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As you may have already seen registrations have opened for the new Nintendo Account system, allowing you to create and link that new account to a Nintendo Network ID, Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus accounts. That also signs you up for the Club Nintendo replacement programme - My Nintendo - when that launches in March.

It's now worth noting that Miitomo registration has officially launched in 16 countries, allowing you to sign-up for the free-to-start social communication app. Only users in the following countries can pre-register for Miitomo's March release.

UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Luxemborg, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, U.S, Canada

A Nintendo Account is needed for this, and it's worth remembering that the free app will be a handy way to get started with the My Nintendo programme that launches at the same time, as pre-registering for the new account system will entitle you to a Platinum Point with Miitomo. Nintendo Account registration is here.

As for Miitomo, we can expect lots of Mii charm and some microtransactions thrown in (through 'Miitomo Coins') to the free download. Below is an excerpt from Nintendo's press release.

Miitomo is a free-to-start social experience that uses Nintendo's Mii characters and lets you spark conversations with your friends in a whole new way, which first debuted with the launch of Wii Sports in 2006. More than 200 million Mii characters exist across Nintendo systems worldwide. To get started, users can quickly create a Mii character to act as their social go-between, customising its facial features, eyes, hair, as well as voice and personality. Users can also use the camera of their smartphone or tablet to snap a photo that will be translated into Mii form, or they can simply import their Mii from the Wii U or Nintendo 3DS systems using a QR Code.

Once their Mii is ready, users can add friends in person, or through their existing Facebook or Twitter accounts. After that step is complete, it's time to answer some questions. Miitomo creates conversations and turns discussions into a form of play by prompting users to answer all kinds of questions. Did you know that your best friend's favourite food is pizza? Maybe, but did you know her favourite music genre is secretly polka? And that she believes in aliens? The answers get shared among friends, sparking interesting conversations – part of the fun is discovering surprising facts about your friends that you never knew before. When users hear how their friends responded to questions, they can give it a heart or a comment, either through text or with a picture.

Mii characters will travel around and visit others that users have added as friends in the app, so it's important to look good. Users can set their own style with shorts, pants, socks, shirts, shoes, accessories, hats and more. If they want to go further in expressing themselves, they can even dress up in a variety of outlandish costumes, such as a bear costume, pirate costume, hot dog costume and more. As users experience Miitomo, they'll earn Miitomo coins, which can be redeemed in the in-app shop to get all kinds of varied and interesting outfits. There is also the option to get more Miitomo coins via in-app purchases.

And if that's not enough, users can try out the Miifoto feature, which lets them put their Mii characters in fun poses and use cool stamps, or combine their Mii image with photos they have taken themselves. These creations can then easily be posted to social media services like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Will you be giving Miitomo a whirl on your smart devices in March? Let us know.

[source miitomo.com]