Predictions of Nintendo's doom are almost as old as the century-old company itself. But now, shareholders, rejoice! After years of resistance, gaming goliath Nintendo has finally released a smartphone app. But Miitomo, the first of the company's five planned iPhone apps, isn't the mobile Mario or Zelda adventure you may have been pining for. Instead, Miitomo is a free communication app centered on the iconic Mii avatars. Game or no game, however, Miitomo provides that trademark Nintendo charm on a brand new platform. It shouldn't surprise you that the debut smartphone from one of the best gamemakers in the world is an Editors' Choice.

It Mii
The first thing you do when you launch Miitomo is create your Mii, a stylized recreation of yourself. The facial customization options are the same ones we've been using since Miis first debuted on the Wii a decade ago. You can also take a photo of yourself and have the app create a Mii for you. The simple, but cute, designs of Miis really pop on the iPhone 5s that I used for testing (the app is available on Android, as well). Visually, they're pretty much on par with their Wii U counterparts. But people are more than just pretty faces. You can define your personality along with the pitch and speed of your Mii's voice. Finally, you answer a few questions about yourself, questions that form the crux of the app's communication system.

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