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Pikmin enemies based on real animals11/22/2023 ![]() ![]() Throw pikmin high onto the body and watch out for those feet.Įven though the monsters of Pikmin look very original, they’re also simple looking enough so that their potential danger and weaknesses are apparent to the player right away. Their designs also fit in perfectly with Olimar and his pikmin as well as the vegetation and plant life (all of which also look both alien and familiar at the same time). One of the game’s crowning achievements for us is how successfully it creates an environment that feels both natural and alien, and the enemy creatures do a lot to achieve this unique feeling. Using real animals as a base works incredibly well to help make the game more immersive, since a lot of the appeal comes from exploring and trying to survive in a strange and harsh wilderness, and the very animalistic aliens (at least from Captain Olimar’s perspective) really hammers home this feeling. Many of them resemble real creatures but usually with an alien twist (eyestalks, etc), or they’re a combination of two or more real animals (like the half bird, half snake Snagret). No generic dragons or trolls to be found here. ![]() Anyway, like the rest of the game, the monsters on the “ Distant Planet” in Pikmin are incredibly original looking. This series has been getting mentioned a lot on CardinalVirtual, probably because we’re both excited for the long awaited Pikmin 3 later this year (did you see the bit at the announcement where Miyamoto made the Pikmin bow? So cute!). These games combine technical competence with appealing art, and especially stellar looking foes.Įmperor Bulblax is like a mutant frog combined with late-period Marlon Brando. And this week, we’re going to be talking about the importance of interesting looking enemies and what they add to the gameplay experience. A good art style makes the game world look interesting and feel worth investing in. River Raid is fun to play but because of the graphical limitations, there’s not much to get attached to. Now there were certainly some great Atari 2600 games back in the day ( Enduro, River Raid), but now that game developers have the technology to render great art in games, appealing graphics have become an essential component, on par with functionality. Despite what some (mostly indie) gamers say, graphics do matter. So, why then do we insist on spending so much time designing such detailed level environments and character models? Are highly detailed 3D character models really better than Atari 2600 sprites if the gameplay’s still top notch? The short answer, yes. Most games would still be perfectly functional if you replaced all the character models and intricate level geometry with untextured cubes. When you think about it, artwork in games is completely optional. ![]()
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