Gameplay from thePlayStation 2’sPiglet’s Big Gamewent viral for its surprisingly effective survival horror-inspired design, and the original developers have revealed they intended the game to keep kids uneasy throughout. The mostly forgottenPiglet’s Big Gameresurfaced online thanks to clips of the belovedWinnie the Poohcharacter traversing environments that could fit inResident Evil. Now, the director of the 2003 PS2 game has shared thatResident Evilwas actually an inspiration for the kid’s game.
As spotted byGamesRadar+, Pascal Stradella, former studio director of the game’s publisher Doki Denki, shared original development documents fromPiglet’s Big Gamestating their design intentions.Piglet’s Big Gamewas defined as a “horror comedy aimed at children”,but the goal was to make them feel uneasy instead of scaring them. This was achieved by taking a subtle atmospheric approach, withLuigi’s Mansion,another horror comedy gameinspired byResident Evil, the main reference for the devs. Here’s whatPascal wrotein the original pitch document from 2002:
It will be very important to balance moments of tension with moments of relaxation and genuine laughter, at this alternation — along with elements of discovery and challenge — will create the game’s addictive quality and keep players wanting to continue.
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In Pascal’s shared documents,Piglet’s Big Gamewas called a"kind of cartoon Resident Evil dealt with in a comic way.“This is clear when watching clips of the gameplay that include the signature fixed camera angles thesurvival horror classicpioneered. The documents also show that the dev team kept the game focused on fear by making Piglet’s health a “frightening gauge” they didn’t include on screen. Instead, Piglet had 3 levels of fear: a normal state, a worried state, and a panic state, in which Piglet would react to his fear in a cartoonish way before the player was sent to the previous checkpoints. In essence, he was frightened to death without the dying part.
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The developer’s commitment to a horror comedy experience that was still unnerving has led to some examining howPiglet’s Big Gamemakes the most of limited hardware, like how theSilent Hillgamesdid on PlayStation. Pascal has also provided a wealth of behind-the-scenes documents, including concept art for the grimaces poor Piglet would make throughout as the Hefalumps, the monster enemies in the game, scared him.Enthusiasm for the game has even led to original PS2 copies ofPiglet’s Big Gamerunning up as high as $300 on eBay, according toGame Rant. It’s a moment Pascal is sharing with many of the other devs on the game who are still in the industry.
Our Take: It’s Good Retro Games Aren’t Forgotten
Piglet’s Big Game Is A Strange Game That Should Be Celebrated
It’s a wild concept to let kids guide Piglet through a horror-inspired version of the Hundred Acre Wood, but it fits when you consider Piglet is defined by anxiety. Horror is the perfect genre to confront anxiety, andthe game allows kids to overcome their fears in a safe virtual environment. It also shows that retro games still have design elements that are still. impactful
It’s great thatPiglet’s Big Gameis being rediscovered by a wider audience that appreciates it not only for its meme potential but also for its quality that harkens back to the lost era oftie-in games on the PS2. Pascal should take this victory lap with pride,as the team made something that passed the test of time.
