'Sims' Meets 'Animal Crossing' in Nintendo's Next Handheld Game

Create your friends in Nintendo's upcoming 3DS game 'Tomodachi Life', out June 6.
Image: Nintendo

If you've ever wanted to scoop up all your friends, family and favorite celebrities and force them to dance, sing, fall and love and fight for your amusement, Nintendo's got your number in its new handheld title Tomodachi Life.

Tomodachi Life, out June 6 for the 3DS and 2DS handhelds, gives players their own island and tasks them with filling it up with Nintendo Mii versions of everyone they know. These Miis will run around the island autonomously, but players can check in on their activities throughout the day and interact with them.

The Tomodachi franchise was started by Nintendo in Japan as Tomodachi Collection, released in 2009. That game sold 5 million copies, and caused NIntendo to spend considerable time localizing and "culturalizing" the game for the West, a Nintendo rep told Mashable.

The game feels like a cross between The Sims and Nintendo's own Animal Crossing. You'll be able to completely personalize up to 100 characters, setting their appearance and personality type. The personality attributes picked then affect how that Mii interacts with others on the island, as well what types of food and clothing they like.

While players don't control what the Mii characters do, they can see when they are unhappy and want their needs met. It could be as simple as feeding them, though each character has their own favorite and hated foods. They also will want new outfits from the island's many shopping options that rotate stock daily, to play one of 10 mini-games with you, and to be introduced to friends. They'll even ask for advice if they want to ask someone out.

Drama is possible in Tomodachi Life, especially when you get to watch two of your friends fall in love, or a third person get involved, but with a lighthearted, silly tone There are also plenty of funny possibilities: there are daily events like rap battles between residents, and you can teach characters different styles of singing for a karaoke session.

If you see a particularly funny moment, taking a screenshot of either of the 3DS' two screens is easy. Tomodachi Life integrates with Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter so users can quickly share photos of their Miis in action to their social accounts.

If filling the game with your friends wasn't enough, Nintendo is also partnering with some celebrities to include their likenesses as downloadable characters. The first will be Christina Aguilera, though Nintendo said it is finalizing contracts with others.

Tomodachi Life will be out June 6 for $34.99.


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