Topic: New Details on Nintendo's Friend Connection Emerge

[NWR_pap64]

After nearly a year of silence, first details on the Sims-inspired DS game surfaces.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=18296

 Last year, Nintendo unveiled a DS game called Friend Connection at their Fall Media Conference. No gameplay details were shown, except for a short video of a Satoru Iwata Mii delivering a speech and a Shigeru Miyamoto Mii singing karaoke.    

The game has been set for a Japanese release on June 18, and online retailer http://gmstar.com/ds/tomodachicoll.html>Gamestar has the first details. Friend Connection is a life simulation title in which players will create a Mii or transfer one from the Wii's Mii Channel and start life on an island with other Miis. Miis will then interact with each other, establishing friendships and even creating enemies. Miis based on family members and friends can also be created or transferred into the game. They will also feature stats that create a unique personality.    

In the evenings, Miis can watch various TV broadcasts. Friend Connection will also feature appearances by Satoru Iwata, Reggie Fils-Aime, and Shigeru Miyamoto.    

Details on an American localization have yet to be offered.

[NWR_pap64]

I personally don't care if fans get so mad at this game's existence that all the angry fanboys of the world gather together to form a nuclear force in hopes of destroying the company they once cherished. I...don't...care. I WANT THIS GAME.

Why? This is esentially Stage Debut Reborn.

For years I wanted to play the Mario Artists and Stage Debut games released on the N64 DD and demoed at E3. Friend Connection seems to be an evolution of those ideas Miyamoto wanted to make games based on but couldn't.

I want it.

[Mop it up]

So is this game like The Sims but without all of the micro-management of your character having needs? That's what made that game so tedious.

What kind of stuff can you watch on TV?

The "feature appearances" link doesn't work for me.

[Plugabugz]

Friend Connection INSTANTLY made me think "oh they somehow fixed the friend code system?"

[Nemo]

Friend Connection INSTANTLY made me think "oh they somehow fixed the friend code system?"

I thought that, too. I thought it would be something that'd let you see what games your friends are playing, so you could join them. Not so.

[NWR_pap64]

Friend Connection INSTANTLY made me think "oh they somehow fixed the friend code system?"

I thought that, too. I thought it would be something that'd let you see what games your friends are playing, so you could join them. Not so.

Well, I would have written a more detailed title, but the site goes nuts if you write a title that is too long.

[Stratos]

Friend Connection INSTANTLY made me think "oh they somehow fixed the friend code system?"

Same here. I pictured a new Wii Channel that showed all of your friends status and all the different games you had exchanged FC's with them. Maybe with WiiSpeak and keyboard support so you could plan what games you wanted to play.

But thins sounds like it could be fun. Imagine all the fans stalking Reggie when he appears in the game. Wait, will it be MMO like where all of your friends are on the same island? That could be fun.

[Ian Sane]

Is there a reason Nintendo decided that THIS and Animal Crossing need to be seperate titles?  Could not some of the features in this game have been incorporated into Animal Crossing: City Folk?  It certainly would have made that game feel more like a sequel instead of an enhanced remake.  Now I know this is a DS game and that was a Wii game but still.  The ideas were there and would have fit like a glove.

That's realistically my big beef with non-games.  It's like Nintendo comes up with these clever concepts that would be cool to use in a full game.  But they don't develop the concept further.  They just take the one dimensional concept and make that the game.  They don't go further with it.

[Stratos]

I think there should be connectivity between this and AC:CF

[Stogi]

I was wondering that too, Ian. Seems odd not to merge the two titles. Maybe they didn't want to tarnish the AC name if FC bombs.

[NWR_Neal]

The "feature appearances" link doesn't work for me.

Fixed!

[Jonnyboy117]

Could be cool -- is there any confirmation that the game is online?  If not, it's lame and worthless.  I completely agree with Ian that it sounds like stuff that would work well in an Animal Crossing game, but the DS one came out years ago.  Maybe Nintendo is using this release to test out some new ideas that could go into future games?

[BlackNMild2k1]

Maybe its not only a test but actually aimed at a different market.
Not the core or the usual casual that might enjoy Animal Crossing with its cute cuddly animals.
Maybe its aimed at more the Wii___ crowd. the people that only play WiiSports, WiiMusic, WiiPlay, etc etc.
That crowd knows its Miis and might initially be turned off by the cute cuddly characters.
A sort of gateway game for the new gamer.

[NWR_pap64]

That's why this game fascinates me; there's so much mystery about it Friend Connection could either be a work of genius or a complete failure of Wii Music proportions.

[Mop it up]

That's why this game fascinates me; there's so much mystery about it Friend Connection could either be a work of genius or a complete failure of Wii Music proportions.

But I thought you liked Wii Music?

[TJ Spyke]

or a complete failure of Wii Music proportions.

How is 2.5 million copies sold a failure? Most games would kill to sell that many copies. I'm sure Nintendo would be thrilled if Friend Connection was that kind of "failure".

[NWR_pap64]

Oh, I should have been clearer in that statement.

What I meant was that the concept could either be accepted and regarded as genius and inventive or be criticized and banned into infamy like Wii Music. Friend Connection has the potential of being this year's Wii Music; a concept that is both shallow and compelling

[Mop it up]

C'mon, we all know Nintendo haters are going to have a field day with this. This game is obviously not "loyal" to Nintendo fans. Just wait until the GameFAQs board is set up, that's what will get the ball rolling.

The very first topic on the New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis board was one criticizing Nintendo for re-releasing GameCube games. It wasn't until the fourth topic where somebody actually started talking about wanting the game. We'll see how many topics it takes for Friend Connection.

[NWR_pap64]

Oh definitely. If this is shown off as a big DS title at E3 all hell will break loose.  But even with that I still want to try this out. I love the Miis, and this might be the first game that truly uses them as characters. In the other games they were basically avatars and generic characters made to represent you. But Friend Connection sounds as if they will truly give them a character, creating an even bigger personal connection between the Mii and the player.

[KDR_11k]

So Nintendo shows Sony how to do Home RIGHT?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

nonHome for nonCustomers?

[UncleBob]

Why? This is esentially Stage Debut Reborn.

Great!   Port of an N64 game!

(I tease, I tease...)

[Stogi]

HOW HAVE I NEVER SEEN THAT VIDEO!

[broodwars]

Meh, whatever.  So long as they have new stuff out there for us to play as well, I don't have issues with the stuff they experiment with for "teh casualz".  I do agree that Nintendo has this aggravating habit of taking new ideas and making them their own game instead of being a component in a much better game.  I also wish Nintendo would change the name, because I too thought this might actually be a Friend Codes update when I saw the title.

[UncleBob]

I also wish Nintendo would change the name, because I too thought this might actually be a Friend Codes update when I saw the title.

Me too.