As I was reviewing Summer Sports for Wii and Deca Sports for Wii, I found myself disappointed that the game supplied characters instead of allowing me to choose to play with my Mii like in Wii Sports. As I thought about it, I thought of many other games that don't use Miis. In fact, more games than not don't use Miis, from Mario to Nitro Bike. Not even Super Smash Bros Brawl can include Miis (although that would be really cool, but see below).

So the question I found myself asking, then, is, "When should a game use Miis, and when should it use its own characters?"

Some video games are character-driven, like the Mario franchise, Rayman, Spyro, Sonic, and more. In these games, a Mii would be out of place, as it's all about a story with specific characters. Even Mario and Sonic at the Olympics is a story about two rivals finally coming together for friendly competition. Role-Playing Games (RPG's) as well tend to focus on a specific character's story and shouldn't use Miis.

Really, the genres specifically compatible with custom characters like Miis would be sports games and social games. Finally, I can be the athlete I'm really not or can play baseball when the weather's bad or without 17 friends. Games like NASCAR racing would be moot, since the driver isn't usually visible, but many sports games have character creation tools, so adding in even a modified Mii (like a tall one for basketball) shouldn't be a problem but may cause licensing issues, depending on contracts (although a lot of licensed sports games have "create a character" options, though usually with more realistic characters).

But what about shooters and fighting games? Wouldn't it be cool to take on virtual representations of your friends or family members? Maybe not. It's one thing to say, "My character attacks your character," like a chess game, but it's something else to raise a virtual hand or weapon against something that looks like someone I love. Maybe it's just me, but I'd have a problem with myself as a parent raising even a virtual fist against something resembling my children. Even though it's fantasy, with our raised awareness of domestic violence, it could feel a bit personal, even if just to a kid who sees the Mii as an extension of him/herself. Similarly, I don't think I could "put the beat down" on something that's designed to resemble my wife without my conscience poking me repeatedly in the eye with a sharp stick. Something like Wii Sports Boxing may be OK the same way I can take on my kids with foam swords or squirtguns, but anything resembling real pain or injury would make me just a bit uncomfortable. At the least, it would be an opportunity to talk as a family about fantasy and reality, that there's a difference between virtual fighting and real fighting and that in real life, people get hurt. But then again, having served as a foster parent, I may be a bit more sensitive to these things just because it's a bit more "real" to my experience.

So here's my question: what games don't use Miis that should or vice versa? And how would you feel about violent video games that use Miis?