ton of major IPs, there’s always speculation about what Nintendo could bring to the next Smash Bros. game from other franchises. The return of Tomodachi Life in particular could be important for the future of one current element of the Super Smash Bros. series.
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The recent March 2025 Nintendo Direct revealed exciting news, including a Tomodachi Life sequel, which may be significant for Animal Crossing fans.
Tomodachi Life Bodes Wii For Smash Bros.’s Mii Representation
Miis Have Been De-Emphasized On The Nintendo Switch
Tomodachi Life’s return suggests that Nintendo may continue to use Mii characters as playable fighters in the Super Smash Bros. series. Miis were introduced on the Nintendo Wii as customizable avatars that players could create based on themselves and others. The Mii creation tools also continued to appear on Nintendo’s subsequent systems, the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U, and Mii characters became playable across numerous Nintendo titles.
With the turn of the Nintendo Switch, however, Miis became somewhat de-emphasized in the sense that the Mii creation tools are more hidden in the system settings. There’s no dedicated Mii creation app for Miis like the ones on Nintendo’s previous systems. On paper, this reads like Nintendo trying to move away from Mii characters, and further symbolizes the publisher’s desire to move away from the Wii brand with the system.
Tomodachi Life Shows Miis Are Still Near And Dear To Nintendo
Even so, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream in particular showcases that the Miis are still close to Nintendo’s heart. Much like in the previous entry, this new game sees players managing an island entirely inhabited by Mii characters. As Nintendo is still engaging with Miis and making them a major part of a game almost three console generations after the Wii, Super Smash Bros.’s Mii characters now have an even greater chance of returning in the next game.
Should series director Masahiro Sakurai continue to include Mii characters in Super Smash Bros., he could also go as far as to add a fourth Mii Fighter class. Currently, the Super Smash Bros. franchise features three types of Mii classes: Brawler, Swordfighter, and Gunner. Perhaps the next game could add a fourth type, or potentially even combine all three fighter types into a “Master” class fighter.
As Nintendo is still engaging with Miis and making them a major part of a game almost three console generations after the Wii, Super Smash Bros.’s Mii characters now have an even greater chance of returning in the next game.
Tomodachi Should Have Greater Rep In Smash Beyond Fighters
Of course, Tomodachi’s return also means that Nintendo should continue to represent the game in other forms beyond playable fighters. The previous two entries already feature the Tomodachi Life stage, which is based on the apartments with which Mii characters live in the game. The next game could either bring this stage back, or even create a brand-new stage centered around the tropical island the upcoming game is set to take place on.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream looks to satisfy longtime fans who have waited years for the game, while also enticing newcomers to jump into the series for the first time. With its return, fans of the Super Smash Bros. series can also expect to see some exciting new content when the next title is ready to go. Tomodachi Life is primed for its biggest breakthrough yet, and its success as a late Nintendo Switch title should rub off on Super Smash Bros.’s eventual Switch 2 entry in a big way.
- Released
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2026
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo