Miitopia? It’s just some game about Miis, right? It might seem like no one cares, but nothing could be further from the truth. With a cult following, it is one of the most underrated games of the 3DS era. This hidden gem is known for all the wacky and fun adventures players can have through their Miis.
Miis are avatars featured in many Nintendo video games, mobile apps and other content. Miitopia is based around Miis, and the story comes with a simple concept: The world of Miitopia was a peaceful land till the dark lord arrived. They stole the faces of many and put them on monsters, wreaking havoc. Now it is up to you and your friends to fight against the dark forces and bring peace back to the land.
Miitopia offers traditional role-playing gameplay (RPG); it is turn-based and who goes first is determined by their stats. As you progress through the story, you’ll encounter monsters with people’s faces. That’s where the characters’ jobs come in: There are the typical RPG classes like the warrior, the mage and the cleric. But the game also includes bizarre ones like a tank, a pop star and a cat.
Yes, you can be a cat. In fact, the characters can be anyone and anything. You want your main character to be you? You got it. You want the villain to be your big brother or a famous video game villain? Sure. How about making some of the NPCs celebrities or anime? Absolutely; you can do anything you want.
Your main character’s personality type also affects the conflict. You can choose between seven types: kind, energetic, laid-back, cool, stubborn, airheaded and cautious. All have different traits; you can either pick the kind you think fits your character or choose strategically depending on your job. And you won’t be fighting alone; you’ll be fighting with a band with three other members who can be whoever you desire.
After a day of adventure, your group heads to an inn where members can ask for money to buy the items they want, eat the food they receive from defeating monsters and increase their affection levels. Affection levels are a peculiar feature of this game. In the inn, you can put your party members into rooms together, and their levels grow; if their affection meter gets full, the pair’s friendship improves. The players will then receive more benefits in combat; for instance, one member can praise the other, making them happy and increasing their strength. If a duo’s meter gets high enough, they can become soulmates, so feel free to pair up your members.
While there is an upside to the fondness, fondness can become jealousy, and quarrels can start. If a teammate becomes annoyed or resentful toward another, it affects combat as well. Halfway through the battle, two of your friends may get in each other’s way and end up fighting, dragging the poor enemy into it. Thankfully, the two will forgive each other eventually.
The other mechanics within the inn include money, minigames and food. Your friends require gear and weapons; however, you will not be the one buying. Instead, they ask you for money, and it is their responsibility to get the item they want. This can be a bad thing since, at times, they may come back with the wrong item, but at least it will always be cheap.
As for the minigames, you will receive game tickets when you start the game. You can also get these from chests you find in your adventure, but the main function of the tickets is for fun in the inn. You can either test your luck through a wheel or try to outwit a talking TV in rock, paper, scissors. Both minigames can help if you’re running low on money, or else you can get a ton of experience points for combat or affection.
After you defeat an enemy, they end up dropping food — your mouth will water after looking at these designs. Sadly, you cannot pull them out of your 3DS to eat, but at least you can feed them to your group, and their stats will rise depending on if they enjoy it or not. If they love it, their stats will increase immensely, but if they hate it, their stats can decrease. Be aware of their picky palates.
Miitopia is like a successor to Tomodachi Life, another 3DS hidden gem that uses Miis as its main selling point. Instead of an RPG, it is more like a life simulation where you put Miis on an island and watch all kinds of scenarios. In both games, you do not have that much control over where things play out, and in Miitopia, you can only control your main character. Simultaneously, everyone else acts depending on their personality type and their job.
This may seem unappealing, but it makes the gameplay unpredictable. All sorts of wild situations can occur between your Miis. Its randomness makes it so fun. You get to watch these characters do what they want, and even though at times you want them to do something else, it still makes for a quirky experience. There is a lot to this game, and it is not just battling. There are quests, events, over 50 options for weapons and armor, end-of-game content, and so much more. And even if you finish the game, you can replay and create a whole new tale with characters of your choosing.
You can pre-order Miitopia now or purchase it when it comes out for the Nintendo Switch on May 21. The $50 price may be daunting, but it is well worth the money, especially for the eccentric new options in the Switch release. Players can get makeup and more hair options, and the best part is getting a horse. There could even be more that the Nintendo Direct did not show that could appear in Miitopia.
Overall, the aimless direction this game takes creates so many possibilities. That is why Miitopia is great. You can be whoever you desire, and you can decide whether you want to make your experience a classic RPG or the funniest story ever.
