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The rarely updated blog of Joel Dixon
Saturday, October 08, 2005
It's all about the pixels
# Posted by Joel Dixon at 08/10/2005 20:19:00Updated by Joel Dixon at 19/01/2008 11:40:03
I've always been a big fan of pixels, and pixel art. I think the fascination with picture elements came from many, many hours of Commodore 64 game play as a youngster. Not only did we play awesome 8-bit games such as these:
(click for full-size version - level bonus to the first person to name all of the games)
but I also had my first experience with pixel-pr0n with the lovely Sam Fox:
(I just played Samantha Fox's Strip Poker for close to an hour to get that screenshot! Heaps more great C64 ROM files can be found here)
Towards the end of Primary School - the family got a Sega Master System and once again I was exposed to some great pixel gaming:
(click for full size - Chaos Emerald to whomever can guess each title)
It was around this time that I tried my own hand at computer assisted blocky creations, using Windows Paintbrush. I wasn't very good at this at all - although I did create one or two nice looking NHL logos (in my opinion). As all of these were created on the old 486 I don't have the amusing examples. All I do have is a Penguins logo that I drew with my calculator one boring train ride:
My love for pixels was rekindled a few years ago when I saw the film clip to Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet" single. Created by UK design group Shynola it's a pixel-art animation involving a squirrel. It's fun to watch - and still available to download from their website.
The reason I bring up this topic is Mini Pops. There was an excel spreadsheet being emailed around last year with tiny little pixelated pop-artits, and you had to type in the name of each one. Here's an example of some of the easier ones:
(From Left: The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Kiss, Guns 'N' Roses, Spiderman)
I don't have the excel quiz handy for download (look out for them - they're fun) - but I can point you to the source of all of the Mini Pop characters - Flip Flop Flyin' Mini Pops. He's also got a book out with 128 pages of Mini Pop goodness.
I also enjoy ASCII art - such as Star Wars Asciimation - but that's another post for another day.
# Posted in the General section
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Comments
 Brad   Posts: 22 |
I got Frogger, Gianna Sisters, Test Drive, Bubble Bobble (still the greatest video game of all time), Dr. J versus Bird, and Space Taxi. I recognise the others though (especially middle-left and middle-right - top-left I don't remember well). But about pixel art - have a look at the deviantART pixel art category, there's some amazing stuff in there. A lot better than the graphics in Shining Force (which amazed me way back when...) # Posted - 09/10/2005 23:32:00 |
Brad Posts: 22 |
Oh, and I completely missed the MS screenshot... it's far harder. I got Alex Kidd (in Miracle World), Sonic the Hedgehog, California Games, and Parlour Games (total set-up!!)... but that one with Mickey Mouse and chocolate/ice cream everywhere has me totally stumped. I nearly jumped out of my seat when I saw it - I remember it so vividly, but can't remember the name.  The top-center one I can remember playing but couldn't think of the name for the life of me... and the others I don't recognise at all. # Posted - 09/10/2005 23:39:00 |
| Gav |
Oh wow - I remembered the same ones as Brad on the c64 graphic. What was the name of the skateboarding one (middle left). i seem to remember that being a totally awesome game. # Posted - 10/10/2005 10:12:00 |
 joeldixon Posts: 169 |
C64: The top left will be a bit hard - especially as the screen I picked wasn't the most obvious example of the game. It was Impossible Mission (it even has a Wiki entry). The middle-right was Operation Wolf - which I remember being fun. The middle-left was indeed one of my favourite games - and probably inspired my love for Tony Hawk games. The actual title was 720 Degrees but I think we called it "Skate or Die" for a while, due to the multi yellow dot monster that followed you when you ran out of time - saying "Skate or Die!". (the actual Skate or Die! game had that wierd pierced dude on the menu screen).  # Posted - 10/10/2005 19:24:00 |
joeldixon Posts: 169 |
MS: Top-left was "The Ninja", pretty basic Ninja game that Nick and I played a lot. I'm not surprised you remember top-middle Brad - we played it heaps. It was Wonderboy III: The Dragon's Trap. Remember Lizard-Man and Mouse-Man? Yeah - the top-right is from Micky Mouse: Castle of Illusion. The chocolate level was my favourite - so I had to play for a fair while in the emulator to get that screen cap! Middle-left was Desert Storm - a pretty cool Helecopter game we only hired once or twice. Middle-right was Enduro Racer - probably the first or second game that we had. I'm also surprised you didn't get bottom-middle - California Games. In the Master System version you could actually do front-flips (as I was doing for the screen shot), and you could pick a sponser. I might have to do a similar quiz with Mega Drive games. # Posted - 10/10/2005 19:33:00 |
joeldixon Posts: 169 |
Oh - you did get California games - oops. # Posted - 10/10/2005 19:36:00 |
Brad Posts: 22 |
Ah yes, I remember Enduro Racer. I actually remember the box it came in better than I remember the actual game! Impossible Mission and Operation Wolf I have no recollection of at all... but Skate or Die I remember quite well (the actual Skate or Die, not 720 degrees). Wonderboy III I can't remember at all, but I definitely recognise that screenshot. I might have to play it on an emulator some time to refresh my memory. # Posted - 11/10/2005 02:26:00 |
| Gav |
720 degrees was awesome - so was skate or die. I remember Joel was the only one who ever played impossible mission - it was a bit too geeky for the rest of us. And California Games was the game we fought over most. I remember setting my alarm to wake up at 4am so I could play it unhindered for hours. That was the secret to my success with the skate ramp level, and my ability to 'go off screen'. # Posted - 11/10/2005 08:54:00 |
joeldixon Posts: 169 |
Was I the only one that played Impossible Mission? I guess it was a geeky game - with all the robots and mad scientists. Skate or Die! was great - especially the half-pipe and joust levels (Lester!). I just thought of some more C64 games that I shouldn't have omitted - so I'll have to do up another quiz at some point. # Posted - 11/10/2005 19:13:00 |
| the man with no name |
man that master system pic brought back some memories. i used to have so much fun with that system. 'ghostbusters' and 'moonwalker' man! # Posted - 12/10/2005 10:36:00 |
joeldixon Posts: 169 |
I don't think I ever played Ghostbusters on the Master System (I may have played it on the C64) - but Moonwalker was awesome! Although we never bought it - we just had to borrow it from the local "One Stop Video". # Posted - 12/10/2005 20:25:00 |
Brad Posts: 22 |
Speaking of Moonwalker... you might get a laugh out of this: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/mq # Posted - 13/10/2005 02:32:00 |
| Gav |
More pixel art - mario style http://www.geekonstun.com/mt/archives/marios_64_100405.html # Posted - 13/10/2005 12:56:00 |
joeldixon Posts: 169 |
Still haven't been able to checkout the Flash animation (work blocks some of that shiz) - hopefully be able to get a look tonight. Love the Mario art Gav - I think I might have to visit Geek on Stun more often. # Posted - 17/10/2005 09:58:00 |
joeldixon Posts: 169 |
That Moonwalker thing is awesome! Better than that Domo-Kun one IMO. Do you know of any other such game animations? # Posted - 19/10/2005 20:43:00 |
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