Are there any examples of bad pixel art?

justiceiro · Oct 10, 2018

Guys, there is a big difference between low resolution drawings and pixel art. Pixel art is done, well, pixel by pixel, but a lot of examples in this thread are basically subsampled drawings. Almost all pc games were just low resolution, not really made with a grid of pixels in mind, like new games were. That MegaMan game clearly was made with drawing tools similar to paint, not really pixel art.

Besides, some of the games looks to high resolution to be even called pixel art, specially these fighting games.

Gifmaker · Oct 10, 2018

B. Spaceman said:
I'm not saying it is amazing, but there are so many examples of bad pixel art that naming popular games just for the sake of being contrarian... oh well, to each his own

For a popular game by a big, respected company, the look is especially puzzling.

OutofMana · Oct 10, 2018

scare_crow said:
Tons of the OG Pokemon sprites are preeeeeeeetty rough.

Mew looks like a newborn baby rat, lol

Geido · Oct 10, 2018

sibarraz said:
Best of Best is the prime example of this. Although it has a killer lambada remix, so is all forgiven

Do you have a link to the remix? Googling this is very difficult...

kvetcha · Oct 10, 2018

Ardiloso said:
Celeste is hideous. They didn't even try on the graphics dpt.

uh, false

Deleted member 2620 · Oct 10, 2018

altered beast?

what the fuck

sibarraz · Oct 10, 2018

Geido said:
Do you have a link to the remix? Googling this is very difficult...

Deleted member 2620 · Oct 10, 2018

justiceiro said:
Guys, there is a big difference between low resolution drawings and pixel art. Pixel art is done, well, pixel by pixel, but a lot of examples in this thread are basically subsampled drawings. Almost all pc games were just low resolution, not really made with a grid of pixels in mind, like new games were. That MegaMan game clearly was made with drawing tools similar to paint, not really pixel art.

Besides, some of the games looks to high resolution to be even called pixel art, specially these fighting games.

Which, specifically, do you think aren't done pixel-by-pixel? Very few things in this thread look like cleaned-up scans to me, and I've never, ever heard anybody claim that games like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue aren't pixel art. And why would they?

Host Samurai · Oct 10, 2018

I hate the look of some early NES games and the likes of Back to the Future.

justiceiro · Oct 10, 2018

Tain said:
Which, specifically, do you think aren't done pixel-by-pixel? Very few things in this thread look like cleaned-up scans to me, and I've never, ever heard anybody claim that games like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue aren't pixel art. And why would they?

Not scans, digital art.

Kintaro · Oct 10, 2018

the_milkybar_kid said:
Haha. fucking hell. So opinions are classed as hot takes when they conflict with your own on resetera? Carry on then lads, as you were.

To be fair not liking an art style is not the same as being bad art/pixel art. I hate the Yoshi's Island style that they used, so much so that I probably only played it for 30 minutes and I loved SMW. I wouldn't call it bad pixel art, because it is not, it's just a different art style that I didn't like in the least bit. This thread is about bad pixel art, not art styles that you hated.

JangleLuke · Oct 10, 2018

This one in particular has been bothering me for years: Bowser's sprite from Mario & Luigi - Superstar Saga

The game in general has charming and overall good sprite art ....but damn.... LOOK AT BOWSER!
He looks so freaking awful! He's so pudgy, and barely stands above the Mario brothers!

I'm not insinuating that the game in its entirety has bad art, but this one sprite is such a huge eyesore to me.

Swiggins · Oct 10, 2018

Ardiloso said:
Celeste is hideous. They didn't even try on the graphics dpt.

The absolute hottest of takes.

Kalentan · Oct 10, 2018

Burrman said:
Westerado. I know the devs chose this style, but it's Hard to enjoy for me.

Not sure how that's even close to being 'bad'.

Geido · Oct 10, 2018

sibarraz said:

Haha, that's great! Thank you!

Deleted member 30544 · Oct 10, 2018

I've always thought that Bart Vs Space Mutants had a bad and really sloppy pixel art, even for those days standards and on both, NES and Genesis:

Last Action Hero is also very sloppy:

77405-last-action-hero-snes-screenshot-jack-slater-s-big-showdown.gif

LMAO at people saying Yoshi's Island has bad pixel art.......people just want to have a hot take aren't they ? :rolleyes:

tiesto · Oct 10, 2018

CO_Andy said:
western 8 and 16-bit games the thread

Ehh, there are some rather nice looking pixel art Amiga games, and the projects Dave Perry worked on usually featured great pixel art as well.

capitalCORN · Oct 10, 2018

tiesto said:
Ehh, there are some rather nice looking pixel art Amiga games, and the projects Dave Perry worked on usually featured great pixel art as well.

Bitmap Bros. yo,

Burrman · Oct 10, 2018

Kalentan said:
Not sure how that's even close to being 'bad'.

Maybe I forgot to type IMO? Cause art is subjective no?

Kalentan · Oct 10, 2018

Burrman said:
Maybe I forgot to type IMO? Cause art is subjective no?

Honestly art is only subjective to a point.

Yggfk · Oct 10, 2018

sibarraz said:

Hell yeah, that's my kind of shit! I miss KAOMA and lambada.

ScreamingMadden · Oct 10, 2018

Ardiloso said:
Celeste is hideous. They didn't even try on the graphics dpt.

Celeste is a polarizing game when it comes to graphics, but I think it looks tremendous.

If you really want bad pixel art (or maybe good), look no further than Best of Best:

Latpri · Oct 10, 2018

WieDerrickWie said:
I don't think they're bad, but pixel art with characters that have super long single pixel thick limbs is unappealing to me.
For example stuff like Crawl's hero character I dislike, but I love the creature art

The skinny leg flat crotch style of pixel art absolutely needs to be done away with.

CO_Andy said:
western 8 and 16-bit games the thread

Yea, pretty much. Its easier to list western games from the era that had appealing art than the other way around. I can think of Might and Magic (Mainstream and Heroes... Clouds of Xeen has some of the best monster art ive ever seen) and.... uh...

e: Oh! Space Quest 3 is one of the best looking games Ive ever seen and that includes modern games.

Burrman · Oct 10, 2018

Kalentan said:
Honestly art is only subjective to a point.

Nah

Kalentan · Oct 10, 2018

Burrman said:
Nah

I mean there is a difference between, "This art style is not my thing but I can acknowledge that the art is good."

Pixel Grotto · Oct 10, 2018

capitalCORN said:

dred said:
DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE

You just gave me the craziest rush of nostalgia ever. I literally forgot this game existed, probably haven't thought about it in 20 years, but as soon as I saw the screenshot it all came back!

theotherMittens said:
Hahaha, same. I loved MicroMan.

Holy crap, add me to the list of people who haven't thought of this game in 20 years but remembered it as soon as you posted it. I played this on some old Shareware CD that my brother bought at the mall, it was full of dozens of games and this one stuck out in my memory for some reason. Radical

PSqueak · Oct 10, 2018

BubbleButt64 said:
Bad?

I get that it's not the greatest but there are some better looking moments. I'd say amatuer-ish.

You gonna look at that undyne back sprite and tell me it's good tho?

GenTask · Oct 10, 2018

redmoss said:
Check out this legendary article on bad pixel art

Some similar articles on this topic, mostly in the vein of updating pixel art that is already good:

Doing an HD Remake the Right Way (on updating Pixel Art)
Doing an HD Remake the Right Way: FFVI Edition
Doing an HD Remake the Right Way: Chrono Trigger Edition

Are there any examples of bad pixel art?

justiceiro

Gifmaker

OutofMana

Geido

kvetcha

Deleted member 2620

User requested account closure

sibarraz

Prophet of Regret - One Winged Slayer

Deleted member 2620

User requested account closure

Host Samurai

justiceiro

Kintaro

JangleLuke

Swiggins

was promised a tag

Kalentan

Geido

Deleted member 30544

User Requested Account Closure

tiesto

capitalCORN

Burrman

Kalentan

Yggfk

ScreamingMadden

Latpri

Burrman

Kalentan

Pixel Grotto

PSqueak

GenTask