This Beloved Nintendo Franchise Is Making a Comeback After 12 Years

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Nintendo is famous for its wide range of game series, from popular titles like Mario to more niche ones like Pikmin. While some Nintendo franchises are household names, others haven’t been updated in quite a while. But one series will be getting a new release on April 16, 2026.

The popular game Tomodachi Life is returning with a new version called Living the Dream, coming to the Nintendo Switch. The original Tomodachi Life games were memorable and well-loved, and they offer more than just a brief moment in gaming history.

Tomodachi Life Is a Zany Social Sim

Tomodachi Life is best described as a smaller, more playful version of Animal Crossing. In the game, players fill an island with their Mii characters, who all live together in a growing apartment building.

So, when it comes to creating your little Mii characters in these games, you’ve got a few options. In the original Tomodachi Collection, I could connect my DS to my Wii and just transfer my Miis over from there. But with Tomodachi Life, it got even cooler! I could import Miis I’d already made on my 3DS, or scan special QR codes – even ones specifically for Tomodachi Life – to add new characters. It was a really neat way to customize my game!

After the initial setup, players can relax and observe their island inhabitants living their lives. The Miis will experience all sorts of events, including disagreements, falling in love, and building relationships. They can even get married and have children, who can either stay on the island or be sent to visit other players’ islands using the StreetPass feature.

The Tomodachi Life games are full of fun and unexpected events that occur throughout the day. Players might see things like rap battles and magic shows, or even participate in polls and question-and-answer sessions.

Sometimes, my Miis aren’t super independent! They actually need my help with things, which is kind of fun. Like, they’ll ask me who they should be friends with, or how to solve a disagreement. It can get really personal – they even want my opinion on who to date or marry! And that’s not even getting into the basics – I have to make sure they’re fed and have clothes, too!

As a player, I really like that I don’t have to wait for my Mii to ask for things – I can just do stuff to help them out whenever I want! Plus, being able to give them cool furniture and gifts is awesome. It keeps the game from feeling repetitive, which is a big plus for me.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Could Be a Massive Upgrade

The first Tomodachi Collection game came out for the DS in 2009, and Tomodachi Life followed on the 3DS in 2013 in Japan, with an international release in 2014. Because Tomodachi Life was so popular, Nintendo didn’t feel much pressure to make another game in the series until recently.

The game Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is coming to the Nintendo Switch on April 16, 2026, and it promises a lot of new features. A major change from previous games is that players will now be able to fully customize their island, changing both its shape and landscape.

Players will also have a lot of freedom when creating their Mii characters, with more options for things like ear shape and facial features. Even more significantly, the game will include same-sex relationships and let players create Miis who identify as non-binary or aromantic.

While Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream still has some improvements to make before it’s as good as the original Tomodachi Life, it has the potential to become a strong competitor. It will just take a little time to see how it stacks up.

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2026-03-31 06:39