Nintendo's First iPhone Game Is 'Miitomo’

Many people expected Super Mario, or a version of it, to be the first game from Nintendo on the iPhone.  However, the company recently announced that its first game will be called Miitomo. The game will be available for download in March 2016. The news was announced during a press event with investors and the media and the company went on to say that it will be the first of five games the company intends to release between March 2016 and March 2017. Users will be able to download Miitomo free of charge, but it is expected to feature in-app purchases.

The game is basically about creating avatars, or Miis, that can communicate with others in a virtual world. This explanation of the game makes it feel like another medium for communication rather than an actual game like Super Mario 3D World. It perhaps doesn’t sound like it will offer the engaging game play that will draw people away from classic smartphone games, or playing the ever-improving bingo games on bingo apps like these- bingo-apps.co.uk. However, the company says it will encourage more shy people to be open and take part in discussions, which can’t be bad things.

Nintendo is delaying the launch of the game until March 2016 because it wants to fully educate the public about the benefits of the game before it is launched.  Many people expected the game to be launched this festive season, but the company said it would rather focus on marketing other games they have in the pipeline for now.

It is not yet clear if Super Mario will be part of the other four unknown games from Nintendo, but the company have already said that they will be pay-to-download games instead of using a freemium model. The hope for many in gaming circles is that the new games will have more gaming aspects to them than does the communication-focused Miitomo.

During the announcement, there was no mention of Apple TV support for any of the upcoming games.

The name of the game Miitomo is Japanese for My Friends, and early descriptions suggest it will be similar to Tomodachi Life. Get ready to build and populate islands with your friends!

SPC Mailbag - May 2nd, 2012

It is time once again to open up the old SPC Mailbag and read some of your fine questions. I don't get many e-mails, but when I do, I drink Dos Equis. Not that I endorse drinking alcohol or anything like that. ...Don't look at me like that. Let's get to answering your e-mails!

Recently, some analysts have been wanting Nintendo to put their games on iOS and smartphones. What are your thoughts on this?

Unless they are companion apps such as having an app that acts as a Pokemon checklist for monsters you've caught or something small like that, I am of the firm opinion that Nintendo placing their IPs on iOS in the short term would be okay. Unfortunately, there is a certain concept called the long term where doing so would surely bite Nintendo on the butt. They live and die by their hardware and software. Their hardware sells because of their software. You've no doubt heard/read the statement that software sells hardware and not the other way around. This is most certainly true for Nintendo. If Nintendo puts their games on iOS, I feel most consumers wouldn't see a need to buy Nintendo's hardware. They'd be placated to just have bite-sized or cheaper versions of Nintendo's greatest franchises in the palm of their hand on their smartphone or other device. After all, why would they need to shell out even more money to play vastly more expensive versions of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, and more? It's a losing long term proposition that would start off swell but end with even more angry shareholders, lost money, and the cheapening of their IPs. Though, to get a second opinion on this matter, the other side, please check out this article from one of SPC's affiliates, Digitally Downloaded.

 Tablets and phones terrorize poor Mario! (Not my image.)

I've read some of your reviews, and I really like what I've read. Would you consider joining the staff of [my] site?

As someone who tries not to spend too much time online, when I do hop online, I spend the majority of my time combing through news sites for posts for my blog as well writing fresh and exclusive material for SuperPhillip Central. This generally means that I cannot surrender much time to other sites. Another reason is that most places want my reviews to be exclusive to their sites, so that means that I cannot even post my thoughts on games on my own blog. Thus, I generally answer no to such requests. However, recently I accepted the offer of a fine bloke name Christian who runs a 3DS-centric center called Planet 3DS. I don't have to devote too much time to the place, and I don't have to post exclusive reviews for them. Sure, that means I must learn how to use not only the new Blogger but WordPress, but you take what you can get. My first reviews on Planet 3DS have already been posted. It's a nicely designed place that is full of news, screens, videos, and what I specialize in, reviews. Check it out. Maybe you'll find a new hangout spot on the Web.

Come visit the gang at Planet 3DS. 
What do you have to lose except free time?

Every week you post five themes from video games that you really like. I love this idea, but I was wondering what your favorite soundtracks of all time are. 

That's not really a question technically, but I'll allow it. On the heels of celebrating the 100th VGM this past week, I am planning to make a list (no, not a top ten or even a top five list) of my favorite game soundtracks, providing a short blurb of the game, the composer, and the music itself as well a handful of samples. I'm not too terribly sure on when I plan to do this. If I was smart (which I feign the look of on multiple occasions), I would do it this week as we're fresh off the 100th VGM. However, I do have a new review to share this week as well as a rant about things that are making the video game industry a laughingstock. I could hold one of those off until next week. What do you guys and gals out there as readers think? Which article would be more interesting to read for you all?

 Perhaps this is a hint of a game with a stellar soundtrack...
Wink, wink. Hint, hint, and all of that other stuff.

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For now we put the SPC Mailbag back in its resting place, awaiting more e-mails from people all around the world. If you have a question you want to ask me, please send an e-mail to superphillip32[at]yahoo[dot]com. Replace the brackets with the necessary symbols. You know how to work the Internet, right? Thanks for reading and joining me on my adventure through the thin pile that is my e-mails.