tomodachi-life
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Tomodachi Life welcomes 1 million Miis in Europe
One million Miis in Europe have found a new, bizarre home in Tomodachi Life, Nintendo's quirky apartment complex simulator that hosts strange social interactions with relish. Nintendo of Europe celebrated the sales milestone earlier this week by tweeting the above image, and while we don't have sales figures for North America, we knew its Japanese counterpart, Tomodachi Collection: New Life, had managed 1.82 million sales by April 2014. Tomodachi Life drew criticism earlier this year over its absence of same-sex relationships, prompting an apology from Nintendo and a commitment 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." Contributing Editor Danny Cowan had a brief stay in the Miicentric universe, and while he found its charm to wear quicker than any Animal Crossing game "due to its comparative lack of structure and progression," he added that he was still left with fond memories: "Years from now, I'll look back fondly on the day that Garfield and Morrissey became best friends, and it'll be a great honor to attend Isabelle and Hank Hill's wedding." [Image: Nintendo]
Nintendo posts $97M quarterly loss, despite Mario Kart 8 racing off shelves
Mario Kart 8 enjoyed a great attach rate with shipments of 2.82 million by the end of June, but the vast majority of its success can be attributed to existing Wii U owners and not new buyers. Nintendo shipped 510,000 units of its home console across April to June, a quarter in which the company endured a 9.924 billion yen net loss, which converts to $97.2 million. The systems's total shipments as of June 30 rose to 6.68 million; Nintendo still expects to hit its target of 3.6 million units across the fiscal year, which would take the console to 9.77 million by March 2015. The company admitted in May the Wii U "still faces a challenging sales situation," and it will look to build off the success of Mario Kart 8 with the launch of Super Smash Bros. and its set of Amiibo figurines this fall.
Tomodachi Life stage lets you live inside Super Smash Bros.
Look, we all love fighting each other on top of Castle Hyrule and amongst the bricks of the Mushroom Kingdom in the Super Smash Bros. games. But sometimes, you just gotta step outside your comfort zone and try something new. Something like the Tomodachi Life-inspired stage for Super Smash Bros. coming to 3DS this October, perhaps. Game director Masahiro Sakurai revealed today that Super Smash Bros. for 3DS - and only the 3DS version - will feature a stage based on the recently-released Tomodachi Life. What's more, it will pull the Mii data from your 3DS so that when you come crashing through an apartment, it could be you or your friends' place you see. Sakurai also noted that the placement of rooms will be randomized, and that there are several different types of rooms for the game to choose from. While initially it looks as though areas of the level are closed off, walls will fade away when a fighter occupies the room it hides. Sakurai hinted that placing a bomb in an apartment might be a good idea, which is a great example of a thought that would be utterly terrifying if it weren't about a video game. [Image: Nintendo]
Best Buy offers buy one, get one free on Pokemon, Zelda, more
Those looking to catch 'em all might want to head down to and/or log on to Best Buy this week, as the store's current promotions include a buy one, get one free deal on select Nintendo 3DS games, including Pokemon X / Y. Of course, if you're less about monster wranglin' and more about helping manage the lives of your friends, the recently-released Tomodachi Life is also included in the promotion, as are quite a few other, quality titles. Here's the full list: Bravely Default, Disney Magical World, Kirby Triple Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Mario Golf: World Tour, Pokemon X, Pokemon Y, Tomodachi Life and Yoshi's New Island. "I don't have a 3DS," you say. "Best Buy is also offering $30 off the silver 3DS that comes with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team pre-installed," we say. "Also, it's amazing that we heard your spoken word through the internet when we're not connected to a call service," we say. Oh boy, maybe we're finally developing our mutant superpowers! Here, let's put it to good use: We foresee these deals ending on July 26. And we're definitely psychic, didn't just read that off Best Buy's website or anything. [Image: The Pokemon Company]
Joystiq Weekly: GOG's Galaxy, Murdered: Soul Suspect review, Homefront's combat and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. E3 doesn't technically start until June 10, but with all of this week's announcements and E3 trailers, you wouldn't really know it. Forza Horizon 2 will let you drive recklessly later this year, Homefront is due for a return in Homefront: The Revolution, and the thinly-veiled Mortal Kombat X tease is finally over. And that's just the early stuff - we're about to get trampled with news and hands-on demonstrations as the convention itself kicks off next week. Don't worry though, we'll survive by channeling Simba's light-footed evasive maneuvers. Just ... y'know, without the tragic loss immediately preceding our exercise. You don't have to stick around and watch us warm up though - this week's highlights are waiting for you after the break. There are release dates for The Witcher 3 and Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved, reviews for 1,001 Spikes and Tomodachi Life, and an exploration of combat in Homefront: The Revolution. It's all awaiting you neat and orderly-like after the jump!
Tomodachi Life review: The surreal world
What happens when your favorite celebrities and fictional characters live together in the same apartment complex? Tomodachi Life happens. The result is less of a game and more of a reality television show starring a cast of deeply disturbed misfits. Offering laid-back, simulation-styled gameplay in the vein of Nintendo's Animal Crossing series, Tomodachi Life presents a world similar to our own, with a surreal streak lurking beneath the surface. Tomodachi Life plants your custom-created Miis in the middle of situations that range from the mundane to the bizarre, and it's your job as caretaker to make sure they find happiness in life and love. While a lack of gameplay depth makes the experience feel somewhat hollow, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to peer into Tomodachi Life's strange alternate universe, and the sheer sense of joy that its unassuming little island inspires makes it well worth a visit.
New Nintendo eShop releases: Tomodachi, 1001 Spikes, Minish Cap
Tomodachi Life, Nintendo's answer to what happens when Sims hit their head, is the next headline game on 3DS. It not out until tomorrow, but in the interim there's tough-as-spikes platformer 1001 Spikes and GBA mini-adventure The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Head past the break and you'll find the full list of this week's new releases for the eShop. If it's savings you want, Conception 2 is on sale for $30 while the Just Dance series is grooving to a half-price beat, with Just Dance 4 down to $25. Both those offers end on June 9.
Reel in the Sea Green 2DS on June 6
As suspected, a new color variant of the 2DS is launching alongside Tomodachi Life in North America on June 6. The $130 "Sea Green" model should be a fashionable companion for any beach-goer this summer, or any virtual beach-goer in Nintendo's new sim game. The 2DS is the unhinged younger sibling of the 3DS, and plays all 3DS games but in 2D. If Sea Green makes you sea-sick, you can also grab currently available red and blue models for the same price. [Image: Nintendo]
Tomodachi Life site teases new Nintendo 2DS color variant
An image buried within the HTML source of the official Tomodachi Life website hints that Nintendo of America may be planning to launch a special edition 2DS variant to commemorate the game's upcoming launch stateside, Tiny Cartridge reports. The image, reprinted above, shows a Nintendo 2DS hardware color that is not currently available in North America. Tiny Cartridge notes that the portable's white-on-teal design resembles the Japan-exclusive Mint x White 3DS XL released alongside the Japanese version of Tomodachi Life last year, suggesting that a similar hardware tie-in could soon follow in North America. To date, Nintendo of America has not announced any plans to release Tomodachi Life-themed 3DS or 2DS hardware in the United States. Tomodachi Life will debut at retail in North America on June 6. [Image: Nintendo]
Talk show's 'Nintendo Gay Marriage' video pairs up Mario, Link
Last Week Tonight discussed the ten-year anniversary of Massachusetts' legalization of same-sex marriage by poking fun at Nintendo's apology for not including same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Steamier than the average fan-fiction, the talk show played match-maker with Nintendo's characters.
Joystiq Weekly: Nintendo's future, Outlast DLC review, Mother's Day and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Most of us have joked that Nintendo revealing a Pokemon MMO would shut down the world due to how perfectly the series would fit in the genre. That's thankfully still a joke and the economy is safe for now, but Nintendo's talk of further exploring NFC toys presents an equally worrisome possibility: what if they make a Skylanders-style Pokemon game that's more successful than Pokemon Rumble? They'd have to start with a limited portion of the Pokedex at first, sure. But what if the series achieved enough financial success to support 719 different Pokemon-shaped hunks of plastic? It'd be like the trading card boom all over again, except accumulated masses of figurines wouldn't be something we could hide away in a binder. No, they'd claim boxes of space, slowly consuming our garages until we finally discarded the full box of Goldeens that we know we'll never be able to trick someone into trading for. And if those Goldeens aren't properly recycled, they'll just accumulate into an oceanic clump, a mass with lifeless eyes staring down at the sea floor, at a life it will never truly know. Pretty bleak future, huh? Don't worry, there's so much to help block out these worrisome thoughts after the break. We've got financial news from Nintendo, Activision and EA, reviews for Sportsfriends and Outlast's "Whistleblower" DLC, and a feature where the Joystiq Staff's mothers share their perspective on our childhood gaming habits and our current professions. Dive in after the break - just mind the floating graveyard of Goldeens.
Nintendo apologizes for Tomodachi Life's lack of same-sex relationships
Tomodachi Life, an upcoming 3DS game that places the Miis of a player and their acquaintances in various scenarios, has drawn criticism from fans over its lack of support for same-sex relationships. Nintendo of America recently explained that the company "never intended to make any form of social commentary" with Tomodachi Life, but the bungling response only upset people further. With fans amassing awareness for the issue through the Miiquality hashtag, Nintendo has now issued an apology for "disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships." "Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game's design, and such a significant development change can't be accomplished with a post-ship patch," the statement continues. "We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge 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." It's nice of Nintendo of America to play damage control, but since the response is from the company's American division, we wonder if the strive to be more inclusive would only be evident in Western versions of the next game. Of course, that's assuming that another Tomodachi game will be made in the first place. [Image: Nintendo]
Nintendo promises 'more inclusive' games in wake of #Miiquality campaign
When Nintendo designed Tomodachi Life, a bizarre life-sim that puts the company's Mii avatars in an exaggerated parody of reality, it probably didn't expect to provoke a marriage equality campaign. Community cries for 'Miiquality' petitioned Nintendo to add same-sex relationships to the title, but the company's initial response was sterile and dismissive. "Tomodachi Life was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game," Nintendo said. "We were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary." Intentional or not, the lack of same-sex relationships caused a stir. Now, Nintendo is apologizing officially.
Nintendo responds to marriage equality campaign for its bizarre life-sim
Nintendo has no problem with its Mii-based Tomodachi Life being off-kilter, but when it comes to the handheld game's same-sex avatars being able to wed, well, that's a different story. Tomodachi Life is all about the interactions and relationships between an island full of Miis, and as two characters' dating progresses they'll eventually walk down the aisle, unlock a bigger home and have children -- so long as one is, say, Mario and the other is Princess Peach. A fan called the gaming giant on this, urging the internet to use the "#Miiquality" hashtag across social media when requesting that the company change its stance. Nintendo's response? It told the Associated Press that it "never intended to make any form of social commentary" with the 3DS game's launch. "The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that 'Tomodachi Life' was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary."
Nintendo: Tomodachi Life is here, is straight, get used to it
Nintendo responded to an outpouring of fan requests for LGBT representation in its upcoming Nintendo 3DS game Tomodachi Life, denying the possibility of same-sex relationships among the game's Mii denizens. The upcoming Tomodachi Life features Mii characters based on a player's real-world acquaintances, pairing them up in an ongoing series of unlikely situations. Though Tomodachi Life allows male characters to go on dates and marry female characters, the game does not grant the same opportunities for same-sex couples. "Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of Tomodachi Life," a Nintendo of America representative said in a statement to the Associated Press. "The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that Tomodachi Life was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary." Though North American players will never see same-sex relationships within the world of Tomodachi Life, the Japanese version of the game shipped with a glitch last year that allowed same-sex coupling among male characters. The bug has since been patched out and removed from subsequent retail releases. Tomodachi Life will launch in North America next month. [Update: Nintendo's Bill Trinen clarified the glitch present in last year's Japanese release, explaining that supposed same-sex relationships were the result of user manipulation of character data. "Essentially [players] would create a male version of a Mii character and assign their gender as female, and that was how the two males were able to have a baby," he said.] [Image: Nintendo / Tiny Cartridge / NintenDaan]
3DS sim Tomodachi Life brings weird to the West in June
Even if you're not interested that Tomodachi Life is making the journey from Japan to North America and Europe on June 6, you'll want to watch its announcement video. If Nintendo Direct were to get its own sitcom, this would be its pilot. And it'd probably get greenlit. The 3DS game is known as Tomodachi Collection: New Life in Japan, where it's been a hit with 1.82 million sales since its launch this time last year. It takes its cues from games like The Sims and Animal Crossing, but adds its own distinctive Nintendo flavor by letting you play with Miis in a diversity of activities, from the casual and simple to the totally bizarre. Also, if you've ever wanted to hear your Miis talk in a weird synthesized voice, Tomodachi Life goes one better by letting you hear them sing in a weird synthesized voice. We'd say more, but really you should just watch the video. We're not going to top Nintendo execs dancing in a circle and hailing the Virtual Boy. [Image: Nintendo]
