Mii
Encyclopedia
A is a digital avatar
used in Nintendo
's Wii
and Nintendo 3DS
gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness (or a caricature
) of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the consoles, respectively. The Mii will also be used in Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console.
Mii characters are created and stored in the Mii Channel or the Mii Maker, which are installed on the Wii
and the Nintendo 3DS
consoles, respectively. While the user can assign a gender, name, birthday
, and favorite color to a Mii, the majority of the interface used for Mii creation focuses on the appearance of its face
and head
: the user is given a variety of different hairstyle
s, eye
, nose
, and mouth
shapes, and other features such as facial hair
or wrinkles, to select from. Most of the facial features can be further adjusted, including their size, position, color, and alignment. Accessories such as hat
s and glasses
are also available to add, and the Mii's height
and build
can also be adjusted. The Mii Maker installed on the Nintendo 3DS
can use facial recognition
to generate a Mii, which selects facial features based on a photograph of a person's face taken with the system's cameras. The features can then be fine-tuned by the user. Because the selection of facial features is considered by some to be limited, users are encouraged to develop caricature
s of real persons instead of accurate depictions.
Both Wii and Nintendo 3DS
consoles each can store up to 100 Mii characters, and Wii Remotes are also able to store and transfer Mii characters to other consoles.
is perhaps the best-known example of this, and it adds a further personal touch to Miis by saving game statistics and records for individual Miis. Miis will make cameo appearances as computer controlled opponents, teammates or within the audience. Miis have been used to serve as game file icons (profiles) within several games. Often appearing as just a head for identification, this Mii has no impact on the actual gameplay other than to identify a player in another way besides name.
Miis are primarily used in games such as Wii Sports
, Wii Play
, Wii Fit
, Wii Party
, Wii Fit Plus
, Wii Music
and Wii Sports Resort
. Players can also use their Miis, however, in other first-party games
, most noticeably within WarioWare: Smooth Moves
, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
, Mario Party 8
, Mario Kart Wii
, Mario Super Sluggers
, Bomberman Blast
and Animal Crossing: City Folk (using their Mii's head as a mask). The Japan-only Sega
game Pachinko: Sammy's Collection
is the first third-party game to incorporate Miis, while the Wii version of FIFA Soccer 08 is first third-party game released in North America and in Europe and Australia to use the Mii Channel. Many other games, like We Ski
, and (the Wii versions of) Guitar Hero World Tour and Sonic Colors
also use Miis.
While a Mii's head always remains the same, its body varies between games. For example, in Wii Sports, the Mii's body is stylized, with spherical floating hands and bearing no arms, but in Wii Fit its body is designed to look more natural, and its weight will be determined by the weight the Wii Fit found of the player in Wii Fit tests. Sometimes Miis will wear outfits in context with the game. In Mario Kart Wii
, Mii racers can be dressed in jumpsuit
s, or Mario style overalls for males and a Peach style dress for females, in Dr. Mario Online Rx
, Miis appear in medical clothing, and in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
, where they appear as bobblehead doll
s, they will be dressed up in bounty hunter Samus Aran
's Power Suit. In MLB Power Pros
, Miis are designed to look like regular Power Pro-kun avatar, with legs detached from the main body. In Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
, the Mii's body is formed more like a regular human. This design was however, criticized by IGN
's Lucas M. Thomas, who sarcastically commented that "[it] doesn't look disturbing at all."
Miis are also incorporated in the downloadable Everybody Votes Channel
, where Miis represent the voter. Up to six different Miis can be registered within the channel to use in voting. Another Mii-centric channel, the Check Mii Out Channel (also known as Mii Contest Channel in Europe), was released on November 11, 2007. Perhaps an evolution of an idea shared by Shigeru Miyamoto
at the Game Developers Conference
in 2007, this channel allows players to share their Miis and enter them in popularity contests.
games via the Mii Channel. A code must be entered by the user to unlock the feature. (In order, tap A, B, 1, then hold down 2 for three seconds)
The Nintendo DS game Personal Trainer: Walking
uses Miis to allow players to track their progress in the game. Players are also able to create Miis in-game. The DS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
also does it.
A Japanese DS game called "Tomodachi Collection
" came out which is a sim game using Miis and has a built-in Mii editor, and Miis from the user's Wii's Mii Channel can be transferred and vice versa.
features Miis as a standard. Similarly to the Wii's Mii Channel, the Nintendo 3DS features its own Mii-creating application called Mii Maker, which is more advanced than the Mii Channel.
Mii characters can be created manually with Mii Maker as on the Wii's Mii Channel, but they can also be created automatically through the use of the Nintendo 3DS's cameras. The system captures an image of a subject's face, and the application converts the image into a Mii likeness using integrated recognition software. Automated Mii character designs can be manually adjusted. Mii characters can also be imported from the Wii to the 3DS. However, Miis cannot be sent from the 3DS to the Wii, as Mii Maker features an expanded selection of design parts that are not available on Mii Channel.
The Nintendo 3DS can generate and read QR codes
that represent Mii characters. QR codes and pictures of Mii characters can also be transferred to an SD card
in any picture format, and be used in various ways, such as posting them on a web page. Miis on the Nintendo 3DS can also be used in conjunction with the device's Augmented Reality software - the software includes a mini-app named 'Mii Pics' which allows the user to take a photo of their Mii within a regular photo, using an augmented reality
card included with the system.
The first Nintendo 3DS game to include support for Mii characters is Pilotwings Resort
. Miis obtained through StreetPass appear as Non-player characters in Nintendogs + Cats
. Mii characters also appear in Super Pokémon Scramble, Mario Kart 7, and in many more games.
The Check Mii Out Channel, also known as the Mii Contest Channel in Europe
and Oceania
, is a Wii channel that allows players to upload their Mii characters and share them with other users. There are also popularity contests, in which players design a Mii that personifies a specific idea or character and then vote on the Mii that best fits the suggestion. The channel was made available for free download on the Wii Shop Channel
on November 12, 2007.
and ex-tennis
player Shuzo Matsuoka
. The duo had been featured in Japanese promotions for the Wii, highlighting Miis themselves. Their Miis feature gold pants, as opposed to a gray pair, and cannot be edited or copied. If owners transfer them to another Wii or Wii Remote, they will be removed from their original location, instead of traditionally making another copy. It is also possible to create special Miis through the use of third-party software, but Nintendo typically will force these entrepreneurs to shut down.
Nintendo's forced shutdown of these third-party sites brings a shortcoming of their Mii offering to light. Sometimes when a customer has needed to return his or her Nintendo Wii for service, a replacement machine must be sent. When that happens, the Mii software recognizes it is a different system and will not allow any editing of Miis created on the original system. Nintendo, while offering to copy game data and Miis to the new machine, will not alter the Miis so they can be edited on the replacement machine.
A few years later, during the N64
era, an unsuccessful disk drive for the N64, the Nintendo 64DD
, was made. The people at Nintendo had developed a short film using Talent Studio's avatar maker, which now included clothes & a built-in movie editor. After the disk drive's failure, the people still had work to do on the Mii project.
The next try was for the e-Reader
. Along with the Game Boy Camera
, it could build an avatar maker. Shigeru showed another short film they made with the newer avatar maker, which was called Stage Debut, which was shown at E3 2002.
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
used in Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness (or a caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
) of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the consoles, respectively. The Mii will also be used in Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console.
Mii creation
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
consoles, respectively. While the user can assign a gender, name, birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
, and favorite color to a Mii, the majority of the interface used for Mii creation focuses on the appearance of its face
Face
The face is a central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head, and can, depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyelashes, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, temple, teeth, skin, and...
and head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
: the user is given a variety of different hairstyle
Hairstyle
A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...
s, eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
, nose
Nose
Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for respiration in conjunction with the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes through the pharynx, shared with the...
, and mouth
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
shapes, and other features such as facial hair
Facial hair
Facial hair is a secondary sex characteristic of human males. Men often start developing facial hair in the later years of puberty or adolescence, approximately between 17–20 years of age, and most do not finish developing a fully adult beard until their early 20s or even later...
or wrinkles, to select from. Most of the facial features can be further adjusted, including their size, position, color, and alignment. Accessories such as hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
s and glasses
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
are also available to add, and the Mii's height
Human height
Human height is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body standing erect.When populations share genetic background and environmental factors, average height is frequently characteristic within the group...
and build
Body weight
The term body weight is used in daily English speech as well as in the contexts of biological and medical sciences to describe the mass of an organism's body. Body weight is measured in kilograms throughout the world, although in some countries it is still measured in pounds or stones and pounds...
can also be adjusted. The Mii Maker installed on the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
can use facial recognition
Facial recognition system
A facial recognition system is a computer application for automatically identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video frame from a video source...
to generate a Mii, which selects facial features based on a photograph of a person's face taken with the system's cameras. The features can then be fine-tuned by the user. Because the selection of facial features is considered by some to be limited, users are encouraged to develop caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
s of real persons instead of accurate depictions.
Both Wii and Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
consoles each can store up to 100 Mii characters, and Wii Remotes are also able to store and transfer Mii characters to other consoles.
Wii
Miis are intended to be an extension of the player, and in keeping with this spirit, the user can use them in several Nintendo titles for the Wii. Wii SportsWii Sports
is a sports game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii video game console , and part of the Touch! Generations. The game was first released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and was released in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month...
is perhaps the best-known example of this, and it adds a further personal touch to Miis by saving game statistics and records for individual Miis. Miis will make cameo appearances as computer controlled opponents, teammates or within the audience. Miis have been used to serve as game file icons (profiles) within several games. Often appearing as just a head for identification, this Mii has no impact on the actual gameplay other than to identify a player in another way besides name.
Miis are primarily used in games such as Wii Sports
Wii Sports
is a sports game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii video game console , and part of the Touch! Generations. The game was first released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and was released in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month...
, Wii Play
Wii Play
Wii Play, released as in Japan, is a party video game for the Wii console. It is a counterpart to the games Wii Sports, Wii Music and Wii Fit. It features minigames that use characters from the Mii Channel. Several of the games featured are from E3 2006 demos such as the Duck Hunt-styled shooting...
, Wii Fit
Wii Fit
is a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...
, Wii Party
Wii Party
is a party video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game heavily borrows game play elements from the Mario Party series, another Nintendo franchise. It is also the first game in the Wii series that Shigeru Miyamoto did not produce...
, Wii Fit Plus
Wii Fit Plus
is a fitness video game by Nintendo for the Wii console. The game is an enhanced version of Wii Fit and was announced at Nintendo's E3 2009 media briefing on June 2, 2009. The game was released in Japan on October 1, 2009 and in North America three days later on October 4. It was released in South...
, Wii Music
Wii Music
is a free form music game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released in Japan and North America in October 2008, and in Europe and Australia in the following month...
and Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort
Wii Sports Resort has received generally favorable reviews, with an average score on Metacritic of 80%. IGN gave it a 7.7 out of 10, citing the impressive fidelity of the controls and how the graphics, as compared to the majority of Wii games, were superb. GameTrailers gave an 8.6 out of 10....
. Players can also use their Miis, however, in other first-party games
First-party developer
A video game development party can be one of two parties: a first-party or third-party developer.- First-party developer :In the video game industry, a first-party developer is a developer that is part of a company that manufactures a video game console, and develops exclusively for it...
, most noticeably within WarioWare: Smooth Moves
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
WarioWare: Smooth Moves, known in Japan as , is a party video game developed by Nintendo SPD and Intelligent Systems. The game was published by Nintendo for its Wii video game system in Japan in December 2006, and in Europe, North America, and Australia in January 2007...
, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, known in Japan as , is a sports video game developed by the Sega Sports R&D Department of Sega Japan. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America, Europe and all other regions. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic...
, Mario Party 8
Mario Party 8
is a party video game, the eighth installment in the Mario Party series, and is the first title in the series to be released for the Nintendo Wii. It is also the first Mario Party title to have the ability to use Mii characters. It was released in North America on May 29, 2007, in Europe on June...
, Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
, Mario Super Sluggers
Mario Super Sluggers
Mario Super Sluggers, known in Japan as , is a sports video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai Games and NOW Production, and published by Nintendo. It was previously known by the working title Super Mario Stadium Baseball. It is part of the Mario Sports series, and the sequel to Mario...
, Bomberman Blast
Bomberman Blast
Bomberman Blast is an action game developed and published by Hudson Soft for the Wii and WiiWare. It is part of the Bomberman series. It is the second in a trilogy of downloadable Bomberman games, after Bomberman Live for Xbox Live Arcade, and followed by Bomberman Ultra for PlayStation Network.The...
and Animal Crossing: City Folk (using their Mii's head as a mask). The Japan-only Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
game Pachinko: Sammy's Collection
Jissen Pachi-Slot Pachinko Hisshôhô! Hokuto no Ken
Jissen Pachi-Slot Pachinko Hisshôhô! Hokuto no Ken is a Fist of the North Star based pachinko video game released for the Wii in Japan by Sega Sammy. It was released on May 24, 2007 in Japan, and is exclusive to that country....
is the first third-party game to incorporate Miis, while the Wii version of FIFA Soccer 08 is first third-party game released in North America and in Europe and Australia to use the Mii Channel. Many other games, like We Ski
We Ski
We Ski, also known as Family Ski in Japan and Europe, is a video game for the Wii developed and published by Bandai Namco Games. It is the first third-party game released that makes use of the Wii Balance Board....
, and (the Wii versions of) Guitar Hero World Tour and Sonic Colors
Sonic Colors
is a 2010 platforming game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was first announced on May 26, 2010, in a press release by Sega for Italy, and it included a teaser trailer...
also use Miis.
While a Mii's head always remains the same, its body varies between games. For example, in Wii Sports, the Mii's body is stylized, with spherical floating hands and bearing no arms, but in Wii Fit its body is designed to look more natural, and its weight will be determined by the weight the Wii Fit found of the player in Wii Fit tests. Sometimes Miis will wear outfits in context with the game. In Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
, Mii racers can be dressed in jumpsuit
Jumpsuit
Jumpsuit originally referred to the utilitarian one-piece garments used by parachuters/skydivers, but has come to be used as a common term for any one-piece garment with sleeves and legs.-Use:...
s, or Mario style overalls for males and a Peach style dress for females, in Dr. Mario Online Rx
Dr. Mario Online Rx
Dr. Mario Online Rx, released as in Japan and as Dr. Mario & Germ Buster in Europe and Australia, is a puzzle video game starring Dr. Mario. It was one of the WiiWare launch games in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and was released on March 25, 2008 and May 20, 2008 . It was released in North...
, Miis appear in medical clothing, and in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a first-person action-adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the tenth game in the Metroid series, and the final entry in the Metroid Prime trilogy—excluding two spin-off titles. It was released in...
, where they appear as bobblehead doll
Bobblehead doll
A bobblehead doll, also known as a bobbing head doll, nodder, or wobbler, is a type of collectible toy. Its head is often oversized compared to its body...
s, they will be dressed up in bounty hunter Samus Aran
Samus Aran
is the protagonist of the Metroid video game series. Introduced in the 1986 video game Metroid, Samus is a female ex-army soldier bounty hunter usually fitted with a powered armor suit with weapons that include beams and missiles...
's Power Suit. In MLB Power Pros
MLB Power Pros
MLB Power Pros is a baseball video game developed by Konami for the Wii and PlayStation 2 video game consoles. It is part of the traditionally Japan-only Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū series of video games, and is the first game in the series to be released outside of Japan. It was released on October...
, Miis are designed to look like regular Power Pro-kun avatar, with legs detached from the main body. In Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2, called in Japan, was announced by Konami on May 15, 2008 as part of the 10th anniversary of Dance Dance Revolution celebration. Hottest Party 2 features the same gameplay as the first Hottest Party and introduces new gameplay modes, gimmicks, characters and...
, the Mii's body is formed more like a regular human. This design was however, criticized by IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Lucas M. Thomas, who sarcastically commented that "[it] doesn't look disturbing at all."
Miis are also incorporated in the downloadable Everybody Votes Channel
Everybody Votes Channel
The Everybody Votes Channel is the Wii Menu channel that allows users to vote in simple opinion polls and compare and contrast opinions with those of friends, family and voters across the globe....
, where Miis represent the voter. Up to six different Miis can be registered within the channel to use in voting. Another Mii-centric channel, the Check Mii Out Channel (also known as Mii Contest Channel in Europe), was released on November 11, 2007. Perhaps an evolution of an idea shared by Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
at the Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
in 2007, this channel allows players to share their Miis and enter them in popularity contests.
Nintendo DS
Miis can be transferred from a user's Wii to supported Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
games via the Mii Channel. A code must be entered by the user to unlock the feature. (In order, tap A, B, 1, then hold down 2 for three seconds)
The Nintendo DS game Personal Trainer: Walking
Personal Trainer: Walking
Personal Trainer: Walking, known in PAL regions as Walk with me! Do you know your walking routine? and in Japan as , is an exergaming application developed by Nintendo NSD and Creatures Inc. for the Nintendo DS...
uses Miis to allow players to track their progress in the game. Players are also able to create Miis in-game. The DS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
is a Wii and Nintendo DS action role-playing game in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series developed by Square Enix.The game was released in Japan on January 29, 2009. The North American version was released on March 24, 2009 and the European version was released on March 27, 2009...
also does it.
A Japanese DS game called "Tomodachi Collection
Tomodachi Collection
is a life simulation handheld video game for the Nintendo DS. It was released only in Japan on June 18, 2009.-Gameplay:The gameplay is similar to The Sims and Animal Crossing. The gamer uses Miis to interact in this game. Players can transfer their Miis from their Wii console to their Nintendo DS....
" came out which is a sim game using Miis and has a built-in Mii editor, and Miis from the user's Wii's Mii Channel can be transferred and vice versa.
Nintendo 3DS
Unlike the Nintendo DS, which features limited support of Mii characters, its successor the Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
features Miis as a standard. Similarly to the Wii's Mii Channel, the Nintendo 3DS features its own Mii-creating application called Mii Maker, which is more advanced than the Mii Channel.
Mii characters can be created manually with Mii Maker as on the Wii's Mii Channel, but they can also be created automatically through the use of the Nintendo 3DS's cameras. The system captures an image of a subject's face, and the application converts the image into a Mii likeness using integrated recognition software. Automated Mii character designs can be manually adjusted. Mii characters can also be imported from the Wii to the 3DS. However, Miis cannot be sent from the 3DS to the Wii, as Mii Maker features an expanded selection of design parts that are not available on Mii Channel.
The Nintendo 3DS can generate and read QR codes
QR Code
A QR code is a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white...
that represent Mii characters. QR codes and pictures of Mii characters can also be transferred to an SD card
Secure Digital
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
in any picture format, and be used in various ways, such as posting them on a web page. Miis on the Nintendo 3DS can also be used in conjunction with the device's Augmented Reality software - the software includes a mini-app named 'Mii Pics' which allows the user to take a photo of their Mii within a regular photo, using an augmented reality
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
card included with the system.
The first Nintendo 3DS game to include support for Mii characters is Pilotwings Resort
Pilotwings Resort
is a flight simulation video game for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console, developed by Monster Games and published by Nintendo. It is a sequel to the 1990 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Pilotwings and the 1996 Nintendo 64 game Pilotwings 64. Similarly to its predecessors, it was...
. Miis obtained through StreetPass appear as Non-player characters in Nintendogs + Cats
Nintendogs + Cats
is a real-time pet simulation video game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a sequel to the Nintendogs games for the Nintendo DS systems. It was announced alongside the 3DS during Nintendo's E3 press conference, and is a launch title, being released February 26, 2011 in Japan, March 25, 2011 in Europe...
. Mii characters also appear in Super Pokémon Scramble, Mario Kart 7, and in many more games.
Check Mii Out Channel
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, is a Wii channel that allows players to upload their Mii characters and share them with other users. There are also popularity contests, in which players design a Mii that personifies a specific idea or character and then vote on the Mii that best fits the suggestion. The channel was made available for free download on the Wii Shop Channel
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel is an online shop for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console and WiiWare games, and new channels. Downloading may require redeeming Wii Points. The channel launched with Wii on November 19, 2006...
on November 12, 2007.
Streetpass Mii Plaza
A feature on the 3DS, the Streetpass Mii Plaza makes use of the handheld's Streetpass feature, which exchanges data between nearby 3DSs in standby mode. As Miis are gathered in the plaza, they can be used in one of two minigames, Puzzle Swap and Streetpass Quest. In Puzzle Swap, players can exchange pieces of a jigsaw puzzle based on Nintendo games. Streetpass Quest is an RPG minigame in which players use the Miis they gathered to fight through dungeons, earning accessories for their Mii. Each Mii possesses a different type of magic depending on their color, and become more powerful if the player meets them more than once. These games can be optionally played with Play Coins, though the results are more random than with Streetpass Miis.Special Miis and Mii editing limitations
Currently, only two special Miis have been released by Nintendo. For a limited time between March 13 and March 29, 2007, Wii owners in Japan were sent Mii versions of the famous Japanese comedian Sanma AkashiyaSanma Akashiya
is a Japanese TV comedian and actor simply known as Sanma. His real name is . His talent agency is Yoshimoto Corporation.Together with Beat Takeshi and Tamori, Sanma is said to be one of the "Big Three" tarento of Japan. Sanma's nickname is . He is known for his ability to endlessly carry a...
and ex-tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player Shuzo Matsuoka
Shuzo Matsuoka
, is a former professional tennis player from Japan.-Professional career:Matsuoka turned professional in 1986...
. The duo had been featured in Japanese promotions for the Wii, highlighting Miis themselves. Their Miis feature gold pants, as opposed to a gray pair, and cannot be edited or copied. If owners transfer them to another Wii or Wii Remote, they will be removed from their original location, instead of traditionally making another copy. It is also possible to create special Miis through the use of third-party software, but Nintendo typically will force these entrepreneurs to shut down.
Nintendo's forced shutdown of these third-party sites brings a shortcoming of their Mii offering to light. Sometimes when a customer has needed to return his or her Nintendo Wii for service, a replacement machine must be sent. When that happens, the Mii software recognizes it is a different system and will not allow any editing of Miis created on the original system. Nintendo, while offering to copy game data and Miis to the new machine, will not alter the Miis so they can be edited on the replacement machine.
History
The history of Miis were revealed at the Game Developers Conference in 2007. Shigeru Miyamoto first said that the Miis started out as a concept for a Famicom game, where a user could draw his face or someone else's. Many complained that it wasn't a game, and it was canceled.A few years later, during the N64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
era, an unsuccessful disk drive for the N64, the Nintendo 64DD
Nintendo 64DD
The is a peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console. It plugged into the N64 through the EXTension Port on the Nintendo 64's underside, and allowed the N64 to use proprietary 64 MB magneto-optical discs for expanded data storage...
, was made. The people at Nintendo had developed a short film using Talent Studio's avatar maker, which now included clothes & a built-in movie editor. After the disk drive's failure, the people still had work to do on the Mii project.
The next try was for the e-Reader
E-Reader
The is a device made by Nintendo for its Game Boy Advance portable video game system. It was first released in Japan in December 2001, with a North American release following in September 2002...
. Along with the Game Boy Camera
Game Boy Camera
The Game Boy Camera, released as in Japan, is an official Nintendo accessory for the handheld Game Boy gaming console and was released in 1998. It is also compatible with the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, Game Boy Color, Super Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Advance SP...
, it could build an avatar maker. Shigeru showed another short film they made with the newer avatar maker, which was called Stage Debut, which was shown at E3 2002.
See also
- Avatars, the Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
equivalent - PlayStation HomePlayStation HomePlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
, which also features avatar creation
External links
- Mii Channel at NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
.com