Nintendo released a new game that can best be described as a fusion of Tamagotchi, Nintendogs and even a little bit of Miitomo. What results is a children friendly game where players need to take care of a cute teddy bear. Needless to say, this isn’t something the hardcore Nintendo gamer will appreciate but kids will definitely enjoy playing it, let’s explain why.
What is Teddy Together?
Before we delve deeper into the mythical land of teddy bears and lollipops, let’s talk about the game a little more so you truly understand what kind of product this is. Teddy Together is a port of Namco Bandai’ Kuma Tomo, a game that released in Japan a couple of years ago. Now, Nintendo brings the game to the West, as Teddy Together, a lot of effort went to the English translation for sure.
In Teddy Together, you’ll meet up with a cute but nameless Teddy Bear that will be by your side for the entire game. The goal of the game is to create a certain connection, a bond, with the bear so he’ll trust you more. Every now and then, Teddy will ask personal questions, which you can answer using the touchscreen or internal microphone. It’s a game where children learn how to start simple conversations with others or how they maintain a friendship. Since Teddy has a lot of different stories, this is the perfect game for children to play just before they head off to bed.
While they get to know Teddy, they can also play some mini-games with it. You can take it to bath, plant seeds outside, change outfits or make a meal for the hungry bear. The mini-games are very innocent but certainly offer some fun for the younger gamers.
Make friends with Teddy
That’s exactly what the game aims for, a younger audience that’s satisfied with small tasks and love from the Teddy. If you’re a hardcore Nintendo gamer, there’s nothing to see here, even if you’re into Nintendogs or Tamagotchi, this Teddy Together is perhaps a little too cute and innocent. But that’s not necessary a bad thing, of course, it just means you’ll need to judge the product for what it is. It’s a great game for the kids but it does come with some flaws.
Strange voice, no censorship
The biggest issue we had while playing the game was the voice of the Teddy. It’s a high-pitched robotic voice that really doesn’t match with the cute looks of the bear. The voice is a bit of a letdown if you ask us but Teddy does manage to pronounce the words correctly. Resulting in a rather educative game. Since Teddy asks questions, children can learn certain English words while typing them. Keep in mind however that there’s no censorship, the kids can type in whatever they want. At a certain point, Teddy asks the player how a lollipop is called, it’s no secret that some kids might fill in other words.
It’s nothing bad since the game has no online support whatsoever, so the answers can’t be shared with others or Nintendo but it’s something parents should keep an eye out for. You don’t want this game to become a swearing words collection instead of the cute and innocent Teddy game. We understand the lack of censorship since the content can’t be shared but since it aims at a younger market, it would have been better if the Teddy warned the children not to use such words. You know, moral lessons are important as well.
Good use of the system
Something the games does manage to pull off is that it uses a lot of the 3DS’ functions. The 3D effect looks great and it really looks like the cute little Teddy is walking out of the screen just to give you a hug. Thanks to the power of the system, Teddy looks warm and fluffy and its cute little house is filled with details. This isn’t a rushed game, there’s a lot of eye for details and it are these things that kids will love to see.
Besides the 3D effect, the game also uses the touchscreen to type words, that are pronounced by Teddy shortly after you enter them. The microphone is also used, to cool down some of the food or to call Teddy’ name while playing so he’ll come to you. We haven’t seen a lot of games using the microphone recently so it’s great to see the developers didn’t forget about that one.
Last but not least, the game also support Amiibo, scanning a specific Amiibo will result in coins. These coins can be used to buy new outfits for your bear so that its clothes are exactly how you want them to be. Besides that you can also buy new fur colors or seeds that can be planted in the garden. If you don’t own Amiibo figurines, you can gain coins by doing some of the tasks and mini-games of course.
The costumes reminded us a little of Miitomo, as did the questions of Teddy. It’s amazing to see just how many clothing options you have, if you like to dress up, this certainly is a game that will bring you pleasure. It’s not the big selling point of the title but it’s nice to have for those who are into it.
Conclusion:
Teddy Together isn’t Nintendo’ biggest hit but it’s not meant for the older, hardcore crowd. Instead, it’s the perfect game to play with your kids since they’ll learn a lot about friendship and even learn some new English words while talking to Teddy. It’s a fun and innocent game where younger gamers can truly connect with Teddy. The only downside is the irritating voice of the bear and the lack of censorship, so parents are definitely advised to play together with the kids. That being said, if you’re looking for a safe and fun to play game for your kids, Teddy Together is a safe bet.
7.5/10
