Many seem to really love it, but to me, they're just ok. The concept is cute and I love not having to collect happy stamps, but I got bored after a few generations. You raise a character, marry it off, and repeat. In order to marry, you either have to visit a destination quite a few times to build relationships, or be able to afford a 5000 gotchi point ring, and either way it feels like a grind. The destinations are cute, but not very interactive. Each destination has a shop with themed foods, toys and accessories. Some offer a mini game, but after playing once you are deposited back in your living room, and have to go back to the destination if you wish to play again. What bothers me most is that you need to have at least two m!x units to unlock Mermaid Palace & Gozaru Village, so if you only have one m!x you will permanently be missing 2 destinations.
There's no gardening or seeds to plant, and not very many built-in wallpapers. The mix would definitely offer a more complete experience with access to the stations in Japan. I haven't tried the Anni m!x yet, and though I love the characters on it, it's the same concept of raise, marry, rinse and repeat. If you're interested in raising weird and wonderful characters then I absolutely recommend the mix. The mix is also nice because the faceplate insert can be changed with a bit of tinkering and personalised on the cheap.