A little more depth

Last post, I talked about three different games/scenes and how they're charming in different ways, and there are a great deal of games that follow a similar pattern or method to produce this effect, let's take Zack & Wiki for example. Released in the UK in 2008, this Wii game has quite easily been overlooked by many people but the style of art present in the game is something that really hammers it home when it comes to looking at 'charming' design.

The use of colours in this level really make the environment stand out and give it a sense of danger. Having flat coloured textures coupled with the lower poly models makes the scene incredibly bold.

Contrasting the lava level, this scene can show the range of environments that can be made from using even such basic colours and texturing techniques.

Even in a completely different setting, these chunky models and bold colours keep within a very specific style. Additionally, the character models of both Zack and Wiki have thick black borders around them. While this is present with some of the environment, it lends to make certain parts of the game stand out more.

Thick black borders are also quite a big thing for many cel shaded games such as 'The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker', 'Borderlands', and 'Eternal Sonata'. Each of these have incredibly beautiful art styles but don't necessarily fit under the same category as Zack & Wiki. It's evident that it's not just the textures and art style (while this does seem to be a major contributor), that turn a game into one with charm.

More thought, I think, is needed here.