Tomodachi Life
- KOR: July 17, 2014
| Tomodachi Life | |
|---|---|
| File:TompdachiNaboxart.jpg North American box art | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo SPD Group 1 |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 3DS |
| Genre(s) | Life simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Tomodachi Life, known in Japan as Tomodachi Collection: New Life (トモダチコレクション 新生活, Tomodachi Korekushon: Shin Seikatsu), is a life simulation handheld video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS, and the direct sequel to the Japan-exclusive Nintendo DS title, Tomodachi Collection. It was first released in Japan on April 18, 2013, and will be released in North America and Europe on June 6, 2014, thus making it the first Tomodachi game to be released outside of Japan.[1][2] The game was the best-selling game in Japan during the week of its release, selling about 404,858 units.[3] As of December 31, 2013, its sales total 1.82 million.[4]
Gameplay
The game takes place on an island inhabited by various Miis, which the player can import from their 3DS, other devices, or QR codes, or create from scratch using the 3DS' camera or the in-game creation tools. These Miis can be given their own voice, which is spoken in vocal synthesizer software, and a unique personality based on slider inputs given. Miis can then perform various actions, such as eating, trying on different outfits, falling in love with someone of the opposite sex, and doing many leisurely activities. As more Miis are introduced, many strange and curious interactions can occur between Miis, such as friendship, rivalry, bizarre musical numbers, and more.
Development
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2014) |
In May 2014, a playable demo of the game was distributed to Platinum members of Club Nintendo in North America, the data of which could be transferred to the final version and unlock a bonus in-game item.[5] The game will be bundled with two Nintendo eShop download codes for a 'Welcome version' demo, which can be given to friends.[6]
Controversy
Following the game's announcement for a Western release, controversy arose concerning how it is not possible to have same-sex relationships in-game. Nintendo stated, "The ability for same-sex relationships to occur in the game was not part of the original game that launched in Japan, and that game is made up of the same code that was used to localise it for other regions outside of Japan.” [7] In the original Japanese version of Tomodachi Collection: New Life, a bug was discovered which allowed users to create male Miis and assign their gender as female, allowing them to have same-sex relationships, which has since been fixed by Nintendo.[8] Despite various campaigns from users, Nintendo stated that it would not be possible to add same-sex relationships to the game, as they "never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of" the game,[9] and because it would require significant development alterations which would not be able to be released as a post-game patch. The company later apologised and stated that, if they were to create another entry in the Tomodachi series, they would "strive to design a gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players."[10]
Appearances in other games
A stage based on this game has been confirmed for the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.[11]
References
- ^ Otero, Jose (April 10, 2014). "Tomodachi Life Could Be Nintendo's Next Animal Crossing". IGN. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ^ "Tomodachi Life". Nintendo.co.uk. Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ^ "This Week in Sales: Tomodachi Collection Sees Big Launch Sales". Siliconera. April 24, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ "Supplementary Information about Earnings Release" (PDF). Nintendo. 2014-01-29. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "Club Nintendo Distributing Tomodachi Life Demo Codes to Select Platinum Members - 3DS News @ Nintendo Life". Nintendolife.com. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
- ^ "Tomodachi Life Comes With 2 Free Demos to Give to Friends | Kotaku UK". Kotaku.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
- ^ "Nintendo resists #Miiquality campaign to let Tomodachi Life gamers play gay". Guardian News. Associated Press. May 7, 2014.
- ^ "Nintendo's response to demands of Miiquality: "Let's not talk about it"". GamesRadar. 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
- ^ "Entertainment News, Celebrity and Pop Culture - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
- ^ "We are committed to fun and entertainment for everyone - Nintendo Official Site". Nintendo.com. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
- ^ "Tomodachi Collection: New Life stage". IGN. 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
External links