Tomodachi Life is a life simulation video game developed by Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game, which is a direct sequel to the Japan-exclusive Nintendo DS title, Tomodachi Collection, was released in Japan in April 2013. If you are just now starting your tomodachi life once you've created your mii look alike it will have a problem, it will say she/he is hungry. Once you give the mii their food they will have one more problem blocking their happiness. They will say, 'It's a little lonely on this island, if only I had some company.' That's when you make a new mii.
A short oneshot that came to me after one of my miis asked me a certain question on Tomodachi Life. The fanfic section for the game is pretty sparse, so why not? Enjoy!
'If the save data gets erased…what happens to us?'
My lookalike does not respond. They never respond unless prompted and offered options to choose from. But I can see their face, in that same little window it's always in. Peering down on our world from above, like a silent, observing god.
The lookalike is smiling, amused by my inquiry. They do not realize I am serious. After a quick pat on the head and an offering of hot chocolate, the lookalike leaves to visit someone else. I swiftly down the piping-hot drink. Then I am left staring into the depths of the empty mug, my soul feeling just as empty.
I know this is a game. I think I've always known, but I never wanted to question it.
Life on the island is so carefree. The inhabitants are free to do whatever they want—perform in a concert, attend a magic show at the amusement park, spend a day at the beach…the possibilities are endless. At least, they certainly seemed endless when I first came here.
But I've been here longer than anyone. The novelties have worn off. I've done everything there is to do. News broadcasts are starting to repeat. I remain quiet while my friends laugh at them; blissfully unaware of the limbo we're trapped in.
Who has trapped us here, I wonder? My lookalike? If it is truly their doing, I want to believe they had the best intentions. This island is safe. Everyone is happy here.
Everyone except me.
The apartment complex grows and expands over the next few months. The island is becoming overcrowded. The lookalike's face doesn't appear in the sky as often anymore. I think they are getting bored with us. I don't blame them.
This lifestyle has gotten tedious. One day, I take a trip to the café with my sweetheart, my best friend, and my next-door neighbor. My friends utter the same phrases over and over again, and they don't even seem to realize it. I can't take it anymore.
'This is a game,' I interrupt.
The entire table goes silent. A few people at the bar lower the books they're reading, heads turning in my direction.
'We're stuck inside a game,' I say again, looking at each of my friends in turn. My voice trembles slightly. 'We're just…entertainment for my lookalike.'
'A game? You mean like Tomodachi Quest?' My best friend laughs. 'Very funny!'
Everyone seems to think I'm joking and proceeds to laugh it off. Even my sweetheart, who takes my hand and squeezes it. I tear it away and try to convince them, listing the clues. Pointing out the repetitive style of reality. No one believes me. They go back to their books or their food until my next-door neighbor changes the subject.
After that, I spend the rest of the day in my room, playing the 3DS my lookalike gave me. I try to imagine them holding the same console, with my face displayed on it. Maybe someone else is holding a 3DS with them in it. Maybe it just keeps going and going…
A visit from my lookalike snaps me out of my thoughts. They don't visit as often these days. I put my 3DS away and stand up to greet them.
They don't stay long. They used to shower me with gifts—new outfits, delicious food, exciting interiors. But not anymore. Now it's just a quick hello and goodbye. I suppose that's more than my other friends can say. Some of them haven't gotten a personal visit from the lookalike for months. It's no secret I've always been the favorite.
The rest of the day passes uneventfully. It grows dark outside. I'm pondering going to bed when there's a knock at the door. I pause, confused. Did I invite anyone over?
I open the door to find a horde of my neighbors standing outside. There are too many to count. They fill the entire hallway, all of them pushing to get a look at me, like a wave trying to crash into my home. Every last face looks frantic. They're all yelling at me, but I can't make sense of what they're saying.
It takes a good while to calm them down. I demand to know what's going on—but from one person only. My best friend steps forward. It is then I learn what has happened.
My next-door neighbor has gone missing. And they are not the only one; many more have disappeared out of the blue.
'I told everyone what you said at the café,' My best friend speaks up, stepping forward. 'Tell us what you know! You have a special connection to the lookalike. You said we were their entertainment. Surely you know something!'
My best friend grabs my shoulders, a little too roughly. Their eyes are round and wild. For a moment, I am scared for my life.
'I don't know anything!' I cry out. 'Please!'
'You're lying!'
Everyone is surging forward once more, screaming incoherently, trying to grab me. I flee into my room, slamming the door and locking it. Their voices are not stifled. The things they say wound me deeply.
'I'll talk to the lookalike!' I scream back. 'I promise, I'm going to find out what's going on!'
They don't leave for a long while, milling outside my room in a panic. Their confusion that had turned to anger now turns to despair. My poor friends wail for their lives, hoping that they won't be the ones to disappear next. They beg the lookalike to spare them, but they are not here to listen.
Falling asleep that night isn't easy. My nightmares are plagued by confusion. I dream that I grow old and gray waiting for my lookalike to return. But they never do. It's the longest night of my life. When I awaken abruptly, I find the lookalike peering back at me. They were looking into my dreams. They've done this before.
'My lookalike!' I cry out instantly, afraid they might leave. Before they can, I explain what happened last night. I ask what happened to my missing friends. Their expression remains unreadable as I offer up options for them to answer:
-They moved away
-They're on vacation
-They disappeared
-They're on vacation
-They disappeared
My lookalike hesitates. Then they choose the first option: they moved away.
I want to believe that's the case. But my friends would not move without telling anyone. 'Please tell the truth,' I say in a trembling voice.
My lookalike's expression falls. They look sorrowful. In that moment, my heart goes out to them. I've always felt a special connection to my lookalike. They've taken care of us. I want to believe they're good. I wait for their answer, quivering fearfully until I have my answer. Tomodachi life 13.
They disappeared.
'…Did you…make them disappear?' I ask.
Yes.
My chin trembles. I remember back to when my next-door neighbor first moved in. I wonder who else was deleted from existence. 'Why would you do such a thing…?' I'm not sure which options to offer here. Perhaps, it had to be done. Or, I was bored. I dearly hope that isn't the case.
But it is. My lookalike has become tired of this game, just like me. The apartments have become overcrowded. They are looking for a change. How lucky for them that they have the power to control life on this island. But never before have they abused their power in such a terrible way.
'You don't understand. The island's never going to be the same,' I say tearfully. 'Everyone knows this is a game. Our peaceful way of living…it's over.'
I feel the lookalike's hand on my head, patting me, consoling me. I close my eyes and revel in the moment. When I open them, they have gone.
I leave my room, only to find the island has become devoid of life. Every apartment is empty. The lookalike deleted them all. My friends. My family. Tears bunch in my eyes. Why? Is this my fault? Because I told them…?
It is then that I know what the lookalike is going to do: they're going to delete the save data. I rush to the town hall to stop them.
But I am not fast enough. The lookalike has made their decision—they delete the save data and our island ceases to exist. It's quicker and more painless than death.
I don't know why they decided to do it. All I know is my own feelings of guilt and regret. I wish I could have been more interesting to the lookalike. I wish I could have tried harder for them. Maybe things would have turned out differently if I had done so.
Then again, what does it matter? …It's only a game.
(Redirected from Tomodachi Life For Nintendo 3DS)
Tomodachi Life | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Nintendo SPD |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Director(s) | Noriyuki Sato Ryutaro Takahashi Eisaku Nakae |
Producer(s) | Yoshio Sakamoto |
Composer(s) | Daisuke Matsuoka Asuka Ito |
Platform(s) | Nintendo 3DS |
Release |
|
Genre(s) | Life simulation |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Tomodachi Life[a] is a life simulationvideo game developed by Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game, which is a direct sequel to the Japan-exclusive Nintendo DS title Tomodachi Collection, was released in Japan in April 2013, June 2014 worldwide and July 2014 in South Korea. The game received positive reviews and good sales records. Many reviewers praised the gameplay but criticised the minigames. Its name means Friend Life.
Look Alike Funny
Gameplay[edit]
The game begins with the player naming their island and creating or importing their personal Mii, who is referred to as the player's 'look-alike' and lives in an apartment building. The building holds up to 100 Miis. (or more depending on the date of the release of your copy)
The player visits a married couple's house, where they can be seen playing with their baby.
The player can import Miis from the system's Mii Maker, other devices or QR codes or create them from scratch using the 3DS's camera or the in-game Mii Maker. The Miis are voiced by a text-to-speech software and have unique personalities. Miis can then perform various actions, such as eating, trying on different outfits, falling in love with each other, and engaging in many leisure activities. As more Miis are added to the island, many strange and curious interactions can occur between them, such as friendship, romance, rivalry, romantic relationships and families. As the game goes by, the player unlocks more stores, clothes, food, and places for the Miis to play. They can even unlock a port, where they can give and 'trade' goods with other islands.
Development[edit]
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 to unlock a bonus in-game item.[1] The game is bundled with two Nintendo eShop download codes for a 'Welcome version' demo, which can be given to friends.[2] A slightly different demo version was later publicly released for download via the Nintendo eShop. This version does not unlock any features in the full game.
Following the announcement of a worldwide release, controversy arose concerning the impossibility of same-sex relationships. 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 Japan.' [3] In May 2013, it was widely reported that a bug in the original Japanese version of the game, which enabled same-sex relationships, was patched by Nintendo.[4] This was refuted by Nintendo in a statement made April 2014, explaining that same-sex relationships were never possible, and that the patch in fact fixed a different issue.[5] 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',[6] 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 a third game in the series they would 'strive to design a gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players.'[7]
Reception[edit]
Tomodachi Life has received positive reviews. It holds an average of 72% and 71/100 on review aggregate sites GameRankings and Metacritic, respectively.[8][9][10]IGN gave the game a score of 8.4, calling it 'a surprisingly funny and rewarding experience.'[11]Polygon gave Tomodachi Life a 7.5 out of 10, praising its likeability despite certain aspects being repetitive.[12]GamesRadar gave the game 4 out of 5 stars, praising its weird humor and relaxing gameplay, whilst criticising the minigames for being too simple.[13]GameTrailers gave the game a score of 6.0, stating 'the pervasive sense of quirkiness in Tomodachi Life works, but can’t sustain the entire game.'[14] The game has received criticism for not enabling relationships between Mii characters of the same sex; Nintendo of America later apologized for failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life, stating that it wasn't possible for NoA to change the game's design, or for Nintendo to change this aspect in a post-ship patch. It also noted that 'if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players.'[15][16]
Tomodachi Life was the best seller in the Japanese video game market during the week of its release, selling about 404,858 units.[17] By September 2014, its global sales reached 3.12 million units.[18] As of December 31, 2019, Nintendo has sold 6.55 million units of the game worldwide,[19] making it one of the top 10 best selling games on the 3DS.
Legacy[edit]
A stage based on Tomodachi Life appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[20]Miitomo, a social networkingmobile app for iOS and Android devices, was released in March 2016. The app was created by the same core team who developed Tomodachi Life, and features very similar ideas. In 2016, a similar game involving Miis, Miitopia, was released in Japan.[21] It was released worldwide the following year.
Notes[edit]
Look Alike My Heritage
- ^Known in Japan as Tomodachi Collection: New Life (Japanese: トモダチコレクション 新生活, Hepburn: Tomodachi Korekushon: Shin Seikatsu)
References[edit]
- ^'Club Nintendo Distributing Tomodachi Life Demo Codes to Select Platinum Members - 3DS News @ Nintendo Life'. Nintendolife.com. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
- ^MacDonald, Keza (May 21, 2014). 'Tomodachi Life Comes With 2 Free Demos to Give to Friends'. Kotaku UK. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
- ^'Nintendo resists #Miiquality campaign to let Tomodachi Life gamers play gayk=Guardian News'. Associated Press. May 7, 2014.
- ^Ashcraft, Brian (May 8, 2013). 'Rumor: Bug Makes Gay Marriage Possible in Nintendo Game [Update]'. Kotaku.com. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ^Parfitt, Ben (April 10, 2014). 'VIDEO: Nintendo to give Tomodachi Life a shot in the West | Games industry news | MCV'. MCV. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
- ^lang, Derrik (May 7, 2014). 'Nintendo Says No to Virtual Equality in Life Game'. Associated Press. Abcnews.go.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
- ^'We are committed to fun and entertainment for everyone - Nintendo Official Site'. Nintendo.com. May 9, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^'Tomodachi Life for 3DS'. GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^'Tomodachi Life for 3DS Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^'Nintendo Apologizes For Not Putting Gay Marriage In Tomodachi Life'. Kotaku. Kotaku. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^Otero, Jose (June 6, 2014). 'Tomodachi Life Review'. IGN. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^McElroy, Griffin (June 6, 2014). 'Tomodachi Life review: semi charmed'. Polygon. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^Gilbert, Herbert (June 6, 2014). 'Tomodachi Life review'. GamesRadar. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^Moore, ben (June 6, 2014). 'Tomodachi Life - Review'. GameTrailers. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^'Nintendo Apologizes For Omitting Gay Marriage From 'Tomodachi Life''. NBC News.
- ^Jason Schreier. 'Nintendo Apologizes For Not Putting Gay Marriage In Tomodachi Life'. Kotaku. Gawker Media.
- ^'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. October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ^'Top Selling Title Sales Units - Nintendo 3DS Software'. Nintendo. December 31, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
- ^'Tomodachi Collection: New Life stage'. IGN. March 14, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^Otero, Jose. '5 Things We Learned About Miitomo and Nintendo's Digital Future'. IGN. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
External links[edit]
Face Recognition
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tomodachi_Life&oldid=947370283'