Miitomo Review

Nintendo is a company that is known for its stellar games, memorable characters and intuitive new experiences that they offer to fans, both old and new. Those who have stuck with the company through the years have come to expect a sense of nostalgia with each release, as well as new and exciting ways to experience some of their favorite game series. Titles such as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon are still relevant to this day thanks to Nintendo's constant dedication to immersive story-telling and fun and addicting gameplay mechanics.

2016 marks the year that Nintendo has journeyed into a territory they have never ventured into before: Mobile Games. Last year they partnered with mobile gaming giant DeNA, a company based in Japan and responsible for the Mobage platform, Japan's most popular cell phone gaming platform. Together Nintendo and DeNA hope to create and offer new and creative experiences for mobile devices (iOS and Android). Their first project together called "Miitomo," released worldwide a week ago. Me being the avid Nintendo fan that I am, I had to see what this new app was all about.

The name of Nintendo and DeNA's first mobile app is simple enough to pronounce and remember. I like to think of it as a combination of Nintendo's beloved Mii characters, which Wii owners were required to create in their likeness to play Wii Sports, and Tomo which was the prefix of Nintendo's popular offering on the 3DS, "Tomodachi Life."

Miitomo is a free download and is not so much a game, but rather an app which allows users to create a character in their likeness and interact with their friends who they are connected with via Twitter or Facebook and also have the app. This is done by answering questions about themselves and what's been going on in their life recently, as well as their opinions on various subjects. Their friends can then see the answers they gave and give them a like or even comment on those answers. In most cases these friends will then be asked the very same questions and their answers will be shared with the original person who answered.

The more you interact with your friends by hearing their answers and commenting the higher your popularity will go up, which will award various new clothing pieces that you can put on your Mii. In addition, there is a shop where more clothing items and props can be bought to give your Mii an outfit that you see fitting for them.

This creates many different possibilities for customization, as long as you have the coins for the items you want. Nintendo generously gives 2,500 coins to each new player of Miitomo to start. After that coins can be earned by interacting with friends and just by playing the game regularly as part of receiving daily rewards. Some of the more desired clothing pieces and accessories will cost a bundle, which means saving up is a must. Coins can also be purchased with real money, but most players won't have to resort to that as long as they're patient enough.

There's also a Miitomo Drop game that can be played using game tickets (also given to you by Nintendo when you start) or by paying 500 coins per try. In this mini-game you drop Mii characters and try to land them on spaces with new clothing items and accessories. It's a nice diversion from answering questions and commenting, which is what you'll be doing most of the time you're using the app.

Users are also given the ability to create Miifotos of their Miis. These custom photos allow the user to pick out one of the already available backgrounds (or use a picture that's on their device) and put together a scene using text and various expressions and poses. The possibilities are truly endless as you can see from the photo I have below. You can even share these Miifotos to your device or share them to Instagram or Facebook without exiting the app!

Overall, my first week spent with Miitomo was both entertaining and insightful. I learned a handful of facts and opinions that my friends had. I also took some silly Miifotos and acquired clothing pieces that made my Mii look both fashionable and completely and utterly ridiculous. So far I have played the game every day and have had fun with it. I always look forward to hearing more of my friends answers as well as seeing what new clothing items are available in the shop (there's always new items daily!) and seeing what new accessories and costumes pop up in the Miitomo Drop game (changes weekly).

Miitomo is more of a social app than anything and in that regard it succeeds in every way. If you're expecting a full fledged game with a lot to do then Miitomo isn't it. What little there is to do is fun, but may seem lackluster to some. It's staying power is also yet to be determined and will be gauged the further we get from its initial launch. 

As of this writing, I give Miitomo a 3.75/5 and can't wait to see what more it has to offer in the coming weeks.