Fans seem to like the Tomodachi Life demo on Switch, but they’ve discovered that it has absolutely no filter when it comes to words.
Ahead of next month’s launch of Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream for the original Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has dropped a free demo so fans can get an early taste of the game.
It’s a sensible marketing ploy since Tomodachi Life is one of Nintendo’s more niche series (in the West anyway, in Japan it’s massive), as it’s a life sim populated by your own custom-made Mii characters.
The player response has been positive, with plenty of praise for the game’s customisation options and allowing for gay characters (something Nintendo promised would be in this sequel), but the most surprising detail is the apparent lack of any censorship.
You have free rein to edit the name of your Miis and island home, as well as what they can say in certain dialogue exchanges, with Tomodachi Life using text-to-speech so all the Miis actually talk and don’t just make Animal Crossing-esque noises.
As such, social media is flooded with examples of players expressing surprise at what they’re able to get away with. One player was able to name their island ‘F*** S*** A**hole Island’ with zero issue and another got two Miis talking about genitalia. One clip on Reddit sees a Mii bring up the Epstein files.
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It’s a shockingly cavalier approach from the family friendly Nintendo, which has made a point of preventing you from entering certain words in other games, such as when nicknaming pokémon or giving villagers catchphrases in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
It doesn’t seem to be a mistake though, as Nintendo has opted to place restrictions on sharing screenshots, which is why people have had to use their phones or video recording software to share pictures and videos.
‘Nintendo is committed to creating experiences that are welcoming and enjoyable for everyone,’ reads a post on Nintendo’s support page. ‘To support this commitment, and in consideration of the unique gameplay in Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream, we have decided to place restrictions on image sharing features so if you take photos of the game using the Switch 2’s camera feature, you can’t share them on social media.
‘These limits help to make the worlds players create in Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream remain fun and safe, and that the game can be enjoyed comfortably by all players.’
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It remains to be seen whether or not Nintendo will change their approach for the game’s launch, although they haven’t got much change to do anything as the game is out on April 16.
After all, the game has a PEGI rating of 3, meaning it’s advertised as being suitable for ages three and upwards. However, unlike Pokémon or Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life doesn’t allow for any online communication with other players.
This presumably means other players can’t visit each other’s islands or share their Miis with one another. As such, there’s no risk of a child stumbling onto another player’s Mii talking about sex.
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