A reader argues that Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream is one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch 1 and a major improvement on the original.
The rollout for this game is one that I was extremely invested in – I loved the demo, I had every promotional video on repeat, and I stayed up until midnight on launch day to be one of the first people to play the game. So, was the game worth the hype?
As with Nintendo’s best games, the gameplay shines. The evolution from Mii only being able to visit isolated parts of the island to them roaming an open world island already elevates this game above the predecessor. Seeing Mii walking with and past each other, and following them directly into the restaurant, makes the core gameplay and Mii interactions feel organic and part of the wider world.
There’s nothing more satisfying than solving an issue with one Mii outside and seeing several more walking around the island or talking in the background. Dragging Mii to another Mii or making them explore a newly built part of the island gives me a sense of autonomy over a game that could’ve been completely hands-off and randomised. The cut scenes for key Mii interactions reminds me of the ones from The Sims 2, in the best way, and it’s always fun deciding the topics of discussion and having them be added to the island lexicon.
If that was all, then this game would still be great, but the Island Builder and Pallet House is the real gem. The grid-based system makes editing the island in the builder surprisingly smooth, despite the busy interface, helped by being able to use the directional buttons. Meanwhile, Pallet House allows you to make objects for your Mii and island. You don’t have to be an artist, thanks to the templates and stamps. These two features alone adds depth to the gameplay, which was a frequent debate with its predecessor and has continued in the build-up to this game.
While the predecessor was only suited for short bursts, due to a lack of meaningful functionality, the ability to customise your island and drag the Mii anywhere on the island enables continuous experimentation even when the Mii have no requests. Also, the game just looks plain lovely. On ground level, the world looks way more detailed than recent Pokémon games and is one of the most attractive Switch games in recent memory, making for the perfect swansong for the Switch 1.
Expert, exclusive gaming analysis
Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.
Of course, it isn’t perfect. The absence of the concert hall is disappointing, especially as its music plays in the restaurant. The open world approach could’ve justified this, but shops still continue to be menus, so keeping the concert hall separate wouldn’t have been out of place.
More understandable is there being a 70 Mii cap, due to the complexity of the game, although a Switch 2 patch with a higher Mii limit would be great. It’s also not lost on me that this game is the fourth Nintendo game in the last year (after Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4, and Pokémon Pokopia) to use open world elements, and it’s obvious that object creation is ripped straight from Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While it’s resulted in massive improvements to gameplay, the pattern is starting to feel obvious and formulaic.
Overall, this is the ideal evolution of a franchise that deserved a lot more attention. While this style of gameplay was never going to suit everyone, it’s a lot stronger as an interactive game than its predecessors and is worth a purchase if you’re looking for a funny and casual title.
By reader Connor Lamb
The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.
Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.