Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Lacks Online Features and Mii Sharing, Leaving Me in Need of a Pick-Me-Up

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is set to launch on both the Switch and Switch 2 this spring, but fans are feeling a bit let down by the lack of online features that many were hoping for, especially after enjoying similar titles like Miitopia.

In case you missed it, the sequel to Tomodachi Life won’t support online play at all. For starters, there’s no option for screenshot sharing, which is a bummer since capturing and sharing those hilarious moments is a big part of the fun in a game like this. Nintendo has stated that it wants to avoid any “out-of-context scenes” that could be “misunderstood.”

But that’s not the end of it. Nintendo has also confirmed that Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream “does not feature any online communication features,” which is pretty disappointing. This includes Mii sharing, a beloved aspect of Miitopia that many fans enjoyed. According to the official Tomodachi website, you can send a Mii or an item through local play, but they won’t stick around on your friend’s device. Any Mii characters and items received via local communication cannot be permanently shared with others. It feels like a step back from the StreetPass feature on the 3DS. While it’s understandable that Nintendo wants to keep things appropriate for younger players, it does take away some of the fun, and many players share this sentiment. In fact, there are already discussions about how to share Miis despite these restrictions.

A recent Reddit thread features a user asking how Mii sharing could work without online capabilities. They suggested an idea reminiscent of a fan-made Tamagotchi MixingMeets app, proposing that players (or even developers) could create a website similar to Miipedia, but instead of sharing access codes, it would provide step-by-step instructions with pictures and tutorial videos. Sounds like a great idea, right?

Here’s hoping Nintendo listens to our requests for some form of online functionality and delivers. Regardless, I’m confident that Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will still be an enjoyable experience—fingers crossed!