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A Mii ( ) is a customizable
avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appear ...
used on several
Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...
video game console A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
s and
mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
s. Miis were first introduced on the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
console in 2006 and later appeared on the 3DS,
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. ...
, the
Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...
, and various apps for smart devices. Miis can be created using different body, facial and clothing features, and can then be used as characters within games on the consoles, either as an avatar of a specific player (such as in the ''Wii'' series) or in some games (such as '' Tomodachi Life'' and ''
Miitopia ''Miitopia'' is a role-playing video game developed and published by Nintendo originally for the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS version was released in Japan in 2016 and worldwide the following year, with a remastered version being released for the Ninte ...
'') portrayed as characters with their own personalities. Miis can be shared and transferred between consoles, either manually or automatically with other users over the internet and local wireless communications. On the 3DS and Wii U, user accounts are associated with a Mii as their avatar and used as the basis of the systems' social networking features, most prominently the now-defunct Miiverse. On the Nintendo Switch, a Mii can still be used as an account avatar, but avatars depicting various Nintendo characters are also available. Miis are also used as profile pictures for
Nintendo Account Nintendo Account is a single sign-on user account system used for Nintendo services on various platforms. Introduced in February 2016, it is used as the account system for Nintendo-published mobile apps, as well as the Nintendo Switch console and o ...
s and can be used in Nintendo smart device games such as '' Super Mario Run'' and the now-defunct '' Miitomo''. Games such as ''
Wii Sports ''Wii Sports'' is a 2006 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The 1.0 (pre-release) version of the game was released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and t ...
'', ''
Wii Sports Resort ''Wii Sports Resort'' is a 2009 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console, and is a sequel to ''Wii Sports''. It is one of the first titles to require the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which ...
'', '' Mario Kart Wii'', ''
Mario Kart 8 is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It features the ''Mario Kart'' series' game mechanics, in which players drive go-karts using ''Mario'' franchise characters in various race formats. Items placed a ...
'', '' Go Vacation'', ''
Super Mario Maker 2 is a 2019 side-scrolling platform game and level creation system developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the sequel to ''Super Mario Maker'' and was released worldwide on June 28, 2019. The gameplay is largely retai ...
'', '' Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' and ''
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a 2D side-scrolling platform video game developed and published in 2012 by Nintendo as a launch game for the Wii U. It is the fourth entry in the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' series, and is the first mainline ''Mario'' game to be released in ...
'' use Miis as playable characters.


History

Nintendo's first public debut of free-form personal avatar software was at the Game Developers Conference in 1997, during the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
era. There,
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he ...
said that the personal avatar concept had originally been intended as a
Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...
demo, where a user could draw a face onto an avatar. Miyamoto commented that the concept could not be turned into a game and the concept was suspended. In 1999, the
64DD The is a magnetic floppy disk drive peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console developed by Nintendo. It was announced in 1995, prior to the Nintendo 64's 1996 launch, and after numerous delays was released in Japan on December 13, 1999. The "6 ...
(a disk drive peripheral for the N64) was launched in Japan. Nintendo had produced a short film using the 64DD's '' Mario Artist: Talent Studio''s avatar maker, which includes clothes and a built-in movie editor. The player can optionally utilize the Game Boy Camera and the 64DD's Capture Cassette to put their own face upon the avatar. The next avatar implementation was for the Nintendo e-Reader and
GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the ...
. Along with the Game Boy Camera, it can build an avatar maker. Miyamoto showed another short film they made with this software, which was shown at E3 2002 with the name ''Stage Debut''. This software, renamed to ''Manebito'', was discontinued prior to release. Nintendo designer Yamashita Takayuki attributes his work on ''Talent Studio'' as having been foundational to his eventual work on the Mii, which was necessitated by the development of the game ''Wii Sports''.


Mii creation

Mii characters are created and stored in the Mii Channel or the Mii Maker, which are pre-installed on the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
and the
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
/
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. ...
/
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
consoles respectively. While the user can assign a gender, name,
birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many re ...
,
favorite color In the psychology of color, color preferences are the tendency for an individual or a group to prefer some colors over others, such as having a favorite color or a traditional color. Introduction An 'ecological valence theory' (EVT) has bee ...
, and mingle preference to a Mii, the majority of the interface used for Mii creation focuses on the appearance of its
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
and
head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals ...
: the user is given a variety of different hairstyles, eye,
nose A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passe ...
, and
mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
shapes, and other features such as
facial hair Facial hair is hair grown on the face, usually on the chin, cheeks, and upper lip region. It is typically a secondary sex characteristic of human males. Men typically start developing facial hair in the later stages of puberty or adolescenc ...
or
wrinkle A wrinkle, also known as a rhytid, is a fold, ridge or crease in an otherwise smooth surface, such as on skin or fabric. Skin wrinkles typically appear as a result of ageing processes such as glycation, habitual sleeping positions, loss of ...
s, to select from. Most of the facial features can be further adjusted, including their size, position, color, and alignment. Accessories such as hats and
glasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples ...
are also available to add, and the Mii's
height Height is measure of vertical distance, either vertical extent (how "tall" something or someone is) or vertical position (how "high" a point is). For example, "The height of that building is 50 m" or "The height of an airplane in-flight is ab ...
and build can also be adjusted. The Mii Maker installed on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U 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 and
GamePad A gamepad is a type of video game controller held in two hands, where the fingers (especially thumbs) are used to provide input. They are typically the main input device for video game consoles. Features Gamepads generally feature a set o ...
's cameras respectively. The features can then be fine-tuned by the user. These versions also have more options than their Wii counterpart. Because the selection of facial features is considered by some to be limited, users are encouraged to develop
caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...
s of real persons instead of accurate depictions.


Special Miis

Nintendo periodically released special Miis, usually during E3 or to commemorate game and franchise anniversaries. For a limited time between March 13 and 30, 2007, Wii owners in Japan were sent Mii versions of comedian Sanma Akashiya and
tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...
player
Shuzo Matsuoka is a retired Japanese professional tennis player, sports commentator, and entertainer. A former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, Matsuoka won one singles title during his career, in Seoul in 1992. In the same year, he reached a career-high ranking ...
. The duo had been featured in Japanese promotions for the Wii, highlighting Miis themselves. Miis of
Satoru Iwata was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, video game designer, and producer. He was the fourth president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo from 2002 until his death in 2015. He was a major contributor in broadening the app ...
and
Reggie Fils-Aime Reggie is a given name, usually a short form of the name Reginald. It may refer to: People * Reggie Bonnafon (born 1996), American football player * Reggie Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Reggie Bush (born 1985), National Football ...
(the presidents of Nintendo and Nintendo of America, respectively) were released on the 3DS for the 1st anniversary of the handheld console. During 2013, Nintendo released special Miis of
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he ...
and
Kensuke Tanabe is a Japanese video game producer and designer working for Nintendo, where he currently is Senior Officer at Nintendo EPD. After he had graduated from the Visual Concept Planning Department of Osaka University of Arts, he decided to enter the ...
, and during
E3 2013 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2013 (E3 2013) was the 19th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California with many press conferences taking place at nearby venues including the Nokia Theate ...
, also released special Miis for Takashi Tezuka, Koichi Hayashida, Eiji Aonuma, and Hideki Konno. 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. In late 2011, Nintendo released ''
Swapnote ''Swapnote'', known as ''Nintendo Letter Box'' in PAL regions and in Japan, is a messaging application for the Nintendo 3DS family. ''Swapnote'' was released on December 21, 2011, in Japan and December 22, 2011, in Europe, Australia and North Am ...
''/'' Nintendo Letter Box'' for the Nintendo 3DS, which features an original female Mii character called Nikki (ニッキー). Nikki gained a relatively small fan base of her own right, especially in Japan. After Nikki's debut, Nintendo featured the character in a few other games and apps, such as , a Nintendo 3DS travel guide app that was exclusively distributed via the now-defunct Club Nintendo in Japan.


Editing limitations

It is possible to create special Mii-like characters through the use of third-party software, but Nintendo typically will force these entrepreneurs to shut down. Sometimes when a customer has needed to return his or her 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 that they can be edited on the replacement machine.


Wii


Mii Channel

The Mii Channel is the app that allows Mii creation on the Wii menu. It can store up to 100+ Miis similarly than the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch and Wii Remotes are also able to store and transfer up to ten Miis to other consoles. It is also possible to see other Miis from TV shows and games.


Uses in games

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 Sports ''Wii Sports'' is a 2006 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The 1.0 (pre-release) version of the game was released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and t ...
'' 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 the name, or representation based on looks. Miis are primarily used in games such as ''
Wii Sports ''Wii Sports'' is a 2006 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The 1.0 (pre-release) version of the game was released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and t ...
'', ''
Wii Play ''Wii Play'' is a party video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii console. It was released as a launch game for the console in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and was released in North America in February 2007. The game features ...
'', '' Wii Fit'', '' Wii Party'', '' Wii Fit Plus'', ''
Wii Music ''Wii Music'' is a music video 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. ''Wii Music'' is part o ...
'' and ''
Wii Sports Resort ''Wii Sports Resort'' is a 2009 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console, and is a sequel to ''Wii Sports''. It is one of the first titles to require the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which ...
''. Players can also use their Miis, however, in other first-party games, most noticeably within '' WarioWare: Smooth Moves'', ''
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is a Fictional crossover, crossover sports game, sports and party game developed by the Sega Sports R&D, Sega Sports R&D Department. It is the first installment on the ''Mario & Sonic'' series. It was published by Nintendo in Japan and by Sega ...
'', '' Mario Party 8'', '' Mario Kart Wii'', ''
Mario Super Sluggers ''Mario Super Sluggers'' is a sports and adventure video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai Games and Now Production, and published by Nintendo. It is part of the ''Mario Sports'' series, and the sequel to '' Mario Superstar Baseball'' f ...
'', '' Animal Crossing: City Folk'' (using their Mii's head as a mask) and in '' Go Vacation''. The Japan-only
Sega is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...
game '' Pachinko: Sammy's Collection'' is the first third-party game to incorporate Miis, while the Wii version of '' FIFA Soccer 08'' is the first third-party game released in North America, Europe and Australia to use the Mii Channel. Many other games, like '' We Ski'', and '' Guitar Hero World Tour'' and ''
Sonic Colors (known as ''Sonic Colours'' in the PAL region) is a 2010 platform game published by Sega. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic's quest to stop his nemesis Doctor Eggman from enslaving an alien race and taking over the world. The ga ...
'' 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, and Mii audiences or
CPU A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor or just processor, is the electronic circuitry that executes instructions comprising a computer program. The CPU performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, a ...
s floating with spherical bottoms with no legs instead, but in ''Wii Fit'' its body is designed to look more natural, and its weight will be determined by the weight ''Wii Fit'' found of the player in ''Wii Fit'' tests. Sometimes Miis will wear outfits in context with the game. In ''
Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the ''Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 1 ...
'' and its sequel, the Miis can be optionally used for the planet's icon that represents the save file, the other option being to use ''
Mario is a character (arts), character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in ...
'' characters for the planets. Only the Mii's head is shown and it's shown in a sphere shaped like the planet. In '' Mario Kart Wii'', Mii racers can be dressed in jumpsuits, 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 dolls, they will be dressed up in bounty hunter Samus Aran's Power Suit. In ''
MLB Power Pros ''MLB Power Pros'' is a baseball video game developed by Power Pros Production and published by 2K Sports in North America and Konami in Japan for the Wii and PlayStation 2 video game consoles. It is part of the traditionally Japan-only ''Power P ...
'', 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 " tdoesn't look disturbing at all." While Miis are not playable in '' Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', the creator of the series,
Masahiro Sakurai is a Japanese video game director and game designer best known as the creator of the ''Kirby'' and ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. Apart from his work on those series, he also led the design of ''Meteos'' in 2005 and directed '' Kid Icarus: Upri ...
, explained that Miis were originally considered to be playable in the game, but the idea was decided against due to fears of
bullying Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an ...
. They would eventually debut in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U''.


Everybody Votes Channel

Miis were incorporated in the downloadable Everybody Votes Channel, where Miis represented the voter. Up to six different Miis could be registered within the channel to use in voting. The channel was discontinued along with the Check Mii Out channel by Nintendo on June 28, 2013, as they moved on to other next-generation projects.


Check Mii Out Channel

Another Mii-centric channel, the Check Mii Out Channel, also known as the in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
,
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, and
Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
, was released on November 11, 2007. Perhaps an evolution of an idea shared by
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he ...
at the
Game Developers Conference The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual conference for video game developers. The event includes an expo, networking events, and awards shows like the Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Games Festival, and a variety of tuto ...
in 2007, this channel allowed players to upload their Mii characters and share them with other users. There were also popularity contests, in which players would design a Mii that would personify a specific idea or character and then vote on the Mii that would best fit the suggestion. The channel was available for free download on the Wii Shop Channel from November 12, 2007, until June 27, 2013, when Nintendo discontinued the channel along with the Everybody Votes channel.


Nintendo DS

Although the platform lacks native support for Mii creation, a few games on the
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in t ...
console do support Mii functionality, and will work in conjunction with the Wii's Mii Channel.


Uses in games

Miis can be transferred from a user's Wii to supported Nintendo DS games via the Mii Channel. A code must be entered by the user to unlock the feature on the Mii Channel. 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 Nintendo DS version of '' Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time'' also uses Miis. The life-simulation game '' Tomodachi Collection'', only released in Japan for the Nintendo DS, also uses Miis and has a built-in Mii editor. Miis from the user's Wii's Mii Channel can be transferred to the game, and vice versa.


Nintendo 3DS


Mii Maker

The is the app that allows Mii creation on the
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
. It can store up to 100 Mii characters, much like the Wii and later Nintendo Switch, and includes more facial features than the latter console. 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.


Uses in games

Unlike the Nintendo DS, which features limited support of Mii characters, its successor the Nintendo 3DS features Miis as a standard. Similar 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 or from the 3DS to the Wii U. 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 code A QR code (an initialism for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that can contain information about t ...
s 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 Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...
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 character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster ...
s in ''
Nintendogs + Cats is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was released in Japan, and was later released in: North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and other regions. ...
''. Mii characters also appear in '' Pokémon Rumble Blast'', ''
Mario Kart 7 ''Mario Kart 7'' is a kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD in cooperation with Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. As with the previous games in the ''Mario Kart'' series, players participate ...
'', and in many more games. Currently, the most notable game to feature Miis in their entirety is '' Tomodachi Life'', the sequel to '' Tomodachi Collection,'' the prequel to Tomodachi Life exclusively for Japan released for DS. This is also the first game to give Miis complete lines of dialogue as well as the first game to allow players to choose what Miis say. ''
Miitopia ''Miitopia'' is a role-playing video game developed and published by Nintendo originally for the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS version was released in Japan in 2016 and worldwide the following year, with a remastered version being released for the Ninte ...
'' is another Mii-centric game title for the Nintendo 3DS, also released on the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
in May 2021.


StreetPass Mii Plaza

A feature on the Nintendo 3DS, the makes use of the handheld's StreetPass feature, which data between nearby Nintendo 3DS consoles in standby mode. As Miis are gathered in the plaza, they can be used in numerous minigames, with the initial two being Puzzle Swap and Find Mii (known as StreetPass Quest in PAL regions). In Puzzle Swap, players can exchange pieces of several jigsaw puzzle panels based on Nintendo games, in which there were initially seven, but this number increased with occasional updates. Find Mii 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. On December 6, 2011, the feature was updated to include SpotPass functionality, as well as new puzzle panels, a sequel to Find Mii, a map showing where players met other Miis, Accomplishments and a music player. Special Miis released by Nintendo and obtained through SpotPass can also be used in StreetPass Mii Plaza. They have access to all Puzzle Swap pieces and provide a level 5 player for Find Mii.


Wii U


Mii Maker

The is the app that allows Mii creation on the
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. ...
. It can store up to 3,000 Miis and includes the same facial features used on the Nintendo 3DS. The Mii Maker installed on the Wii U can use facial recognition to generate a Mii, which selects the features based on a photo of a face taken with the
Wii U GamePad The Wii U GamePad is the standard game controller for Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Incorporating traits from tablet computers, the GamePad has traditional input methods (such as buttons, dual analog sticks, and a D-pad), touchs ...
camera.


Uses in games

Mii characters evolve further for the Wii's successor, Wii U. In addition to previous uses on the Wii, Mii characters are wholly integrated into the Wii U's social online network Miiverse, the WaraWara Plaza community where clusters of Mii characters crowd around the hottest games, and being depicted as personal avatars for individual Wii U players, who have the ability for twelve separate Nintendo Network ID User accounts that can be used on a single console at a time. User accounts with Mii representatives are used for both games and apps such as Nintendo TVii. Mii characters can be transferred from the Wii and/or the Nintendo 3DS to the Wii U, in which in the latter's case transfers between consoles can occur as many times as possible. Mii characters also return as in-game characters for certain Wii U games, which in addition to Nintendo-published launch titles such as '' Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'', ''
Mario Kart 8 is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It features the ''Mario Kart'' series' game mechanics, in which players drive go-karts using ''Mario'' franchise characters in various race formats. Items placed a ...
'', '' New Super Mario Bros. U'' and '' Nintendo Land'', they are also included in third-party titles such as '' Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed''. In ''Mario Kart 8'', there are 19+
amiibo (, ; officially stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Ninte ...
suits when you tap an amiibo on the left side of the Wii U Gamepad based on the customizable characters. '' The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' uses an evolved form of Mii, ''UMii'', to render non-essential
NPCs A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster ...
.


Nintendo Switch

Miis can be used on the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
to represent accounts; unlike previous Nintendo consoles, users may optionally use a Nintendo character as their avatar instead, but Miis can still be integrated into games as a playable character such as '' Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'', '' Go Vacation'', '' Nintendo Switch Sports'', '' Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' and ''
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a 2D side-scrolling platform video game developed and published in 2012 by Nintendo as a launch game for the Wii U. It is the fourth entry in the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' series, and is the first mainline ''Mario'' game to be released in ...
''. The Mii Maker is located within the console's system settings menu and, unlike previous Mii Makers, provides unnatural hair and eye colors. Miis can be transferred between Nintendo Switch consoles and imported from a
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
or
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. ...
using an
amiibo (, ; officially stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Ninte ...
figure. Miis can also be imported from a Nintendo Account. In ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'', there are 20 amiibos registered after when you tap an amiibo on the NFC reader here on the Joy-Con (R), or on the top of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Like with the Wii and Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo Switch can hold up to 100+ Miis. The first Mii-centered game released on the Nintendo Switch so far is ''
Miitopia ''Miitopia'' is a role-playing video game developed and published by Nintendo originally for the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS version was released in Japan in 2016 and worldwide the following year, with a remastered version being released for the Ninte ...
'', a remaster of the 2017
role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
originally on the Nintendo 3DS. The Miis are also featured in '' Nintendo Switch Sports''. However, new avatars called "Sportsmates" are also playable.


Other platforms

When the freemium mobile app (since shut down) '' Miitomo'' launched on iOS and Android devices, it was possible for the first time to officially create Mii characters without the need for a Nintendo console. Mii characters created on the app initially resembled their Wii U counterparts, with a later update introducing Nintendo Switch standards, and use the same attributes.
Nintendo Account Nintendo Account is a single sign-on user account system used for Nintendo services on various platforms. Introduced in February 2016, it is used as the account system for Nintendo-published mobile apps, as well as the Nintendo Switch console and o ...
holders can opt to use the app to create Mii avatars without the need to link their accounts to any Nintendo console, with the option also available. ''Miitomo'' was also be used to support Mii avatars on other Nintendo apps for smart devices. For example, an update released for '' Super Mario Run'' on April 25, 2017, introduced player Mii icon customization options with the support of ''Miitomo'', and its in-game costumes, via the same Nintendo Account. ''Miitomo'' was only available in 60 of the 165 countries/territories recognized by Nintendo Accounts by May 9, 2018, when it was discontinued. On May 24, 2018, Nintendo introduced a browser-based Mii editor called Mii Studio. The editor is integrated into all Nintendo Accounts for users in all regions, including regions that did not originally have official support for ''Miitomo''. Mii Studio supports all Mii attributes and standards introduced for the Nintendo Switch. Up to six Mii avatars can be created at a time, including any Mii imported from a linked Nintendo Network ID (also known as NNID). In a pre-queue area for '' Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge'' at the Super Nintendo World amusement area in
Universal Studios Japan is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of ...
, Mii characters appear on several screens to showcase ride mechanics and safety precautions.


See also

* Xbox Avatars * PlayStation Home, which also featured avatar creation


References


External links


Mii Channel
at Nintendo.com {{Portal bar, Video games Computer-related introductions in 2006 Video game characters introduced in 2006 Nintendo protagonists Video game characters of selectable gender Video game mascots Virtual avatars Wii Super Smash Bros. fighters Video game memes Fictional racing drivers Fictional martial artists