I Won't Mention The Lack Of Gay Marriage, Oops... A Tomodachi Life Review

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: 3DS

Oooooooh!

Rating: 8/10
Verdict: It's pretty light on the "life simulator," but in small bursts it's an extremely funny, silly game that is sure to make you laugh a bunch of times.



Tomodachi Life is another Nintendo game that tries to go beyond the social norm of gaming and offer us an original, memorable and quirky experience. In my opinion, people should go out of their way to try to play these types of games because you often find the diamonds in the rough this way. But is this game a gem or a dud?

In Tomodachi Life, you are tasked with creating Miis and looking after them. You help shape their personality and even their voice -- the voices are robotic and silly but it fits perfectly within the context of the game. You have to feed them, clothe them, help them cultivate relationships, and watch them do plenty of strange things. Yes, it's like Sims meets Animal Crossing, but it's not really as deep as either or compelling. With that said, Tomodachi Life is not at all a bad game and there's a lot to love here if you're willing to give yourself over to the weirder side of things.

This is probably the biggest laugh I had in the game.

The main complaint that you'll hear almost unanimously across the board is that the game is repetitive and it loses its novelty fairly quickly. I can't even argue that, because if you play the game more than fifteen minutes per sit down, you'll often find yourself wondering what you can do next. The game isn't as demanding as Animal Crossing, and the experience is light. You have very little control over how your town develops, outside of creating Miis or solving problems, but the requisites for how to attain everything in town is clearly laid out for you. There just isn't a lot to do at any given time, but it's actually not a bad way to kill a few minutes a bunch of times a day.

There is a level progression system, which is a nice addition but what it offers is minimal. You level up your Miis but giving them gifts, feeding them, clothing them, giving them life and relationship advice, and when they reach a new level you have the choice of giving them a new interior for their apartment, a catch phrase, a song, a gift or pocket money. That's really about all there is to it but I'm still glad they put it in there because even though it's simplistic, it does give you the feeling that you're doing something with these people.

On the flip side, if you give Miis bad advice and they get their heartbroken, prepare to do the materialistic thing and give them gifts until they feel better. A black cloud will literally appear above their head as they mourn their broken heart. The Miis seem to proclaim their love for one another on a fairly regular basis, so be prepared to deal with them. My main Mii kept proclaiming his love for a girl that was already taken... oh how art imitates life. I mean, what?

The music is there, but there's not a whole lot to love. If you're anything like me, you'll keep the sound up because you enjoy listening to the Miis talk. For example, in the photo above, I have a Mii named jake and I could listen to him talk all day because his voice amuses me. 

So you may be asking yourself, how could I possibly give it an 8 when the game gets repetitive so quickly? There are two main reasons for that. The first is that it's okay to have casual games where it's just a quick pick up and play. It helps ease and relax the mind, and sometimes it's nice to not play something complex.

The other reason is the main one. The game is hilarious and will most likely be the funniest game I play this year, and it positions itself nicely in the history of amusing video games. The comedy is the real winner here. Though the game does often get repetitive, there were times when something new happened that would make me crack up. This could be something as simple as watching a Mii do something strange in their apartment because they don't know somebody's watching, only to turn to you, eyes wide open, when you choose to enter their apartment. Or maybe it's the most random conversation you'll ever see in a Cafe. Perhaps it's the first time you watch a song (that you can write) get performed on stage. It could be watching the comical events that take place each day in the Mii News. Or it could be taking a vacation -- with selfies -- in space. Maybe it's the joy of doing something like this:

Making a Ninja who lives in a jail.

The game breathes and encourages odd. That's why it's okay that the game isn't as deep as it could be. Sure, in time this novelty will wear off as well, but that's the nature of games: eventually things become ordinary. It's cheesy and doesn't take itself too seriously, and may not find a real audience among "serious gamers," but it would have been a blast to develop. It's not the deepest life simulator, but it's important to note that in my time with the game so far, I have yet to feel like the game has gotten entirely stale. Give it a chance if you want something different.

I leave you with one last memory.