Tomodachi Life Reviews
A life less ordinary.
Nintendo's 'Tomodachi Life' is not only one of the most controversial titles in recent memory, but one of the oddest.
Tomodachi Life offers a great kind of humor: it's just fun to laugh at yourself and your friends in absurd situations. Nintendo gets a lot out of mileage out of this Sims-like concept, but still manages to find ways to make it simple, accessible, and entertaining. The stiff, robotic voices could use improvement, but the effect of hearing the Miis speak is still novel in it's own way. The easy-breezy pace makes it ideal for short bursts of play, and it leaves me eager to check in on my town early and often.
Tomodachi Life finds fun in the most mundane of activities, thanks to quirky style that makes hanging out with digital friends surprisingly engrossing.
Laid-back pacing and general silliness won't click with everyone
Tomodachi Life brings the quirk in spades, but it's not long before the novelty wears off.
Tomodachi Life is undeniably charming
A weird, hillarious, and heartwarming game that still surprises me after three solid weeks of playing it.
Try it if you're a tween (or a tween-at-heart). Otherwise, avoid it.
The fact that it's almost impossible to cover every aspect of Tomodachi Life in a single review is perhaps testament to the vast scope of the game. There is so much going on here and so many months of potential enjoyment on offer that this would easily become your most-played 3DS title. But again, that thorny issue remains — is this really a game in the strictest sense? It's closer to being an expanded version of Bandai's famous '90s craze the Tamagotchi, with your main duty being the happiness of your Mii population, rather than any skill-based challenges. In fact, there's precious little skill involved at all — given enough time, you'll be able to see everything this has to offer regardless of how "good" you are at it. Of course, that doesn't make the process any less entertaining or rewarding, but it's worth keeping in mind if you prefer your games to be a little more demanding.Despite concerns regarding its suitability for core gamers, Tomodachi Life is a title which has truly universal appeal; the barrier to entry which exists in many pieces of software — Animal Crossing: New Leaf included — is all but removed here, making this feel more like a casual mobile title. Some will see that as a negative, but under Nintendo's watchful eye, this cookie-cutter concept is expanded and improved almost beyond measure. Tomodachi Life is perhaps best described as the glorious culmination of the Mii concept that was heralded by the release of the Wii back in 2006, and at long last gives your virtual avatar a life of its own — as well as many humorous and entertaining escapades to enjoy.
Tomodachi Life reminds me what I love about Nintendo. Another developer might try an experience like this on iOS or Android, but it's unlikely they would leave it unsullied by in-game purchases. I also doubt that many other studios could nail the effortless humor that makes this so refreshing to play. It's not about shooting people. It's not even about jumping on heads. It's about mixing people together to see what happens, and I'm not sure anyone but Nintendo could figure out how to make something that simple so much fun.
Ridiculous, hilarious and full of the unique surrealism that Nintendo does so damn well, it's hard not to fall in love with Tomodachi Life and the characters you create. The sedate pace and minimal interaction might not be everyone's cup of tea, but this is guaranteed to be a cult hit. Worth experiencing at least once to see something genuinely funny and unusual, this is the kind of game that reminds you how imaginative Nintendo can be.
Yet the game fails to genuinely engage most of the time, leaving the player to observe when they should be making choices and doing things. It lacks clear objectives and direction, never making you feel like you've made any progress or done anything important. It's just plain boring too much of the time to recommend whole-heartedly.
Tomodachi Life does its best to cut through a lot of society's hateful garbage to produce an incredible island paradise of distraction and more often than not succeeds, but not without stumbling all over itself, revealing too many embarrassing inner thoughts. Just like that kid in gym class, it's possible to cross a line trying to prove a point. There's no progress in Tomodachi Life without you and maybe that's to the game's advantage. It puts no pressure on you to keep playing if you really hate the game, but revisiting your island paradise later won't leave you feeling guilty since you don't have to worry about picking a bunch of weeds.
In all, Tomodachi Life is filled with pure, unbridled joy. It puts a stupid grin on my face and keeps it there through its duration. Some might complain that it is "not a game," but they can go on hating. It does require the player to put in some love, flair, and wit, but what comes out is magic.
An amusing novelty on a good day but a tedious non-game for the rest of the week, Nintendo's life simulator proves voyeurism is not all it's cracked up to be.
Tomodachi Life might not have the lasting appeal of a title like Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but the game certainly offers up an interesting experience
A bonkers life-sim with bags of personality and lots of charm, the entertaining Tomodachi Life is let down only by its limitations as a gaming experience.
Tomodachi Life isn't for everyone, but it's still a fun game that can also be enjoyed in short bursts when pressed for time. While the main goal of the game is to basically keep your residents happy, it's a slight disappointment that you can't control their actions directly. I feel bad for a Mii who was shot down after asking for a relationship as I can't do a whole lot for them, but there's still enough to do in the game to keep things interesting.
Perhaps it was at the point when I saw Chuck Norris doing yoga with Batman, the Joker, and Barack Obama or maybe it was when Princess Peach was rejected by Peter Griffin. At some point while playing Tomodachi Life, I realized how much the game activated my imagination. When I was little, I was never one to play with action figures or make up fake storylines for fictional characters to partake in, but with Tomodachi Life, I have never felt my imagination so stimulated. I feel like I am managing a virtual dollhouse of celebrities; that is okay, because I have never had so much fun planning the daily goings-on of my Miis.