How were old game sprites created?

DriakTravo · Post by **DriakTravo** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:23 am

I have been programming for about 2 years now. As I get more curious of how old games were made, I now play them just to figure out how they are made and sometimes try to make a clone of the game. Some of the games from 91 like Gates of Thunder, Lords of Thunder, etc., had really great looking sprites and graphics. I was wondering how they were made back then and if it was possible to make them today. Were they hand drawn? made pixel by pixel, or is there a program?

Take a look at this: Gate of Thunder

Also, a side note: Do I reach wizard level at post #300?

plouf · Post by **plouf** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:46 am

yep most of them were made with pixel level gfx programs
lwith a search in google for "pixel art" you will find some "tutors"
about pixel level design

BTW pixel level desing roxx realy roxx

Num3 · Post by **Num3** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:49 am

Yeah!
Team 17 had / has? quite good pixel artists!

http://www.team17.com/softography.html

I the amiga i had Personal Paint which came in a CD, and it's casing looked like the nivea cream one

Kale · Post by **Kale** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:08 pm

All the classic amiga game graphics were created by the powerhouse that was Deluxe Paint! http://amiga.emugaming.com/dpaint.html

blueznl · Post by **blueznl** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 4:24 pm

deluxe paint lives on in a way in the promotion package by cosmigo

this package is still used in development of, for example, gameboy games, where pixel art is still essential

DriakTravo · Post by **DriakTravo** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:49 pm

Thanks for the responce guys!

I am currently working on a game right now. A side scroller shooter much like Gate of Thunder and now I can make my own sprites. I found a program called GraphicsGale when I looked up "pixel art" on google. It is really awsome and look at what I did on my first try:

EDIT: http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/nooby/c.htm

Codemonger · Post by **Codemonger** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:57 pm

Hehe , i remeber programming commodore 64 .. doing animated sprites .. i created my first game back then. Just text. It was a choose you own adventure. I think a friend of mine still has it on a 5 1/4 inch floppy. Man those were the days * starts to daydream * ... funny because i remember thousands of games back then, and all of them were very different. Graphics were a cool thing, but thats not what made a game. I remeber playing Zork, that was a cool game or Ultima III & IV, or Questron. A game had to keep you interested longer than 20 minutes. It had to make you want to play again and again. Very, very different from todays games, where interest is just a fad.

Num3 · Post by **Num3** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:06 pm

Codemonger wrote: A game had to keep you interested longer than 20 minutes. It had to make you want to play again and again. Very, very different from todays games, where interest is just a fad.

One game comes to mind...

Turrican II...

I ended it dozens of times...
I discovered every trick, bonus, pixel on that game....

Man, it took an hour to finish, but it was just pure fun

Nowdays we live in the JUST GO FORWARD, IF YOU DIDN'T KILL IT, IT DOES NOT MATTER age....

DriakTravo · Post by **DriakTravo** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:29 pm

I remember Ys book I and II, that was the best RPG I think I have ever played in my life. That is the single game that I played and beat more than 1 time. I have never done that with any other game since. I acually cried the day it scratched and I couldn't play it any more. The company then released bunches of Ys games and I think there is Ys VI comming out next year

also Gates of Thunder I remember playing, Lords of Thunder was another favoite, Bonk, Ninja Spirit, I have a list in my head that seems endless. Video games was a big part of my child hood which is why I am learning to make games now. My favorite game system (Turbo Duo) is a very old one but is worth I think 120.00 I sold mine when people stopped developing games for it which I kick myself so many times. If you want to buy Gate of Thunder now it is worth 20-30 bucks. Oh what I would do to play those old games again. . . .

Well, I updated the above link so you can see what I made with my new toy

http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/nooby/c.htm

Also, will I rank up at 300 posts?

Kale · Post by **Kale** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:56 pm

I remember when i was younger playing the games Eye of the Beholder I & II on the Amiga. I used to spend every waking hour on those 2 games! and still talk about them even now with my mates saying how good the overall game experience was on them. I got completely lost in a world of dungeons and dragons, he he... those were the days!

DriakTravo · Post by **DriakTravo** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 1:12 am

Just curious, has anyone here ever had or played any of the games I talked about or had/has the system? Or have you even herd of the Turbo Duo before?

LarsG · Post by **LarsG** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 1:40 pm

Eye of the Beholder.. oh that brings back memories.. My brother and me used to draw down the levels grid by grid on paper.. :p

Kale · Post by **Kale** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 2:00 pm

Eye of the Beholder.. oh that brings back memories.. My brother and me used to draw down the levels grid by grid on paper..

He he, me too! used to take ages! 8O

freedimension · Post by **freedimension** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 2:12 pm

Replace "Eye of the Beholder" with "Dungeon Master" and I'm the third on the list

blueznl · Post by **blueznl** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:35 pm

turbo duo? nver heard of it... but talk about alien breed or swiv and i'm your man!

adventures... ehm, i played quite a few on the old atari xl's, but can't recall any names right now... i did like the later magnetic scrolls stuff though

my fav game is still red alert 2 yuri's revenge though, especially online... without the cheaters