The VG Resource

I like these sprites! I'm really looking forward to seeing them animated.
I do think that you could improve your pixel clusters for Wario and Bowser though, because there's a lot of banding and issues with readability.
Here are some edits:

The solution to making your sprites more readable is simple: first, creating larger clusters, then contrasting them.


In figure one, I compare the muzzle cluster. It is the largest cluster on your sprite, and it flattens the impression of depth on Bowser's face. My edit is more fragmented, highlighting specific parts of the muzzle to give an impression of depth, which is emphasised with contrast.

Figure two illustrates how our eye goes through parts of the sprite, and how clusters put less strain on the eye because it doesn't have to wander as much. There are some areas with insufficient contrast that become larger pixel clusters, which is why I haven't put arrows between them.

Figure three shows the pixel clusters that can be distinguished from each other. The blue strips connect the contrasting blocks.
A notable difference is that your sample has one major cluster, with banding on its edges: this means it has consecutive bands of contrast. My sample has less banding, because the shading does not revolve around one cluster, but instead the clusters tend to be pieces of the face.

That's why I'd suggest you to think less of buffering and more of what the clusters are, as in what they represent in your sprite.
I hope this helps and that it's not too misleading.


Edit: I forgot to mention that I liked these so much I made a DK Junior sprite in the style!

I agree completely with Chris' post. As detailed as your work is, this 'detail' doesn't really improve the sprite. It ends up looking like you used smudged crayons instead of sharpened pencils. It loses a lot of definition.

I am not advanced enough to understand all those theories, but you need to think on the character in a 3D environment. Thus, you should shade bowser's muzzle accordingly.

The simpler, the better to read.

(07-02-2012, 09:21 AM)Chris2Balls [:B] Wrote: [ -> ]I like these sprites! I'm really looking forward to seeing them animated.
I do think that you could improve your pixel clusters for Wario and Bowser though, because there's a lot of banding and issues with readability.
Here are some edits:

The solution to making your sprites more readable is simple: first, creating larger clusters, then contrasting them.


In figure one, I compare the muzzle cluster. It is the largest cluster on your sprite, and it flattens the impression of depth on Bowser's face. My edit is more fragmented, highlighting specific parts of the muzzle to give an impression of depth, which is emphasised with contrast.

Figure two illustrates how our eye goes through parts of the sprite, and how clusters put less strain on the eye because it doesn't have to wander as much. There are some areas with insufficient contrast that become larger pixel clusters, which is why I haven't put arrows between them.

Figure three shows the pixel clusters that can be distinguished from each other. The blue strips connect the contrasting blocks.
A notable difference is that your sample has one major cluster, with banding on its edges: this means it has consecutive bands of contrast. My sample has less banding, because the shading does not revolve around one cluster, but instead the clusters tend to be pieces of the face.

That's why I'd suggest you to think less of buffering and more of what the clusters are, as in what they represent in your sprite.
I hope this helps and that it's not too misleading.


Edit: I forgot to mention that I liked these so much I made a DK Junior sprite in the style!

Oh no, this definitely helps out a lot. o.o Like always, I appreciate your highly detailed C+C. It really helps me to understand how to improve my work for future sprites. I really like your edits, but as for Wario...idk. I'll use your tips though to begin a borderline between your edit and the original sprite. Once again, thank you!
On another note, that DK Jr is badass. I'm glad to see you liked the style so much to give it a try. : )

What's hilarious, yet creepy is that your Peach edit was looking just like mine aodsfonfodg; Like they're seriously the same.

How many racers could the game have had?

I want to assume 12 but then again I could be wrong.

Anyways these are great star, I am really looking forward to seeing more as they come.

The game could hardly handle 6 racers with AI on the mode 7 field, hence the 2-obstacles-on-the-track rule (throw another banana, and the one in front of you just disappears); correct me if I'm wrong. Anyways, I suggest you tone down the saturation on the colors, it's nearly eye searing, and make everyone's eyes just simple with black slim pupils instead of colored ones that look over detailed in the small space you have (Peach was hurt mostly by this. The bigger eyes just look odd).

Follow Chris' example and try to avoid the smudged look in order to present better readability. Also, Peach looks obese from afar, and now I see it's because the kart's seat is visible from behind her. The original spriters made the seat invisible from the front sprites to show her slim figure better, and it worked.

Anyways, I'm MADLY in love with these, and Super Mario Kart is one of my favorite games of all time. I'm hoping so bad that you at least finish everyone's directions.




EDIT: Oh lol it's her hair, not the seat. I still think you should do something about that though.

I think the "Fat Peach" issue is more from her arms than her hair.

It's actually a mix of everything.

I did everything I suggested (the one pixel width pupils, fixing the saturation by using Toad's skin color for everyone, and Peach especially). I shrunk Peach's head, made her hair not show from this front angle, edited her eyes to match SMK (it looks better on her), and tried to slim down the dress a bit. I think the edits look rushed, but it's just to show what I meant.

...you should probably ignore that Yoshi edit...

The peach looks much better, but Mario and Luigi are seriously cross-eyed.

Yeah, their eyes should be two pixels wide. They can stay perfectly black, but they should be wider.

I REALLY suggest you keep Koopa, Star. In Super Mario Kart, everyone has an equal counterpart in terms stats.

Going from top to bottom:

Bowser = Donkey Kong Jr.
Mario = Luigi
Toad = Koopa
Princess = Yoshi
Now Wario ruins the balance and there's no one left to partner with Toad, so a 2nd player wouldn't have the chance of same opportunity when the 1st player picks Toad.


Eh, I'd also just keep Koopa because you're remaking Super Mario Kart sprites, and he's a VERY liked character by everyone who has played that game. I mean honestly, Wario for Super Mario Kart is overrate--

Quote:Custom characters are possible betches

welp

Edit: Just wanted to also note that SMK's Peach has arms showing, and her hands aren't balls; maybe you should take that into account as well. And Mario's head is HUUUUUUUUUUGE (I personally think you should shrink it to SMK's proportions, like as close as Luigi is there).

Mario and Luigi look fine. Not cross-eyed.

I agree. I think bigger pupils will just make them look like aliens.

(07-02-2012, 06:54 PM)Sexy Bastard Wrote: [ -> ]I want to assume 12 but then again I could be wrong.

Anyways these are great star, I am really looking forward to seeing more as they come.

Actually, you're right lol
CONGRATS. YOUR PRIZE SHALL BE AWAITING YOU IN THE MAIL.
ALTHOUGH..apparently the hackers are having trouble with the coding so..we may not be able to add all additional 4 characters.

As for the eyes..I'm gonna have to leave them like they are. I apologize for my ignorance, but seeing what they look like without big pupils looks weird to me. Although I appreciate you taking your time to do your edits.

As for the proportions of Mario's head..I'm leaving it the way it is as well. It's the same width as SMK Mario's head, but as for height it's two pixels longer. Same goes for Luigi's head, except his head is one pixel longer.(I'm actually thinking about reworking on Luigi after Chris2Ball's advice).

I DO like what you have done with Peach. I need to get rid of her crazy hair in the back haha. It looks so much better. I'll need to, as well, fix her dress and that arm issue.

Star, you have to let me in on this hack. I'm obsessed with Super Mario Kart and haven't sprited in ages!

Also, I didn't know the game could handle 12 CPU's on the course at one time, that's extremely interesting to know. How are the items handled then? Is the code that gets rid of excess items on the track in GP on purpose, or a result of not enough power? The hack sounds more like a technical breakthrough rather than a regular old sprite + layout hack, which REALLY has me interested.

Not pertaining to the hack at all, but I've always wondered how SMK would be if some experienced coder took advantage of the later to come, Super FX (or unreleased Super FX 2) Chip and added proper scaling for sprites at a distance like Yoshi's island or Star Fox 1 & 2. Or four player split screen in the game, which is entirely possible according to the lesser known Street Racer:

With the traditional 4-Window layout we know today, of course.

ohmanIcan'tstandthe2pixelwideyes, if it's possible can you at least make Mario and Luigi's less detailed?