The "Retro Game Reviews" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Nintendo's new 'life sim' is the sort of thing only Nintendo could create.
The premise is to populate an island with Mii characters who sing, dance, fall in love, play games and complain about their clothes. Being Nintendo, this is handled in a unique way and although there are very basic parallels to The Sims and Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life is a very different type of game.
First job is to create your own Mii, by uploading it from the one stored in your 3DS (or scanning in from any number of websites dedicated to 'famous Mii characters' using the QR codes) or starting from scratch. Add a synthesised voice, a choice of behaviours and watch as they become the first resident in your new block of flats. When the game begins the island will feel a bit empty, but add more characters, from famous people to your family and friends, and you’ll soon see shops and attractions spring up around town.
One thing that separates this game from the many sim titles out there is the feeling that you don’t really have much control over your population. You act as part-god, part-babysitter, listening to their needs and being asked the odd question or for some relationship advice. They will then make friends, create a list of likes and dislikes, gossip at the coffee shop (which, you’ll be glad to hear, you can overhear) and even create a family, which happens a lot later on in the game and only if 2 people are completely compatible.
Occasionally, one resident will ask you to play a simple game, from matching pairs to sliding puzzles. It’s a nice way to break up the gameplay but it doesn't happen all too often. This sums up Tomodachi Life in general, though. The game tends to be made up of small events that happen every so often and for the most part the game feels almost like it's playing itself.
This is where we come to the underlying issue; this is not a game for serious adults looking for something to sink their time into. Tomodachi Life is a game primarily for kids and those who were brought up raising Tamagochi. It has much in common with one of those old virtual pet games, though it also provides a bit of Nintendo fan service through some of the items you can unlock and a few sly nods to adults. It also has a lot in common with a very old game on the C64, Little Computer People, which was as much an experiment in AI as it was a game.
My own experience was one of amusement and initial joy, which soon wore thinner after the second week of play, but my two kids are still playing their copies of the game quite happily, telling us stories of how Princess Peach and Katy Perry are now best friends and how Sonic the Hedgehog proposed to Rapunzel.
To use a well worn phrase; this is a Marmite game, a game you will either love or hate. Is it right for you? If you like the idea of watching celebrities fall in love or fight over a toy, or you like the idea of peering in to other people's lives, then most certainly. Kids will lap it up with its quirky sense of humour, but many adults will wonder what the point is after the first day's play.
8/10 if you're a kid or this appeals to you. Everyone else can subtract a random number between 1 and 8.
The premise is to populate an island with Mii characters who sing, dance, fall in love, play games and complain about their clothes. Being Nintendo, this is handled in a unique way and although there are very basic parallels to The Sims and Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life is a very different type of game.
First job is to create your own Mii, by uploading it from the one stored in your 3DS (or scanning in from any number of websites dedicated to 'famous Mii characters' using the QR codes) or starting from scratch. Add a synthesised voice, a choice of behaviours and watch as they become the first resident in your new block of flats. When the game begins the island will feel a bit empty, but add more characters, from famous people to your family and friends, and you’ll soon see shops and attractions spring up around town.
One thing that separates this game from the many sim titles out there is the feeling that you don’t really have much control over your population. You act as part-god, part-babysitter, listening to their needs and being asked the odd question or for some relationship advice. They will then make friends, create a list of likes and dislikes, gossip at the coffee shop (which, you’ll be glad to hear, you can overhear) and even create a family, which happens a lot later on in the game and only if 2 people are completely compatible.
Occasionally, one resident will ask you to play a simple game, from matching pairs to sliding puzzles. It’s a nice way to break up the gameplay but it doesn't happen all too often. This sums up Tomodachi Life in general, though. The game tends to be made up of small events that happen every so often and for the most part the game feels almost like it's playing itself.
This is where we come to the underlying issue; this is not a game for serious adults looking for something to sink their time into. Tomodachi Life is a game primarily for kids and those who were brought up raising Tamagochi. It has much in common with one of those old virtual pet games, though it also provides a bit of Nintendo fan service through some of the items you can unlock and a few sly nods to adults. It also has a lot in common with a very old game on the C64, Little Computer People, which was as much an experiment in AI as it was a game.
My own experience was one of amusement and initial joy, which soon wore thinner after the second week of play, but my two kids are still playing their copies of the game quite happily, telling us stories of how Princess Peach and Katy Perry are now best friends and how Sonic the Hedgehog proposed to Rapunzel.
To use a well worn phrase; this is a Marmite game, a game you will either love or hate. Is it right for you? If you like the idea of watching celebrities fall in love or fight over a toy, or you like the idea of peering in to other people's lives, then most certainly. Kids will lap it up with its quirky sense of humour, but many adults will wonder what the point is after the first day's play.
8/10 if you're a kid or this appeals to you. Everyone else can subtract a random number between 1 and 8.
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Nintendo's new 'life sim' is the sort of thing only Nintendo could create.
The premise is to populate an island with Mii characters who sing, dance, fall in love, play games and complain about their clothes. Being Nintendo, this is handled in a unique way and although there are very basic parallels to The Sims and Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life is a very different type of game.
First job is to create your own Mii, by uploading it from the one stored in your 3DS (or scanning in from any number of websites dedicated to 'famous Mii characters' using the QR codes) or starting from scratch. Add a synthesised voice, a choice of behaviours and watch as they become the first resident in your new block of flats. When the game begins the island will feel a bit empty, but add more characters, from famous people to your family and friends, and you’ll soon see shops and attractions spring up around town.
One thing that separates this game from the many sim titles out there is the feeling that you don’t really have much control over your population. You act as part-god, part-babysitter, listening to their needs and being asked the odd question or for some relationship advice. They will then make friends, create a list of likes and dislikes, gossip at the coffee shop (which, you’ll be glad to hear, you can overhear) and even create a family, which happens a lot later on in the game and only if 2 people are completely compatible.
Occasionally, one resident will ask you to play a simple game, from matching pairs to sliding puzzles. It’s a nice way to break up the gameplay but it doesn't happen all too often. This sums up Tomodachi Life in general, though. The game tends to be made up of small events that happen every so often and for the most part the game feels almost like it's playing itself.
This is where we come to the underlying issue; this is not a game for serious adults looking for something to sink their time into. Tomodachi Life is a game primarily for kids and those who were brought up raising Tamagochi. It has much in common with one of those old virtual pet games, though it also provides a bit of Nintendo fan service through some of the items you can unlock and a few sly nods to adults. It also has a lot in common with a very old game on the C64, Little Computer People, which was as much an experiment in AI as it was a game.
My own experience was one of amusement and initial joy, which soon wore thinner after the second week of play, but my two kids are still playing their copies of the game quite happily, telling us stories of how Princess Peach and Katy Perry are now best friends and how Sonic the Hedgehog proposed to Rapunzel.
To use a well worn phrase; this is a Marmite game, a game you will either love or hate. Is it right for you? If you like the idea of watching celebrities fall in love or fight over a toy, or you like the idea of peering in to other people's lives, then most certainly. Kids will lap it up with its quirky sense of humour, but many adults will wonder what the point is after the first day's play.
8/10 if you're a kid or this appeals to you. Everyone else can subtract a random number between 1 and 8.
The premise is to populate an island with Mii characters who sing, dance, fall in love, play games and complain about their clothes. Being Nintendo, this is handled in a unique way and although there are very basic parallels to The Sims and Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life is a very different type of game.
First job is to create your own Mii, by uploading it from the one stored in your 3DS (or scanning in from any number of websites dedicated to 'famous Mii characters' using the QR codes) or starting from scratch. Add a synthesised voice, a choice of behaviours and watch as they become the first resident in your new block of flats. When the game begins the island will feel a bit empty, but add more characters, from famous people to your family and friends, and you’ll soon see shops and attractions spring up around town.
One thing that separates this game from the many sim titles out there is the feeling that you don’t really have much control over your population. You act as part-god, part-babysitter, listening to their needs and being asked the odd question or for some relationship advice. They will then make friends, create a list of likes and dislikes, gossip at the coffee shop (which, you’ll be glad to hear, you can overhear) and even create a family, which happens a lot later on in the game and only if 2 people are completely compatible.
Occasionally, one resident will ask you to play a simple game, from matching pairs to sliding puzzles. It’s a nice way to break up the gameplay but it doesn't happen all too often. This sums up Tomodachi Life in general, though. The game tends to be made up of small events that happen every so often and for the most part the game feels almost like it's playing itself.
This is where we come to the underlying issue; this is not a game for serious adults looking for something to sink their time into. Tomodachi Life is a game primarily for kids and those who were brought up raising Tamagochi. It has much in common with one of those old virtual pet games, though it also provides a bit of Nintendo fan service through some of the items you can unlock and a few sly nods to adults. It also has a lot in common with a very old game on the C64, Little Computer People, which was as much an experiment in AI as it was a game.
My own experience was one of amusement and initial joy, which soon wore thinner after the second week of play, but my two kids are still playing their copies of the game quite happily, telling us stories of how Princess Peach and Katy Perry are now best friends and how Sonic the Hedgehog proposed to Rapunzel.
To use a well worn phrase; this is a Marmite game, a game you will either love or hate. Is it right for you? If you like the idea of watching celebrities fall in love or fight over a toy, or you like the idea of peering in to other people's lives, then most certainly. Kids will lap it up with its quirky sense of humour, but many adults will wonder what the point is after the first day's play.
8/10 if you're a kid or this appeals to you. Everyone else can subtract a random number between 1 and 8.