The hero of a story typically has to overcome a great challenge to reach their destination. It can be hard to traverse a world and take on the difficulties that face a hero that is normal-sized. But then it becomes a whole other layer of difficulty when the hero in question is shrunken down from their original size.
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There have been many video games that have taken on some sort of shrinking mechanic, whether a character is just tiny from the start or they gain the ability togrow smaller. But while it may seem like a disadvantage, there are plenty of perks to being small. And there are plenty of games with shrunken-down heroes that display that in action.
7Psychonauts 2
Double Fine’sclassic 3D platformerfrom 2005 got a beloved sequel in 2021 with the release ofPsychonauts 2. These games feature a boy named Raz who is looking to become a member of the Psychonauts, an elite team of individuals with the ability to travel through people’s minds.
Raz gets shrunken down frequently throughout the events ofPsychonauts 2as that is how he is able to transport himself into someone’s brain. For many levels, many objects that would typically be small are also much larger, making Raz appear even more shrunken down than he already was.
6WarioWare: Get It Together
One of the strangest Nintendo franchises out there isWarioWare, a game that features many microgames for players to beat as fast as possible across a series of levels. In previous games, the player would be the one interacting witheach of the microgames. However, inWarioWare: Get It Together, shrunken-down versions ofWarioWarecharacters are the ones interacting instead.
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After Wario and the many developers at his game studio are sucked into his device, they all must work together to beat a bunch of microgames that they had developed and figure a way out. Each character has a unique ability that will change how a player will approach the microgames presented to them.
5The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap
WhileThe Legend of Zeldais one of the biggest franchises that Nintendo is in charge of developing games for, it’s also a franchise that has had many developers take on the mantle of developing an entry. This includes Capcom, who made multiple entries includingThe Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.
A top-down adventure game,The Minish Capbuilds on the mechanics established from previous installments in the franchise while incorporating one unique mechanic: theability for Linkto shrink down and access areas he typically can’t. This is thanks to a cap named Ezlo, who also happens to be sentient and talkative.
4Tinykin
While the protagonist ofTinykinisn’t necessarily shrunken down, he is surprised to land on a planet where the world is seemingly much larger than he initially anticipated. So much so that rooms inside of the house become the primary levels of his grand adventure.
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As Milo the astronaut, players will explore the various areas of the house to collect the proper amount of objects to build a spaceship and get back home. Along the way, he will interact with various colonies that have been set up by the bugs that are living in the home. The 3D platformer also includes various mechanics revolving around little creatures called Tinykin.
3Grounded
One of Microsoft’s most productive studios, Obsidian Entertainment has a history of making a plethora of role-playing games. However, they have recently branched in different directions. One of these paths led to the creation ofGrounded, a co-op survival experience.
A game that was released in early access in 2020 and then fully released in 2022, the premise ofGroundedrevolves around a group of kids that have been shrunken down and are trapped in a backyard withvarious insectsthat are trying to kill them. They must get to the bottom of what’s happening while also keeping themselves alive.
2It Takes Two
Another cooperative game that revolves around being shrunken down and trying to figure out how to return to normal isIt Takes Two, released in 2021 and developedby Hazelight Studios. The game focuses on a married couple that has been turned into dolls in an attempt to repair their relationship.
While the premise ofIt Takes Twois a romantic comedy turned 3D puzzle platformer, it is much more about the character’s interactions with the various objects in their home as they are looking to get back to normal. There are numerous confrontations with creatures, sentient tools, and stuffed animals.
1Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
One of the most beloved role-playing franchises developed by Nintendo was theMario & Luigiseries. This focused on comedic adventures that the Mario brothers would get caught up in.Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Storyfocuses on their journey exploring Bowser’s body after the Koopa King inhaled the heroes by accident.
Unbeknownst to Bowser, Mario and Luigi begin to assist him from the inside in an effortto combat Fawful, who returns in this game to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. The gameplay ofBowser’s Inside Storyinvolves turn-based battles, which from Mario and Luigi’s perspective, involve fighting germs that call Bowser’s body home.
