Ahead of its launch, Nintendo has released a free demo for Miitopia on the Switch to let players try the game early. The title was first released to the Nintendo 3DS back in 2017, letting players use their Miis as the stars of an adventure to take down the Dark Lord. Each character in Miitopia uses a face from the player's Mii collection, letting players set out on a quest with friends and family alongside them.
In February 2021's Nintendo Direct, it was revealed that a Switch port for Miitopia is in the works. The new version of the game features improved customization options and the ability to recruit horses, letting players interact with them much like the Mii companions. People expected not to get their hands on the new title until its release date on May 21 of this year, but Nintendo has announced a free demo available now for anyone to download. This release will be a welcome addition to the small list of games that use the Mii functionality on the Switch, such as Super Smash Bros Ultimate's Mii Fighters.
A new post from Nintendo of America's Twitter page announced the demo on April 27, releasing it to the Switch eShop at the same time. The Nintendo website features more info; In Miitopia's demo, players will be able to create and share their Mii adventurers and experience the beginning of the game for free before the release date a month later. Additionally, save data from the demo version of the game will be transferrable to the full release, a widely-praised move similar to the Outriders demo and last year's Pikmin 3 Deluxe demo.
Nintendo has outlined all of the content available in the demo for Miitopia. Starting off, players can create and share any Mii characters they want, which can be used in both the demo and the full game when it releases. However, it should be noted that sharing is only available to those with a valid Nintendo Online membership. People will also be given access to the game's Switch-exclusive content, namely the horse companion and the wigs and makeup for Mii customization. As for how much of the game is playable, the first area of the game will be available in the demo, letting players continue from where they left off should they go on to purchase the full game.
There has been a recent trend of new games getting free demos with transferrable saves. Developers have started to use demos as more than just a teaser for games, offering fans a substantial slice instead. This tactic was massively successful for Outriders and it can be assumed that more companies will adopt similar tactics going forward as a result. The original Miitopia released to mixed reviews from critics according to Metacritic, but user scores have been more favorable, with the latter sitting at a 7.8 at the time of writing. It's unknown how well the newversion will actually sell on the Switch, but it looks as though Nintendo is confident with the game's release right around the corner.
Sources: Nintendo of America, Nintendo eShop, Nintendo, Metacritic