Tomodachi Life is Nintendo at its core

tomodachi-lifeOkay, so I had an idea of what I was going to do for this week. I was going to do a PS4 vs. Wii U video similar to my Xbox One vs. Wii U video I did with Tucker last week. Things were good, we had the record date set, and all was going according to schedule. That was about when I noticed a new Nintendo Direct about a game called Tomodachi Life. This one flew a bit under the radar, as it aired only a few days after the massive Smash Brothers direct. It took me a while to watch it, as I didn’t think it’d be anything special.

I have never been more wrong in my life. If you haven’t seen the direct yet, do it before reading this article. Here is the embedded video for you lazy folk.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcmx4kC0tiU]

That Nintendo Direct blew me away. In my mind, it was better than the smash direct, the Mario Kart news, everything. Why? Because it showed Nintendo doing what it does best. HavingĀ fun. Forget the graphics race, forget the mediocre Wii U sales, forget that Smash Brothers is going to be amazing. In its own way, Tomodachi LifeĀ is Nintendo at its core (in my opinion, of course).

The core of Nintendo

I just made a pretty bold claim. One game represents Nintendo’s core? It may very well be a stretch, but I believe it. I’m going to do my best to make you believe it too with three key points. Look out WiiUDaily, Zorpix is getting all persuasive essay on you!

First, Nintendo values gaming experiences that bring you closer to the people around you. Tomodachi Life seems to do this in two ways. The first is simple, and at the core of the game. Getting your friends to make Miis (or making Miis for them) and putting them in your town. I’ve done my research, and I believe that people can also enter your town via Streetpass. This is a huge step forward from games like Animal Crossing, where villagers are just tossed in your town whether you like it or not.

The second way it brings you close to those around you is having your actual friends in the game interacting with you. So while they’re not playing with you, you still have fun stories to tell them. For example, if your Miis fall in love, that’d be a fun thing to run up to them and scream. Something along the lines of “HEY GUESS WHAT?! WE’RE MARRIED!!”. Okay, so maybe everyone isn’t as gutsy as me, but I still think telling your friends stories about what they did in your game is a cool way to stay connected while apart. It reminds me of the early nineties with the Tamagotchi pets, where people would meet up and talk about the things their pets did.

One of the other things about this game that just screams “Nintendo” is the innovation. There are a lot of newer ideas here that are executed quite well. I can’t think of a game off the top of my head that actually uses synthesized voices for all the dialogue. I think Animal Crossing may have had a tiny bit, but it was rushed and not meant to be understandable. This game, while sounding funny, still sounds like actual words. That’s pretty flippin’ cool to me. The way characters interact and have relationships towards others has been done before, but it’s still really cool to see Miis given life like this.

The third thing that truly makes this a Nintendo game is that it focuses on fun. If you look at the graphics in the game, they’re good and cute, but they’re not mind-blowing. The synthesized voices are awesome, but still sound robotic and strange. What Nintendo is focusing on here is getting you to have fun with your Mii and your friend’s Miis. You could tell by the direct that this game is just full of wacky and fun scenarios to just let you lay back and have a good time. No more leaderboards, killstreaks, or mugging old ladies for quick cash. This is gaming doing what it does best. Letting you just unwind with a cool experience, and it’s Nintendo’s forte.all hail virtual boy

Wii U Tomodachi

There has been talk of a Wii U version of the game, and I’d welcome it with open arms. Touched up HD visuals and a living room setting would make this game even more enjoyable with friends. I have a few suggestions if they’re going to do this though.

First, maybe don’t make it a simple HD port. Maybe make the Wii U version some kind of “Tomodachi Hotel”, where Miis can go to unwind and get away from the struggles of busy life. Maybe make it seem like they’re going on vacation, and have fun vacation adventures with other Miis when in the Wii U version. Just a suggestion, but I’d like to see the games communicate in some form.

Also, allowing multiplayer would be a nice step forward too. From what I gathered, there is only a single player mode on the 3DS. Imagine you and your friends running around town split screen, occasionally running into each other and controlling both sides of your interactions. I can imagine a lot of hilarious and fun scenarios for this, and I’m sure you and your friends would be able to as well. “Tomodachi Life, the Drinking Game” will totally be coming to Wii U this winter.

Alright, so I think that covers why I was so happy with the direct. It was funny, light-hearted, had a lot of spirit, and showed Nintendo going back to its roots. I enjoyed Animal Crossing, but apart from there being no furries, this game seems better in every way.

Zorpix and… Miiverse?

As I mentioned earlier, today’s post came a bit out of left field, so I don’t actually have posts ready to show you guys. However, I will do a sort of… community spotlight, if you will. I’m going to show off a few Miiverse profiles that I enjoy following, and you should too! All about networking and making new friends (友達)!

Also, just because I don’t list you here doesn’t mean I don’t like following you. I just picked a few off the top of my head. I couldn’t include everyone!

Magnus:Ā I know many of you have mixed feelings about our dear troll, but if you look at his Miiverse profile, you’d know he’s been a dedicated Nintendo fan sinceĀ 1986. I wasn’t even alive then! He posts from a lot of different communities, and gives you a wide view of what games are available, and what to expect. He’s a great one to follow if you’re not sure what to buy next!

Samael_Blackwing:Ā A great thing about following this guy is that he gives a weekly eShop forecast, and posts a few deals as well. Between following him and WiiUDaily, you’ll never miss an eShop release! He also posts from a few games he plays, so if you need more games in your feed, follow him as well!

Big Franky:Ā Do you hate Clu Clu Land? Follow this guy right now. Do you want a bit of opinion in your Miiverse posts? Give this guy a follow. Do you like guys named Frank? Give this man a follow. Do you respect gaming dads? Give this man a follow. Can you think of a reason not to follow? Give this man a follow.

Toxicwolfy:Ā I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know it’s unfair to put my girlfriend’s profile up here, but aren’t I allowed at least a little bias? She does really great art with Art Academy: Sketchpad for pretty much all of her posts, so if you like following Miiverse artists, you might as well add one more to the list!

I hope you guys have used these people to help fill your activity feed a bit more! Sorry about my lack of planning in not getting the images up, but I hope this is a welcome substitute!

Wrapping up

Thank you all for reading my unexpected article! I’ll probably do another video next week unless I see severe opposition to it, so let me know what you think in the comments! The videos won’t be a regular thing, I just wanted to do something special these next few weeks is all.

If you do happen to have any suggestions for next weekā€™s topic, any questions about the content I wrote, or just wanna say hey, feel free to sound off below! If you really feel inclined, you can mosey on over to myĀ Twitter,Ā Facebook, orĀ MiiverseĀ account. Please donā€™t feel offended if I donā€™t respond to friend requests on the Wii U, as I reserve that for people I actually know in real lifeĀ (usuallyā€¦). Iā€™ll probably follow back though!