Violent videogames got you down? If you’re shopping for something a little more lighthearted to get you out of the cycle of slaying bad guys and dominating the world, look no further than Nintendo’s own dweeby characters, the Miis.
While the Mii may be on its way out, in terms of Nintendo’s long term branding, nonetheless we have a soft spot for these little cartoon avatars. These are our five favorite Mii-centric games that you can still get your hands on easily and are guaranteed to make your day just a wee bit brighter.
Mii StreetPass Plaza – 3DS
Arguably the best time-sink in the universe exists in this very collection of games. This is the reason to have a 3DS. The base software come pre-installed on your 3DS with two games: Puzzle Swap and Find Mii. Both are silly, meaningless little time wasters, but in the best possible way. It rewards you for using your system and for taking it on the go. If you sink money into it, it gives you even more things to collect and bonuses in the games too. You also get access to the line, so the next time you’re abusing an event or amusement park for streetpasses, you won’t have to stop at 10. Just send all your extras to the line, and you’ll never miss out on a streetpass again. Don’t get many streetpasses? Just use the Play Coins you get from walking.
Tomodachi Life – 3DS
Imagine throwing everyone you know on an island and letting them go wild—that’s essentially what Tomodachi Life is about. It was widely criticized for being exclusive of the LGBTQ+ community when it released, but it still has a certain je ne sais quoi charm about it. It’s similar to The Sims in a sense, but much more simplified and has a lot less control. You’re an overlord of sorts watching over the Miis of your friends and colleagues live their own zany lives. Just be prepared for a lot of really bizarre relationships that are beyond your control, and pray your friends won’t think you’re shipping them.
Miitomo – Mobile
It may have only been fun for about five minutes when it released, but it lived up to the quirky and goofy vibe the Miis have always had about them. But with your friends. Sort of. Nintendo’s not very good at social media. It has a lot of aspects of Tomodachi Life, but brought in a sort of anonymous social media aspect to it—which worked in a lot of ways but also failed miserably in actually connecting you and your friends. The plus is that it has a wonderful sense of customization and collection, as well as being just plain gooby. It’s great to fiddle around with, have a good laugh at and snag some My Nintendo Rewards, but not much else. Check out our review here.
Wii Party U – Wii U
There aren’t any Mii games on Switch quite yet, so if you’re still a generation behind, this Wii U title is a stupid fun multiplayer game. Just be warned, you’ll need at least two Wii remotes and nunchucks to get things going flawlessly between you and a pal. If you’re familiar with Wii Party, a collection of mii-based party mini-games for Wii, it’s a lot like that, but instead of eight or so games, it broadens its collection to over 80 multiplayer and single player minigames. It’s massive, wacky and a wonderfully dumb time.
Miitopia – 3DS
Of course, we have to include the most recent addition to the Mii library. It’s a very, very, very simplified RPG that feels like an expanded version of Find Mii with the sim-like quirks of Tomodachi Life thrown in. It doesn’t take a lot of energy to get into or stay in because it’s meant to be played on the go. It’s a hop-in and hop-out kind of game. The evil dark lord, played by your choice of Mii, has wreaked havoc on your kingdom by stealing the faces of the dwellers and putting them on monsters. With non-traditional classes like pop star and cat, you and your friends (whom you also cast), must save the kingdom from the Dark Lord and save everyone’s faces from peril. Not only is it easy to get into, but it’s also very hard to put down. Plus, it’s way more LGBTQ+ friendly than Tomodachi Life ever was. Read our full thoughts here.
Aiden Strawhun is the Paste Games intern and gaming freelancer who somehow won an award once. On the off chance she isn’t drowning in words, she’s either stuck on Skyrim again or plotting to rule the world. Her work has also been seen on GameSpot, Extra Life and Naples Herald. Follow her on Twitter @AStraww.