Critique this screen/these graphics

A place for your artistic side. Discuss techniques and tools for pixel art on the NES, GBC, or similar platforms.

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FrankenGraphics
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Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by FrankenGraphics »

Sort of a 4-way main room or hub in a tunnel system. Wouldn't want other places around it so crowded, but that's how it always starts out for me. Please give me your opinions! :beer:

It is using 3 palettes.

Image

Edit:
And here's what's it like through hardware (sorry for the grain, it's currently through antenna)

Image

It does some things i hoped for; namely making the dotted lines, some cave formations etc appear as if they are in the rear of things. Other details are completely messed up; like a bunch of control panel details on the machine. :roll:
Last edited by FrankenGraphics on Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:35 am, edited 2 times in total.
M_Tee
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by M_Tee »

I like it. Though, it could be a bit deceptive as to what's solid and what's background.
Good use of color though. I dig the warm contrast to the cool scene.
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FrankenGraphics
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by FrankenGraphics »

Thanks! This is one of my concerns. What objects/areas strike you as potentially (or plain) deceptive?
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Banshaku
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by Banshaku »

I like the style and color, looks great. Could make a level for shatterhand with it (very Natsume style).
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nesrocks
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by nesrocks »

It looks really amazing, great job.

I would say the bright reflection on the tubes is what may cause confusion about what is at the front and at the back. Maybe the brightest color should be exclusive to things at the front, so making the reflections one tone darker could help with clarity.

edit: but on your tube screenshot it doesn't get as confusing because the orange stuff pops out more. Very good overall!
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tokumaru
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by tokumaru »

Your graphics look really cool, and particularly so on actual hardware, where they could even pass for those of a 16-bit game, if you ask me. It's amazing how much texture, volume and vibrance the NTSC composite encoding introduces, I love it. The image looks excessively stretched, though... Could it be that your TV is configured to display the picture as 16:9 instead of 4:3?
Last edited by tokumaru on Fri Nov 11, 2016 1:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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FrankenGraphics
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by FrankenGraphics »

Thanks! I haven't mastered it, but grays have a tendency to melt since it contains a litle bit of each. White can come off as too strong, but dotting and lining darker grayscale pixels here and there can give that multicolour expression and be semi-controllable depending on what you put or don't put close to it and in what direction. It's currently just 0d 00 2d 31 in that palette but i see lots of greens in the same attribute cells, and something almost bleak pink-yellowish. This is a PAL system so i wonder what it would be like on a NTSC.

Hah you're right - i've grown so used to it i didn't even notice. Will update the OP with a 4:3 one instad.
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by tepples »

0D causes distortion on some TVs because it's actually a lower signal level than black is supposed to be. Use 0F (or anything xE or xF) instead for maximum compatibility.
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FrankenGraphics
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by FrankenGraphics »

A black that is blacker than black and causes distortion... sounds like a music genre.
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Bregalad
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by Bregalad »

Looks great, the style reminds me of the game Batman.
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koitsu
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by koitsu »

Great art style. Reminds me of a mix of Sunsoft's Batman titles and Natsume games (both which I think were already mentioned). It also reminds me a little bit of Kabuki Quantum Fighter.
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by Rahsennor »

Seconding the Batman vibe and excellent use of composite color artifacts. It looks amazing.

Regarding the foreground/background seperation, I think it could use a bit more, well, depth. All the surfaces facing the viewer look very flat. Rounding them off and adding directional lighting should help them 'pop out' of the background. At least, that's what I noticed when I examined the NES Batman games. Almost everything is lit from the top left, rounded or bevelled, and casts a shadow.

Might not be what you're aiming for though.
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FrankenGraphics
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Re: Critique this screen/these graphics

Post by FrankenGraphics »

Might not be what you're aiming for though.
It might aswell be, i don't think it is critical to keep as-is. I think i've detected a habit to be conservative with bold strokes in directed light/shadowing. Could be a good time to practice it when i get back to my computer.

Whoa, i didn't remember batman was popping out to such a degree!
Here, the idea is that cave walls are flourescent, which wouldn't give much light direction, but i've already broken that 'rule' with the tube reflections.


And thanks, all! Natsume and Sunsoft clearly had very distinguishable styles.
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