When I heard that Nintendo was finally launching an official iOS app, I was so excited, hoping for some sort of Pokemon for the iPhone. Boy, was I disappointed when I found out it was just a social networking game based on the Mii verse.
But, I've had the app open and running for an entire day (yes, it burned through my battery pretty fast), and it turns out I'm having a bit of fun with it, in spite of the fact that I can't go in search of pocket monsters.
Create your Mii
If you've ever owned a Nintendo 3DS or Wii, you've probably already experienced Mii creation. Making an avatar in Miitomo is very similar, with one cool exception - you can get a foundation for your face by using an in-app camera with feature recognition.
After selecting a hair style, hold the selfie camera up to your face and watch as Miitomo produces likenesses that you can use. You can then go on to change the shape, color, and style of your features.
Personalizing your Mii doesn't stop at your face. You can alter the pitch, speed, depth, energy, and accent of your voice and select a specific delivery style.
You can also make changes to your personality style to make your Mii more polite or direct, fast or slow to move, quirky or normal, expressive or reserved, and serious or relaxed. Depending on the personality traits you choose, Miitomo will generate a descriptive summary. I'm an easy-going optimist. Sounds about right.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
You can earn coins for answering questions in Miitomo. Whenever you tap on your Mii, you'll get a question. The more questions you answer, the better it is for your friends. Whenever your Miis visit each other, you will hear their answers. Some of my friends have come up with some pretty funny answers. I do enjoy a good laugh.
The key is getting friendly
Since Miitomo is a social networking app, the whole point is to collect as many friends as possible, and learn stuff about them. You will earn big coins for making friends with others in the game. You can link your Twitter and Facebook account, use local device-to-device connection to make a Mii friend in person, or send a QR code to others directly.
Since I started this on launch day, there were very few people in my Twitter or Facebook contacts using the app. One way to remind your fellow social networkers is to create a QR code for your Mii, and then share it publicly to your feed. Others will be able to scan that code and automatically hook up a friendship with you.
You can also create a Mii for a friend and send a QR code of it directly through iMessage, email, Facebook, and Twitter.
When you start to get Mii buddies, be sure to check out their friend lists and see if they are buddies with anyone you know. You could probably try to befriend a stranger, but they have the ability to decline your request, and even block you, so don't be too aggressive.
Strike up a conversation
Whenever you hear a response from one of your friends, you can "like" or comment on what they said. You'll earn coins for commenting. So, why not strike up a conversation. If someone tells you about their favorite TV show, feel free to say what you think about it. Your friend can respond, too. You can also see what others have commented on a response, so over time, these conversations could become like party chats.
Go shopping!
You can earn a limited number of coins every day for answering questions, listening to answers, commenting, and logging in for the daily bonus. The amount of coins you can earn in one day is limited (From what I can tell, it maxes out at about 10,000), but you can buy coins with real money via an in-app purchase.
Once you've earned some coins, go spend it in the Mii shop. Here, you can try on any outfit and see what it looks like on. You can purchase individual items, like shirts, pants, and hats; or buy full outfits, which cost more, but sure look cute.
What else?
Got any questions about Miitomo? Have a tip you think we should know? Let us know in the comments.
