Roll your own Mii, pre-Wii [update 2]

by Christopher Grant { Oct 2nd 2006 at 7:25PM }

After months of secrecy, Nintendo unveiled the Wii's remaining features at a series of press events around the world last month. In addition to the much-rumored prices and release dates, the system's last secret was revealed to be the Wii Channels system. Key amongst the various channels is the ability to create your own virtual avatar in teh Mii channel, and play that character in titles like Wii Sports.

Yann, one of our amazing readers and the designer of the equally incredible orange Joystiq tee, just sent us over his latest creation: A Mii channel implemented in Flash. How accurate is it? Yann says, "The Mii parts are drawn from videos and stills of the working Mii channel and, apart from the second page of eyebrows which is still missing (couldn't find any picture or video of it), everything is true to the real thing."

Despite an unintimidating interface, I'm completely unable to create a Mii that looks like Mii ... errr, me. I've created several, one of which looked strangely like Dick Nixon. Any of our more artistically inclined readers have better luck creating a Mii that looks like them?

[Big ups to Yann for this awesome Mii maker!]

Play -- Mii maker

[Update: 1)Yann has updated his app with a custom cursor, some bug fixes, and some animated menus. Yay! 2) A second app update includes more bug fixes, and two new buttons to scale the heads vertically.]

Tags: Flash, Mii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

WUDDERSUP @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:32PM

FIRST BITC.HES

Ritz @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:34PM

Uhm, where is it? Link? Or am I just blind?

JCRooks @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:36PM

In Japan, if most folks try to make a Wii that looks like themselves, you're going to end up with a lot of Mii avatars that look the same. It'll be better in the US, where the population is more diverse, but still, a lot of avatars are going to look alike. Nintendo better roll out more customization elements soon (different clothing, accessories, etc.). Different models would be great too. (Who says your avatar has to be HUMAN?)

Enycma @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:38PM

Yeah.. where's the link? =0S

Monkeys @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:39PM

@ JCRocks. You know what? They probably think you all look alike too.

Mr. Bill @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:39PM

The flash itself is imbedded in the page. Took me a while, and I did a double take when I finally found it.

Enycma @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:39PM

Nevemind... it's right there where the pic is suppposed to go.

DannyHibiki @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:43PM

Uh...I doubt Japan is going to make Mii avatars that all look alike. That's a stereotype. You should visit alllooksame.com or something. Making your own avatars for games has been around for a long time in Japan, and is pretty popular there too, and believe me, they don't make them look boring and similar.

ElChibo @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:47PM

Heres my Mii!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/ElChibo/mii.jpg

Yuri Walkiw @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:56PM

I think Nintendo Mii would be a good name for a personal/portable console. As in "its for me".

JCRooks @ Oct 2nd 2006 7:59PM

Hmm, I probably should have pointed this out in my original comment, but I am Asian. It IS a stereotype that all asians look alike, but I'll have to admit that there is some truth to it. We happen to share lots of common elements (dark hair color, certain facial structures, etc.). Now, there are lots of other things that distinguish ourselves from each other, but I don't see much of that in the Wii mock-ups.

I guess my point is that the Wii needs more customization options. Happy now?

Blink @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:00PM

Darnit Nintendo, where's the option to make my character's face covered in acne? D:

I made two anyways, one ended up looking like me, and the other one, I colored the glasses pink in MSPaint...and made it kirby.

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/5650/mii2qv9.png

Zaquita @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:00PM

Woooooo

There I am... well sorta....
http://webspace.ringling.edu/~zbova/Zaquita.jpg

Pat @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:01PM

Chuck Norris: http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/patwalls99/Picture1-1.png

SecondChance @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:02PM

When the link starts working, can I make my first Mii as a tribute to vlad and his love of Nintendo?

Daniel @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:02PM

Cool, Even though this flash is missing a few features that are actually in the real WiiMii, this is pretty sweet.

Here is Mii!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/LqhsTrmptLdr/MiiDaniel.jpg

Miharu @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:07PM

These all look horrible! I'm a girl and I want to be cute, not some deformed monster.

Jay @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:07PM

http://satansam.co.uk/ftp/wiime.png

Grant brings Joystiq back to entertaining, hail our saviour. This is top I've just spent the past 10 minutes banging out Halifax's 'Harold', Alan Partridge and my mates show them all around. haha. excellent. Everyone involved should smile.

ken seang @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:08PM

Does anyone knows where I can get that music thats playing, thats one sick beat!

C. Grant @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:12PM

Thanks, Jay. Is that really what you look like? Maybe we should all post pics of what we look like next to our Miis and I'll run a post of before and afters.

DocB @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:12PM

I imagine it will work somewhat better on Wii, but it still did a pretty decent job :)

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/5610/meil5.jpg

bkirst90 @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:14PM

My Mii looks exactly like me! EXACTLY!

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/bubs90/fishboy.jpg

Raynre @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:14PM

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Raynre/Chris-WiiMii.jpg

Perfect likeness. It really works for me. =D

Josh @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:16PM

SO. FREAKING. AWESOME. A++ WILL BUY FROM AGAIN!!

My Mii looks like me. THIS IS SO FUN! I CAN'T WAIT FOR WII'S RELEASE! w00t! Imagine all the Miis I could make...And my parents, too! :P

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/774/miizb0.png

Spigelwii @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:19PM

Sweet.

Chris Taran @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:19PM

Here's mine:
http://www.spin720.com/images/mii.jpg

Looks relatively close to me. Could be better, could be worse.

Pretty cool all in all!

Andrew @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:20PM

http://home.comcast.net/~andrewg9/Mii.JPG

That's Mii!

It's actually pretty cose, and I bet the Wii version will be even better.

Great Flash app!

Raynre @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:27PM

Im not sure what I was going for here...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Raynre/Chris-WiiMii2.jpg

Blink @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:36PM

Oh sweet! Raynre designed a Mr. Potatoe head!

And Andrew, if that's what you really look like...I think I'll stay on THIS side of the computer. xD

Covarr @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:46PM

Here's me and Tom Cruise, side by side. I'm the one that can actually act.

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/8459/covarrandtomuz4.jpg

Bob @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:49PM

mine

Britt @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:06PM

Well, here Mii be...

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/mangaburn/Mii.png

Close, I guess... Although, anime-esque renderings have never been very accurate when displaying the human form. However, I am amazed that the Mii tool accurately represents my severely deformed sphere-hands!

wolfchanger89 @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:08PM

here is naruto
cant wait to do this with a real wii
http://www.maj.com/gallery/wolfchanger89/mii/narutomii.jpeg

shivr @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:13PM

http://static.flickr.com/93/259261179_124338ee89_o.jpg

meeee...iiiiiii

pretty fun... such a random distraction though.. I wonder how integrated this thing will be in the system...

Also yah, creating a female is a bit tough in the flash (yeah, thats what I'm supposed to be >_>)

MrD @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:15PM

Holy crap, this is awesome!

I made my own, but I phail at uploading pictures, so no linky.

LuigiHann @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:17PM

I doubt this'd actually look right in 3D, but I think I got pretty close with this one:
http://img8.imagepile.net/img8/15273admiralackbar.jpg

Raynre @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:18PM

This thing is more entertaining than it has any right to be...

Naota @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:28PM

check it out
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v341/DLeft/Mii.png

Covarr @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:28PM

wolfchanger89, your Naruto pic is a bmp image, with the extension changed to .jpeg but not actually in JPEG format.

Freezair @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:28PM

I think I look cute!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/Freezair/Mii.jpg

Kate @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:39PM

Well, here's (not) Mii....(my) name is Pembroke. hah.

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/1442/pembrokeru2.png

Mark @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:39PM

I couldn't make myself, but I made a pretty convincing Mitch Hedburg.

Bruce @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:56PM

Here's me:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v453/bh2/mii.png

Chris Taran @ Oct 2nd 2006 9:57PM

Am I the only one that sees some Mii Machinma as definetly happening?

Can't wait to see what kind of crazy Mii stuff we see once this is out for real.

I think Nintendo really might be on to something with this, I mean heck we're playing with a not 100% flash fan made version and we're having a blast. The real thing will probably be even more fun.