I'm obsessed with Tomodachi Life — these Nintendo Switch accessories upgrade any cozy gaming setup

One of my most anticipated games of all time just released: Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream for the Nintendo Switch is finally here. I’ve been so excited to play that I even took time off work to make sure that I got my Tomodachi time in.

Now that I’m back from my vacation, I still can’t get Tomodachi Life off my mind, so I’m here to share the essential accessories you need to get the most out of the experience. A video game where you simply check in on cartoon versions of your friends, celebrities, and favorite fictional characters getting up to wacky antics might not be for everyone — but if you get it, you get it.

If you’re looking for the very basics, you’ll need a copy of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and a Nintendo Switch (or Nintendo Switch 2) console. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a unique video game where you’ll populate an island with Miis: little cartoon versions of anyone and anything you can imagine. From there, you’ll just need to keep an eye on goings on — the game is packed with hilariously wacky scenarios. You can also feed and clothe your Miis, decorate their houses, and terraform the island to your liking. Plus, you can get creative and design everything from buildings to pets.

One of the most important Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream accessories is also the cheapest! There are so many chances to flex your creative muscles in this game — from drawing on your Miis’ faces to creating custom dishes. Unless you plan to master drawing on the touch screen with your finger, having a stylus is a must. This one from Amazon is great because there’s a see-through touch disc for precision work. I currently use a thicker touch stylus, but the thick nib blocks my view. I’m really tempted to upgrade to this one so I can truly set my artistic abilities free.

A comfortable controller is also a lifesaver whenever you’re playing in docked mode — my favorite is the GameSir Super Nova. I already know I’m going to be playing this game for dozens of hours on my Nintendo Switch 2, and I don’t want my Joy-Con 2 controllers to develop stick drift and become unresponsive as my original Nintendo Switch controllers did. The GameSir Super Nova has hall effect sensors on board to eradicate this problem, and it’s a lot cheaper than Nintendo’s controllers to boot.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream has a great soundtrack — whenever I’m not playing the game, I’m blasting the music through the Nintendo Music app. If you want to keep your real-life friends and roommates happy and enjoy the music to the max, grab one of the best gaming headsets like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is the ultimate dip-in, dip-out game. It’s the kind of game you’ll want to play in short bursts throughout the day — so it’s a great one to bring with you on the go. If you’re travelling, you’ll need to keep your Nintendo Switch console safe with a case and a screen protector. This PowerA case is fun because it comes in different designs featuring various Nintendo characters, like Pikachu, Mario, and Zelda.

This last pick is mostly just for fun — but it’s pretty close to having a Mii in real life. The Talking Flower is based on the character from Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and will brighten your day with random phrases, as well as comment on the time of day and the weather.

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