Gamecube Why Gamecube games by Nintendo often had a common theme of a small being in a big world?

[Ikagura Ikagura]

It strikes me as odd, after playing Chibi Robo, that several entries featured that theme starting with Pikmin.

I'd even dare saying that Wind Waker has shown us a huge ocean while Toon Link is a small child (compared to enemies and adult characters he's just small) and Mario Sunshine showing other parts of Delphino's Island from any level really makes me feel like it was a pretty big world (whereas Mario 64's levels, while being fairly big, didn't convey the size and scale as well since they were floating blocks over the skybox).

Maybe it's a way to showcase the power of the Gamecube, showing how much they could render and how bigger models can be more detailed.

 

[Jayonnaise6105 Jayonnaise6105]

Now that you mention it, you also have the Pikmin games. Star Fox Assault had some pretty big levels too, if I remember correctly. Made your character/vehicle feel pretty small.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Now that you mention it, you also have the Pikmin games. Star Fox Assault had some pretty big levels too, if I remember correctly. Made your character/vehicle feel pretty small.

Assault's non Arwing levels yeah.

Maybe a tiny bit less of that "small character" but it clearly shows how massive the gap between the N64 and Gamecube was in term of level size.

 

[Tonberry]

While not quite as specific, there was also stuff like Doshin the Giant and Animal Crossing.
It definitely feels like you're on to something, probably displaying how much they could render at any given time etc.
I remember thinking Mario Sunshine had the best looking video game ocean ever until like GTA 5.

 

[qw90700]

Nintendo wanna develop cute childish games -> "cute" is what that is tiny -> to make something tiny everything else around it is big? -> TVs used to be small so make bigger envoirement to see what's around? -> they often thought it would be okay the character is small as long as you notice it moves around? -> who knows lol.

However design choice-wise making character small relative to what you can see around is good for player to play platforming games and thus it can give a sense of exploration and all too. Often for visibility characters are way small like in isometric games too.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

While not quite as specific, there was also stuff like Doshin the Giant and Animal Crossing.
It definitely feels like you're on to something, probably displaying how much they could render at any given time etc.
I remember thinking Mario Sunshine had the best looking video game ocean ever until like GTA 5.

I often forget that Doshin was both a 64DD and Gamecube game like how Animal Crossing was a ported game from the previous hardware.

Nintendo still kept a bit of that feeling in subsequent games but not as strongly... It's either a bit of their gimmick or just a very Japanese thing to make.

Mario Sunshine, SA1 on the Dreamcast (not DX), Wind Waker, Kingdom Heart's Destiny Island and FFX' Besaid Island really had gorgeous looking water and I miss it.

 

[G.L.a.D.O.S.]

<OOC>
It also may have been as simple as Nintendo knowing that a core group of the players would be young children, and they often feel like everything is so much larger than themselves. So, being a small character, that is a child overcoming large things, such as adults like teachers or whatever a child would perceive as an obstacle, and by making everything else seem so much larger, gave them a sense of accomplishment and a boost in self-confidence.

Or maybe it was just as you all have stated, showing off the GameCube's render capability.

 

[Tonberry]

I often forget that Doshin was both a 64DD and Gamecube game like how Animal Crossing was a ported game from the previous hardware.

Nintendo still kept a bit of that feeling in subsequent games but not as strongly... It's either a bit of their gimmick or just a very Japanese thing to make.

Mario Sunshine, SA1 on the Dreamcast (not DX), Wind Waker, Kingdom Heart's Destiny Island and FFX' Besaid Island really had gorgeous looking water and I miss it.
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I've said it before, but I believe 1000% that the Gamecube/GBA era was Nintendo at its peak.

Not every game was a smash hit financially maybe, but there was so much experimentation and showing off neat hardware, and the few devs that made Gamecube-exclusive titles knocked it out of the park.
Resident Evil 4 and the RE1 remake, and Metroid Prime, were easily the best looking games of that generation, fidelity-wise. The only real contender was probably Halo 2 and maybe Final Fantasy 12.

 

[qw90700]

<OOC>
It also may have been as simple as Nintendo knowing that a core group of the players would be young children, and they often feel like everything is so much larger than themselves. So, being a small character, that is a child overcoming large things, such as adults like teachers or whatever a child would perceive as an obstacle, and by making everything else seem so much larger, gave them a sense of accomplishment and a boost in self-confidence.

Makes sense but wouldn't expect Nintendo to think that deep lol.

 

[aquova]

Makes sense but wouldn't expect Nintendo to think that deep lol.

That sort of thinking is exactly what Nintendo is famous for lol

 

[qw90700]

That sort of thinking is exactly what Nintendo is famous for lol

Or is Nintendo cult overestimating their precious international terror organization? lolol

Small character relative to environment is game genre design choice + technical choice + classic "small = cute" choice = nothing "wow" on Nintendo's part. Whatever they do is classic ancient mentality that works for Japanese society + they steal ideas here and there. Their existence is the most overrated shit in existence lol.