Review – Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

Who has never wanted to give up everything to go live in the digital world? Those were good times for The Sims, weren’t they? These days, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to living a life like this. On Switches, for example, we have Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the newcomer and now, it’s here to join the fun. We know that they are not the same games, they even have a similar vibe, but with completely unique characteristics.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream rescues the Miis, those famous Nintendo avatars, and places them on an island entirely of their own to create a city. This is the new game of Nintendo’s iconic life simulation. The charismatic characters steal the show, and the entire aesthetic reinforces how unique and random this universe can be, even within a widely explored idea.

Create your own universe

As expected, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream initially allows you to create a Mii however you prefer. If you want something practical and surprising, you can use the prompt menu to choose characteristics and see what the game generates for you. But, if you feel a lack of details, there is an extensive list of editing options. As it is not a version produced exactly for the Switch 2, it is not possible to use the camera to capture the face and automatically generate a Mii, as we saw in the Nintendo 3DS title.

When building the character, you can already notice the comical tone of the game. The aesthetics of Miis even try to get closer to us or people we know, but it almost always results in caricatured and funny versions. This gets even better when we edit the voice timbres, there are pre-defined and customizable options, allowing us to find something that reminds us of the real person, with a rhythm that makes speeches more understandable, even in English.

Another detail that draws attention is the possibility of writing how words or names are pronounced. It’s really fun to try to “cheat” English to make residents use slang, nicknames or names that sound more natural in Portuguese, but the result is hilarious. During the experience, I won’t deny it: these moments held me for a long time, always bringing a good laugh.

With your Mii finished, the world begins to take shape according to your needs. The balloons above the head indicate requests: hunger creates a market, new clothes create a store, the need for interaction calls for new Miis. This shows how the game evolves quickly from the beginning, helping to give rhythm to the experience, even if, at times, it seems to limit your choices a little.

In fact, you act as a kind of “God” on this island, taking care of each character. Fulfilling your desires is what moves the game. Initially, I was apprehensive about the freedom to customize houses and landscapes, but what they present works almost like a great tutorial integrated into the experience. Over time, new options will gradually be released.

The possibilities of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

You can move buildings and landscapes easily, there are no raccoons trying to get rich at your expense. In construction mode, the map becomes a large model with a grid that delimits the spaces. Despite the freedom, this grid can be limiting and uncomfortable for those looking for more precise positioning, generating small frustrations for the most perfectionists.

It is also possible to change terrain, colors and lighting. And if you don’t like it, you can create your own designs, opening up a practically infinite range of creativity. You can draw food, clothes, objects, interiors, exteriors and even terrain. A simple example: my Mii asked for a piece of cake, I drew it and that’s it, mission accomplished.

Once again, it is worth mentioning that the game was designed for the Switch 1. Although it works well on the Switch 2, there are clear limitations: don’t expect the use of a mouse or deeper improvements in the interaction with drawing and moving objects. It’s a shame, as this adaptation could have been more refined.

I must confess: Marbule is the name of my little paradise. In it, I inserted Miis based on my family, which made the situations even more relevant, often reflecting each person’s real behavior. The game also allows you to define the degree of kinship, avoiding uncomfortable situations, as relationships between characters are part of the dynamics, here’s a tip.

Creating different relationships

It is interesting to note that Nintendo sought to be more inclusive, bringing options such as non-binary Miis and allowing different types of relationships. Still, I feel like there was a lack of options for representing people with disabilities. In a game that simulates social interactions and everyday life, including elements such as wheelchairs, prosthetics or hearing aids would not just be an aesthetic detail, but a way of expanding representation within this universe. This would make a lot of sense with the game’s proposal and would enrich this life simulation even more.

As more characters appear, situations begin to happen and what seemed cozy quickly becomes a real stage for humor. I’ve seen Miis stumbling, frozen, hiccuping and in all these cases, your “divine hand” can help. It is also possible to see dreams, presentations and completely absurd situations, such as treating headaches by breaking objects inside the skull. It’s strange and very funny.

Despite this, there are caveats. Many of these situations recur frequently, which can lessen the impact over time. At various times, I would just quickly solve problems, which could even be automated. The minigames follow the same line: fun, but repetitive.

The game becomes a cycle between editing the island and following the characters’ lives (great for keeping up with the gossip). In the meantime, you need to maintain constant care: feed, encourage interactions, take orders and participate in various activities such as quizzes, bowling and other minigames.

Fulfilling wishes

All of this generates rewards in the form of coins, used in the wishing fountain. By evolving it, new items are unlocked in stores, from clothes to customization options. Furthermore, it is possible to collect the money accumulated daily from this source.

Miis also evolve, gaining levels and allowing them to choose gifts that help shape their personalities. Each character has a record with tastes, relationships and preferences, which requires attention to avoid making mistakes in your choices and keep them happy.

In addition, there is the island’s newspaper, which broadcasts news as a kind of Globo service, and allows you to review events when you return to the game (when the newspaper building is open). This is just a small snippet of what Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream offers. In practice, there are a large number of activities that can easily consume hours.

It’s worth mentioning that it’s possible to have up to 70 Miis on the island, which is, honestly, chaotic. Managing all of this can be a challenge, but it is also part of the game’s charm and will certainly result in countless fun situations.

The more Miis, the better!

I tested the game on both Switches. On the OLED, the aliasing is more noticeable on the portable, while on the Switch 2 the visuals and loading are better. Overall, performance is solid on both versions. I didn’t commit the madness of reaching the 70 characters roaming the island, but I was curious to know the result of this on screen.

Even without an extremely advanced look, the game is beautiful and has charm. The mix between 3D elements and stylized objects creates a unique aesthetic. Interactions with the characters, especially with their giant hands, are reminiscent of cartoons like SpongeBob, reinforcing the visual humor and no sense.

The language barrier can be a problem: the game does not have subtitles in Portuguese, which directly impacts the understanding of dialogues, games and jokes. Who knows, maybe this will come in updates, and if it does, I hope it’s in the quality we’ve seen in the latest Nintendo games with common jokes and slang in our language.

Despite its social appeal, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is essentially a solo experience. There is a local connection to exchange Miis and items, but nothing very robust. Unlike , there is no structured online interaction.

This creates a certain contradiction: a game about social relationships that keeps the player and his possible 70 residents isolated. It works, but it leaves that feeling of missed opportunity. And this is another one of the things on the wish list, who knows, maybe the game will gain support as we have seen on the Crosseiras islands.

Who needs BBB when you can create your own program? Here, no one goes out and the gossip only increases. However, at least for now, only those you raise or babies born there participate on this island. Still, the Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream experience is extremely addictive and easy to get lost in for many hours.