Attending Miitomo’s Funeral

Plenty of fellow Nintendo nerds have gathered around on social media this week to mourn the end of Miitomo, Nintendo’s first app for iOS and Android smart devices [3] [4] [7] [13]. Miitomo began in March 2016, bringing the creation of Miis to modern mobile devices [4] [7] [13]. Who can forget the moment when the Mii that closely resembles a fellow Miitomo user enters the room in a plain white jumper and grey joggers? A Mii could have a personality, similar to how a Mii could have one in Tomodachi Collection and Tomodachi Life [4] [5] [13]. Our fellow Nintendo nerds who adored the app would later receive a major update that featured sidekick Miis and the option to customize rooms. But sadly, the app’s service was put to rest in May 2018 [3] [7] [13]. Let us look back on the aspects of Miitomo that made it quite a hoot for those who adore making Miis.

March 2016 was when Miitomo began. [4]

May 2018 was when Miitomo ended. [4]

The simple gameplay offered a way to unwind after a hard day [4]. Simply going with the flow as the user answered questions and replied to comments from other users every day increased the number of coins, which was honestly quite rewarding as an effective way of saving up for some new clothing items from the shop [4] [7] [13]. And not to mention that a fellow Miitomo user can gain My Nintendo points for accomplishing a few tasks every day in order to get tickets for Miitomo Drop and sometimes a secret clothing item. The option to change a Mii’s attire was my favourite aspect of Miitomo [4]. The developers clearly could not go wrong with carefully planning out the five planes of user experience in order to give the app’s concept the best outcome possible for Mii-loving Nintendo nerds. Overall, the gameplay in Miitomo was basically similar to Tomodachi Collection and Tomodachi Life [14] [15], only far less ambitious, so it could be classified as a spin-off from the Tomodachi franchise by many Mii lovers [13] [15].

Miitomo users could also raise their popularity levels and style levels in order to receive special hats and crowns. This was yet another way to reward users for doing their daily routines, including staying in touch with other users and changing the main Mii's attire. [4]

The option to use QR Code patterns for Mii character from Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii U systems was another sign Miitomo's compassion towards Mii lovers. [4]

Another way to receive new clothing items for a fellow user’s Miis was playing Miitomo Drop. Miitomo Drop was the gameplay aspect that made Miitomo more than just watching an avatar walk and talk [4] [7] [13]. To get a certain item, it was all about three-dimensional thinking and the right timing. Each month, there would be a theme for one or two sections of Miitomo Drop that would be around for a rather limited time only, which showed how the graphic designers were willing to express their creativity for a variety of outfits for many occasions. In earlier versions of Miitomo, sweets were given to friends’ main Miis in order to receive more answers to questions from them [4]. Later on, they were used to try and win a game ticket coupon or a single game ticket. I would say that the better purpose of the sweets being in the app was Candy Drop since aiming for new clothing items, wallpapers or floors would be more adventurous than just browsing another gamer’s views. Trying to get the desired item in Miitomo Drop was a thrilling challenge for many users [4].

One of Miitomo's last Miitomo Drop themes. [4]

Another one of Miitomo's last Miitomo Drop themes. [4]

 Aside from Miiverse before it was closed down in late 2017 [12], Miitomo was the way to be a Nintendo socialite. Miitomo data could be linked with a Twitter account and a Facebook account, which was an effective way to expanding the list of friends. It was really nice to wish your fellow Miis and their makers a very happy birthday. Data would be securely saved, thanks to the option of linking it to a Nintendo account, so that our fellow Miitomo users would not have to worry about losing their precious data if they delete the app on their device [4]. It is no wonder how Miitomo was rather appealing for how the casual crowd of mobile gaming could socialise by answering questions and replying to messages, as long as their devices stayed connected to the internet [4] [7] [13]. Good times.

You can have quite a lot of good memories in Miitomo, like how you could in Miiverse. [4] [8]

Sometimes the user's Mii would have a chat with a fellow Miitomo user's Mii. The user then could quickly read the friend's Mii's answers and answer a question that Mii asks. In later versions of the app, two fellow Miis could send each other secret messages. [4]

There were three centrals where our fellow Miitomo users could show who their Miis truly are: Sidekick Central, Style Central and Answer Central [4]. Sidekick Central might give the Nintendo nerds who loved showing off their Miis in the Nintendo Wii days a flashback of the Mii Contest Channel [6]. In addition to this, users could mark any sidekick Mii as their favourites. The same method applies to any Mii modelling in a stunning or quirky outfit in Style Central. Quite oddly enough, the moment when a Mii created by another user said their answer to a question in Answer Central resembled the moment when two Miis gave their thoughts on a news report in Tomodachi Life [5]. All three centrals were one of the reasons why Miitomo at least still had plenty of loyal users to stay relevant.

One of my sidekick Miis was shared on Sidekick Central before Miitomo was shut down. [4]

A Mii created by another Miitomo user answering a question in Answer Central. [4]

Our fellow Nintendo nerds could express a little creativity by making Miifotos [4] [7] [13]. The user’s Mii could strike a big variety of different poses and be carefully placed anywhere within the shot, along with various little images and chunks of text depending on the user’s choices, which proves how Miitomo was the key for our fellow Nintendo nerds to be creative outside of Nintendo consoles [4]. A fellow Nintendo nerd can go as far as making a parody of a song with them. Any quirky Miifoto could be shared on social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram [4], which would increase the motivation to create a Miifoto in some users. The process of making a Miifoto for fun was a nice rehash of the Photo Channel from the Nintendo Wii system and Nintendo DSi Camera from the Nintendo DSi days, but with Miis and appealing neat text [9] [10].

Lisa or Lena? [4]

In the early months of Miitomo, users would receive a premade Miifoto every day. [4]

In theory, the routine of answering questions and changing a Mii’s outfit every day must have gotten quite stale to some users, which is why the app began to lose a fraction of its relevance in around 2017 [7]. The way how members of Team Valor, Team Mystic and Team Instinct could try and catch new Pokémon in Pokémon GO anywhere in their local areas was and is still very progressive and adventurous [2] [11], compared to how a Mii would stand still and inform the user of other users’ answers in Miitomo as the user just lounges around [4]. If the app had an update with new bigger features, such as the option to write lyrics for a song of a few genres of music like how a fellow Nintendo nerd would in Tomodachi Life [5] [12], then Miitomo would have remained as popular as it was in the beginning. Despite the app’s decline of daily use, there were at least still plenty of loyal users who continued to do the daily routine until Nintendo decided to shut down the service.

The announcement of Miitomo shutting down might not have been much a big surprise to many due to the app's declining relevance. [4]

At least the end of Miitomo will not corrupt Nintendo's future due to how appealing their other mobile apps and recent games are. [4]

Overall, Miitomo was a casual app with exceptional potential and a splendid outcome that only lasted for two years [4] [7] [13]. At least our fellow Nintendo nerds, especially the Mii lovers can still have fun with their Miis in Tomodachi Life and Miitopia. As we move on from Miitomo’s departure, many of us can at least look forward to what Nintendo has to offer next. Perhaps there could be a successor to Miitomo for mobile devices named “Miitomo 2” in the future, similar to how there will be a “Vine 2” in loving memory of Vine [1]. Again, Miitomo is Nintendo’s first application for two third-party platforms and it would be a shame to not let its legacy somehow live on. A successor to it that would perhaps be around in the early 2020s would continue and further enhance Nintendo’s mobile era, as long as it will have new bigger features that will make it last much longer than the original Miitomo. Rest in peace, questions, answers, groovy fashion and funny Miifotos, Miitomo. Many of those who embrace the current generation of Nintendo will never forget you and your legacy.

Miitomo's last featured question. [4]

My main Mii pays tribute to Miitomo. [4]

References

1.    Feldman, B. (2018). Here Are the First Details About ‘v2,’ Which Is Not Vine 2 (But Basically Is). Available: http://nymag.com/selectall/2018/01/when-does-v2-not-vine-2-launch.html. Last accessed 1st May 2018.

2.    Niantic. (2016). Pokémon GO. iOS. California. United States.

3.    Nintendo. (2016). Miitomo. Available: https://miitomo.com/en/. Last accessed 9th May 2018.

4.    Nintendo. (2016). Miitomo. iOS. Kyoto. Japan.

5.    Nintendo. (2013). Tomodachi Life. Nintendo 3DS. Kyoto. Japan.

6.    Nintendo Wiki. (2013). Check Mii Out Channel. Available: http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Check_Mii_Out_Channel. Last accessed 9th May 2018.

7.    Nintendo Wiki. (2016). Miitomo. Available: http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Miitomo. Last accessed 5th May 2018.

8.    Nintendo Wiki. (2013). Miiverse. Available: http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Miiverse. Last accessed 9th May 2018.

9.    Nintendo Wiki. (2010). Nintendo DSi Camera. Available: http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Nintendo_DSi_Camera. Last accessed 9th May 2018.

10. Nintendo Wiki. (2009). Photo Channel. Available: http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Photo_Channel. Last accessed 9th May 2018.

11. Pokémon GO Wiki. (2016). Teams. Available: http://pokemongo.wikia.com/wiki/Teams. Last accessed 5th May 2018.

12. Tomodachi Life Wiki. (2014). Concert Hall. Available: http://tomodachi.wikia.com/wiki/Concert_Hall. Last accessed 9th May 2018.

13. Tomodachi Life Wiki. (2016). Miitomo. Available: http://tomodachi.wikia.com/wiki/Miitomo. Last accessed 9th May 2018.

14. Tomodachi Life Wiki. (2014). Tomodachi Collection. Available: http://tomodachi.wikia.com/wiki/Tomodachi_Collection. Last accessed 9th May 2018.

15. Tomodachi Life Wiki. (2014). Tomodachi (Series). Available: http://tomodachi.wikia.com/wiki/Tomodachi_(Series). Last accessed 9th May 2018.