Kid Heroes

[Lehcar]

What are your thoughts on games starring child heroes? (Meaning pre-adolescents.)

 

I've never liked the concept at all, period. Developers seem to think having a child protagonist makes game more appealing to kids, but even when I was a child myself, it did not appeal to me in the least.

 

Honestly, a kid who's barely even hit puberty, running off all on their own, placing themself in all kinds of mortal danger? And no one else cares? Of course, the vast majority of these kid heroes are orphans, or otherwise without any guardians, but still, that's a little dark and... unsettling. Especially since characters who are clearly adults seem to have no qualms about putting a child protagonist in serious danger, or even being physically violent towards them. Not cool.

 

When I'm playing a game where the hero is a kid, I get really put off by adult characters treating me like my life is expendable, and being physically or verbally abusive towards me.

 

Plus there's logical questions about how kids can be able to effectively use deadly weapons...

 

I like protagonists who are at least in their mid teens, but preferably late teens or 20's. It's just cooler being someone who's more grown up, and it makes a lot more sense in so many areas. For obvious reasons, an adult hero is generally treated much more seriously by the setting, story, and characters. They seem so much more badass, mature, and, well... heroic. Plus it opens up the opportunity for other story elements, such as love interests.

 

That's why Twilight Princess is my favourite Zelda title... for once, Link was actually a young adult, not a little boy.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Lehcar

[Vagrant0]

Honestly, a kid who's barely even hit puberty, running off all on their own, placing themself in all kinds of mortal danger? And no one else cares? Of course, the vast majority of these kid heroes are orphans, or otherwise without any guardians, but still, that's a little dark and... unsettling. Especially since characters who are clearly adults seem to have no qualms about putting a child protagonist in serious danger, or even being physically violent towards them. Not cool.

So you've heard of Pokemon then?

[Jiggalopuff]

So you've heard of Pokemon then?

Epic Lulz, that also came to mind when I read the OP.

[Lehcar]

Honestly, a kid who's barely even hit puberty, running off all on their own, placing themself in all kinds of mortal danger? And no one else cares? Of course, the vast majority of these kid heroes are orphans, or otherwise without any guardians, but still, that's a little dark and... unsettling. Especially since characters who are clearly adults seem to have no qualms about putting a child protagonist in serious danger, or even being physically violent towards them. Not cool.

So you've heard of Pokemon then?

 

Yeah... Japan is very fond of this, for some reason.

[Winterfall]

Honestly, a kid who's barely even hit puberty, running off all on their own, placing themself in all kinds of mortal danger? And no one else cares? Of course, the vast majority of these kid heroes are orphans, or otherwise without any guardians, but still, that's a little dark and... unsettling. Especially since characters who are clearly adults seem to have no qualms about putting a child protagonist in serious danger, or even being physically violent towards them. Not cool.

So you've heard of Pokemon then?

 

That's nothing compared to the Beyblade TV show. Seriously, who in their right mind would give kids tops that can conjure gale force winds, massive firestorms, and whatever else those things are capable of conjuring.

 

They're literally carrying a handheld weapon of mass destruction.

[Vagrant0]

That's nothing compared to the Beyblade TV show. Seriously, who in their right mind would give kids tops that can conjure gale force winds, massive firestorms, and whatever else those things are capable of conjuring.

 

They're literally carrying a handheld weapon of mass destruction.

Bayblade just makes a lot more sense when you realize that most of the characters are just hallucinating everything in order to try and make a game about spinning tops bouncing into eachother interesting on any level. Same with most of those types of shows (usually those involving card games).

 

But really, what do you expect of a series designed solely to market a product to children? Atleast Pokemon manages to be something other than a 23 minute commercial of mostly empty promises.

[Ironman5000]

I think Pokemon was a computer game first then came the cartoon, so really the show is a big product placement. I did watch the cartoon first before I knew about any of that and yes the story was one of the very few I could actual get into because it was much better thought out (at least the first few series) and not wrote by idiots like most cartoons, plus I like Studio Ghibli anime which is done in a similar style :happy:

[Aegrus]

Kid heroes? LIke ankle-biter Anakin in the "Phantom Menace?"

 

He can go burn in a rusty shed.

 

Some people have stated that Merrill, from DA 2, is a kid hero. I strongly disagree there. Lore-wise, she's well past childhood, and can be considered an adult throughout the game, even though she looks a bit young. Second, and perhaps most importantly, I wouldn't even go so far as to call her a hero, what with the blood magic and her various mistakes and all. I bring up Merrill because her character raises three interesting questions.

 

1. What's the cut-off age for kid hero?

2. Does a kid hero actually have to be a hero, or is it simply doing something precocious while being an important character that puts someone into the kid-hero category?

3. Does it matter what the numerical age of a character is, or is it their appearance that decides their age in a mostly-visual art form like a video game?

Edited January 6, 2013 by Aegrus

[Ironman5000]

1. What's the cut-off age for kid hero?

Answer by OP...

What are your thoughts on games starring child heroes? (Meaning pre-adolescents.)

 

I'm pretty certain Merill was definately not a child, if she was then the DA2 romance system is heavily questionable! :ermm: With her being an elf though shes probably one the older companions in the game if the dalish adhere to typical elvish lore.

 

I would like to burn Anakin in a shed though, both the kid and hayden christensen :devil:

Edited January 6, 2013 by Ironman5000

[TheVampireDante]

and hayden christensen :devil:

 

*Hears a horde of angry Hayden fans descending on Ironman5000*

 

Run man, run!

 

As for cartoons, anime, games, etc placing children in danger - lot of kids like explosions and flashy lights. There is a lot of it, and the inclusion of a child like protagonist is usually put out under the guise of "so the kids can relate to it" - as in, "they'll watch it and then pester the parents into buying all the related merchandise". Not always, but there's a fair amount of it. Not a new concept either.

 

The moral aspect of the whole scenario takes a sideline to the ability to make cash off of anything, even if it occasionally brought up by the characters of the show/game/whatever themselves at times due to the writers/company at least acknowledging the point that they have to say something about the whole 'kids in danger' thing they just aired. Those "we can do this despite the odds" speeches that seem popular in some of the tv shows being an example.