First Attempt at Animation. 2D fighting game[WIP]

[TVboyCanti]

CrazyMLC, the body isn't supposed to move other than the arm which moves for counter balancing the momentum of the kick. It's supposed to be like those rapid TKD kicks that you snap out really using only your core for power. The best example I could find was here, at 00:40. And yes, the legs are supposed to stretch, they are supposed to look elastic and rubbery (just a little).

Shrike, Hitmonlee is all about the kicks, so if I threw a punch in there it would probably ruin the character. That's actually why I chose this character first, I'll do punches later with the next character.

Anyway, here is a WIP after several hours of work. C+C is very welcome

[Rox]

I'm digging this so far! I've always been kinda fascinated by Hitmonlee's design. Anyway, the only thing I'd like to see more of (even if the cartoon didn't do it, as I looked up references before critiquing) is more upper body movement. The more force you put into a kick, the more your upper body will respond. That should be independent of whether your legs are elastic or not.

Here's an okay example.

Note how, when his leg is fully extended during the side kick, the torso leans back quite far. The more extreme examples I found, with people kicking as hard as they can, ended up with the torso pretty much horizontal. Especially true for the high side kick. I don't know why anyone would need to bring their foot up THAT high, unless they're fighting a giant, but oh well. Keep up the good job!

[CrazyMLC]

I think I recall hitmonlee leaning back a bit the whole time he did his flurry of kicks, no?
I actually have the show... I should watch it and find out. >_<
Well, the axe kick seems very stiff in how the leg moves, especially for having 'elastic' legs.

[TVboyCanti]

I think I recall hitmonlee leaning back a bit the whole time he did his flurry of kicks, no?
I actually have the show... I should watch it and find out. >_<
Well, the axe kick seems very stiff in how the leg moves, especially for having 'elastic' legs.

Well, yes he does lean back for that animation, I thought you meant the body should move even more than that. I pretty much have him leaning back for all of those kicks except for the new axe kick, so what did you mean the body should move more? I can't really think of a way to make Hitmonlee lean farther back without stretching his torso in a wierd way.

And if you have any ideas for how to improve the axe kick and make the legs look elastic, I would love to hear them, it's why I posted it before I started to color it.

Rox, I watched the video you showed and it's great as a reference tool. But... his arms really don't move that much in the video, just like all the other TKD videos that I watched while making this animation. They are bent up into his chest through pretty much the whole kick, just as my sprites arms stay bent, only changing their postion relative to the body itself.

I really appreciate all the crit, and I feel close minded in that I'm having a hard time incorporating it. I think maybe an edit (even just a 1-frame outline edit) would be really helpful for me to see what u guys are trying to get across to me.

[Gil]

That might be helpful for the extending kicks. This is a punch, but similar way of animating. Basically, you need more strength and speed.

[Dusty]

I think the blurred raise of the foot really kills the flow of it. All focus of power and speed should be on the kick itself, or else it steals attention away from the sheer power you're trying to portray.

[Rox]

Rox, I watched the video you showed and it's great as a reference tool. But... his arms really don't move that much in the video, just like all the other TKD videos that I watched while making this animation. They are bent up into his chest through pretty much the whole kick, just as my sprites arms stay bent, only changing their postion relative to the body itself.

Heh, good. I wasn't talking about the arms, I was talking about the entire upper body, waist up. Don't be afraid to redraw a bunch of frames for something as epic as a powerful high kick! Make him lean back nice and far, that'll give it some oomph.

[TVboyCanti]

Minor Update. Changed the Stretching Kicks to have more speed and oomph ala Gil's example. Also changed the palette again and added a little bit of saturation to the brown because I thought it looked a bit washed out for a pokemon.



Here is that Heel Drop animation again but with a different ending that will make it easier to chain other attacks to it. Uses the old palette but I'll fix that when I color it.



I'll be out of the house all day for Halloween so I'll post this too. This is as far as I've gotten on a roundhouse kick. Think it needs one more tween to be truly smooth. Might also add an animation for the kick to come all the way around. Edit: added in that tween, amazing the difference it makes.

>>>>with extra tween>>>>

My real problem now is this guy. I've spent hours working on him but he doesn't look quite right to me. Here's the official sprite that it's based on.

[Tuna Unleashed]

if you added some right legged kicks for the more powerful ones it would make it look much more dynamic