Who in the World is Big Meant to Appeal To?

[Vertekins]

Oh, yes, forgot about that. ^^; But that's still just one scene out of the whole story.

There's also the way in which Froggy leads Tails towards Sand Hill which enables him to find the Emerald in order to power the new Tornado and therefore further along the story.

[Komodin]

Man can't a thing just be for fun?

Does everything in a game need to be absolutely vital to be justified? So what if Big isn't necessary to the story! I think his part in it is interesting.

 

Well, Di, I have no issues with things that are just there for the sake of the Rule of Fun. With Big's gameplay, however, it just was nott fun for me. While I don't mind Big as a character, I'd like him a whole lot more if his gameplay wasn't so mediocre.

[Tara]

There's also the way in which Froggy leads Tails towards Sand Hill which enables him to find the Emerald in order to power the new Tornado and therefore further along the story.

Which he didn't really need Big to do.  I'm sure they could have made an equally convoluted plot about a frog possessed by Chaos without the presence of a giant, purple cat.

[Carbo]

Man can't a thing just be for fun?

Does everything in a game need to be absolutely vital to be justified? So what if Big isn't necessary to the story! I think his part in it is interesting.

The thing is, he is justified. He's there for the "Chaos' tail" plot point. Problem is it's completely throwaway which makes it feel lazy and uninspired. Just about any influence he brings to the plot can be written away.

Some thoughtful context can make something potentially good all the more gratifying. If I look at another game, Saints Row 2 is a game which goes out of it's way to justify that you have to spend a mission spraying shit on apartment buildings. That just makes it all the more fun and enriching!

At the very least have the game play back it up if you want to ignore context altogether (which ironically is what Saints Row 3 ends up doing).

[Vertekins]

Which he didn't really need Big to do.  I'm sure they could have made an equally convoluted plot about a frog possessed by Chaos without the presence of a giant, purple cat.

But discounting plot points by writing how scenarios could've turned out differently undermines narrative by shafting characters. Froggy only finds himself in various areas only after Big fishes him out from water, he wouldn't have been there there and then without Big's involvement.

Big's inclusion in the narrative amounts to more than just Chaos' tail and the yellow emerald. In a story in which characters are fixated with atypical goals, Big stands-out for his fairly unique dedication to his best friend and you know? I find that interesting and likeable.

[Splash the Otter]

Well, my argument is, if I want to play SEGA Bass Fishing, I'll play fucking SEGA Bass Fishing.

 

I don't want to jump into a Sonic game known for, y'know...SPEED, and go fishing.

To be fair, SA1 focused more on platforming than on running fast. But since reeling in a fish doesn't exactly constitute platforming, your point still stands.

[Tara]

But discounting plot points by writing how scenarios could've turned out differently undermines narrative by shafting characters. Froggy only finds himself in various areas only after Big fishes him out from water, he wouldn't have been there there and then without Big's involvement.

Big's inclusion in the narrative amounts to more than just Chaos' tail and the yellow emerald. In a story in which characters are fixated with atypical goals, Big stands-out for his fairly unique dedication to his best friend and you know? I find that interesting and likeable.

I'm not saying it's not interesting and likeable.  It could have worked.  I just don't think his subtle impacts on the story are enough to really amount to much besides a fun little side plot made just for kicks.

[Kuzu]

Big is.....just there. I mean you could apply that label to just about any character not Sonic, Tails, or Eggman at the moment, but that's mainly because those character are intentionally being downplayed and have their appeal to specific groups of people, and can add something to any given plot.

 

Big however...has none of that. He's really is just an average joe who just got caught up in something bigger than himself and just kinda fumbled around without accomplishing anything really important. 

 

Some people like to see him as a foil to the cast(particularly Sonic), with him being slow, laidback, and generally unassuming to contrast with everyone else constantly having some type of complex motivation for their actions, or being a big action hero. But...I really can't see it. I mean, even if that was the case, its not exactly something prominent considering Big's lack of relevance. 

 

 

Personality wise, he's ok and even if the aforementioned "foil" traits aren't prominent as some people think, I can understand why people like him. To answer the topic tho, I don't think Big is really meant to appeal to anyone; like Carbo said, he was just there to pad out the game and promote Sega Bass fishing, but unexpectedly got a fanbase. Nowhere near as large as say, Shadow but he's got his supporters.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Azure Yakuzu

[Sega DogTagz]

Big's funny attempt to pilot the Tornado 2 and then crashing it was wholly relevant in Super Sonic's story in which Chaos discovers the emerald inside the plane. So saying that he's completely irrelevant to the narrative is false.

 

Does that scene particularly matter though? The Tornado could have stayed on the Egg Carrier and crashed into the ocean along with it, and the exact same thing would have happened that did when Big crashed the plane into the Mystic Ruins. Chaos would have still gone out and gotten it for himself, largely unimpeded.

 

I'm not so sure Big crashing that plane is relevant in the least. You don't even have to rewrite an excuse and the end result would be exactly the same.

[azoo]

Sure Big's gameplay could've been better. But..

 

Man can't a thing just be for fun?

Does everything in a game need to be absolutely vital to be justified? So what if Big isn't necessary to the story! I think his part in it is interesting.

 

Yeah. This is how I feel.

 

He shouldn't have had to have been justified that much. He would've been 200% fine if he would've had more Sonic-y gameplay. HIs story was pretty interesting and funny enough to watch, and mixed with the other's stories as well (if you dare say he could've been exchangeable / dodgable, then remember that you could say that about most plot happenings). 

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

So Big was there to be there as far as gameplay goes and played a justified minor role in SA1's plot. Yeah, not exactly a good way to start a character's debut.

 

Doesn't mean we can't find a place for him. You can never have too much comic relief if you know what you're doing, and heck we can even do him justice and give him bigger roles beyond hanging out. And we could always make him an accidental hero of a sort.

[Tails spin]

Big was used as the break from the action packed gameplay that was Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Gamma

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Which, in retrospect, isn't exactly the best thing to dedicate a significant portion of an action-adventure title. Maybe as a side thing, you could get away with it, but Big was more than just a side game in SA1.

[RobotOmega]

Fat, stupid people. 

 

But in all honesty, I really didn't hate him until I got to his first fishing level. After that, many controllers were thrown. One good thing came out of his failure, which was Sega learning from their mistake, and not giving him a big role in SA 2.

 

(Get it? "Big" role? haha... )

[Chariot]

Who was Big meant to appeal to? Probably children considering that his personality is that of what you see on a show like Barney. Doesn't help the fact that his gameplay sucks and is so contridictory, that you realize his purpose was just there to add more variety to the true 3d debut of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Chariot

[Jolt_TH]

Ironic really, the first you see of him is a cgi model standing on the egg carrier in a storm, looking epic...then when you get to him... Fishing!!

[Tara]

Who was Big meant to appeal to? Probably children considering that his personality is that of what you see on a show like Barney.

Well, I think all the characters fall under the "child" demographic.  I'm assuming by the Barney comparison, you're referring to very small children, which I would agree with in reference to Heroes.  In SA1, however, he seems to be mostly comedic, a la Patrick Star as someone else mentioned, primarily exploiting the contrast between the struggles of the main characters and his own personal endeavors.

 

Ironic really, the first you see of him is a cgi model standing on the egg carrier in a storm, looking epic...then when you get to him... Fishing!!

I wouldn't say he looked "epic," but he looked mysterious.  I'm not sure what I was expecting when I first saw him, but it certainly wasn't what we ended up with.

[Mogtaki]

He's a ninja that's had no real moments to shine or outright embarrass himself. He just kinda exists, but at least he wasn't drug through the mud like Big was in Chronicles.

 

Espio is one of these characters where somebody went 'wouldn't it be cool if we had a ninja...but he was a chameleon too?? He could disappear like a ninja!'

 

He's just one of these characters that sounded cool as a sudden idea, but he also still holds up that coolness despite his stereotypical ninja attitude. He's fun like that, though, and is one of my favourites because he's so simple.

 

On the subject of Big...I like him. He has no powers, no special ability, doesn't have a background and is just one of those characters who simply exists. He doesn't need to be special to be in the series, he's just one of these characters who is simply normal and happens to enjoy fishing a lot.

[Tani Coyote]

Japan is known for having an interest in bizarre characters. As was mentioned before, I think he was a character introduced for the team rather than any particular fan group.

Consider how Fake Crash, bizarre as he looks, is fairly popular in Japan with regards to the Crash Bandicoot franchise. I think Big could logically also be one of those pet characters; it explains why he was making appearances for so long after Adventure despite losing all relevance after his story.

[Mogtaki]

Consider how Fake Crash, bizarre as he looks, is fairly popular in Japan

 

Uhhh, is it wrong for me to say the reason he's fairly popular is probably because he has giant eyebrows...?

 

I mean, look at Japanese Ratchet for example.

[Uraraka]

 I dunno, I think Big, if nothing else, attracted some fans that added a interesting twist to the Sonic fannon. The Big the Cat Fans seem to be fun loving and humorous people (most of the time) and While I am not a Big the Cat fan myself, I do enjoy hearing his fans defend him.  Honestly, I feel he was comic relief in most of the Games (Particularly SA1 and SA2) I mean, his random appearance in SA2 when Knux and Rouge fight kinda kills the "romantic air" that was in the scene (like someone blowing their nose would!)

 

I mean, seriously, it was funny

[TailsTellsTales]

I dunno, I think Big, if nothing else, attracted some fans that added a interesting twist to the Sonic fannon. The Big the Cat Fans seem to be fun loving and humorous people (most of the time) and While I am not a Big the Cat fan myself, I do enjoy hearing his fans defend him. Honestly, I feel he was comic relief in most of the Games (Particularly SA1 and SA2) I mean, his random appearance in SA2 when Knux and Rouge fight kinda kills the "romantic air" that was in the scene (like someone blowing their nose would!)

I mean, seriously, it was funny

Wait hold up Big has fan? Edited July 26, 2013 by TailsTellsTales

[Uraraka]

Wait hold up Big has fan?

well, indigo rush is one...

[Wittymations]

Hmm... I can see the appeal that kids would find of him. He's a chill guy who lives in a near paradise area and lets life's problem slip away as he just eats one type of food. He even has a best friend who enjoys that life with him.

 

I can think of a character or two that does that and kids love.

 

 

[Indigo Rush]

When I first saw advertisements and artwork for Sonic Adventure oh so many years ago, Big always caught my attention as this... I didn't even know what to think of him. Was he a tough guy? Was he nice? I had nothing to go on. I admit, as much as I love Big, his inclusion seems weird.

 

But that doesn't mean that Big has to remain practically useless. With any little bit of clever writing, you can make any character worth something. Big definitely has potential. I wouldn't waste my time defending Big if I didn't see it. 

 

He's cool. He doesn't give a darn what you think about him.

 

He's loyal. He'll break his pacifist role to break your nose if you so much as jokingly intimidate his friends.

 

He's strong. He can lift cars as if it were nothing. Even for Shadow that takes a concerted amount of effort.

 

He's skilled. He lives by himself in the middle of a thick Amazonian jungle, and he knows how to take care of himself and his best friend.

 

He's adaptable. He can go from frozen tundras to thousands of feet in the air to help his friends, and he can figure out how to control a busted plane.

 

He's Big. He's got nothing to prove to you. He stuck his fishing lure inside of an ancient water demon to pull out a frog.

 

He's under no obligation to justify his presence in this series.