Miitomo Makes Storming Debut on iOS in Japan

Of course Nintendo has brand power. But why Nintendo has brand power? Because they make unique and great consoles and games, its not just another videogame publisher

Very interesting indeed, but hardly a suprise. It will be more interesting to see how the rest of the world receives it. In my opinion, the real challenge still lies ahead.

Good, I am glad Nintendo's first app in the mobile market is doing well. Promising stuff for the future. Just as long as they don't lose focus on the console market, I am pleased

I'm almost... flabbergasted at their marketing choices. They're doing this launch right, methinks.

I'm kinda surprised it was only number 2, genuinely. But, I guess Nintendo already has a few Apps on the store anyway, Pokemon stuff at least (right?), so this probably wasn't as much of a watershed moment as I imagine it should have been.

If this genuinely is Nintendo's first game on the App Store then it shows just how little Nintendo means to the broader consumer these days that it didn't even launch in the number 1 spot.

Imagine if in the era of the NES or SNES that Nintendo had launched one of its games on a smartphone (if they were around at the time). . . .

Edit: I guess the launch of a new Puzzle & Dragons at the same time does explain the number 2 spot.

Here's a reminder that some games that are very popular in Japan, like Kantai Collection, Youkai Watch, Monster Hunter, and Puzzle & Dragons have trouble even getting here!

Japan launch is not representative of worldwide trends, though I hope they are for this instance. It might make Nintendo great again in the eyes of the consumer - that's huge.

I've been having fun with the Japanese version, I can't wait until it launches in the West so I can experience it as it's meant to be.

I honestly thought that Miitomo would flop in Japan and I'm extremely glad to be wrong. Here's to hoping it has at least a little success in the West.

DeNA's Social app? I thought Nintendo was making the smartphone games and DeNA was doing the backend stuff (MyNintendo, etc). Am I wrong on that?

@WireWare In Japan? Nah, it was very clear that it would be a success.
Now, the rest of the world, that's a tougher call.

"This should remove any doubts"

Just no. They have been promoting this since early last year - Feb/March - when they announced their DeNA game would be out in the fall. Then in the fall they announced it would be out this year. Then they named it, and promoted it alongside Nintendo Account and My Nintendo.

I honestly don't know what the marketing was like in Japan - did they get to early access pre-order like we did here in the West? - but this has had a years worth of hype - some of it bad but hype none the less - and it launched alongside My Nintendo.

It is good to launch so well, but with any free app the only important part is how much people use it after launch. 1 million people using it every day is better than 1 billion people downloading it and then never touching it again.

So this doesn't remove anything, it's only day 1, the very beginning. That's like saying a kid being born "Removes any doubt" that he'll be President of the US some day. First step means the journey has started, but we are a long ways away from a destination.

I am glad it launched well, that portends good things to come, but it guarantees nothing. On the bright side, whatever they launch next will probably be a "Game", and not an "app", so it will look more inviting and probably have more downloads day 1. But it won't have My Nintendo launching alongside it, it will have to go it alone.

Miitomo launch probably says more about My Nintendo than Miitomo.

I hope that this gets released in Sweden

In Japan.

They don't have that brand power in the West anymore.

Well of course it will do well initially, especially in Japan where mobile is king. The real question is if people will become tired of it a month down the line. Hopefully Nintendo can keep this fresh.

This doesn't mean much, what really matters is what happens when it comes to the west later this month.

iOS

What about Android? I thought Android was bigger in Japan than Apple. Did it not launch or we just don't have any numbers?

How do you write an article about iOS w/o mentioning Android?

Edit: OK, the Bloomberg article didn't mention Android either, so no wonder it wasn't mentioned here.

The article did have this quote though - -

"The Kyoto-based company has promised to bring hits like Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong to smartphones, helping to boost its share price 33 percent last year."

um, does anybody else remember Ntineod saying the exact opposite, that it wasn't bringing those games to mobile, it was making new games? And when does Nintendo "promise" anything anyway? All they say is "please understand". The sentence doesn't say bring Mario and Doneky Kong, it says "hits like" which I'm taking to imply "hits" means games, not just characters. I could be wrong, but that's the quote.

NICEEE!!!!! Good to see it working well overseas. Hopefully it catches on and becomes a hit in the Americas as well. This is very positive news though.

IMO, they should put limited editions from things fans will droll over in the My Nintendo, in a way that to get it in the first weeks of service, people will have to get achievements in Miitomo.

The biggest hurdle to a social network is getting a lot of people in the beginning, then it will spread mostly by itself (supposing people like it, that is).

@rjejr Dunno in the last 2 years, but Japan were one of the countries where iOS won, and with a good margin to it.

This is actually a little surprising.

Truth be told, I was a little skeptical of Miitamo's potential. It's possible all the fans downloaded for the rewards, and like a console launch we'll see high download rates for a month and then a sharp decline.

But, unlike consoles, this will land the app on the popular now lists, and can bring an opportunity for widespread adoption among the masses.

So their strategy of utilizing rewards to propel their app has worked.

@rjejr

Nintendo did say they weren't going to release games on mobile. Because they planned not to. They planned to stay successful without doing so. But after reality crashed in hard, they re-evaluated and determined it was no longer something they could ignore if they are to stay relevant.

It's like if you say, "I'm not going to take that job- I refuse to work for that much." Then a year later when you're still out of work, you re-evaluate and say "Ok, I know I didn't want to do this before but I NEED income. I'll do it"

It's not that they just say one thing and do another, it's that they genuinely did not want to go down this route. And they said as much. But later they realized they couldn't ignore it, they simply couldn't afford to

@RennanNT OK you've inspired me to Google.

Appears I totally screwed up on that one, misinterpreting the title entirely.

"Report: iPhone Took Share From Android In All Markets But Japan"

Yes, Android has made a big dent in Apples lead, but the lead is still almost 2-1.

http://marketingland.com/report-iphone-took-share-android-markets-japan-117278

Thanks.

This app will do well in japan, china and korea the interpersonal culture of those nations (mainly japan) means this app is a novelty. I don't expect it to do well in the west but i'm hoping it wont have to. Things like Monster Hunter do so well over there they don't really worry about western sales numbers. If this app helps push up their earnings enough it will keep the investors happy (and quiet) whilst Nintendo continues its "real" interest - consoles and handhelds.

For some reason I think Miitomo will pop up in things like the corporate world in those team building events.

@JaxonH the creating a Mii and sending it to a friend as an request thing could work very well, Its basically how Bitstrip/bitmoji gains more users. A trick my friend dose is to make "unattractive" versions of friends and they will download the app just to change it, then they end up playing with the app.

I'm torn. On the one hand, I want to try Miitomo to support Nintendo in the hopes that it will bolster their revenue and allow the company to continue grow and put out great products on all of their platforms. On the other hand, I despise smartphone "games" and have never found one of them worth more than a few minutes of my time before deleting them.

@JaxonH I'm not talking about releasing games on mobile, that shipped has already sailed, I'm talking specifically about releasing already existing "hits" on mobile like "Super Mario Bros", which I'm pretty sure they said they wouldn't do, in part b/c of control schemes. "Super Mario Bros" isn't a character or an IP, it's an NES GAME. If they put VC on mobile, as much as I applaud them tackling mobile, I think that's a bad idea. Endless runners, jumpers, and match 3 games, fine, but not already existing classics. I do think they need a PS+ subscription service where you play all NES and SNES games for $8 per month, but that's only on NX, not on mobile. They can call it "Nintendo eSelects" b/c it's on the eShop.

Oh, here's the quote again, just as an FYI.

"The Kyoto-based company has promised to bring hits like Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong to smartphones, helping to boost its share price 33 percent last year."

@rjejr
Ya I think they mean franchises, not ports of classics. Idk, maybe Donkey Kong could work with touch controls. It's not a precision platformer like Super Mario Bros

Anyone wanna fill me in on when this gets Western release?

My iPhone is ready! (my body too)

What they need is a new game with an existing IP. Mario Kart Mobile anyone? It would sell like cold beer in the desert. Make it free to start, charge 1 Dollar a characher/kart, good online and start printing money...

Whenever I see DeNA, I always hear Mr. DNA pronouncing it.

>Japan

Come back to reality please.

@rjejr They actually said that they wouldn't port popular games but use popular IP to create new games for mobile.

@ShortSleevedNook Late March so expect around the 31st.

@rushiosan Japan is very mobile-centric, to the point that it has decimated the dedicated gaming industry there. Compare sales charts of this year to the same week 6 years ago and there is a stark difference.

Good for Nintendo. I'm not interested in Miitomo in the least though. If this is Nintendo's future I guess I'll have to find a different provider for my tastes.

@NateM94

Just like they said 3DS isn't replacing GBA. Just like they said Amiibo wouldn't be used as a paywall. Just like etc etc. There won't be an exclusive main Mario game until there is. Nintendo changes their plans all the time.

@cleveland124. Uh.....Nintendo never said that about Amiibo.

A strong start is great, but how well can this strength be sustained? The app has only been out a couple of days but the real test will be what happens in the coming weeks and months in Japan (not counting release in other regions).

I wonder if it's even worth downloading on an iPod.

Good to hear it has had a strong start but my only concern is that it seems like a very Japanese kind of game so I am not sure the west will truly "get" it though Tomodachi Life was quite successful in the other territories so I could be wrong.

No surprise that it's doing fairly well in Japan. The cultural ideas behind it are distinctly Japanese. Outside of Japan, however, I expect much lower adoption rates. It doesn't have the simulator aspects of games like Tomodachi Life...

@joedick DeNA also provides development teams to create mobile titles. For example:

http://company.wizards.com/content/dena-extends-agreement-hasbro-develop-gi-joe-battleground-and-dungeons-dragons-arena-war

So yes, DeNA will be hiring developers to create some (if not all) of Nintendo's mobile titles. Nintendo itself is probably not going to directly handle any of the mobile titles. In other words... they're DeNA titles using Nintendo properties, not real Nintendo titles.

OK, it's now at number 1:

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2016/03/18/miitomo-debuts-at-number-2-in-the-app-store

Now it makes more sense to me that it's at number 1. It doesn't matter that it's just some Mii app; it's Nintendo's first proper release on mobiles as part of its new deal. You'd just expect that to be a big enough deal to go to the top of the charts—unless Nintendo really was fading into obscurity as a brand among the mass market.

Glad it's doing good in the homeland, but I really don't see it taking off here unless it can be marketed for western audiences. I won't be pessimistic, but these kinds of games generally do better in Japan anyway. Time will tell, I could very well be wrong, but I feel it's going to take a stronger app to take the west by storm. We'll see...

Glad it's doing good in the homeland, but I really don't see it taking off here unless it can be marketed for western audiences. I won't be pessimistic, but these kinds of games generally do better in Japan anyway. Time will tell, I could very well be wrong, but I feel it's going to take a stronger app to take the west by storm. We'll see...

Glad it's doing good in the homeland, but I really don't see it taking off here unless it can be marketed for western audiences. I won't be pessimistic, but these kinds of games generally do better in Japan anyway. Time will tell, I could very well be wrong, but I feel it's going to take a stronger app to take the west by storm. We'll see...

Glad it's doing good in the homeland, but I really don't see it taking off here unless it can be marketed for western audiences. I won't be pessimistic, but these kinds of games generally do better in Japan anyway. Time will tell, I could very well be wrong, but I feel it's going to take a stronger app to take the west by storm. We'll see...

Glad it's doing good in the homeland, but I really don't see it taking off here unless it can be marketed for western audiences. I won't be pessimistic, but these kinds of games generally do better in Japan anyway. Time will tell, I could very well be wrong, but I feel it's going to take a stronger app to take the west by storm. We'll see...

@MeloMan exactly how glad are you?! 😉

@daggdroppen me too!! Nice name, Mr Dewdrop!

This doesn't surprise me, Nintendo always does well in Japan. If it does well here in the UK, then I'll be impressed.

If it comes out at all here in Finland, then I'll be impressed...

@crimsontadpoles Nintendo doing well in the UK might explain this.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/weather/february-warmest-ever-month/index.html

The world ends with Nintendo

@NateM94 Gues I'll have to chalk yet another "Nintendo moment" up to "translation error".

@rjejr I've missed all the Miitomo hype you're talking about. I heard the announcement last year
but it's all flew over my head since then. Unless you are considering Nintendo Direct a massive hype machine, which it clearly isn't.

If anything Miitomo's successful launch guarantees success for Nintendo's brand identity on smartphone, once again increasing public awareness of their IP. This kind of tactile hands on daily interaction with lite Nintendo content which will undoubtedly be downloaded by millions in the West is the advertising and marketing vehicle they need to once again tap the mass market.

So yes. Success all round.

@FragRed That's what worries me....That's exactly what happened to Amiibo and that thing is now being forced on nearly every game Nintendo makes even though it doesn't do much.

What if that same thing happens here......?!?

@liveswired "I've missed all the Miitomo hype your talking about,"

I was comparing Miitomo news to the amount of news we've gotten about Zelda U over the past year. Miitomo was practically the great flood in comparison.

@rjejr
Miitomo success in US is the bigger question mark, of course. Considering this is not a traditional game but a social experience with light game influences and a tie-in to the larger Nintendo brand via the Mii iconography I think that it's impressive.

If this was Mario or Pokemon on smart phones, I'd expect a bigger success, but it's a Mii social thing. It has a curiosity element but not something to engage the core Nintendo fans.

And I think that is specifically the strategy for this long term app. Nintendo wants it to be immediately successful but it's more important to get a foot in the door with a wider audience. To start sharing the entertainment time that gamers-on-the-go are giving to Puzzles and Dragons and Clash of Clans and other play-for-five-minutes-betwee-stuff games.

Nintendo wasn't previously there and this is just the first step.

Much more to do, but this app will be an evolving central mainstay when the apps that are more like games arrive.

That's my take anyway.

@aaronsullivan But what about Coindexter, he was a ready made mascot? And he looks like Judy Hopps, the moment was right there for the taking. "Miis? That's what my parents played with on their Wiis" I can hear the kids snickering now. It's a decade too late.

@rjejr
Yeah, I like Badge Arcade as a mobile game. One problem is that you can't use your rewards to personalize your system really. And while it won me over as a first impression of Nintendo on mobile it feels more like a virtual cash grab with a notorious sucker game as a premise (claw). Miitomo may be quirky but its premise of unearthing things your didn't know about your friends is far more benign.

A mascot besides your Mii might have been nice, though and I can't deny that "Coindexter" being such a fan of the games and having those Nintendo game icons laid out as little treasures is a much more direct way to tie to what Nintendo wants to sell you.

It could still happen, too. Maybe it's the third mobile game in the plan or maybe Coindexter gets inserted into miitomo in the future. It's just getting started. Even in the face of indications of immediate success the official line includes the promise that it will "evolve".

And that's the biggest thing for the Western launch. Miitomo is going to be more of a gateway to My Nintendo along with some fun novelty in the West. Most won't find the content alone to be more compelling than a visit now and then. That's a perfectly fine start to Nintendo's mobile strategy.

Note the really important news narrative on this launch so far: It's successful in Japan, a bit weird, let's see what happens, and hey it ties into My Nintendo. Some gamers think its silly.

What's not being said? "See Nintendo sold out and is moving its games to mobile." That's important.

It's also interesting how GameFreak gets to release honest to goodness games on mobile.

It's some pretty crafty marketing strategy and it seems like it has all been purposeful.

I'm encouraged so far. Seems like a much more carefully thought out ramp up to some big announcements this year.

As much as you are frustrated with no Zelda U reveals lately. I want to see more, but I value the restraint. I also want to be blown away by Nintendo once or twice this year and I'll exercise some patience if it helps get me there.

@rjejr The rabbit comparison is a bit of a stretch. I see him having more in common with the Duracell bunny...

@aaronsullivan Even though I also want some official Zelda or NX related news NOW! I definitely have to agree with your last point. Another megaton announcement is long overdue...
"Let them be blindsided!" should be the catch phrase for this coming E3.
Needless to say in a humongously positive manner...

@aaronsullivan "I also want to be blown away by Nintendo once or twice this year"

Fortunately I have low expectations so they've already succeeded once w/ the Pokken demo in the EU.

Zelda U can't blow me away unless they scrapped cell shading for Horizon Zero Dawn graphics. 1 year in hiding is going to give everyone unrealistic expectations, no where to go but down I'm afraid. Life like Pikmin 4 or bust.

@TheRealThanos Yes, he is very Duracell bunny like, but that movie is out now, so now is a good time for a bunny mascot.

10 years ago was a good time for a Mii app.

@rjejr "can't blow me away unless they scrapped cell shading for Horizon Zero Dawn graphics"

Okay... somebody has upped the ante and suddenly refuses to be wowed by Nintendo magic...

I have quite a confident feeling that knowing that you can go everywhere in Zelda U and at the next E3 actually seeing it happen, will still blow millions away, and so will the story and the music.

And judging from the various articles and interviews over the years, this is the one Zelda to rule them all, with an unsurpassed sense of freedom in both movement and story line, so even with all the bumps in the road lately, you can still color me hyped for that...

Pikmin 4 will probably also be a solid title, since all of the previous game have been enjoyable and have had a considerable graphical update, so I see no reason why the fourth game in the series isn't going to be better looking.

Agreed on the Mii's but what can you do, right?
I also think that part of the reason why they are so popular in Asia is the culture, in more ways than one, and to them the word also has another meaning that is deeply ingrained in their culture:

Although I think that this specific brand will also attract a lot of people over in the States, so Nintendo may yet win the West over again:

But yeah, Nintendo's gonna be Nintendo to a certain extent, even if they are going to hit it out of the park this time. But to me personally, that's actually a good thing.

Let's hope they will always keep a little bit of that quirky Japanese charm that makes their games so extremely playable and enjoyable...

I've decided , based on stuff like this, that i've finally aged out of Nintendo. (at age 39)

@rjejr Horizon Zero Dawn: The graphics are cool, but it's the ideas in the game I like. Still plenty unknown in that one.

There is a certain familiarity with Zelda games that makes me excited about the new one though. There is a pedigree that means something to me. Horizon Zero Dawn has so many unknowns that I get only what I see. Especially since those big impressively rendered games often disappoint. These are the devs that made the Kill Zone series, which never did much for me beyond wow me with scenes and scenarios. The game play itself has been mediocre and derivative.

I do like the ambition in this new game, but when I see cool additions to the Zelda formula which I love, when I expect a certain precision and fluidity to the play, I'm much more excitable.

@RobNYC1977 Why the heck should you base any decision on nothing but rumors? Nintendo knows it can't screw up, and if anything, their current success in Japan with their mobile efforts seems to indicate that they are at the very least doing some things right this time, and that bodes well in some ways for what's coming at this year's E3. Investors will be happy, apparently third parties are a bit more happy too, so why jump ship now?

You can always wait until after the E3...

P.S.

I'm 45 and I'm DEFINITELY not giving up on them yet.

I'm not giving up on Nintendo exactly, but the social media creep into all of my hobbies leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I wish them success, but I think the franchises I really liked most from them are long gone and never to return. That said, if the NX has a Mario Kart 9 i'll be on line day one. And if there's an F-Zero or some sort, then I will claim my love to Nintendo again. The Wii U has left me feeling like a jilted lover and I've been cheating like crazy with playstations. dirty!

@Hinaru77

It's hard to find quotes from long ago. But very clearly their announcement was Amiibo would be innovative and unique ways to interact with software. Do you think that's been the case? Coupled with Nintendo making promises that DLC would only be used in cases they can add value and wouldn't be a moneygrab https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/08/iwata_nintendo_wont_deceive_with_dlc

I put those two together and see that as Nintendo saying they won't use Amiibo as a paywall. If you see it differently that's fine.

I mean here's an Iwata quote from the above article, "And one thing Nintendo has determined as a company policy, what we are not going to do is create a full game and then say, ‘let's hold this back for DLC.' "

That's exactly what their use of Amiibo feels like to me.

Waiting for it to come to the waest!

@PlywoodStick Nope, Nintendo themselves are the ones developing the mobile games.

Reading this comment section, does anyone else get the impression some people REALLY wanted this to fail, and are stretching and flailing to find any reason to lash out at those who don't share their pessimism?

"only number two? It must be number one or it's total failure!"

"yes, but animated rabbits and badges and Amiibo and all the other Nintendo stuff you're supposed to hate...remember that? Hate that more!"

"yes well, as an official Jr video game sales expert, I can conclude that this is bad because of reasons, and since I am an expert Jr. video game sales analyst, if you disagree I call nanny-nanny-boo-boo on you!"

I wonder how popular it would have been if people had to pay for it. Probably not that popular.

Great to see NIntedo has made millions of dollars with this new app...

Oh wait, it's free. They made $0.

However, they did provide people with a new way to be vulgar to each other. So that's something.

I don't want to sound cynical but i believe it's success is partly related to people just wanting free platinum coins.

@Action51 I completely agree with you. Apparently nobody else cares, since the next couple of comments picked up right where the others left off...

Any level of success would have been seen as a reinforcement that Nintendo should've been doing mobile for years. Analysts have felt the Kyoto-based Giant should have been third-party in some form for years. Not shocking they're implying this is resounding.

@rjejr What about their old Game & Watch games? With a little bit of modernization, they could really be a hit on mobile and you could add snippets of history with each game and only charge 99 cents for each.

@Action51 Some people are only happy when they're moaning.

@aaronsullivan @TheRealThanos Nothing wrong w/ Zelda U graphics, its more the disappearance and expectation of a reemergence that I'm afraid will disappoint some people. This E3 will be 2 years since they'v shown it and we've seen almost nothing since. I think when they finally reveal it again it may end up like the lackluster SFZ response. Not as bad as Metroid soccer though. But just think of what has been shown on PS4 and Xbox One since they revealed Zelda 2 years ago. The stakes have been raised while Link has been on his sojourn thru the desert. And Aonuma seems like he has been spending all of his time talking about TP HD rather than focusing on U.

Not saying it can't be a blockbuster, but right now my interest is low. Sony did the same thing w/ The Last Guardian. I was so hyped for that game - back in 2010 - now I barely care as I focus on Dreams. The moment is gone.

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2016/03/dreams_may_just_be_the_most_mind_boggling_ps4_game_yet

@MrPuzzlez I suppose G&W could work on mobile. I'm not sure how much people are willing to spend on those anyway. I do think NES games and those since should be kept off of mobile.
Actually I take that back, I think the "main" games should be kept on Nintendo hardware, but I'm ok w/ simple spin-offs on mobile. Dr. Mario is a match-3 game, anybody pinball. Some of those lame single player games in Nitneod Land - F-Zero and that tilting kart game, and that balloon game. I wouldn't put all of Ntinedo Land on mobile, some of those games like Zelda, Pikmin and Metroid were really good, but the simple motion and touch control ones.

@rjejr What? No reaction to my homey joke... ? I must be losing my touch...

Anyway, just watched that video and honestly, I'm not impressed. It seems to be Sony's answer to Microsoft's Project Spark, only with a different aesthetic. I did like the living painting part, though (with the pear in the room) but that is probably because I'm an admirer of van Gogh and impressionism and besides that, there's no arguing about taste, so if Dreams is your kind of thing, then I'd say go for it.

As far as the way Nintendo is handling things is concerned, I partially agree with you in that they could have very easily showed us some more footage by now, but on the other hand it will now be a complete surprise to see the full game in action, probably at this year's E3 and I'm pretty confident that people will be impressed. After all: this is the biggest Zelda ever.

And I'm pretty sure that no other game will be able to steal it's thunder, especially not a create-your-own-game game with a teddy bear and a walking rocket...

@TheRealThanos I'll try and find the homey joke. 47 emails this morning, I tend to fly thru things when I'm that far behind.

"And I'm pretty sure that no other game will be able to steal it's thunder, especially not a create-your-own-game game with a teddy bear and a walking rocket..."

Dreams isn't stealing Zelda's thunder, it's stealing The Last Guardians thunder. XCX has already stolen Zelda's thunder, a huge open world Nintendo exclusive that looks beautiful on the Wii U. And it has voice acting. And realistically, Oblivion and Skyrim stole Zelda's thunder years and years ago. But they are both 1st person and not available on Nintendo systems so Zelda gets to be the first game that is. Except for XCX which is freakin HUGE, and full of cave's and cavern's and mountaintops to explore. Also The Witcher 3 takes 3rd person exploration to levels Zelda games will never achieve and that has been all over the place over the past year. If NX gets a Witcher 3: Complete at launch - DLC still coming for that one - Zelda hype simmers.

http://www.vinereport.com/article/the-witcher-3-dlc-news-no-details-for-the-release-yet-may-include-new-location-complex-story-less-depressing-soundtrack/9369.htm

Oh, congrats on being a Van Gogh fan and living in Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum was 1 of my trip highlights. Rijksmuseum was of course closed, everywhere that tour took us was closed. Bank was open, they cashed my check, but I only got about half of what I was told to expect.

@rjejr comment #67, at your service...

@TheRealThanos Ah, the ramen noodles. Yes, I did picture this guy eating them, so the joke wasn't lost on me.

@rjejr Ramen in Dutch means "windows" so that gives it yet another completely different twist: homey eating window noodles...

By the way: if you're ever planning on visiting here again, then you'll be happy to know that the Rijksmuseum is open again and it is completely renovated, with a new wing added. Maybe I should offer you my services as a tour guide to make up for the lousy one you had back then, but we'll see if it ever get's that far...

@TheRealThanos The Rijksmuseum wasn't closed for renovations, we were just there on it's closed day, either a Monday or Wednesday. Same for whatever museum in Italy has Michaelangelo's David, we just got to see the fake one outside. And Lucerne was closed on a Wednesday for a religious holiday. The whole city. And in Rome they took us to St Peter's Basilica in the morning and the Sistine Chapel in the afternoon, but the Sistine chapel closed at 11AM. And the Sistine Chapel was the #1 thing I wanted to see in Europe and I never got to see it.

Someday my wife and I will do one of those 3 days in Paris and Rome w/ the overnight sleeper train car in between. Maybe for our 25th wedding anniversary when I turn 60. Kids should be on their own and graduated from college by then. I need to get a job first though.