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Pixel modifications
#11
(05-30-2018, 03:57 AM)megamarc Wrote: the ability to use unlimited 256-color palettes is more than enough

Yeah if you can have 256 palletes for every single item, there isn't any reason the game wouldn't look full colour if you wanted it to, I think.

(05-30-2018, 03:57 AM)megamarc Wrote: It's impressive what can be done with a few well chosen and used colors!

You're not wrong - google image "pico 8", all of those game screenshots are done in the same 16 colour palette! It's just a very very carefully selected 16 colours, with the benefit of years of knowledge of art, since the Pico 8 was invented these days instead of back then...

[Image: pico-8.png]

[Image: COfjQ_3WUAAXsCn.png]

[Image: tumblr_o2lon6y2p01rqazauo1_500.gif]

Golden Axe Pico de-make mockups
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#12
Thanks for the screenshots!
Is the Pico-8 16-color palette fixed or programmable? (i.e. you can choose what 16 colors compose your palette).
Although many classic systems implemented fixed palettes, I'm personally against them. The reason is that color matching and balancing is a key skill for any pixel artist, and forcing fixed palettes imposes a great limitation. So I advocate for small palettes of selectable colors. But it's just a personal preference!
What I like about the Pico-8 is that is a fully contained platform: the system provides its own development tools. That's great for amateurs and hobbyist that are starting. It's a bit like the Arduino: it's quite limited, but the platform provides it's own IDE, language and debug platform. The entry barrier is really low and thus very attractive for education and first steps.
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#13
(06-24-2018, 04:39 PM)megamarc Wrote: Thanks for the screenshots!
Is the Pico-8 16-color palette fixed or programmable? (i.e. you can choose what 16 colors compose your palette).
Although many classic systems implemented fixed palettes, I'm personally against them. The reason is that color matching and balancing is a key skill for any pixel artist, and forcing fixed palettes imposes a great limitation. So I advocate for small palettes of selectable colors. But it's just a personal preference!

Yes it's fixed, and I understand your sentiment, but... give it a try. When I say the Pico 8 palette has been put together with the benefit of hindsight, I mean that they are a REALLY good selection of 16 colours. All of the things in the natural (and unnatural) world can be reflected in these colours - flesh tones, trees, sunsets, etc. and it's actually an exercise in artistic ability to combine colours next to each other to affect how other colours are perceived. Also I'm sure fixed pallettes were a performance or manufacturing cost thing, so it's good for Pico 8 to aim so low and get something looking so good.

Quote:What I like about the Pico-8 is that is a fully contained platform: the system provides its own development tools. That's great for amateurs and hobbyist that are starting. It's a bit like the Arduino: it's quite limited, but the platform provides it's own IDE, language and debug platform. The entry barrier is really low and thus very attractive for education and first steps.

Yes it takes a lot of the hassell out! Actually my main complaint was the storage restrictions. I loved making games in it but quickly ran upagainst the data limitations, even with all the tricks I could manage.

And I can say I had a fair go at it, because I re-created tne entire Alex Kidd In Miracle world game in it! You can play it in your browser at this link:

https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=46037&tid=30218

Oh BTW you can see an example of pallette colour swapping in Pico 8 in my water level - you can replace colours, but it must be with one of the existing colours. You can do it between draw calls so that it only affects one sprite, or background, or whatever.

[Image: Water%20level.gif]
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#14
I didn't know you could destroy the red octopus arm in the original game! And I completed it several times... Nowadays I wouldn't be capable of such feat.

Nice colors indeed
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#15
Hahah I know what you mean. I've been hammering away at Gradius on the NES (mini) and good god... is there more than one level? I only just found that out yesterday that, yes, there is more game after the first level. I lost count of how many times I tried, but you really have to work at it, learning about which powerups to focus on and how to use them becomes an art, and then finally you can start pushing through to the next level.

I think now since there are so many games we just don't devote as much time to any single game the way we could afford to back then. Combined with being older and having less time for these things of course. But games that require this much effort is an experience that most gamers these days won't experience.
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#16
I agree Smile these games demand patience and dedication, they may sound short in duration compared to modern games (you can end them in less than an hour straight), but demand many hours to learn and master them until you get to the end.

I like games that are easy to play but difficult to master. Super Mario World for example. Games with simple control scheme but that need memory, skill and reflexes, that you can't finish in the first try. Rayman Origins is one such game, do you know it? The advanced leves will punish you mercilessly, but eventually you get to pass them, just by a thin margin.

It's true that nowadays there are an insane amount of games that demand our little time...
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#17
Ah yes I do know Rayman Origins! It's got a 4 player co-operative mode and I've played it when I have friends over! Wow that's cool - I felt so far it was more of a colourful breezy kids game, now I'm looking forward to getting further in and working out these difficult levels together Smile
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#18
Yes, don't be fooled by its colorful aspect. This game can be really hard and you'll really need to earn the right to end the advanced levels and/or earn all the electoons -or the Living Dead extra world-. But the game is always fair, your effort and perseverance gets finally rewarded.

Its sequel, Rayman Legends is also very cool but not as hard, it's easy to get outsanding scores on the first play of many levels. It's pacing is slower and doesn't force you to do the quick actions of the first one, where you get only one chance to grab something before it flies away forever.
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#19
(07-16-2018, 09:52 PM)megamarc Wrote: ...where you get only one chance to grab something before it flies away forever.
Ah yes, I do recall that being a thing; we did re-attempt a few levels because of that.  And we are not far along yet.
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