This article was updated by Andrea Trama on April 26, 2026, with a bullet point list of all starter Pokemon and their respective games, including Pikachu and Eevee. It was first published on April 16.
A Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream player has shared Mii versions of every starter Pokemon from each of the mainline entries in the monster-catching game series, impressively pulling this feat off without making use of the new game's Face Paint tool. The ability to create Miis representing just about anyone or anything is one of the biggest draws of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, but creating something unique without hand-drawing it can be a real challenge.
The release of the third game in the Tomodachi line has been a relief for fans of the series who have been without a new game since the days of the Nintendo 3DS. 2013's Tomodachi Life was the first game in the social sim series released outside of Japan, and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream spent nine years in development before finally arriving on Nintendo Switch on April 16.
No, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Isn't Just "Animal Crossing With Miis"
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is Nintendo's next big life simulator, but what distinguishes it from its older brother Animal Crossing?
Tomodachi Life Player Accurately Makes 30 Pokemon Without Using Face Paint
Now, one player has used Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream's Mii creation tools to show their appreciation for the Pokemon franchise by creating every starting Pokemon ever, save for Pikachu and Eevee, who only hold the title of starter in spin-off games and Pokemon Yellow. This cast of characters created by Reddit user DucklingCore ranges from the original starter trio of Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander, all the way up to Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua, the recently revealed starters for the upcoming Pokemon Winds and Waves.
This is a list of all the starter Pokemon in the image by user DucklingCore and their respective Pokemon games, going left to right and top to bottom:
- Gecqua, Pokemon Winds and Waves
- Pombon, Pokemon Winds and Waves
- Browt, Pokemon Winds and Waves
- Quaxly, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- Fuecoco, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- Popplio, Pokemon Sun and Moon
- Grookey, Pokemon Sword and Shield
- Scorbunny, Pokemon Sword and Shield
- Sobble, Pokemon Sword and Shield
- Sprigatito, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- Litten, Pokemon Sun and Moon
- Rowlett, Pokemon Sun and Moon
- Froakie, Pokemon X and Y
- Fennekin, Pokemon X and Y
- Chespin, Pokemon X and Y
- Chimchar, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
- Piplup, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
- Snivy, Pokemon Black and White
- Tepig, Pokemon Black and White
- Oshawott, Pokemon Black and White
- Turtwig, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
- Mudkip, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
- Treecko, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
- Totodile, Pokemon Gold and Silver
- Bulbasaur, Pokemon Red and Blue
- Charmander, Pokemon Red and Blue
- Squirtle, Pokemon Red and Blue
- Chikorita, Pokemon Gold and Silver
- Cyndaquil, Pokemon Gold and Silver
Also, technically, Pikachu and Eevee are also starter Pokemon, even though they are not included in this image. Pikachu was first made available as a starter in Pokemon Yellow, and then again alongside Eevee in Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. Eevee was also a starter in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.
Impressively, this player was able to recreate all 30 of these Pokemon-based Miis without making use of Face Paint, one of the handiest new features in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. Living up to its name, Face Paint allows players to add special details to Miis' heads that aren't covered in the already extensive lists of facial parts that the game's Mii creation system naturally supports. Some talented early players have already shown how Face Paint can be used to create nearly photorealistic versions of actual people and animated characters. But as this Pokemon fan has proven, learning to use Face Paint is not an absolute necessity, as combinations of head shapes, hairstyles, and inhuman skin colors can be used to make dozens of Miis who are instantly recognizable as Pokemon.
Getting all the Pokemon to look just right hasn't been an easy task without using Face Paint, as the creator admitted. Despite providing many realistic depictions of Pokemon, not everything came through exactly as intended. In some cases, like with Poplio and Oshawott, this is because Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream does not allow players to change nose colors without using the Face Paint tool. Nevertheless, most are still impressed with how it came out regardless.
Unfortunately, the player who created all these Miis was unable to instruct players on exactly how to add them all to their own games. All 30 Pokemon Miis were created using the Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream free demo, which became available on March 25 and allowed players to get just a taste of what the full game has in store, only allowing them to make and save three Miis in one session. The creative player is doing their best to provide instructions on specific designs and has even moved on to creating other Pokemon-based Miis, like Greninja.
- Released
- April 16, 2026
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Prequel(s)
- Tomodachi Life
WHERE TO PLAY
Become the caretaker of an island full of silliness, drama, love and other surprises in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream for Nintendo Switch!
Create all sorts of Mii characters based on your family and friends, someone you admire, or someone completely original! From their appearance to their personality traits and even little quirks, there are all sorts of ways to customise your Mii characters – including face parts that are unique to this game.
By picking up and placing Mii characters next to each other, they’ll start hanging out together. Watch as they forge unlikely friendships, get into fights, fall in (and out of) love unexpectedly, and so much more.
Expand and design your island as you see fit. Place homes, shops, restaurants, and more to give your island residents new hang out spots to visit. Want to make your Mii characters feel at home? Decorate their rooms with different interior sets, including furniture, wallpaper and floors to match their vibe.
- Franchise
- Tomodachi
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- April 16, 2026
- Genre(s)
- Life Simulation
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
