A 3D animator and long-time fan of Nintendo’s highly customizable Miis, playable characters in games likeMario Kart Tour, has developed a Mii-inspired independent character creator with Unreal Engine 5. This is one of the latest projects influenced by Nintendo’s enduring creative appeal.
Introduced alongside the 2006 launch of the Nintendo Wii, Miis are characters belonging to the Nintendo universe itself, as opposed to having origins in specific franchises. The characters are known for starring in several Nintendo titles,includingNintendo Switch Sports- the younger sibling to the Wii’s launch title,Wii Sports. Both titles center around the Miis participating in a variety of athletic events, the latter having the player replicate actions like golf club strokes and football tosses with the Wii remote.
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Inspired by Miis' unique art style, developer Nick Ladd learned how to replicate similar, yet distinctive characters for a character creator calledLil Ladds. Leading up to the launch ofLil Ladds, Ladd was already a 3D animator with companies like Meta, Nickelodeon, and TEDtalks. As he was learning todesign games with Unreal Engine 5, he used Miis as a goal for the type of character he was hoping to end up with.
Like Miis, Ladds,Lil Ladds’titular characters, have simplistic features whose interchangeability is the biggest draw for players. Players are able to change their Ladds' hair, facial expression, skin tone and more. As opposed to Miis who have 3D bodies and 2D faces, the facial features inLil Laddsare 3D, and more diverse.Lil Laddsplayers are also able to scale the size of features like eyes, nose, and lips to be bigger or smaller. Because Miis have played in different game universes, their customizability tends to be higher in certain games - for example, the Miis' racing suits inMario Kart Tourcan be customized.
Nintendo’s fans have always had remarkable creativity. Each major Nintendo franchise, such asAnimal Crossing,The Legend of Zelda, orPokemon, boasts of a wealth of impressive fan art. While there is Mii art that makes itinto games likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s rarer to see independent projects inspired by the Miis themselves.
Right now, Ladd states there is currently no option forLil Laddsplayers to save the Ladds they create- a featureplayers find crucial inNintendo Switch Sportsand other games featuring their carefully curated Miis. Curious potential collaborators have flocked to the Unreal Engine creation regardless, some leaving comments hoping Ladd might evolveLil Ladds’functionality in the future for use in other projects. It seems Ladd’s characters have already started to inspire ideas of their own, and it’s possibleLil Laddscould end up starring in a title of their own one day.
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