More than 10 years after vowing to make a "more inclusive" Tomodachi Life game, Nintendo has made good on that promise, revealing in a Nintendo Direct that Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will add not only same-*** romances, but the option to make non-binary Mii characters.
The 22-minute Direct for the Switch game demonstrated the character creation process for Miis, which includes three gender options: Male, Female, and Non-Binary. Additionally, players can pick any (or none) of the three options for their character's dating preferences.
When the previous entry in the wacky Tomodachi Life series, released in 2013 for Nintendo 3DS, lacked the option for same-*** relationships, a social media campaign called Miiquality called on Nintendo to include the option in the game. Nintendo of America responded with a rather cold statement, saying that the game "was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game" that was "absolutely not trying to provide social commentary."
Shortly after, Nintendo apologized for "disappointing many people by failing to include same-*** relationships" while adding that it was unable to update the 3DS title. However, Nintendo pledged that for any future installment of the series, the company would "strive to design a gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players."
The reveal trailer for Living the Dream ended with a bizarre moment in which a female Mii dozes off on a park bench and dreams of a woman (as a giant) approaching her--many viewers interpreted this as a character dreaming about her crush, sparking speculation that queer relationships were indeed coming to the series.
Along with additional romance and gender options, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream adds expanded character and environment customization, allowing players to personalize their islands and influence character relationships, such as a bizarre love square with a literal clown. The life simulator releases on Switch on April 16, and although Nintendo didn't announce a Switch 2 edition, it'll be playable on the new hardware via backward compatibility.
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The 22-minute Direct for the Switch game demonstrated the character creation process for Miis, which includes three gender options: Male, Female, and Non-Binary. Additionally, players can pick any (or none) of the three options for their character's dating preferences.
When the previous entry in the wacky Tomodachi Life series, released in 2013 for Nintendo 3DS, lacked the option for same-*** relationships, a social media campaign called Miiquality called on Nintendo to include the option in the game. Nintendo of America responded with a rather cold statement, saying that the game "was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game" that was "absolutely not trying to provide social commentary."
Shortly after, Nintendo apologized for "disappointing many people by failing to include same-*** relationships" while adding that it was unable to update the 3DS title. However, Nintendo pledged that for any future installment of the series, the company would "strive to design a gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players."
The reveal trailer for Living the Dream ended with a bizarre moment in which a female Mii dozes off on a park bench and dreams of a woman (as a giant) approaching her--many viewers interpreted this as a character dreaming about her crush, sparking speculation that queer relationships were indeed coming to the series.
Along with additional romance and gender options, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream adds expanded character and environment customization, allowing players to personalize their islands and influence character relationships, such as a bizarre love square with a literal clown. The life simulator releases on Switch on April 16, and although Nintendo didn't announce a Switch 2 edition, it'll be playable on the new hardware via backward compatibility.
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