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Messages - billzilla
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Bumping up some additional work I did for a friend's unreleased project.









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WIP for side space shooter project I'm collaborating on for Switch. Sort of a 90's 'U.N. Squadron' (Area-88) style character selection screen graphic!



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Pixel Art / Re: My Old SNES Work: Mario is Missing Landmarks
« on: August 22, 2018, 10:46:35 pm »
Thanks! Yep, the constraints of the format require some creative thought for problem-solving and conveying the look or concept you're going for. I love it. :)

Nintendo has had outside developers work on games based on their IPs before. I don't have a list in front of me but I'm pretty sure they've had multiple companies helping out with art and stuff before. Mario is Missing was a little odd at the time, I'll grant you. A lot of people weren't expecting it to be the edu-tainment title that it was (like a Carmen Sandiego edition with Mario), hence a lot of negative reviews and press.

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Pixel Art / Re: My Old SNES Work: Mario is Missing Landmarks
« on: July 20, 2018, 10:39:56 am »
It was produced at The Software Toolworks in Novato, CA circa 1993-94.

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Some additional WIP game sprite assets, a little NSFW and some other related experiments.


   



     

           


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Sure, I'd be interested. It's been a while since I checked this post but if you like, drop me an email. billzilla@gmail.com


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Pixel Art / Re: My Old SNES Work: Mario is Missing Landmarks
« on: July 13, 2017, 10:56:54 am »
Thanks! I remember fiddling with giving it texture that wasn't too over-busy (like single pixel highlights and shadows). Just finally decided to do basic slight color stone variations without trying too hard for dimensionality.

My coworker (I think Duncan Knarr) did some really nice cityscape backdrops for some of the simplified levels. Some very atmospheric (hazy and nice slight color shift as each block got less distinct). Mostly silhouettes with implied details but still great stuff. I think the majority of the distaste for the game came from people expecting a more traditional Mario product and getting a rather clunky feeling edu-tainment adaptation.  :lol:

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I've been doing pixel art since 1990-ish and am seeking to ply my pixel trade with work.

Have managed art departments, done a lot of design (written, game concept, layout and that sort in addition to drawn), met crazy deadlines, pulled 3 day sleepless crunchers and even done some newer console stuff. I designed Steel Harbinger on PS1 and Star Trek 25th Ann. on Gameboy (B&W), did most art for both those. Gods, I even worked on EGA games for Britannica. I'm mainly textures and illustration/UI/pixel 2D but have worked on Maya, 3D Studio, ZBrush, done low poly models, vertex lighting and more. I use Photoshop, Painter, Cosmigo ProMotion, Deluxe Paint, Illustrator and various other tools, apps, proprietary and not. I've used a lot of import/tile/sprite apps for consoles and PC, as well. Very familiar with tiles, transparency bits, palettes and am really pretty insane at getting the most out of constrained limited bit depth and resolution, getting stuff that nails that 'sweet retro' look. Available now, can travel some in CA if required. In the last few years I've been keeping busy doing other work, a bit of texture mapping and illustration for pen and paper RPGs but still like to keep up on pixel pushing! XD If you need someone who's been around and was working as art lead and manager back in the actual days of Genesis, SNES and Gameboy, hit me up. I'm down for a grueling long project in need of fast skilled work or something just starting up needing some assets to plug in.

I'm posting a lot of 'old' samples here - will be adding newer stuff in the next day or two. If you have questions or would like to see some quick examples of a particular type of asset you need, I'd be happy to send something along. Please RSVP with some info on your project and how the timeline is looking and we'll figure out milestones.

mailto: billzilla@gmail.com
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Pixel Art / My Old SNES Work: Mario is Missing Landmarks
« on: July 10, 2017, 09:23:28 pm »
Way back in the day, I did a lot of SNES and other 16-bit development work. This here was the SNES edition of Mario is Missing, the special photo landmark pics that were rewards for people completing a level - or whatever. This bit here are the three Paris locations. I like Notre-Dame the best, the Eiffel was a bit rushed. Each of these usually took about one work day to do.

These were all hand-drawn without scanner or digitizer (or Wacom). Just eyeballed stuff from - wait for it - library books... After walking 10 miles in snow, of course. Pre-internet, of course. To maximize onscreen colors (old SNES artists will remember this) backgrounds and such were on 8x8 or 16x16 tile boundaries to each tile's individual palette. All these are a larger scale mosaic of 8x8's with variable palettes for each that you can see in DPaint or other palette adjusting app. Sometimes I'd screw up and the image would get bounced back out of the import tool and I'd have to go in and find that stray pixel. Tedious.

The game itself was done for Software Toolworks/Mindscape when I was transitioning from Visual Concepts (now 2K). The guy there, Dave Bringhurst, kind of headhunted me at the time and offered more $$ to come work for them, so wound up doing that.

So, hello people! I'm thinking I might do more pixel 16-bit style work again so I may be checking the forums. :D


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