New Tomodachi Life Game Makes Surprise Change to Miis

Summary

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will introduce ears to Miis, a major design change in the IP’s history.
Some fans are excited about the human-like features, while others hope for customization options like earrings.
The return of Tomodachi Life raises expectations for new features, like tattoos, requested by long-time fans.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is set to incorporate ears into the design of Miis for the first time in the IP’s history, evoking different reactions from longtime players. The Tomodachi Life sequel was recently confirmed to mark the return of the Nintendo IP after more than a decade of absence.

Back in 2009, the Japan-exclusive simulation game Tomodachi Collection came out on the Nintendo DS and was met with noteworthy success. Its sequel, Tomodachi Life, eventually rolled out for the 3DS in 2013 and, in the following year, made its way to international audiences in a first for the IP. During the Nintendo Direct stream on March 27, 2025, the Japanese gaming giant announced Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream for the Switch, scheduled for a 2026 release, and filled fans of the franchise with excitement. In particular, the company’s announcement posts on its Japanese Twitter account blew up with over 400K likes, which seems reasonable given that the game has achieved landmark sales in Japan with its past releases.

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While Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream‘s debut trailer showcased its characters, in-game locations, interactions, and more, some eagle-eyed fans particularly picked up the addition of ears to the design of the Miis, the in-game avatars created by the players. As seen in the trailer, the Miis will have a few different types of ears available in the game. Even though it may seem to be a small cosmetic change, the move brings these avatars a step closer towards resembling human features. In the Tomodachi titles released so far, there are only hairline demarcations where the ears are supposed to be, but the forthcoming title improves upon this aspect by adding actual protruding ears for the Miis.

New Tomodachi Life Game’s Design Change Draws Various Reactions from Fans

Across social media sites, fans shared their diverse opinions on the inclusion of ears in the Miis’ appearance. Calling the change fitting, one Reddit user said that the Miis “look a lot more human now, which is good …” A few different users in the comments section hoped that Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream devs would also include customization options for the Miis’ ears, such as the ability to equip earrings and headphones. However, one Twitter user expressed little interest in the new template and said that they hoped the game would let them pick between the old design and the new one.

For an IP coming back after an extended break, it is only natural to have changes compared to previous entries. Certain sections of fans have long had a wishlist for the follow-up to Tomodachi Life, which has grown steadily over time. It would be interesting to see which of the fan-requested additions, such as tattoos, are included as part of the new game coming next year.