This was a conscious decision, dictated by the company's philosophy. Miyamoto emphasized the desire to create games for the widest possible audience — for both children and adults. At the time, this approach caused controversy. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was criticized for its cartoonish style, contrasting with the dark GTA. Nevertheless, Nintendo did not deviate from its principles.
Miyamoto also drew attention to the ethical responsibility of creators, as games, as an interactive medium, influence the audience, especially young people. Time has shown that the strategy worked. Nintendo did not try to compete with GTA on its own turf, but built its identity on accessibility, creativity, and universal design.
Instead of copying the hit of the decade, the company created its opposite, which brought it colossal success and made Mario and Zelda benchmarks.