When I first started playing Soulcalibur VI, I only lightly explored the character customization. I made my own character, and off she went into battle. I thought that the toolset was rather expansive, offering a decent amount of options in order to create someone mimicking yourself or whatever fantasy creature you could come up with. Something that I fully misjudged was the internet taking this custom fighter kit and turning it on its head.
I could sit here all day and point out some of the impressive works from around the ‘webs. But, I wanted to offer up two of my own Soulcalibur creations and explain how you too can make them. The first time that I came across the frilly blouse in the customization screen, I knew that a Chun-Li one off was totally possible. Mega Man, on the other hand… Well, if the shorts fit, you must equip, right?
what. the. fuck #SOULCALIBURVI pic.twitter.com/oJQmOgzJto
— AXL | ALT ⛓ (@AltZero_) October 19, 2018
Probably the most difficult thing for making a lookalike has been getting creative with the tools available in the customization screen. For example, if you look at the lizard with the giant dong that has been floating around the internet, my buddy had mentioned that, in order to create it, they had to apply a heart shape and maneuver it. After rotating it, voila, lizard dick.
Mega Man
I’m not surprised that perusing the Google will let you find IRL heights for characters. A few quick searches led me to find that Mega Man is 4’4″ (Mega Man X is 5’3″). One of the first modification options Soulcalibur VI gives you lets you adjust your character’s height. In this case, I selected the smallest body-type available. Then, I moved to increase forearm and calves while decreasing areas like the waist, thighs, and arms. All muscle definition was removed, an option that works exceptionally well to de-sculpt your design.
During the process, I had a spread of images pulled up on my second monitor for reference. Moving through the colors left me to choose (16,37,9) as the blue for his shorts with the saturation set to (9/9). His eyes were just one notch down at (16,36,9). For a shirt, since he’s wearing a leotard, I changed the coloring to (23,35,9) for a lighter blue. The boots, on the other hand, had multiple adjustments in color given that the lighting hits them at different perceived angles. For the main portion of the boot I ended up using (16,38,9), with the boot top getting (16,39,9).
I couldn’t find anything in Soulcalibur VI that really resembled some of Mega Man’s signature attire, like his helmet or Mega Buster. I instead used the Knight’s Helm and Purge Gauntlets. It would have been nice to also have the option to swap arms for single items. Even so, it’s pretty darn close to resembling the Blue Bomber with what’s available.
Chun-Li
One of the things that stood out to me most about doing some of the character customizations was the realization of how inaccurate and disproportionate video game characters are. Even adjusting things like Chun-Li’s breasts to closer match the way she was drawn in some images reveals how unrealistic she actually is. The same goes for Mega Man and his toothpick thin arms supporting heavy equipment like his ‘Buster.
But anyway, Chun-Li. In choosing her height, I left the adjustment one below the default setting, since Chun-Li is reported as being a little over 5’6. Her body type was changed to the “thick set” in order to give her mass around the thigh area. The waist, stomach, and arm sliders were also adjusted down to the lowest setting. Her skin was changed to (29,1,2) with the saturation (2/9). I was never able to get her eyes just right, but I settled on (11,4,4) and (4/9).
The biggest resemblance to her original character was the frilly blouse top in the clothing menu. Adjusting the frills to a golden color further helped sell her look. Here, I used (17,8,0) and (9/9) to give it a more rich look. I also managed to find a split skirt, coloring it (3,39,0) with a (9/9). As mentioned before, the lighting in Soulcalibur VI takes some getting used to. You’ll find yourself settling if you can’t quite seem to get it right.
One thing I would have liked to see here is the ability to move items around the arms. For instance, the spiked cuffs that Chun-Li wears are difficult to mimic in Soulcalibur VI. There are a few options for arm cuffs, but I settled on the generic ones offered in the game. Luckily, pigtails were available, along with color options for her hair bands.
Get Gud-er
I would like to see Soulcalibur VI add even more options to the character customization mode. Simple things like being able to move the sliders and make selections with the mouse could help improve the overall creation process.
Adding new items, as well as being able to modify body placement, would make it more freeing. The photo mode is a nice feature, but it never really allows you to view a full-size model outside of battle.
Even as it stands right now, there are a ton of tools and designs available at your fingertips. Discovering different uses for patterns and equipment can get downright silly. Still, it’s enough to create just about any abomination or lookalike you can think of—and that’s great.
