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A tiny, epic ode to Nintendo: Zelda and Super Mario 64’s worlds recreated as miniature dioramas

Philip Kendall Oct 31, 2014
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We all know that Japan does “small” well. Whether it’s microtechnology, tiny houses or bonsai, the Japanese are known for their dexterity and being attentive to the tiniest detail.

But a hobbyist and Niconico Douga user known simply as “A” takes attention to detail to a whole new level. In a homage to the three-dimensional worlds created by video game giants Nintendo, A has constructed an ultra-detailed diorama based on the first level of Nintendo 64 classic Super Mario 64 and even recreated the entire world map from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on a scale so small we could barely believe our eyes when we first saw it.

How small are we talking? Find out after the jump!

We’ve seen scenes and levels from classic video games recreated in 3-D (and sometimes 2.5-D!) before, but the level of detail in A-san’s tiny creations is just incredible.

First, let’s take a look at his recreation of the world of Hyrule. Here’s the fictional world that A was hoping to recreate.

And here’s what he came up with.

“Impressive” doesn’t even come close, but when you realise just how small this thing is you’ll be absolutely blown away. If you look closely at the above photo, you’ll see two tiny red dots on the shore of the glistening blue Lake Hylia. Those, dear reader, are the hats of the (deliberately over-sized) scarecrows that feature in the game.

Below is that part of the diorama with a 10 yen coin inserted into the valley for comparison; a coin which, according to good ol’ Wikipedia, measures just 23.5 mm, or 2.35 cm, in diameter.

▼ Sweet merciful gods of Hyrule, that’s small!

▼ A giant world, in miniature

And, lest we forget how small this all is, A-san once again places his 10 yen coin next to the diorama for a photo. It looks like the vast majority of Hyrule Castle town here could fit in an area the size of a single 10 yen coin.

Here’s Hyrule Castle, complete with moat and gardens.

Lon Lon Ranch, where many of you will no doubt remember racing mustachioed madman Ingo around the track in order to claim Epona as your trusty steed.

Kokiri Forest, looking equally tiny but no less detailed.

And of course home to the giant Deku Tree.

Even the windswept Gerudo Desert is recreated with tremendous attention to detail.

Check out the video below to see how this epic (micro-epic?) diorama was made.

The same hobbyist has also put together dioramas based on locations from other Nintendo games, including a model of Pokémon Red‘s Pallet Town which could sit on top of a single coin and this faithful recreation of Bob-omb Battlefield, the very first level from Super Mario 64.

This diorama, too, contains an astounding level of detail, with every part of it hand-crafted from plastic and putty. Remember, those are tweezers A-san is using to place the pieces in the below images.

And of course, every object and enemy character has to be made before it can be added to the miniature world. Look at the size of that Goomba on the second row; it’s so small it looks like the ones from Super Mario Land on the original Game Boy!

A even takes the trouble to attach the game world’s item blocks to the ground using clear plastic tubing so that they appear to float in mid-air.

A method he also employs for the level’s floating island:

▼ The finished diorama complete with A-san’s signature 10 yen coin

It’s a shame that after all that effort and paying so much attention to detail, A misspelled the word “course” here, but we think we can forgive him… so long as he agrees to let us by this diorama from him right this very minute!

We’ll leave you with the original making-of video for A’s tiny Bob-omb Battlefield from Niconico. Be sure to stop by A’s channel for more.

Source: Inside h/t Kotaku US
Screenshots: Niconico, YouTube