8-Bit Game sprites need help!

[Koopaul]

Yeah I'm planning on making an 8-bit game. Well at least the sprites and ideas. I decided on making it 8-bit because I thought it would be simpler... Man was I wrong! I can't tell whether I'm doing this right, I've never done 8-bit before so I need you're opinion. So here we go.


This is the main character. He's not supposed to have a head that's what the game is all about.



Here's the first world, Goody Gardens.



Here's the first world's boss, Gnarly Gnome.


ABOUT THE GAME:

Currently known as Project Headless, the story takes place on a far off island where a village of people were attacked by the Headless Horseman flying on a horse-shaped craft. With his craft he abducts everyone's head clear off their bodies. Everyone is helpless and in a panic. However one hero will go out and challenge the Headless Horseman and recover everyone's stolen head.

-The gameplay consists of getting your character to the end of 3 stages in each world. At the end of the third stage you'll meet a boss.
-Your character has the ability to pick up objects around the level and wear them as a head. He can then throw it at enemies.
-You have no health and you'll die instantly when hurt. However when wearing a head you will be given a certain amount of health depending on what "head" you have. When the head's health depletes it will disappear and you'll have to find another one.
-What head your wearing will determine on how high you can jump and how much health you have. Certain heads will have added attributes like the Bee Hive head will have a circle of bees surround you and hurt enemies.
-At the end of each level, if you collect enough Gold Drops, you can enter a bonus stage to spin a wheel for more lives. Ten Gold Drops per spin in most cases.

The game will be just like an old NES game with primitive sounds and everything. After I get the sprites done I'll see if anyone here will be willing to help out on this game.

[Bane84]

That gnome reminds me of something... Wait a minute!





(GASP!)

[Koopaul]

Ha! You found me out. Yeah, David was the inspiration.

[Kriven]

You're using too many colors, I believe. o-o

[Koopaul]

Am I? I took the colors from other 8-Bit games.

[Kriven]

Yeah, but I think 8-Bit is like, three colors and a transparency.

I see eight colors on your dwarfy there. Might have to kill the outlines.

[GrooveMan.exe]

Colours can be exceeded if its made up of several different images. The Megaman sprite in the NES games are made up of two sprites - the blue body, and the cream face. If you can have logical partitions for your sprites where each segment adheres to the NES rule, we''re good.

But have too many separate sprite files on screen and the game'll lag...

[Kitsu]

With the exception of color limit breaking, they're almost exactly like existing NES sprites! Pretty good.

[Yawackhary]

Yeah, but I think 8-Bit is like, three colors and a transparency.

Not necessary, 8-Bit doesn't always equal 3 colours and transparency since that is just the NES in general (even though there are indeed work arounds like with Megaman and that). The Master System and the PC Engine are 8-bit but have more colours while something like the SG-1000 or earlier have less. Sorry about that, just need to get it off my chest.

Anyway, the sprites look good to me since I can't really suggest improvements. As for the main character itself it is quite unique and as a feeling of both Dynamite Headdy and Chuck D.Head. Also if the collectable objects don't work, you can try changing the style to suit the environment but they seem fine to me (maybe less of the outline on the tomato perhaps, don't know). Then again I am admittedly a rubbish spriter so none of this maybe of any use.

[Koopaul]

Okay, I changed a few thing on the first post,

-The main character now has three colors
-The enemies in the first world now have three colors too.
-The boss is difficult however. I've narrowed it down to four colors...


Also I've included the game's description.

[Phantom Killah]

I really dig the concept. Nice sprites too.

[HylianFox]

Pretty cool, there. I can't wait to see more ^^

[Geo the Fox]

Why is the main character in a diaper?

[Kitsu]

Just pointing this out, but the color on the pants is either going to be transparent or a fourth color. Also, for the boss sprite, you could just say that red parts are separate images from the skin parts.

@Geo, those are pants...

[Gors]

I think you could shade a lot of things there. Check some games (like Contra) and study how shadings are.

Also I think you could divide Gnarly Gnome in two parts (body and head). The head could stay the same, and the body could have some more colors.