GAMES DEVLOPMENT // TASK 02

Hasnol Rafiq Bin Hasnol Raduan / 0356767

Games Development / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's Design School

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Task 02: Game Progress

As part of our ongoing project, we need to develop assets for our game focusing solely on static poses. This entails creating poses for the character during actions such as walking, jumping, and attacking, as well as for any other items or props necessary.

After compiling and showcasing all the assets, the next step is to assemble them into mockups to establish the visual aesthetic and atmosphere of our game level.

Sprite Sheet:

Character Sprite Asset

For the playable character design, I have created a charming little pixel art character with a green body and a purple hat or headpiece. The art style is reminiscent of classic 8-bit or 16-bit era games, with the character composed of simple square pixels on a grid.

My design process involved creating different frames or poses for the character to animate its movements and actions. The top row shows the character standing still, throwing a fireball or projectile, and getting hit or reacting to something.

The middle and bottom rows depict the character in various walking or running poses, with the legs and arms in different positions to suggest motion. This sprite sheet layout is a common technique in pixel art animation, allowing me to cycle through the frames to create fluid character animations within the game engine.

I've also included separate sprites for particle effects or visual effects, like the stars or explosion symbols, which are used to enhance the character's actions or represent things like taking damage or using special abilities. The pixel art style and character design effectively capture the retro gaming aesthetic while still allowing for expressive animations and gameplay mechanics within the limitations of the pixel art medium.

Monster Sprite Assets

For the monster designs, I've created a variety of quirky and expressive pixel art enemies in different shapes and color schemes. The style matches the player character's retro, 8-bit or 16-bit aesthetic while giving each monster a distinct personality.

The red creature with horns and fangs is a basic grunt enemy, with its blue counterpart being the boss. Which also applies to the rest of the foes. I've tried to capture a nice range of sizes, with some larger, more intimidating foes alongside smaller, swarmier opponents. The rock golem-type figure looks like it could be a formidable mid-boss or sub-boss.

The separate sprites for visual effects like explosions, impacts, or particle bursts can likely be overlaid on the monsters during attacks or when taking damage to enhance the combat animations.

The monster designs effectively translate familiar enemy archetypes into the pixel art style while injecting plenty of personality and variety. The different shapes, colors, and implied traits should make for an engaging and visually distinct set of adversaries for the player to battle through the game's levels and environments.

Platform Assets

For the platform designs, I've created a series of tile sets or level elements in the same retro pixel art style as the characters and enemies. These platforms appear to be modular and designed to connect together to form the traversable ground and structures within the game world.

The green dripping platforms gives an organic healthy vibe that represent a brighter and easy level, while the brown dirt-like tiles with drooping elements evoke an earthy, cavern-esque atmosphere. The purple dripping tiles in the middle have an ethereal or magical feel.

By utilizing a modular tile set approach, I can construct a wide variety of level layouts and environmental pieces by combining these basic elements in different configurations. The drippy, liquefied accents add nice visual texture and detail within the constraints of the pixel art medium.

The tile set demonstrates a cohesive aesthetic that matches the tone and style established by the character and enemy artwork. The simple shapes and limited color palette are faithful to the 8-bit/16-bit gaming era you're aiming to emulate.

Overall, these platforming tiles provide a strong foundational kit from which to craft the playable areas and obstacles of the 2D platforming game world. The tile set allows for creative level design while maintaining a consistent retro pixel art look and feel across environments.

Background Assets

For the game backgrounds, I've attempted to captured a sense of epic adventure and fantastical environments through the pixel art style. The two scenes demonstrate a cohesive visual world while providing contrasting settings.

In the first image, transports us to what appears to be a decaying, dripping citadel or fortress suspended among the clouds. The warm yellow structures juxtaposed against the cool lavender sky and shadowy mountains create a striking visual contrast. The crumbling, melting architecture suggests an ancient, fallen civilization reclaimed by nature over time. The small reptilian figure atop one tower adds a hint of remaining habitation or activity.

The second image, we see a mountainous landscape with towering peaks, deep crevasses, and dripping organic structures or flora reminiscent of a remote, prehistoric wilderness. The muted green color palette evokes an otherworldly feeling, hinting at the game's fantastical premise. The giant creature's menacing maw adds a sense of danger and scale to this primal environment.

Mockup

Throughout both scenes, the consistent use of the pixel art medium with its rigid squared shapes imparts a retro gaming aesthetic. I've attempted to push the boundaries through nuanced dithering patterns, shading effects created by grouping colored pixels, and the intricate dripping liquid embellishments that bring texture and dynamism.

Overall, these evocative background pieces establish a rich, alluring game world that expertly blends nostalgic visual stylings with modern artistic flair, setting the stage for an engrossing platforming adventure filled with mysteries to unravel across diverse, imaginative landscapes.