Since this is a pixel art forum I think it's appropriate to have a list of our biggest video game influences.  Some of you young whipper snappers might not know it, but the whole 3-D invasion in video games is less than 10 years old. 

Which video games really pushed pixel art?

1. Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 (Sega Genesis)
2. Megaman (NES)
3. Metal Slug (Arcade)
4. Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis)
5. Warcraft 2 (PC)
6. Street Fighter 2 (Arcade)
7. Lakers vs. Celtics (Sega Genesis)
8. Prince of Persia (Old PC game)

 

Go to http://www.klov.com if you need an excellent reference for old arcade video games. Remember, post your favorite pixel art -- not necessarily your favorite games.

Edited by sedgemonkey

I've always been a fan of the older pc adventure games that were a pixel phenomenon back in the days. Space Quest, Zak McKracken, Manhunter, etc There's actually a site that you can download a program to create your own adventure style game like those... adventuregamestudio.com I think www.armyoftrolls.com has also remade Pengo into PushPushPenguin which is really addictive... check it out

Here's a few that I can remember playing as a youngster:

1. Commander Keen (esp. 1-3)
2. Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure
3. Jungle Jill
4. God of Thunder
5. Duke Nukem (Original 2D platform version)
6. Monster Bash

As you can see, I've only ever owned a PC, never had any of those fancy game consoles. However, I had a friend who owned a couple of games I really liked for Sega (i think!), which included some pretty fun games like Aladdin and Lion King to mention a few.

Oooh, and you can download a bunch of old PC games over at:

http://www.dosgamesarchive.com

 

Obscure?? you gotta be kidding me. Those were some of the greatest platformers in the world. I've never really been in to 3d games. my favourites are all fighters which i'd rather they were 2d anyway  <- any chance of a emoticons comp to replace these?

Yeah, this is a pixel art forum, so it really needs some pixel emoticons...

Well, the only game I can think of is Metal Slug, which was already mentioned here... I also heard the pixel art in Zelda: the Minish Cap is really good, but haven't played the game myself yet, unfortunately.

Wow my top 5, bare in mind im only 16 and a huge nintendo fan...

1. Legend of Zelda: A LTTP (GBA)
   
2. Killer Instinct (GB)
   
3. Super Mario Bros,
   
4. Doom 1 (Pc)
   
5. Prince of Persia (DOS) i still play this now... i havnt completed it tho... grr 8mins
   
6. Magic Boy (DOS)
   

-ollie

Oh I wouldn't let you have the monkeys, they're mine

Doom and duke nukem 3d had some pretty wicked pixels but I was never really into shoot em ups either.

Darkstalkers comin on psp is shizznit its got sweet graphics or pixelation its so pimp your eyes will bleed check it out 

Sonic had some neat graphics, they went into the unnatural stuff, IE their grass does not look like grass, but you know what it is.

Prince of persia had some of the smoothest animation I have ever seen, as well as being one of the hardest games I've ever played.

Man, I can't remember some of the other games I'd played as a kid... I think treasure mountain was pretty nicely done for its time. -- Oh my goodness. I just realised that treasure mountain is an educational game. AND I LOVED IT! I think I might just have to hurt myself, or get feircely drunk to cancel out the positive effects that game had on me.

Edited by Saboteur

There has already been a Kratos icon created on the main PixelJoint site, tommy.

Also, this isn't a forum to request icons made for yourself

Forgot about Sonic.  Those really were some fantastic pixel art animations. The city level in Sonic really stands out in my mind as being a beautiful level.

Great Amiga resource Chekote!

Do you happen to remember a game for Amiga that was capture the flag with tanks and you could squish people with your tanks?

Everyone loves SoM though so it doesn't really count :P

Chekote: If you're into lionheart, I suggest you check www.spriteart.com for the interview with henk (pixel artist of lionheart).

I was actually a little sad when I found out how powerful the ds and psp were. I was hoping for another full on pixel revival like with the gba

Was it FirePower?



HERESY!!! Burn him at the stake!!!


Edited by Chekote

No love for final fantasy VI (that's 6, the one on snes with locke)

I *love* the dragon on Final Fantasy V as well. I'll set him as my avatar if he's small enough

Oooh, forgot one of my favorite pixel art games -- loaded with great animations -- Lemmings 2!

Ahhhhh the memories.....
I was an old pixel artist. Well, I was young at the time, I'm old now. :)
I worked on a few games, nothing in that list though. Anyone remember Darkmere, Dragonstone, or Rubicon? I did a few more too. I've a website if anyone's intersted.

Do a lot of 3D stuff these days (Morrowind, Dark Age of Camelot) but there's just something about pixel art that I still love.

Back then though many of the pixel sprites we did had a limited palette and we used only 8-16 colours.

Mark Jones
www.mjonesgraphics.com


Edited by mjonesgraphics

One of my favourite platform arcades:

Heart of darkness - really smooth character animations, and there was plenty of them. The backgrounds are 3d renders, but it looks really good. If you haven't tried it out yet, I suggest finding a demo somewhere.

Also, a game that never stops to amaze me with it's pixel art:

Heroes 2 - nuff said

Edited by DrunkyDuck

@ mjones:

I bow in the presence of greatness. Your game was one of my favourites. Thank you for the opportunity to play such a masterpiece.

Excellent find blink. It's like strolling through a pixel art museum.

My main influence was Ogre Battle Tactics, I loved the Isometric there, also Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu (Yeh, they're the same series...) Had some inspiring and colourful pixel art too.

aaaaaaaaaaaaah. I like this thread. So much nostalgia. It's wonderful. Brings me back to the day, it does.

Commander Keen!! YES! I used to play that all the time. :) Got to respect Sonic. AND gotta respect Lemmings. Some awesome pixelage in there. Also, not sure if this is pixel art but there's this game my dad used to play, I think it was Decent. .. ?_? It was pretty boss.

Aaaah, Super Mario. On oldschool Nintendo and Game Boy (with Game Genie w00t!). Call me old fashioned, but I perfer the old stuff next to this new fangled stuff on occasion. I guess I associate it with fond memories of the family gathered round the Nintendo, waiting to beat the Zelda saga. God, we loved that game. XD Playing Tetris, Dr. Mario, and Paperboy on Nintendo, not to mention the sheer fun at Pacman. Not too impressive on the pixel art scale but Ah. Good times, good times.

I had a big bunch of comp games on this Wiz Pack 6 pack CD rom thing. And we had Hugo's House of Horrors, which wasn't to impressive when it came to pixel art but it was a fun game. Couldn't figure it out to save my life though.

Anyway, those are some of the oldschool I guess you could say games I liked that I can remember right now. My inspiration for pixel art comes from.... I'm not sure actually. Most of the stuff I pixel is from movies or something I like, not really from any of the old games.

Buuuut, it's fun remembering. :D

idk if it has been mentioned, but what about the 3 games in the mother series (mother/earthbound zero, earthbound/mother 2, and mother 3)?

Edited by linkboy84 - 01 May 2015 at 11:15am