Miitopia originally launched on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2016. With the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has decided to release a port with graphics that work with the console while also adding in some new content. However, can this quirky little RPG still stand its own on a new console?
Story
When the Dark Lord starts stealing the faces of the people of Miitopia, it’s up to none other than you to become the hero and put an end to the mayhem. The game’s story doesn’t shift from its 3DS counterpart. It remains a bit above average with the main emphasis on the Miis. The many random and whacky conversations you’ll experience between these Mii characters is what makes Miitopia the game it is today. It can be irritably annoying with some of the repeated lines or scenes, but there’s a lot to it that’s been juggled around from the original Nintendo 3DS game.
Despite its story, Miitopia is only as good as the amount of effort you put into it. Imagine a world where Bowser is king, SpongeBob is the Dark Lord, Dora the Explorer is the great sage, and Rick is the mother of the young troublemaker Morty. Playing this game with generic Miis isn’t going to rival the level of enjoyment as using your favorite characters or people you know. This is what brings out the charm in such a game, and its extensive Mii-making system stands firmly behind it.
Reading dialogue is a core component of most games. There’s no doubt you’ll have to read a lot of dialogue in this game, but better options to increase the text speed would have been phenomenal. You’ll often have to hold down the B button just to speed up the text. Sometimes you’ll even have to let it go and switch to the A button before you can proceed. It does get irritating if your eyes far surpass that of the text speed, or you’re just not the patient type.
Gameplay
Miitopia will have you embarking on a journey to rescue as many faces as you can before going head to head with the Dark Lord. When not advancing through routes to get to this evil mastermind, you’ll find yourself visiting linear towns and building up your Miis at an inn. Whenever you’re done with a portion of a region, you’ll end up at another inn to recover.
The journey that awaits you does get repetitive. Sometimes it can have you desperately begging for the next inn when no breaks have been taken. Not only that, but the B button will likely become your best friend to speed movement up. The slow pace you’ll have to put up in some areas can be underwhelming.
Mii Creation
Making faces and using peoples’ creations is the embodiment of Miitopia. The game’s Mii-making system shows the thought, sweat, and maybe even blood that’s been invested into it. The possibilities are almost endless and the creations people have made are identical to their originals. The Mii-maker goes unmatched to any other Nintendo Switch game with character customization. Sharing your Miis and using other peoples’ creations is as straightforward as ever. The majority of players certainly wouldn’t be disappointed here.
Although the game excels with its character creation, it falls short when it comes to finding creations to use. It’s a given that not everyone is talented with their artsy side or has the patience to whip up a handsome face. The game will have you making a handful of Miis frequently, and the defaults may not always be a worthy option. There is a collection of custom Miis people have made during the 3DS era. Even though there’s a good number of them to choose from, having the ability to search for random Miis would have been an excellent feature. The perk does come with access keys you get from other players, but you’re on your own if you don’t know or can’t find anyone.
Combat Gear Customization
Some games don’t let you be powerful in style. Thankfully, Miitopia is different. Not only does it have an extensive Mii creation system, but it also lets you have the best of both worlds when it comes to growing in strength and doing it in style. You’ll be able to use a variety of weapons and clothes for your characters. These pieces of gear will change your appearance as well. You can choose to equip new, stronger gear and keep the appearance of the old gear that you possess. Additionally, some clothes let you change their color. It’s unfortunate that not all clothing options in the game give you a large list of colors to choose from, but color customization is always a welcomed addition.
Wigs and Makeup
If you thought the amount of customization from the Mii-maker in Miitopia was all the game had in store, you are sadly mistaken. The Nintendo Switch version of the game added in wigs and makeup to make the already robust Mii-making system even better. It opens up access to much more customizations to make Miis more realistic to your dream face as possible. There’s a massive amount of content included to spice Miis up even further.
Combat
Miitopia keeps the fighting as simplistic as possible. It’s a turn-based combat system in which you only control the protagonist’s actions. Your party members can still attack and utilize support skills, but they’ll only use them at their own discretion. The AI isn’t bad, but it’s disheartening when your teammates use healing items instead of assisting with finishing off an enemy with low HP. However, your Miis will all get the face time they deserve after all of the hard work that’s been put into them from the camera angles during battle.
Attacking monsters in the classic turn-based style isn’t what makes Miitopia’s combat shine––it’s the supportive dialogue in between with your favorite custom Miis that does. With the many jobs (often called “classes” in other RPGs) at your disposal, Miitopia has a lot going for it when it comes to combat. There are enough jobs to satisfy even a veteran RPG player. The number of skills that back up each job is plentiful, too. The actual combat, on the other hand, hasn’t always maintained its touch throughout the game.
You’ll have to make peace with the 100% encounter rate in Miitopia if you choose to dwell in its gameplay. Fleeing from the battlefield forces you to restart the entire area again; the good news is, each region’s area can be cleared in a matter of minutes. You’ll yet again have to mash that B button if you’re unhappy with the pace of battles. Sure, you may not mind it in the first couple of hours, but the game is capable of eventually breaking that willpower. From time to time, speeding up combat with the B button will look like an attractive option.
There’s a good balance of enemies and bosses throughout the game. Miitopia isn’t a difficult game, but it also wouldn’t be a walk in the park. It stands at a middle ground where the bosses can give you a run for your money. There isn’t much grinding involved to overcome the stronger enemies, but Miitopia is a game that encourages growing bonds between your Mii characters for more interactions to trigger during its combat. The more you put into the game, the more you get out of it.
Activities
Miitopia does have its fair share of activities you can partake in. It doesn’t seem like much after exploring all of the options, but it’s sufficient to mix things up a bit. The majority are played out for you. You can have your Miis go fishing or canoeing, for example, but you’ll never be in control. It’s a series of cutscenes that are played out each time to be entertained by the interaction between the Miis. You can sit back, relax and enjoy what these Miis are cooking up—or you can mash that B button once again to speed up the scene and continue with the gameplay.
One of the most interesting and sometimes even challenging activities is the quiz. You’ll sometimes have to take this quiz when advancing with the story. The prizes aren’t the best, but the concept is intriguing. The difficulty is always the flip of a coin; sometimes you’ll get a straightforward quiz while other times you may unexpectedly get an extremely difficult one. Regardless of the difficulty, they’ve always been a delight to answer with the different types the game provides.
With the right number of tickets, you’ll be able to earn money or items in the game without farming for them. Although limited in number, there are mini-games you can actually play. Unfortunately, there’s only two––and one mini-game is far from viable. Lady Luck dictates the outcome of these two mini-games; however, the slow text speed makes it inconvenient to get several games in quickly.
What’s New in the Nintendo Switch version of Miitopia?
Besides the updated graphics, there are some new additions to the Switch port which justify the $10 price increase. Whether it’s sufficient to make you purchase the game again but on the Nintendo Switch relies upon yourself. The graphics are certainly brighter and cleaner without the rough edges as seen in the 3DS version of Miitopia.
- Makeup and Wigs
- Outing Events
- Horse
Makeup and wigs add to the already extensive Mii-making system present in the game. It gives players a more robust system to further enhance their Miis to make them look more realistic to what they’re aiming for. Additionally, you’ll be able to take your Miis out on outings instead of having them build up their bonds at the inn.
You’ll now be able to recruit a horse to fight alongside you, interact with your Miis at the inn, or ride through the routes. Similar to the Mii, this horse is customizable. And while the horse won’t take damage during combat, it does pack a mean punch. It relies on RNG, but it also makes the battles a lot easier than they already are. However, the power of the horse relies on the Mii’s friendship level with it.
Post-Game Content
Miitopia doesn’t end when you’re done with the story campaign. There’s still a lot more to do which can add on an additional 10 hours to the 25 hours of gameplay you may already have with it. You’ll also have the power to give some of your current teammates a much-needed break and swap them out with totally new Miis. With two new areas to explore, tougher enemies to face, all of the medals to collect, and two new secret jobs to unlock, you’ll be able to continue the fun for some time with this one.
Soundtrack
There are over 200 songs in Miitopia; some of which can even be considered as hidden gems. The majority may not be memorable, but the soundtrack works pretty well for the adventure and laid-back experiences you’ll have with the game. Additionally, all of the songs will become accessible in the music section of the journal as you progress further in the game.
Conclusion
The more effort and thought you put into Miitopia is the amount of enjoyment you’ll get out of it. It’s a whacky and quirky RPG that gets a bit too repetitive with both its dialogue and gameplay. The additions to the Switch version are noteworthy, but you’ll likely still be mashing that B button more than you’d like to.
Miitopia gets a 7/10.
