[injurai]

Today with 3D graphics there is a lot more that developers can do to convey a setting through art. Nut before we were limited to 2D sprites to represent a game and its world. What are the SotC or Witcher 2 of the 16-bit era?

[Why would you do that?]

While I don't necessarily agree that SotC has an amazing art style...

[BY2K]

EDIT: HEY! YOU! Up there! DAMN YOU!

[nincompoop]

Beyond Oasis



Too bad the game itself is kind of shitty.

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Yoshi's Island is timeless.

[Jazzem]

Not to bait an avatar quote, but...

[img]http://**********************/dynamiteheaddy/dynamite-1.png[/img]

Look how colourful and inventive it all is! :D Treasure did amazing things with the Mega Drive.

[Wyndstryker]

Back when Square was godly

[Kai Dracon]

There's a certain style you might call "dark chrome" that was really common with pixel art on the Mega Drive / Genesis and the PC-Engine family. Ex-Ranza (Ranger X) was a great example:





That the artists had to work under such limitations is what produced memorable styles of course. Every pixel counted, and it also deeply affected color palette choices especially on hardware like the Genesis.

[Easy_D]

Back when Square was godly

I agree with this one. Seiken Densetsu 3's spritework is fantastic.

[Yoshichan]

<-

Good job everyone :)

[Glix]

Get your garbage 2x SAL screenshots out of here people. That isn't how the games looked.

[Why would you do that?]

I also enjoy Parodius's style. It's very exaggerated, often for the sake of comedy.







It reminds me of old cartoons.

http://i.imgur.com/FdbA9.jpg EDIT: HEY! YOU! Up there! DAMN YOU!

I was expecting something like that to happen. :p

[blame space]

i googled super metroid for pictures and the third result was this and now my day is ruined

[Skyfireblaze]

Since the Mana games and Yoshi's Island have already been mentioned, how about some Bahamut Lagoon?

[jett]

[ElFly]

i googled super metroid for pictures and the third result was this and now my day is ruined

[Criminal Upper]

[Stairouais]

Axelay

[Shion]

The Misadventures of Flink - Mega Drive/Genesis




Henk Nieborg = God.

Comix Zone


Another World / Out of this World


Earthworm Jim

[Lord Error]

I was going to post a picture from Another World, and I see one is already posted - but that's one from the recent PC remake. The real 16bit one is this:

[mdtauk]

Aladdin - SNES


DKC 3 - SNES

[Luap]

I first played Chrono Trigger in 2007, and I was blown away by the attention to detail in the graphics. It still looks great.

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Pre-Rendered Sprites

Super Mario Rpg



Treasure Hunter G


Donkey Kong Country

[MisterLuffy]

Super Mario World


Mega Man X


Super Mario All-Stars - Super Mario Bros 3

[Celine]

The Misadventures of Flink - Mega Drive/Genesis

Beautiful as only Thalion can do.

Aladdin - SNES

Aladdin for Mega Drive has better presentation IMO.
Capcom one is the better game though.

Another World / Out of this World

Beautiful.

Probably the image won't say anything to the people who haven't played it, but the "to the castle" section of shadow of the beast blew my mind at the time, look at how good and original are the clouds, the mountains, look at the colors of the sky and in general look at how well the colors blend together(only 32 colors on screen!), now imagine it in motion with lots of parallax layers, add a purple weregoat(half human half goat) as the main character, add strange enemies(giant hands from the terrain, lots of floating eyes etc), add a suggestive music and you'll get one of the best amiga showcases. In this video you can see how amazing was the amiga version in comparison with the other ones(amiga is at the end) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3b4h-MUjGo It still beats newer games with similar resolutions.

Fro Psygnosis I prefer Agony.

[2+2=5]

Probably the image won't say anything to the people who haven't played it, but the "to the castle" section of shadow of the beast blew my mind at the time, look at how good and original are the clouds, the mountains, look at the colors of the sky and in general look at how well the colors blend together(only 32 colors on screen!), now imagine it in motion with lots of parallax layers, add a purple weregoat(half human half goat) as the main character, add strange enemies(giant hands from the terrain, lots of floating eyes etc), add a suggestive music and you'll get one of the best amiga showcases.


In this video you can see how amazing was the amiga version in comparison with the other ones(amiga is at the end)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3b4h-MUjGo

It still beats newer games with similar resolutions.

[Zophar]

Everyone say: "fuzzy pickles!"

[uncledonnie]

All the Sega Disney games had fantastic pixel art:

[Chunky]

Can't post pics, unfortunately, but:
Sonic 2
Ecco the Dolphin
Mega Man X

[Earthpainting]

One of the hardest parts for a tile artist, is to give you the illusion that the world you are playing in is not tiled. Haven't seen a game of the era break the tile-grid as well as Seiken Densetsu 3.

Other 16-bit stunners are:

Demon's Crest


Terranigma

[Shion]

Also, two games I forgot to mention in my previous post:

Ecco the Dolphin and (if 32X games count) Kolibri.

[linko9]

Dragon Quest 6 (sorry, couldn't find a great image)



And also the SNES remake of DQ3, which has pretty much the same art style. I think they're my favorite SNES games visually. They look amazing in motion, especially the monster animations.

[ClovingWestbrook]

I hate you OP. Now I'm depressed because I am further reminded how the era of 16-bit was the best era = (

[Seven Force]

Already mentioned, but I've always been fond of the art style of the Genesis entries in the Illusion series, especially World of Illusion:

[ClovingWestbrook]

[ponpo]

Comix Zone and Earthbound are good choices.

Tales of Phantasia was sort of ugly but the painted backgrounds were nice.

[Celine]

Plok


Wonder Project J


Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SNES version)


Actraiser 2

[RawPower]

Definitely Secret of Mana.

[Lord Error]

look at the colors of the sky and in general look at how well the colors blend together(only 32 colors on screen!)

Probably a lot more than that thanks to the copper effect sky gradient.

[Gazzawa]

A whole page with no Sonic the Hedgehog?
subscribed so hard sonic fans wanna fine me

[Cerebral Assassin]

Plok

Plok was awesome, but it loked better in the B&W levels.

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

These all look good the real question would be whats bad art style from 16 bit era. All these games look great...when developers didnt push so hard for realism.

[BrainZEROX]

Zelda 3 had fantastic art with a wonderful palette:

[Megadragon15]

Samurai Shodown 2 (Neo Geo)

[iidesuyo]

Another vote for Sega's Disney games and Secret of Mana.


Also:

Samurai Spirits RPG


Sonic 1


Mickey Mania

[Celine]

These all look good the real question would be whats bad art style from 16 bit era. All these games look great...when developers didnt push so hard for realism.

Well "art-style" in the OP implies that.

On the more realistic front Alien 3 looks quite good:

[djplaeskool]

Thunderforce IV



Game was so awesome in motion.

[Red UFO]

Super Mario World: Bright, bold, colourful and clean.

[nincompoop]

Super Mario World: Bright, bold, colourful and clean. http://selectstartgames.files.wordpr...ario-world.jpg

I just threw up in my mouth, thanks.

[2+2=5]

Last resort first level is really amazing


Metal slug