Pixel Evolution

February 18, 2008 at 11:53 pm · Filed under Design

This little infograph traces the evolution of Nintendo charachters, from side-view pixel people to horrendously details 3D figurines. I am personally very fascinated by how drastically animation has developed in the past century. I mean, even Disney shut down their 2D studios (which sucks, I think). I wonder if the 3D fad will ever fade, or if it will be plastered in with the years. Will anyone ever look at Beauty and the Beast with vintage amusement?




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  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/17566950406349754166 Craig

    I don’t think 3D animation is going away, ever. It’s simply better than sprite animations. I remember back in the 80s playing a lot of games that didn’t even have any animations at all, and had either no graphics or simple static graphics. Bard’s Tale had 4 frame sprite animations. A loop with 4 frames per animation. Can you believe it? Yet, that was a great game. That’s what worries me about high end 3D animation. The new games aren’t as good as the old ones. It seems that developers are relying entirely upon eye candy to sell their products now, when in the (distant) past they had to rely on entertaining game play, because the graphics were hideous. Some kind of middle ground has to be reached if game developers want to enjoy continued success in the long term. There is no reason why a game can’t have both great graphics and great play value.

    I think the motion picture industry learned that lesson a long time ago… graphics alone don’t result in a successful product. I could be wrong, though. Doesn’t really matter much to me, since I haven’t played any computer games I liked much since the 1990s. Something for the new generations of game players to worry about :)

  • http://www.iamleet.com m7md

    well, for mario
    the main upgrad is bits, it was first and 8 bit consol game , then it moved to 16 bit i think in super mario bros, and the next main step was the 32-bit snes (super netendo system) for super mario world yushis island, then came the 3d mario for xbox, and lately for wiiiiiiiiiiii funiiii

    2D is still ruling for me in some areas, i like playing old mario more, and i love 2d animations way more than some 3d ones !

  • Tea

    actually not only 2D is back in Disney’s the Frog Princess (out late 2008), but the latest Pixar short animation My Friend the Rat (on the Ratatouille DVD) is also in 2D. I think it’s awesome that the greatest 3D movie makers are actually experimenting with 2D.

  • http://amjad79.blogspot.com/ amjad mahfouz

    looool, i lived through all those times, really missed the old days, the new 3d stuff doesn’t quit amaze me anymore,
    i think some new technology will pop up after the 3d evaluation, who knows ! it might be the return of 2d :p

    personally i think that the future multimedia will be dreamy like artsy kinda style, but who knows, we have to wait.
    thanks for the share

  • Peter S

    Interesting, Panda, a 3D program developed by Disney in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University, is available for free download.