Bringing Back Vintage Art in Modern Video Games

 

Vintage art is really popular right now. I’m honestly not sure why. Maybe the hipsters brought it back. Maybe people are so overwhelmed with absurdly complicated technology that they long for a “simpler time.” Maybe it’s just that people love to put on their nostalgia goggles and view the past favorably.

In any event, vintage art has made a big imprint in the visual effects world. This is especially true in the video game industry where indie developers continue to pump out games that resemble the quaint 8-bit titles of 20 years ago.

And so a totally new art style has emerged, one that combines vintage style with modern technology to create a bizarre mix of old and new. Am I totally losing you? This video should help clarify things:

This is clearly a throwback to the Super Mario Bros. game with the pixelated world and the iconic hero. The artists gave it a modern overhaul with exploding monsters and 3D elements. It’s simultaneously nostalgic and innovative, creating a combination of old and new art styles to instill a unique aesthetic effect.

Some video game designers have applied this principal to their own titles. Evoland, for example, explores the gradual progression of action/adventure RPGs from their humble 8-bit origins to their super-advanced descendants like Diablo 3 and the latest Zelda releases.

Similarly, the newly-released game Dragon Crown for the PlayStation is a throwback to those oldschool beat ‘em up action games that you used to find at your local arcade. They took classic gameplay and gave it a fresh mechanical overhaul. They paid tribute to the art style of older games without making the graphics appear overly stale and outdated.

You might want to try experimenting with vintage art styles in your own work. You should feel free to use older video games as a source of inspiration, but you should be careful that you’re work doesn’t become too derivative. There’s a fine line between paying an homage to old video games and ripping off their art styles entirely.

In general, you have two possible approaches for vintage art styles. The first is to directly use an older art style as a reference for your work, like with Evoland. You want viewers to watch a clip and think, “Hey, this is just like Legend of Zelda!” or “This part is just like the old Final Fantasy games!”

The other option is to capture the general aesthetic of vintage video games without copying any one specific style. A good example is the pixelated video game Fez. The art style looks like something that you’d expect out of an old SNES game, but the artists didn’t reference a specific work of art.

Don’t be afraid of utilizing either of these artistic styles in your next big project. Vintage art is back with all of its pixelated glory, so seize the opportunity pioneer a clever new art style!

Right at this very second, hundreds or possibly even thousands of artists across the world are practicing their artistic skills. Don’t get left in the dust! At the Gnomon School, you’ll learn invaluable techniques that can help you take your art skills to the next level. Discover new and exciting sources of inspiration! Learn art techniques from veterans of the industry! Learn how to create a niche for yourself in this ever-growing market! Are you ready to become a better artist? Get started today!