Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Pixel Art Feature Chest => Topic started by: huZba on January 05, 2014, 05:41:23 pm

Title: GR#154 - Shmup Mockup - Gameart
Post by: huZba on January 05, 2014, 05:41:23 pm
I put on my dusty pixel-hat after a long while. Dodonpachi inspired.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/huzba/dodonshmup_zpsef30ca65.png)
Title: Re: SHMUP mockup
Post by: Mathias on January 07, 2014, 02:36:08 pm
Sup, huZba.

Very classic look!

I think it's perfect. I don't really have much to else to say . . . hmmm
HUD text is a little hard to decipher quickly, with the horizontal lines in the characters.
Pink and green ship doesn't have enough sharp edges and details to feel consistent with the other ships. It's almost "blurry" by comparison.
The dark blue foggy/cloudy shapes drawn on top of the black bg looks really rough. Like a 5 second brushing, just testing an idea. I like the way it breaks up the solid black bg, but more refinement could improve it.
I'd love to see the orange samurai mech dude animated.
Oh, I just noticed the 'P', in the right. I think they could stand out more. This is just a still, though. When things are moving they automatically distinguish themselves better.
Title: Re: SHMUP mockup
Post by: huZba on January 07, 2014, 11:51:35 pm
You have a keen eye. I'll have to make a real bg.
Of course I just had to start with the most fun bit, so I animated the mecha.
It's a bit rough still.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/huzba/cymeka_1_zps850fced0.gif)
Title: Re: SHMUP mockup
Post by: Mathias on January 10, 2014, 02:49:33 am
 Hey, that's a snappy animation! Very attractive. Almost  squirrelsquid-ish!
I'm hoping for some sweeping katana attacks, too.

So far, so good!

Title: Re: SHMUP mockup
Post by: questseeker on January 10, 2014, 02:56:20 pm
The halos (in fact mere rings) around the "P" powerups are unneeded, huge and less detailed than the rest.
If you want something animated in your powerups, glittering moving reflections on metal or spinning "coins" are proven designs that look familiar and don't increase the effective size of the item.
The "P" marked disk itelf has two problems: Maybe it looks better in motion, but the blue shot from the middle enemy is pillowshaded and lacks brightness. If the dark blue disks are a burst of shots, the rear ones should be identical or even brighter than the first one; if they are a trail, they should be continuous (similar to the shots from the green enemy on the left).
Title: Re: SHMUP mockup
Post by: Mathias on January 10, 2014, 03:52:13 pm
Well . . . those are quite some opinions there . . .

Maybe it looks better in motion, but the blue shot from the middle enemy is pillowshaded and lacks brightness. . .

Pillowshaded? Really??? What, pixel artists can't create shapes with even, border-following shading any circumstance?
Make an edit of how you'd "fix" the projectile in question.
Title: Re: SHMUP mockup
Post by: PypeBros on January 10, 2014, 04:19:42 pm
Of course I just had to start with the most fun bit, so I animated the mecha.
It's a bit rough still.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/huzba/cymeka_1_zps850fced0.gif)

It's a mecha, so it's free not to be bound by human anatomy, but I intuitively expected the torso and left shoulder to rotate together with right shoulder when it aims before shooting.
Title: Re: SHMUP mockup
Post by: wolfenoctis on January 10, 2014, 06:05:58 pm
Hi huZba, cool mockup  ;D

Just some suggestions on the shading, there is a LOT of white highlights in these units (guess you can't help that due to the style) competing for attention
(http://i43.tinypic.com/65mrso.png)
Title: Re: SHMUP mockup
Post by: huZba on January 10, 2014, 10:52:53 pm
Update. The blue bullets are now bigger cause they felt too small for a main weapon
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/huzba/dodonshmup3_zps2eb074db.png)

suggestions
I liked the beefier feeling on this guy, so edited to that direction.... and trying to go easy on the white stuff  :lala:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/huzba/cymeka_2_zpsdf2cd9d1.png)