Over the past two weeks, there has been an uprise in gamer girlfriends getting upset with their boyfriends. The cause of this uptick in relationship hiccups is Tomodachi Life, where Mii boyfriends are falling for Hatsune Miku before their girlfriends. I feel like everyone’s game has a Miku; mine also has Teto and Luka so far. My boyfriend Mii didn’t pick my Mii at first, but we’re now on the right track.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is out and available on the Switch, one and two. It’s all I’ve been seeing on social media, and it never disappoints. It is the ultimate customization game, letting you create very detailed Miis and everyday items such as food, clothes, and pets. The player is only limited by their imagination. Since I started playing Tomodachi Life, everything has been an inspiration. I was watching Scrubs and drew a doodle on a television, named it Scrubs, and now I can gift my Miis comedy gold. Real outfits I’ve seen while shopping have inspired in-game outfits, and Mii inspiration can come from anywhere.
I think everyone’s favorite customization is in the Mii’s character creator, where the face paint feature allows the player to draw anything on their Mii’s face. People are creating fan art that can freely roam an island and befriend other fan art. I like watching people bring their original characters to life. I imagine that seeing a character you created drawn in your style in a video game is an exciting experience. People are bringing together a variety of characters from different universes for the ultimate crossover episode with hilarious results. Miku could fall in with a Tamagotchi, the whole toy, not just a character. Sometimes, Miis surprise you and stay scarily accurate to their lore, like Bob and Linda Belcher falling in love at first sight. You have 70 Mii slots, so get crazy with it. The heartbreaking story lines come from players putting their real-life romantic partner and themselves on the island.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is like playing with a dollhouse where you can listen to your Mii’s wants and struggles and provide basic advice. It’s not The Sims, though you have a lot of control; it’s not full control, and sometimes Miis just fall in love. If a Mii confides in you, they may be falling for another Mii. You can say no and deter them, but they may ask again, and I felt a little bad denying my Mii her crush a second time, but that was my boyfriend she was eyeing. Sometimes a Mii can fall head over heels; you can encourage them to ask the other Mii out, and they can be rejected. Miis also have gut-wrenching breakups. I still feel like I never know what I’m going to get with these unique relationships between the characters. Which, I didn’t realize, can change over time even when you’re not playing. It feels like opening the game to something new every time.
My heart has been captured by the slow but chaotic life on my island, but though I could play it for hours, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream has some flaws. The biggest one is that some of the clothing and decorating items are ripped directly from Animal Crossing. I understand the development team knew people would get sucked into making their own items instead of using the premade ones. Still, the game costs $60 USD for items that Animal Crossing players have seen before. Another issue some players have brought up is the penalties for time traveling. I don’t see the benefit of time traveling in this game, but people are utilizing the mechanic. They found that time travel penalizes the player by preventing new items from being added to the shops for three days. The question becomes, if you time-travel for Animal Crossing, will it affect Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream?
I feel like I’ve been living the dream since I started playing Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. It’s somehow the perfect way to unwind at the end of the day while still managing to keep me up way past my bedtime. I’ve had to write down my ideas for Miis and items so I can sleep without worrying about forgetting them. I have a checklist, and I only feel slightly crazy about it. If you enjoy games where you can take it slow and customize to your heart’s content, I think you’ll enjoy Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. Live your chaotic dreams. If you have the game, does your island have Miku?
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