FMP: Week 2

Following my focus around Kirby Mass Attack, I further looked into its visuals and found sprite sheets for the characters that are used in-game. The following page (left) features these, in addition to a screen-capture to demonstrate how they are used within the background of the game.

I found sprite sheets very interesting as a point of study as they provide frame-by-frame details regarding how movement of a given character is depicted. In this instance, Kirby (the character featured) is jumping, and there is a different fully completed frame for each aspect of the movement. Sprites are generally interesting as they demonstrate how a character design can be simplified into a very limited space or number of pixels. Application of colour, proportion and composition of design must all be taken into account when creating sprites.

The first image shows many of the Kirby sprites in a background from one of the stages within the game. One can see how they stand out through the colour scheme: the background was drawn without the black outlines prevalent in the character sprites, and uses a less saturated palette.

Following the train of interest of pixel and art and sprites from Kirby Mass Attack, I decided to look more deeply into games of a similar genre. The first example of this is the series Sonic the Hedgehog, as it is an iconic and well-known series within gaming which has maintained a set of design principles since it started. The following is an example of a sprite sheet of the main character, Sonic, and some of his concept sketches.

This page demonstrates the good design principles of the main character. He has a clear form, as it is evident through the sketches - the circles demonstrate a straightforward composition. This form can be minimised into a set of sprites, as shown in the sheet; a simplistic and comprehensible design is needed to make such a successful set. Sonic's colour scheme is also significant; the hues of blue and red provide contrast, the white oversized hands are also distinctive, and he has a clear and unobscured face. I aim to create a successful character such as this one. Anthropomorphic designs often tend to be easier in this sense, as they can be stylised more effectively and personified in imaginative ways, easily sparking interest in multiple demographics.