StreetPass Mii Plaza Update: Live in the United States + Information & Gameplay

Imagine my surprise when my 3DS prompted me for an update this evening in between gaming sessions. Here I was, expecting another “system stability fix to improve things behind the scenes”—but no, this update was a little different. And by “a little”, I mean…it has everything awesome that Japan and Europe had several weeks before us, just after E3 2013. The 3DS StreetPass Mii Plaza Update featuring four brand new StreetPass games is available in the United States right now. Before I explain a few things, here’s a little more proof for those of you who haven’t updated your systems yet.

As you can see, the four new games are Mii Force (developed by Good-Feel), Flower Town (developed by GREZZO), Warrior’s Way (developed by Chunsoft) and Monster Manor (developed by PROPE).

Mii Force plays a lot like Gradius. Your Mii controls a ship that flies in a side-scrolling stage and shoots enemies. The more StreetPasses you amass, the bigger your “squad” for each mission is, which is the difference between playing Gradius with just your pithy little shooter, or Gradius plus handfuls of power-ups. There seems to be a lot to do (achievements, target scores to aim for, rewards to unlock) and plenty of gameplay options available.

Flower Town doesn’t seem to offer much in the way of gameplay. In the beginning bits I played, I was able to pick from one of three plants to grow. I picked a flower, recorded it in my journal, then went on to welcome someone who came to visit via StreetPass. She simply watered my plant, then went on her way. My plant bloomed, I made a record of it. And then I got to talk to her to see what kind of plant she was growing. So…I suppose it’s a decent cataloging game, but it might not amount to much more than that.

Warrior’s Way is a strategy game whose core is primarily concerned with the oldest of all strategy games. Your army consists of three main forces: there’s your cavalry (rock), your archers (scissors), and your infantry (paper). Soldiers are amassed based on the amount of people that are in your StreetPass plaza. Each time someone greets you via StreetPass, your total number of soldiers increases based on their plaza population. There’s the possibility for some huge armies out there, I’d imagine. Anywho, onto battle itself: You see what the enemy’s army consists of, and must divide your troops based on what you think the enemy may send out. Based on numbers and luck, you may achieve victory! In the case of the game’s first battle, I had an enemy whose army consisted entirely of  cavalry forces (rock), so there wasn’t much room for error. Certainly seems like a fun take on the strategy genre!

Finally, there’s Monster Manor. This one’s fairly unique. I was trapped inside a haunted mansion, then offered “pieces” to create a path in order to move forward. The goal is to reach the 30th floor and remove the curse on the mansion, and you must do so by collecting “pieces” from other players trapped in the mansion via StreetPass. Fit two pieces of the same color together and they can create rooms with treasure chests and other zany obstacles… like the door that appeared and had a monster behind it. When fighting the monster, combat worked a lot like Find Mii except it was way more intuitive, and didn’t require just one or two simple actions at a time. This game clearly functions as an RPG should; it has experience points, gems, and other tropes of a common JRPG.

All of these games have achievements to unlock that offer rewards for your Mii Plaza character and seem to add some degree of replay value. But, do keep in mind that the snippets I’ve provided are just first impressions.

It’s fascinating to see a handful of developers with some pedigree behind games played using StreetPass and Play Coins, but unfortunately that pedigree comes with a price.

As with Europe and Japan, these is a price tag associated with the new content. You can purchase each game individually for $4.99 each, respectively. The…friendly rabbit that offers information about these new games also told me about a $14.99 “bundle price” in which you could buy all four games up front for a reduced rate. But…that can only happen once, during your first purchase.

Upon buying each/all of these titles, your Mii in the Plaza can now change “outfits” instead of hats, as various clothing accessories can be collected as you play through the new games. Nintendo offered “gifts” in exchange for purchases, or even updating your system. I believe the one everyone gets is a pixilated Mario hat to wear.

So, there’s that: Nintendo’s bold step forward into the world of making the Mii Plaza profitable. How do we feel? Is it only a matter of time before your StreetPass Mii can wear a money hat? …Anyone?

I can sense I’m losing most of you. Here’s something that’ll bring you back around, courtesy of Staff Writer Justin Graham. I’ll update this article with official word from Nintendo as soon they send out a Press Release.

UPDATE: All right, this will do. For those of you looking for official word…

Courtesy of Nintendo.com:

Nintendo constantly aims to improve the functionality of its systems and services in order to provide the easiest, most user-friendly experience possible. As a part of these efforts, we are making Nintendo 3DS™ system updates available for download via the Internet.

Your Nintendo 3DS system and software are not designed for use with any unauthorized device and/or any unauthorized software. Please note that the Nintendo warranties do not cover any defects to or defects caused by unauthorized devices, software, modifications and/or non-licensed accessories. Furthermore such use may lead to injury to yourself or others and may cause performance issues and/or damage to your Nintendo 3DS system and related services. Nintendo (as well as Nintendo licensees or distributors) is not responsible for any damage or loss caused by the use of such devices, software, modifications or non-licensed accessories.

IMPORTANT: After the Nintendo 3DS system is updated, any existing or future unauthorized technical modification of the hardware or software of your Nintendo 3DS system, or the use of an unauthorized device in connection with your system, may render the system permanently unplayable. Content deriving from the unauthorized modification of the hardware or software of your Nintendo 3DS system may be removed. Failure to accept the update may render games unplayable.

In relatively newer versions of the Nintendo 3DS system update, updates can be received automatically when connected to a wireless access point. When the download is complete, you will receive a dialog on the HOME Menu detailing the steps to install the update.