Appeal of "pixel art" ?

JustMe74

Can someone explain to me the attraction of so-called "pixel art" in games? Personally, I find it very UN-appealing... I lived through the era where games looked like this (and even before they looked that good!) and I just don't get it. What am I missing? I know games in this retro style can be very popular...

SlickZero

Nostalgia. It reminds us of old days when gameplay made a game, and not so much the graphics. I think the older a person is, the more they appreciate the retro style, because it reminds us of better times, and the pioneering of the gameplay that is just being re-hashed today.

JustMe74

Nostalgia. It reminds us of old days when gameplay made a game, and not so much the graphics. I think the older a person is, the more they appreciate the retro style, because it reminds us of better times, and the pioneering of the gameplay that is just being re-hashed today.

I don't know... I've been playing video games since the Odyssey and Atari 2600, and I still don't get it. Some things I -am- nostalgic for (like good RPGs, such as the Ultima series).

butterbean

Agree with SlickZero - it's definitely nostalgic to play games with sprites and pixels on your iPhone! I can't believe for example, that I'm able to play Secret of Mana, and Sonic the Hedgehog on my iPhone, both some of my favorite games from the best days in gaming - it sucks now that companies are releasing sequel after sequel, but won't do any new IP's - seems like they took more risks back then, but then budgets weren't as big as they are now too... I digress!

andrewm2211

yeah I love pixel art!

SlickZero

Well, it doesn't appeal to everybody for sure, It's a matter of opinion. I remember the Atari 2600 days, and thinking "This is so cool...I can't wait until they come out with realistic graphics one day" and now that it's here, I find myself admiring the old style graphics again. I mainly like the old gameplay because that's where all the games today are spawned from. WoW is just a glorified Zelda, Angry Birds is just Yar's Revenge with a little twist, Cut the Rope is just a homage to Kaboom with a stationary target and a piece of string.

I mean really, when it comes down to it, aren't we all just playing/making different versions of Pong? :P

quantumsheep

It's very subjective, isn't it?

I mean, I'm not a fan of the 'standard' cartoon graphics that every iPhone game seems to use. It just comes across as incredibly bland to me.

I love pixel art though. Partly it's due to Nostalgia, sure. In a related fashion, you might say, I like it because it engages the imagination a bit more in my view than 'standard' art.

You need to 'fill in the gaps' between the images, and reality, in your head (just like I used to on my beloved ZX Spectrum many moons ago)

It's just one aesthetic - some people love it, others hate it.

The danger is that it becomes ubiquitous and thus itself starts to become 'the standard'. But that's when the nostalgia kicks in again and all is fine

QS :D

JustMe74

I don't know. I guess I just like the push towards realism. For example, I appreciate what Sony tried to do with EQ2's art vs. what Blizzard did with WoW.... or Skyrim vs. the cartoon style of Kingoms of Amalur...

I definitely agree about gameplay though! There are way too many games that are all flash and no substance.

butterbean

@Quantumsheep: I knew my sheepy would have some insightful information on pixel art! Good to see you lurking around here!:)

I also wanted to add that not all pixel art looks good - I think anything pre NES, or post SNES doesn't look good - I think the SNES has aged the best above all (my biased opinion!) - I think Atari graphics are pretty fugly, and I think PS1 has aged the worst of all the retro consoles. You look at FF7 now, and it just looks awful (Also, not sure if PS1 games technically qualify as pixel art - so I'm more than likely wrong on that one!)

Just my 2 cents!

quantumsheep

I don't know. I guess I just like the push towards realism. For example, I appreciate what Sony tried to do with EQ2's art vs. what Blizzard did with WoW.... or Skyrim vs. the cartoon style of Kingoms of Amalur...

I definitely agree about gameplay though! There are way too many games that are all flash and no substance.

The problem with the push towards realism is that you get very close to the 'uncanny valley' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley

@Quantumsheep: I knew my sheepy would have some insightful information on pixel art! Good to see you lurking around here!:)

I also wanted to add that not all pixel art looks good - I think anything pre NES, or post SNES doesn't look good - I think the SNES has aged the best above all (my biased opinion!) - I think Atari graphics are pretty fugly, and I think PS1 has aged the worst of all the retro consoles. You look at FF7 now, and it just looks awful (Also, not sure if PS1 games technically qualify as pixel art - so I'm more than likely wrong on that one!)

Just my 2 cents!

*sheepyhugs*

Yep, SNES was the highpoint in Pixel graphics I think - I love the look of that era

QS :D

MarkOnTheIron

For me it's not only the nostalgia feeling it produce. It's also the level of "details" that some designer are able to put in their pixel art works.

It may seems a paradox but being forced to draw an image pixel per pixel allow the good designer to think on a per pixel basis and by doing that they can draw with incredible precision and detail.

There are some pixel art illustrations that are simply breathtaking.

butterbean

Good point @MarkOnTheIron!

I personally think pixel art is like a fine piece of artwork!

Here's an example of a PS1 game - Legend of Mana - that does age quite well IMO

I fell in love with this game initially because the artwork was absolutely gorgeous - hand drawn, and detailed Like a painting come to life!

JustMe74

I don't know @butterbean -- I think the appeal there is, as you say, a "painting come to life". But that's more the background, which is very detailed, than the characters, which are not... IMO, anyway.

entersimon

It's also interesting to see what humans can do with limitations. Fully rendered graphics can be immersive and beautiful, but so can the simplicity of a few pixels put together with the right colors, spacing, values...basically any design element that fully rendered art adheres to.

There's also an ability to use this limitation in an unlimited way. Play with the aesthetic of the pixels. The picture above is from a game I have in review right now called Simon and Mojo: Bath Time

I call them paper pixels.

I took a screenshot and instagramed it since that's an aesthetic people are used to now, and so far I've had a lot of interest and support everywhere I've put it.

Raphael said that human ability and creativity is found through self limitation. I think pixel art embodies that idea.

JustMe74

That's pretty cool, @entersimon

entersimon

Thanks @JustMe74 !

BazookaTime

I love Pixel art and for me it is mainly because it reminds me of games that I grew up playing.

gyroscope

I'm hoping pixel art will never die; I love it too.

It's interesting to me how people push the boundaries with pixel art, and hopefully that'll continue. Some really nice examples posted here already; here's some more on a website (some are stunning, in my opinion):

http://www.noupe.com/design/40-examples-eye-popping-pixel-art.html

And if you haven't seen it, a more up-to-date usage, a minimal style that still creates a mood:



Rock on pixel art!! :-)

butterbean

@JustMe74: Legend of Mana probably wasn't the best example - I think SaladStraightShooter nailed it with that Chrono trigger screenshot - I think Pixel art is gorgeous, and the Chrono Trigger screenie is such a great piece, especially with the lighting and detail - I think games from the SNES era have truly aged well, and Chrono Trigger is no exception - Secret of Mana is another amazing game with stellar pixel art. But like you say, it's not for everyone!

The_Gamesalad_Guru

Here is a better video of the one gyroscope posted this is by the maker and is very hip.
http://vimeo.com/sworcery/audience-calibration-procedure

RP

I dunno @FryingBaconStudios @gyroscope, that looks like one of those games that requires you to play it while under the influence. I mean, have you seen the other vids? Like one with the dancing bear? Awesome!

I'm pretty excited for this one. The pixelization seems to have great visual purpose here.

poorcollegedev

Its refreshing to have that nostalgic feel in an age where pretty HD graphics is what makes or breaks a game

thelogobar

@entersimon I love the style you have going on there, I'll keep an eye out for the game once it's released.

MetzoPaino

Sword & Sworcery looked amazing, and it was really interesting to see how the characters came alive with so little detail. You should also have a look at Fez

Personally I rather dislike the cartoony Flash/GameSalad look, most of the time I think it looks kind of cheap and generic.

My first app is a throw back to old arcade games, so it's very simple gameplay, chiptunes music and a pixel art style. Not sure if the art style is as effective as I would have liked, but you learn from your mistakes. The simplicity of pixel art does make it easy to make things cute, which I think we managed to do with the player character.

LeonardDeveloper

I don't really like it - But I feel it fits into games aiming to bring back the nostalgic feel.... Or if you have a game with really crappy/blurry art you can just publish it and say its pixel art :P

kinzua

I really feel, art needs to come of age. During the 60's, pixel art was not a choice but the only option. We to ourselves, have got OPTIONS to choose our art style. Take a look at Jpack Jride for that reason. It has nicely blended pixel art to commercial acceptance plus other media. And without doubt S & S has set a benchmark in art & execution.

All i believe, is that each and every one of us shud be challenging ourselves and established notions. Nostalgia is good, too much of it, makes us Garndpa's enjoying their comfortable chairs, evening rum and the jukebox.. Granny left us for another guy.

If there are artists in here @ GS, lets see some gud art atleast.

anithmuk

I grew up with the PS1 so nostalgia isn't really a factor for me, but I just find good pixel art very charming. I love the look of Minecraft, 3D dot game heroes, Bit Trip games, Sword and Sorcery, just because I think it looks great and is a nice contrast to the graphic intensive, uncanny valley-esque visuals of most other AAA games. I also like simplicity in design and think it takes more creativity to make something look good when you're working with less. It's why I still think the sprite based GBA Pokemon games like Fire Red and Emerald look a lot nicer than the weird polygon visuals of the DS games.

mynameisace

Not even hitting the nostalgia button in my brain, I personally think that good pixel art beats any vector art and I really cannot stand realistic graphics. If people want a real looking RPG, come to an oldy-worldy village here in England or if you want a real shooter... Join the Army haha.

I mean, look at this:



Ace

imGua

I've never been a retro gaming fan, but somehow it does appeal to me, I mean I don't find it disgusting at all.