At the fifth Media Arts Festival, Pikmin is awarded the Excellence Prize for the Digital Art Interactive Division. Here is what Miyamoto commented about the award:

“Are video games in a rut? A disproportionate emphasis on technology and graphics has taken away from the appeal of game design itself and accelerated the reduction of the video game market. I wanted to use the superior capabilities of the leading-edge game console GAMECUBE not only to produce higher quality graphics, but also to take another good look at what it is that constitutes the appeal of games themselves. By incorporating in new ways the interactive element not found in other media, I was able to create a brand new type of fictional character, the Pikmin, and make them seem like actual living creatures. That is the appeal of the video game medium. Everyone on the staff is very satisfied with the game and we are delighted to win this prize. As for the game itself, can you separate the bad guys from the good guys? I'm confident that we've created a new genre that can't be classified generically.” - Shigeru Miyamoto

The committee commented, “Pikmin meets head on the death of living creatures that most games tend to conceal. In spite of the seriousness of the story, the fantastic graphics and realistic collective behavior of the Pikmin leave gamers with a heart-warming feeling. Pikmin's natural incorporation of light and dark creates a realism not previously experienced in video games.”