AuthorTopic: Aliens: Infestation (DS)  (Read 39704 times)

Offline Phlakes

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #20 on: October 15, 2011, 05:24:56 am
Wait, really? I knew we had some professionals in here, but this is a pretty high profile release (for a DS game, I guess). I kept hearing good things about the art, and it makes a lot of sense that it came from you guys.

Offline Dusty

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #21 on: October 15, 2011, 06:58:56 am
Wait, really? I knew we had some professionals in here, but this is a pretty high profile release (for a DS game, I guess). I kept hearing good things about the art, and it makes a lot of sense that it came from you guys.
They also developed Contra 4 :) Contra is pretty high up there as far as profile goes.

Shantae was another game they made(on the Gameboy Color and I think on the DS) that received a lot of positive feedback(especially for pushing the graphical limits of the GBC), but sadly isn't a very well-known game.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2011, 07:02:43 am by Dusty »

Offline AdamTierney

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #22 on: October 15, 2011, 10:28:18 am
I was so proud especially of the BG team on this game. You guys rock! I always try to work with the ideal artists for the job, especially on a license like this where it's critical to nail the style of the source material. I'd worked with Sven and Vedsten previously, but had only been a long admirer of Helm's style. The harsh, dark tones of his artwork seemed perfect for this project. I auditioned Helm and another (well-established but will-remain-unnamed) pixel artist at the same time, and Helm blew the other guy out of the water. Hopefully he doesn't mind me posting, but this was Helm's audition piece (sprites and HUD added later):



The instant I saw that, I knew we had our game's style. That image captured everything I love about James Cameron's aesthetics from the film, and what's more, it was a very dark and complicated environment, perfect for creating fear in the player and giving the aliens areas to hide.

Helm worked tirelessly to create the bulk of the Sulaco ship (which is massive and incredibly varied). Ptoing and Vedsten helped with a few areas of the Sulcao toward the end of art production. Vedsten collabed with Helm for LV-426, and handled all the organic xeno sections. His alien hives and derelict ship interior are just gorgeous.



Ptoing owned the Phobos facility, which has a ton of great details and easter eggs scattered throughout (all from Ptoing's brain). Jawsh also helped with BGs in a few areas, but primarily designed all the game's amazing sprite models.

Last thing worth mentioning - these guys didn't just act as artists, they constructed each world from start to finish. What you see in the game comes 100% from them. We didn't use tilesets on this game. Instead, I gave these guys limitations on tile count and color palettes, and then very simplified 1:1 floor layouts, and they pixeled everything over those layouts in multiple layers. I've taken that approach on a few games and while it can be an intense, draining process, I find it always yields the best results because the artists are in control of where they put their detail, and how the spend their tile budgets (as opposed to having a level designer work from a very limited tileset).

Anywho, congrats again guys! Some of the best pixel art in any WF game ever created, hands down.

Offline Lizzrd

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #23 on: October 15, 2011, 12:44:36 pm
Man all of this is just beautiful. :y:
Photocopier: the fact that arne can also code so well
Photocopier: is horrificly unfair

Offline ErekT

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #24 on: October 15, 2011, 05:40:50 pm
I just gave it a playthrough and enjoyed it a lot. Everything from artwork to sounds to pacing click together in a satisfying way, and the atmosphere is right. Congrats :y:

Offline Argyle

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #25 on: October 15, 2011, 06:46:35 pm
I just gave it a playthrough and enjoyed it a lot. Everything from artwork to sounds to pacing click together in a satisfying way, and the atmosphere is right. Congrats :y:

I'm doing the same.  Though I have only had time to pick it up here and there (have only just started seeing aliens yesterday during lunch) but I must agree that the atmosphere, the music, and everything work very harmoniously together to create an excellent Aliens experience. Really well done, guys, I've archived all these shots for both learning and inspiration!

Offline blumunkee

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #26 on: October 15, 2011, 07:46:48 pm
Yeah, Helm really nailed the industrial scifi look from the second Aliens movie. The Flashback influences are readily apparent, but the execution of his backgrounds exceed Flashback IMO.

I'd be interested to hear from some of the background guys: how was it working to DS specs? Did it feel limiting, or did you have an overabundance of palettes/memory/tiles to play with?

Offline ptoing

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #27 on: October 15, 2011, 08:43:33 pm
It uses an older engine, so yeah it was quite limited, newer WF stuff is less so (if at all).

Basically the limits were 2048 tiles per area (in my case some areas were quite big, like those numbered rooms i posted with the lab stuff) 8x8 tiles, and 16 palettes 15 colours + transparency. Also 4 layers.

It was good fun, but sometimes quite challenging.
There are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations of colours.

Offline Helm

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #28 on: October 15, 2011, 09:06:53 pm
That's quite the compliment, though I think the flashback art is much, much better than mine.

Offline ptoing

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Re: Aliens: Infestation (DS)

Reply #29 on: October 15, 2011, 10:35:34 pm
In what regard do you think it is better? I think that in execution yours is a lot better and as far as atmosphere goes your stuff in Aliens is on par, easily.
There are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations of colours.