One of the big shockers of today’s Nintendo Direct was the announcement of a Miitopia Switch port. This remaster has some enhancements, like additional cosmetics and a horse companion, but remains true to its original formula. The odd thing about this port is that it seems to be a reversal of Nintendo’s deemphasis on Miis over the last few years.
Miitopia shows how much potential Miis have
Nintendo’s iconic avatars haven’t seen much love from the company over the last few years. They were an integral part of the Wii and Wii U’s interface but have largely been pushed aside on the Switch. A few games still use them, most notably Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but they no longer hold the spotlight as the user’s systemwide avatar.
Fortunately, Miitopia is a perfect stage to show how much character and utility Miis can have. The base of the game is a quirky, but fairly run-of-the-mill, RPG. What makes it special is that the entire cast is made up of Miis. So, it gives you a chance to be the star of the game with the rest of the characters filled in by whatever Miis are on your console.
This gives players a ton of potential to make hilarious mash-ups. You might fight against the Dark Lord, Hank Hill, with Popuko and Pipimi from Pop Team Epic as part of your party. You might have to save Rick and Morty’s facial features back from your foes. The possibilities are endless, and each playthrough is randomized (to a degree), so there’s a ton of replayability.
Miis are one of Nintendo’s signature features, and I sincerely hope this Miitopia port is the beginning of their revival. I’m not sure why the company moved away from using them, but maybe this will be a reversal. Who knows, perhaps if it sells well enough, we can get a Tomodachi Life 2.
