Sprite Analysis | Mega Man: Proportion and Rendering (+Tiny Timelapse!)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มิ.ย. 2024
- There are many choices available in how we construct and render a character sprite, even within a relatively small space. In this sprite analysis, we're taking a look at several versions of Mega Man to unlock a few considerations of character proportion and rendering, and I attempt my very own tiny version of the Blue Bomber!
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Check out my art here:
/ brandonjamesgreer
/ bjgpixel
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I commissioned music in this video from these fantastic artists:
BJG title animation theme music by Failpositive:
failpositive.bandcamp.com/
/ failpositiv
Additional background music by mcguy215:
fiverr.com/mcguy215
/ mcguy215
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Portions of the materials used are trademarks and/or copyrighted works of Capcom. All rights reserved by Capcom. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Capcom. - เกม
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That intro is still my JAM! :)
Oh hey ender I wasn't expecting you here
ender electrics
24 pixel tall Megaman: exists
BJG: *a m a t e u r*
Ahahahahaha
ahuhuhuhu
those hands on the BJG sprite are works of genius
I think it would be cool to talk about the sprites from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or even just sprites that use less detail to convey complicated ideas like those in that game.
Agreed, I'll have to prioritize SOTN for a potential future analysis vid - great art (and great game too!) :D
@@BJGpixel Castlevania games in general have great character sprites
A episode about sotn would be quite a treat to watch. I loved all the sprites in that game and there was sooo many food ones.
@@BJGpixel One year has passed and nothing of Castlevania... 😔
Are you thinking of doing it anytime soon?
Samus from Super Metroid is 5.5 heads tall.. would that be considered somewhat deformed?
D'awww the 16x16 sprite is sooooo cute!
That 16px sprite turned out way better than expected, what a great example
The sprite analysis are always the one most interesting topics you have on your channel and congrats on 20 k subscribers!
I would love more videos about megaman sprite analysis! There is so more to study, diferent proportions in Mavericks (such as Dynamo and High Max), diferent shades and much more
Thanks, I totally agree, there's a lot to unpack from this series! These games have always been a strong reference point for the style of pixel art I like - I could easily turn this channel into dedicated MM analysis but I restrain myself lol :D
As well as Megaman (been messing with a lot to understand better) I've found Sonic the Hedgehog to be really interesting, and challenging, because of all the odd angled curves of his spikes and face, and then trying to get the shading correct between them, which didn't want to work right between light, medium, and dark backgrounds.
Using only 3 blue colors like Sonic 3 really brought this challenge to life.
@@BJGpixel In the immortal words of Shia Labeouf, JUST DO IT!
At the very least, I feel like a part 2 (Battle Network, PXZ, ZX, NXC, Power Battle, and Wily Wars) of sprites would be nice
I've been waiting for your videos now, they're a highlight of my week
I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy and look forward to your videos. Thank you for all the work you put in, and making such quality content.
so cool!
.
imagine doing like optical illusions with this type of art form!
keep up the brilliant content!
Dithering and pallete shifting kinda fill that void. I'd suggest lookin em up, they're dope as fuck
Another old thing is flickering. Mainly because of limitations, but one of its uses was for lights or shadows in CPS2 games. The flickering would be so fast it'd appear transparent when it really isn't 😛
Your edit to the face was spot on, a straight up improvement imho. Also I should take the opportunity to thank you, as someone that has been getting into pixel art for about a year now it was your puzzle-like approach that helped me the most out of so many resources out there. Hope you're well and keep up the amazing work.
I'm stunned by how neat these videos are, as well as how ever-green they are going to be!! Great work!
you're my biggest inspiration to finally start dipping my toes into pixel art right now :) your explanations and tips are super useful and the way you really break down the sprites into their elements + show the pixel changes makes it visually easier to understand, thanks a lot for the videos!
Just wanted to say that I ADORE your channel and the work you put into it. You really kickstarted my pixel art journey and I cannot thank you enough. Can’t wait for what you do next❤️
That subtle face edit blew my mind! Your version looks great too, it's amazing how so much can be shown with just a few squares :D
Thanks! There really are so many possibilities in such a small area
Absolutely love these analysis videos. They are very insightful and a great study tool!
the quality of your videos is insane. you inspire me a lot to keep getting better. keep em coming brandon!!!
Yes, keep up with great content, very educational indeed!
I was viewing your old videos, and suddenly you are posting a new one! Thanks!
Your content is freaking amazing dude, thank you so much for the mad inspiration. Looking forward to seeing this space blow up, my favourite pixel art channel with regards to know-how, presentation and overall style. Please never stop (especially during this cornonavirus madness, you're a saving grace breh)
Hey, just wanted to inform you that you're a huge inspiration for me doing pixel art ;) Keep pumping out those videos
Just discovered your channel after making a few sprite sheets for a small RPG I'm making. Your videos are really informative and help define the sort of considerations needed for good pixel art. love it.
Don’t give up on these videos! :) My favourite thing to watch!
Thanks for analyzing my favorite games
Wow, Brandon, your content is fantastic. Not just a great artist, but you're able to make great, entertaining and engaging breakdowns. I have learn't lots with you, keep it up! Best wishes.
And another great video to be proud of. :) I am really glad to have found your channel.
The part that helped me the most was the 16x16 Megaman production. Im going to make my game and got a cool idea, thanks!
I LOVE this. Everytime I rewatch this video and the pokemon analysis pick up new ideas. I really hope you do more small sprite analysis!! Maybe link to the past would make a good one?
Also I really enjoy the fact you add a timelapse that kind of shows everything you pointed out in actual use. As a terrible but new pixel artist I find this to be a really great reference for learning. Thank you!!
i'm always excited when u upload!!
even though i dont even do pixel art
been binge watching your vids since May! I really love it and am learning a lot. What I like most about your videos are those "guides" you make. Those infographs, like the one here. Where you showed how tall a character is. It's really helpful. Thank you! Also your artworks are always amazing. When I decide to do something, i would already be satisfied with it. But with you, you're able to see improvements and details to add, that never crossed my mind. Well i am a beginner so that's why but still lol thanks for the video! It really inspired me to keep working and be able to confidently draw like you eventually, with hard work, ofc.
I've been waiting for this one! 😄
Amazing video!!
I don't think that MM8 Edit really fits with the rest of the sprite, but on the other hand that helmetless 16px Rock blew my mind! Super beautiful!!
Wow, this vid was super helpful! I'm a fan of making pixel art myself, and this was really helpful for making sure my character looks right. Great vid man, keep up the good work!
Wow I like this analytical approach so much, I could learn wayyy more than just by any random art channel that just only does drawing. Keep this format up, great work!
You are an invaluable inspiration...
The artist I need to listen to, right at this moment in time.
Dude, you made me want to play a megaman game with your style... it's amazing!
Just found this channel, and this channel is gold!
Super impressed with this video, this is easily the best way to help you think about pixel art and learn how to work on a style
That 16x16 pixel sprite was amazing
Good video, now im gonna try that out
Man, I’m loving your jobs so much! I’m an illustrator and I tried to approach the pixel art for some project: it was clear to me one needs incredible ability to synthesize information like that. Cheers from Costa Rica! 🤟
Appreciate your resurrection of the term "super deformed", which used to be everyday vocabulary for me back in the 90's talking about anime and Japanese games.
You sound like you would be a fun teacher, and frankly, I pay more attention to you, than my favourite teachers. How you tell the viewers that they can influence their art and welcome experimenting is motivating at the least. Continue being great!
Really interesting video! Keep it up man! Just subscribed btw!
Megaman is one my favorite games, love your videos and I'm learning alot especially since I'm just starting with pixel art
They should've hired you way back in the 90s
I swear to god when I first saw your channel and video I thought you had somewhere around a hundred thousand subscribers. But, unfortunately, that's not the case. You deserve more subscribers with the quality that you bring every video!
Binge watching all your videos this weekend 😎😎😎
great content!! keep it coming!
I've never noticed why I didn't like MM8 sprite, your video made me figure it out! Your "Eyes correction" made a lot of difference, I don't think it's perfect, but it's so much better!!!
Thanks a lot!
thank you so much this is exactly what I was looking for.
Keep up the goodwork, you are making me and others inspired doing pixel art. Someday I'll be better at this art lol.
This is really great content. You should make more about this analysis things. It really help newbie like me to get a grasp about how pixel art work in completed game
Fabulous video!
5:04 - Fun trivia: For the Mega Man 8 sprites, Capcom seems to have had a bit of difficulty with balancing the appearance of the eyes.
Jumping, shooting, sliding, and a few other actions have Mega Man's eyes are rendered slightly differently.
Awesome video
Great redesign!
This was awesome.
thanks a ton man , i really needed this , gona p[ractice using this now i always had a problem drawing humanoids
this video is gold
God thank u for this! I was having trouble making a 16x16 platformer character then i remember this channel
Aaaaaaa thankyou for this video
I love so much the Mega Man 8 art
Nice!
Very good tutorial 👍
Awesome as always.
Something that would be fun (if you actual need more ideas, you seem to have wealth) would be to analysis characters movement animations. Something I found (and sometimes still do) to be quiet tricky.
You should do an analysis on Samus's sprites over the years, as the metroid games have used a lot of interesting techniques in their spriting. Things like how they give samus a different sprite depending on which way she's looking, how they change her shapes in Metroid 2 in order to show her Varia Suit upgrade without color on the gameboy's black and white screen, or how Metroid Fusion creates a completely different looking suit design from Metroid Zero Mission with a more organic less bulky shape, despite using the same size sprites, similar poses, and the same console. The Metroid games for Gameboy Advance also have a lot of cool stylistically animated cut scenes that have some really interesting pixel art that could be worth analyzing, as well.
so good
Very cool yeah !!
And thx for your videos, your content helped me, with my Ludum Dare Game 🎉
evergreen content
Yours looks sooo good! Like a pico8 version or something
Another awesome video. Are you planning on doing anymore top-down RPGs (similar to the Gameboy analysis vid) any time soon? Your breakdowns are sublime.
Thanks! Do you have any favourites/suggestions for top-down RPGs? I think I might do one for EarthBound at some point, it has an interesting isometric perspective. And there are more character sprites I'd like to cover as well. :D
@@BJGpixel LoZ Link to the Past, and Chrono Trigger were my favorites growing up. Maybe a breakdown on some of the boss designs or the environments? As an aside, I hadn't thought about how unique Earthbound's perspective is. Sounds like a video I'd watch;)
I would love to see analysis or work within the Shovel Knight style that would be incredible
Wow cool, it would be amazing if you show how to animate too man, like the sizes of body to keep them when running or walking. Great video
How do you only have 22k subs?!!?!?
To note: The NES Megaman sprite uses two 3+1 palettes (+1 is always for the background). One for the face and one for the body.
A lot of old RPG sprites are less than 2 heads tall, so it's by no means the on the far end of "Super Deformed." For example, many 16-pixels-tall RPG sprites use the top 10 pixels for the head, and only 6 for the rest of the body.
Hello, wonderful channel, I just discovered it a couple of days ago, and has been agreat source of information!! Keep it up! Is there any possibility that you might consider analyzing sprites from fighting games? Street Fighter, Fatal Fury, King of Fighters? Both the full sprite and the heads from the selection screen. Would love to see someone tackling on that particular topic
Thanks! I'd like to do something with Street Fighter 2 at some point. Bringing the portraits into the discussion is a great idea, thanks for the suggestion :D
The tiny megaman looks pretty cool.
I'm learning NES development on the side at the moment, and I find it frustrating how much of the "8-bit" sprite art you can find online is miles beyond the NES's ability to render. Expanding the color pallet to allow for more definition is great for an artistic exploration, or a retro game on modern hardware, but if you're building for the NES, you have a hard limit of 3 colors per sprite. Megaman was able to squeeze out a fourth, skin tone, color by having a seperate sprite just for his face, but overall, the megaman character is a huge number of sprites compared to a game like mario brothers, and you can see lots of flickering when he's blasting enemies in Mega Man 1 and 2 due to the limit of 8 sprites per scanline on the NES.
Megaman's classic shooting stance is 4 sprites wide. His face requires a 5th sprite. The shots for his blaster are a sprite each. By the time you introduce any enemies for him to fight, you're over your 8 sprite limit and have to start flickering things to make room. Even something as simple as shifting megaman's stance so that his blaster shots were lower than his face could have made a big difference.
7:17 We didn't expect it, but Wilber Sooth is Megaman.
Yes
WAIT YOUR AT 20K? 10k felt so recent *sniffle*
Dude I'd love to see a follow up talking about Marvel VS Capcom's Mega Man sprite, that thing is super detailed and beautifully animated!
EDIT: NEVER MIND YOU TALKED ABOUT IT
And you said you only have 5 years doing pixel art... WOW you're good!
I think I'll try using some tips from this video to make a skitarii megeman like character.
Good Video keep going...
Megaman 8 looks like he should be in a fighting game/beat em' up. From what i remember, he didn't look right on any of his stages. They should have stuck with the design from 7.
if i am not mistaken: i think he didn't look right due to the animation frames, and the background conflicting with his tones rather than complementing it
I LOVE megaman!
Battle network would have been an interesting comparison here as well
Have you checked out the GBA megaman battlenetwork 3: white game? I loved that game as a kid and the pixel work is great.
Your sprite of Mega Man can belong to Cave Story. I love it.
Like Terraria?
Missed opportunity to talk about the Zero and ZX artstyle, but insightful nonetheless.
Nice, I loved to play Megaman, when I was a small boy. Every Time, we visited my Uncle and Unts House, my Cousin had to search his Nintendo, so I could play the first two Levels over and over again 😅
And I was disapointed, when my Girlfriend bought herself a Nintendo DS together with Megaman for me and the Game was basically Yugioh in the Megaman Universe 😱
Did you make that font yourself? I don't think I've ever seen a 4x4 font at all, let alone one with that much personality! Perhaps fonts could be an interesting video topic, or just lettering in general.
Cool.
I've been making pixel art wrong. Welp time to start making it correctly then!
Thank u all dude
Can you do a video on making pixel art with a size already done? I always struggle doing big pixel art, like backgrounds and can't make a consistent size. Like, how do you have Darth Vader being a nice size compared to the other robots?
You are great! Can you do a video about sprite animation?
Will you do the Mega Man BattleNet/Star Force sprites next or is there not enough there?