Nintendo released its first smartphone app, Miitomo, in 2016.
Miitomo launched in Japan in March 2016 and then became available in other markets. It was a communication-focused mobile application built around Nintendo’s Mii avatars. Users could create a Mii, answer questions, and share selected responses with friends.
The app was developed in partnership with DeNA as part of Nintendo’s initial move into mobile software. Miitomo was not a traditional Nintendo console game and did not adapt a major existing franchise into a mobile format. Instead, it centered on social interaction and personalized avatars.
Nintendo later released mobile titles based on established properties, including Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Miitomo was discontinued in 2018, but it remains important as Nintendo’s first official smartphone application.