Summary
At today’s Nintendo Direct, which is bizarrely taking place less than a week before the dedicated Switch 2 Direct, a brand-new Tomadachi Life was announced.
You won’t have to wait long to get your hands on it, either, as ‘Living the Life’ launches just next year. You can check out the reveal trailer below, as seen in the showcase earlier today.
The First Game Is Now Over A Decade Old
The last Tomadachi Life launched over a decade ago in 2013 for the 3DS. Developed by Nintendo SPD (not to be confused with the Power Rangers team of the same name), this unique life sim game begins in the usual cozy fashion. You get assigned an island, put your own stamp on it with a unique name, and then fill it with Miis, one of which is you! Or more aptly, a “lookalike” of you.
It was a huge success for Nintendo, selling over six million copies.
When the Town Hall opens up shop, you can create custom Miis — like some sort of Mii god. Each one has their own stats and behaviour, and you’re tasked with solving their problems and even giving them gifts to grow the island and earn money.
Much likeAnimal Crossing, the game takes place in real time, which means that if you log in at night, the game will reflect that, and there are unique interactions depending on what time of day you play. The new trailer will be especially familiar to New Horizons fans, with its more tropical setting. Although, instead of cutesy animal villagers, you get terrifyingly HD Miis to play with, who talk like a speak-to-chat robot from ten years ago.
The sequel looks to be a faithful follow-up to the classic, with all the usual island shenanigans on offer, from characters awkwardly lifting weights to chatting over a picnic bench and… breakdancing on the pier. It launches for Nintendo Switch in 2026, andwith the Switch 2 boasting built-in backwards compatibilityfor nearly every title, it’ll no doubt be playable on newer hardware, too.
