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[JigglesBunny]

Battlefield deserves some credit. One of the most beautifully animated games ever, hands down.

 

[Tizoc]

What bearing does that have when discussion about the quality of animations themselves ?

To answer your question it's so as to show it better.

You've got to be trolling lad. It's slowed down to show off the detailed running ltitle man. Since you obviously know so much about the running animation, you should know what it looks like full speed boy.

...but it isn't...it's just as cmmon as any running in 3D games.

 

[benzy]

Yes.

slo-mo.

Sorry for framerate, new to sony vegas.

 

[jett]

Jesus, really? All that time for stretching skin and the feel of muscles actually moving with bones. What the fuck happened to pixel artists? Where did they go?

Call me crazy but I wonder if some of that detail was taken from a 3D model.

 

[nekkid]

obligatory:

QWOP still slays me, even after all these years. The true GOAT.

 

[raven777]

not surprised by the poster.


It's so good..

 

[Tizoc]

Lei-Lei/Hsein-ko's air dash deserves mention, simply for the fact it has running in the air.

I am also reminded of this big-ass GIF of Sephiroth running in FF15

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Something about the way Noctis' arms move make him look very weak IMO :/

 

[BenedictBlakbrn]

Cool Spot on Genesis and SNES had some very nice animation cycles.

 

[nOoblet16]

...but it isn't...it's just as cmmon as any running in 3D games.

It isn't.
Animation blending is still not very good in games (one example is Witcher 3), and if the blending is seamless then you probably have a comparatively floaty animation and that is what's normal for games these days (Tomb Raider, Uncharted), when you have both of the previous two to a high standards you end up with a rigid control more often than not (GTA/AC: Unity), it's very rare for games to strike a right balance between all three of those...in reality most games can't even do one of those right (Just Cause, Fallout, Quantum Break, Dead Rising). On top of that the audio feedback you get is even worse...which is just as important in making it look believable.

 

[Meffer]

Good lord how does she run that fast with breasts that big?

Magic.

 

[HueyFreeman]

Flashback. Great animations all around, especially for 1992.

The best.

 

[Setsuna]

when you have both of the previous two to a high standards you end up with a rigid control more often than not (GTA/AC: Unity),

Uhhh, No

Unity is nothing like gta 5

 

[How About No]

More in comparison to the rest of the series, but I appreciated the running animation in Final Fantasy XII. Not terribly impressive but a heckuva more natural-looking than Tidus' goofy stride in X. Also the little foot slide when you come to a halt is fun

Not when you play the game....in game it looks snake's body is moving too fasr

Haven't played MGSV but isn't there a speed upgrade that sorta messes up the animation?

 

[redfox088]

Yup. This actually looks like someone running.

Not when you play the game....in game it looks snake's body is moving too fasr

 

[Parsnip]

More in comparison to the rest of the series, but I appreciated the running animation in Final Fantasy XII. Not terribly impressive but a heckuva more natural-looking than Tidus' goofy stride in X. Also the little foot slide when you come to a halt is fun

I always liked Penelo's run animation.

 

[Arttemis]

My votes definitely go to MGSV: Ground Zeroes, Max Payne 3, and hot damn FFXV.

Damn, Max Payne 3 deserves a total remake to remove its continuous dependence on cut-scene loading through every moment. The game is stop and go, and if they could divorce all that beautiful action from the mundane story, it would be a joyous experience to repeat. As it stands now, though, it's a chore to play and one I can't bring myself to do over.

...but it isn't...it's just as cmmon as any running in 3D games.

You're clearly incapable of noticing nuanced detail of running animations... yet you're planted in a thread about it, showcasing that ignorance. Why?

 

[Tyaren]

Something about the way Noctis' arms move make him look very weak IMO :/

I actually really like that. He runs like you would think a young, sheltered prince would run: With a bad posture, uncoordinated, flailing his arms, quickly tired. I have the hunch that will improve over the course of the game.

 

[A-V-B]

Haven't played MGSV but isn't there a speed upgrade that sorta messes up the animation?

Yup. In fact, the default in Phantom Pain is already too fast, IIRC. Ground Zeroes nails it.

 

[TheKastorian]

This. Such an awesome game.

 

[Thomasorus]

No love for Dio?

 

[nOoblet16]

Uhhh, No

Unity is nothing like gta 5

Did you even understood what I was saying or did you just saw those two games and made a knee jerk post?
Regardless of what animation system each of those games use. Both Unity and GTA are games that prioritise animation over response, hence they affect the player controls which was my point there.

That is a fact not an opinion.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

I've been playing Panel de Pon lately, so I might as well add this to the thread:

 

[Theonik]

It also had to do with the fact that those studios had professional animator and design equipment, something most indie studios lack. Prior to pixel art they designed and animated the sprites the traditional way before converting them.

Megadrive Aladdin was pretty good animation wise even though it was quite limited frame-wise compared to some of the other peaks of that era on much better hardware. Mid-late 90s Capcom fighting games were also really good there.

 

[Videospel]

Snake in MGS5 is definitely the most realistic.

I've always loved Mega Man though. It just makes me want to run for some reason.

To me it has always looked like he repeatedly folds his back arm and beats his chest. Especially in game where the sprite is smaller and the animation faster.
https://youtu.be/V88NWFssmHk?t=54m20s

 

[BenedictBlakbrn]

Street Fighter 3 probably set the highest bar for animation frames in a 2D game. Some incredible work in there, especially this one.

Also found this fairly recent thread Best Fighting Game Walking Animations

 

[RandomExpletive]

Haven't played MGSV but isn't there a speed upgrade that sorta messes up the animation?

The speed upgrade does ruin it, but the default animation is perfect, as you can tell by the overwhelming votes for it.

 

[ehnox]

Pocahontas for Genesis

 

[Kandinsky]

When running away from big monsters in MH games, teh goat.

 

[Sami+]

Here's another one of her running animation

I think it looks really good. The animation is very clean.

I fuckin love this one, just couldn't find a good gif

 

[SolVanderlyn]

That's a man on a mission. The gait of determination.

Edit: WOW IT'S IN THE OP. Good job self. I agree though.

 

[Platy]

Sunset Riders, Muramasa, Strider and Cool Spot already posted ?

So I choose this little gen from Snes's most underated game animation wise :

Snes version of Pitfall

honorable mention :
Contra Hard Corps boss

 

[Mephala]

The old PoP animations make me take another look at the running in Prince of Persia 2008. I don't think it is anything that stands out especially compared to some of the parkour animations with Elika but at the same time I do like them.

 

[00ich]

Street Fighter 3 probably set the highest bar for animation frames in a 2D game. Some incredible work in there, especially this one.

That's fantastic

 

[supernormal]

I love how the MGSV animation looks even better when slowed down. So many other games look incredibly choppy and "off" when put under this type of scrutiny.

 

[Zekes!]

I can't find a gif of it but the running animation from Grandia III impressed me when it came out. I remember thinking it was cool that your character would naturally come to a stop by taking a couple more steps instead of stopping on a dime

 

[Mr. Crow]

This elephant from Metal Slug 3 that only appears in one level and for 2 minutes only:

Soooooo good.

I'm in love with this!

 

[Shig]

okay, as much as I love the indie game revolution, this kind of pisses me off

because artists back in the day used to push the absolute limits of what they could do in that pixelated format, and it seems people nowadays tend to just use it as an excuse to like... not have to draw faces and shit.

Artists working for large development houses back in the day had years of well-financed professional projects on which they evolved and honed their form, and were working alongside sizable teams of people doing the same.

But yeah, how does their work still look so far beyond hobbyist projects with one or two novice sprite artists working in their free time with next to no pay? It's a mystery.

 

[Springfoot]

This elephant from Metal Slug 3 that only appears in one level and for 2 minutes only:

Soooooo good.

Yes, thank you! My favorite Metal Slug animation and one I post in every MS thread. The stretch and compression of the skin amazes me.

I think it looks really good. The animation is very clean.

It's not mind blowing, but I really like the snappy sense of speed it conveys. The heavy leaning applied as she turns helps quite a bit with that as well.

Final Fantasy XV, the best animations in the business:

Fuck, those are gorgeous. I have zero interest in the story or gameplay, but I'm tempted to get this game just for the art/animation and to explore the cool world they've created.

 

[zoukka]

Call me crazy but I wonder if some of that detail was taken from a 3D model.

I doubt it. You can usually spot a "rotoscoped" pixel art miles away. That elephant is just good knowledge of anatomy.

 

[flaxknuckles]

He looks like he is about to trip

 

[jett]

I doubt it. You can usually spot a "rotoscoped" pixel art miles away. That elephant is just good knowledge of anatomy.

I don't think they have used rotoscoping, I think they just used 3D models for the skin details. Like a mix of real pixel art and DKC-style CG sprites. You can see colors on the pixels of the trunk changing for no reason at all in a way that doesn't make sense for pixel art. That makes it suspect to me. I could be totally off-base, but it's an odd-looking sprite to me.

 

[Mephala]

He looks like he is about to trip

I think it would look quite normal if someone photoshops some crutches for him.

 

[Inspectah_Deck]

INSIDE has some of the best animations I have ever seen.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

All the animations in MGSV are incredible. Running is just one of em.

 

[ZzzZombi]

Horizon Zero Dawn

 

[nOoblet16]

Horizon Zero Dawn

I've always found it odd because of how her ass moves like a separate entity of its own. Her upper body is relatively stiff while her lower body moves at a different pace.

 

[orava]

Horizon Zero Dawn

Looks kinda clunky to me.

 

[John Kowalski]

I've always found it odd because of how her ass moves like a separate entity of its own. Her upper body is relatively stiff while her lower body moves at a different pace.

exaggerated hip sway to imply butts where you can't show none

or maybe she just has a big butt and can't help it

 

[MaverickHunterAsh]

The OP already began and ended the thread with the Super NES version of X, so I'll post the very-nearly-as-perfect PlayStation version of X instead. You see that "I'm so sick of this shit" look on his face and you know he means business:

I was also always a really big fan of Sonic's running animation in the Sonic Advance series. Modern Sonic gets way too much hate and looks badass in 2D:

Finally, it may not be my favorite but Shovel Knight's running cycle is an instant modern classic: