By: Fuyu Banno
Graphics Editor
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream arrived on both the Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 in April with raving reviews. At first I didn’t understand the hype. The game’s preface was reminiscent of Animal Crossing, and it didn’t seem to offer anything special. However, after purchasing Tomodachi Life in June and logging into the game almost every week over the summer, I finally understood its appeal.
Tomodachi Life is a social simulation game where players create characters called Miis, the same avatars that Wii Sports uses. Others may recognize Miis as a profile picture for a Nintendo account. Players can create Miis based upon whoever they desire: friends, favorite fictional characters, or even celebrities. As the game progresses, the Miis create relationships with each other: enemies, lovers, or friends. The player acts as a life coach while also designing the island.
Although at this point, it may sound like any other life simulation game, such as The Sims, the characters’ interactions set this game apart. Unlike The Sims, where you can directly control your character, the Miis have a mind of their own. Players can encourage behavior, but it is essentially up to the Miis themselves to make decisions. The other day, my Spider Man Mii became best friends with the Mii based on my Smiski character. On my friend’s island, Batman and Superman are a happily married couple. Another one of my Miis has continuous nightmares about capybaras and toothpaste.
One of the biggest merits of the game is that it does not require long periods of play. As school starts and every day becomes more hectic, I do not have time to commit hours on a screen on top of all my homework, extracurriculars, and other offline hobbies. Sometimes I log into the game for a mere ten minutes for a quick homework break. In that short time, I can witness absurd interactions or quickly construct a Mii from a TV show I just watched.
For some people this may be a drawback. The Mii’s relationships do not evolve over minutes, it takes days. The Miis exist in the same timeline as the real world, so the pace of the game is slow and thus may be too mundane for those more interested in quick action video games. Another drawback includes its hefty price tag. In addition to needing a Nintendo Switch to operate the game, the game itself currently costs around 60 dollars. Looking out for any upcoming sales may be the best financial decision when considering whether to obtain the game or not.
I recommend this game for students especially. The absurdity of the game, nostalgic feel, and little dedication required to play may be what is missing to make everyday school life feel a bit less stressful.
[Sources: Nintendo]