PixelBlock Art

Companion Cube , originally uploaded by dash16 . This occurred to me the other day and almost slipped my mind. I'm happy with how it turned out though!

EVE , originally uploaded by dash16 . Finally finished EVE, had to take apart my big Metroid to do it tho... :(

IMG_0275.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . ***WARNING: GEEKY HISTORY BELOW*** At the end of Metroid 2, after successfully exterminating every Metroid (including their queen) on SR-388, Samus found a hatchling Metroid. The hatchling thought Samus its mother, and Samus couldn't bring herself to destroy it so she brought the hatchling to Ceres space station for Federation research. This sets the events for Super Metroid, in which Ridley attacks Ceres station and steals the hatchling for Mother Brain, who sets the baby loose in Tourian to feast on the most powerful enemies in the game. Samus encounters Metroids again on her way to defeat Mother Brain. The Metroids must have been cloned from the baby Metroid, and are weak to the normal method of freeze and blast with a missile. The baby Metroid however, has grown 3-4 times the size of normal Metroids and is apparently invulnerable to Samus' weapons. The baby attacks Samus and drains her within 1 energy unit of death w...

Been really busy at work lately so haven't had much time to work on my PixelBlocks art.  I figured I'd give an update on the process I go through to make these creations.  Its sort of something I figured out on my own, and have been refining the process to make it easier and quicker for me to do. 1) I find a digital copy of the character I want to do online somewhere. There are quite a few websites that post "ripped sprites" from video games, so there's a lot to choose from.  Couple of the sites I find them from are  Game Sprite Archive  and  NES SNES Sprites . 2) Once I have the sprite, I convert it to a custom color palette in Photoshop.  There are only 20 different PixelBlocks colors (and I own 18 of them), so this can be quite a challege. Some colors don't have an equivalent PixelBlock color, so I have to either fake it or skip doing that character entirely. Magus from Chronotrigger unfortunately was skipped for this reason; I didn't have a good pur...

Wall-e , originally uploaded by dash16 . If you go to the theaters and see Wall-e and sit through the credits, you'll be treated with an awesome montage at the end of 8-bit characters from the movie acting out key scenes. I haven't been able to find a screen grab of them ANYWHERE, and even tried pulling some strings over at Pixar. This is the result of a free-hand attempt at Wall-e. I'm happy with how he turned out, and is the first model I've made with no pre-existing sprite to go off. I drew my own sprite in Photoshop then made the physical model.

IMG_0212.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I never tire of building Samus pixelblocks art.

IMG_0194.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I recently retired the Chronotrigger cast from the top of my desk, and am replacing it with a Super Metroid themed one. This is a normal metroid from Super Metroid, found in Tourian on the approach to Mother Brain.

IMG_0113.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Kefka is the super villain from Final Fantasy 6. At one point in the game he uses powerful magic to rearrange the world to his liking, rending continents, moving cities, destroying a lot.

IMG_0117.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Robo is a robot from Chrono Trigger's dystopian future. He and Lucca are bestest friends.

IMG_0115.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Lucca as well is from Chrono Trigger. She's the "Velma" of the group.

IMG_0114.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I've been on something of a Chrono Trigger kick lately, even started playing the game again on BSNES on my MacBook. Marle is princess Nadia in disguise, who gets sent through a time gate and unwittingly removed herself from the timeline by accidentally impersonating her great-great-great grandma.

IMG_0112.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Frog is also from Chrono Trigger. He wields the Masamune, a powerful magic sword. Originally he was a man, but cursed and changed into a frog by Magus.

IMG_0111.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Chronotrigger was one of the best RPGs on the SNES. Maybe one of the best RPGs of all time. It had everything, awesome story, great gameplay, memorable characters (including the bad guy turned good), and something like 16 different endings depending on what you did, who you saved, etc. The main character, Chrono, actually DIES in the game! You have the option of saving him (which you should), but it is an OPTION. Not needed to beat the game. Chronotrigger and Final Fantasy 6. If you like RPGs and haven't played these 2, turn in your gamer card, you fail.

IMG_0106.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . This is a green Koopa Troopa from Super Mario World. Green shells swallowed by Yoshi when spit back out stay as shells. Red shells turn into fireballs. Yellow shells allow Yoshi to stomp really hard and defeat some enemies without even touching them. Blue shells allow Yoshi to fly.

IMG_0107.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . This is Mario and Yoshi from Super Mario World. It's hard to belive this game came out 17 years ago...

100_4802.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . The mouse cursor from Mac OS X. I may keep this one as well, although it does take some of my precious black blocks.

100_4803.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I decided that if I did the upgraded Mega Man X (armor, boots, helmet, and gun) I wouldn't need dark blue blocks. I like how it turned out. I am however out of black blocks again, and will need to take apart Zero or Mega Man X to make anything new. An eternal problem, this short supply of black. Must acquire more.

IMG_0081.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Ignignokt and Err are 2 dimensional beings from the moon. Err especially is a bad influence on Meatwad.

IMG_0080.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Zero was my favorite character from the Mega Man X series. I was really stoked to see they'd be making Mega Man Zero games, and have all three of them. They are super hard. I plan on making Mega Man X as well, just need dark blue blocks.

IMG_0072.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . This is Clarus the dogcow. Moof is the sound a dogcow makes.

IMG_0071.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I made this with the intention of keeping it. Most of the things I create I take apart when I need the colors from it for something else (most of the time I need black).

IMG_0063.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Green one eye'd aliens that are almost too cute to shoot. Almost.

IMG_0064.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Game god John Carmack and crew made a couple kids games in addition to the bloody Doom and Quake games. Commander Keen was a great platformer, and had a number of games in the series. From what I hear they are all available on Steam... I need to get me some of that!

104_4801.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Ah, the Duke of everything Nuking. The first two Duke Nukem games were excellent side scrolling platformer/shooters. The 3rd game was a revolution in multiplayer with its outlandish weapons. The 4th game has been a joke in the gaming industry and community for the past decade. Will we see Duke Nukem Forever any time soon? My money is on MAYBE.

104_4799.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I redid Samus in a different pose with some of the new colors I got. Again, harder to see some of the darker colors now without backlight... I need to come up with a good way to display these. Check the little Samus on the screen in the background, thats the digital bitmap I went off to build the physical model.

IMG_0075.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I got some more colors and the first thing I built was Link from one of the best Zeldas ever, A Link to the Past. Some of the darker colors are hard to see without backlight, hence my MacBook in the background instead of the desk I've been photographing them on.

IMG_0066.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I'm trying to make Inignot from Aqua Teen Hunger Force and needed green so I swapped the colors from my green koopa troopa to make a red one. Still don't have enough bricks to make what I want. I did make Err (Urr?) tho, will have pics soon.

IMG_0067.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I've actually never played any of the Kirby games! Shocker. I have played as Kirby in Super Smash Bros. though. He's awesome. Look for my Super Smash Bros. Brawl set coming soon, I'll be making all of the classic versions of the characters.

IMG_0068.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . A lot of people don't know that Ms. Pac-Man is not actually the same game as Pac-Man. In addition to introducing a new ghost, the ghosts movement patterns are randomized. In Pac-Man there was a set path that they followed, and people memorized that path in order to set some astronomically high scores. Plus she has a bow on her head.

IMG_0060.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Nothing like flying fanged mushrooms to ruin your day...

IMG_0059.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I'm not sure why a leaf transforms you into a raccoon, or why that raccoon can fly, but a cool power-up nonetheless.

IMG_0062.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . One of the most common enemies in Super Mario Bros, the lowly green shelled turtle.

IMG_0061.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Fire Mario from Super Mario Bros. 3. Quite possibly one of the greatest games of all time.

IMG_0052.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . One of my favorite games for the Super Nintendo was Super Mario Kart. Yoshi wasn't my favorite racer, that would be Koopa Troopa (not to be confused with King Koopa, Bowser).

IMG_0043.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . The thrower of the Spinys. Not sure how he got the cloud to support his weight, or where he stores all those spiny shelled turtles...

IMG_0042.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Red turtle with yellow spikes on its back. Best killed by bumping the block underneath it.

IMG_0039.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Black Mage from Final Fantasy and the afore mentioned 8-bit Theater . Loves knives and hadokens.

IMG_0038.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Fighter from Final Fantasy. Also, 8-bit Theater . Sword-chucks rule!

IMG_0046.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Everyone's favorite blue sneaker wearing blur, Sonic! Can't wait to play Smash Bros. Brawl and pit Sonic vs. Mario.

IMG_0044.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . It'sa me! Mario!

IMG_0045.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . I tweaked the colors a bit on this Mario, it more fits with his overall image. The original sprite had brown hair, eyes, shirt and shoes. Very bland.

IMG_0028.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . A lot of people don't know this, but Mario didn't always have a name. In the original Donkey Kong, his name was Jump Man. Shigeru Miyamoto later named him Mario for the Mario Brothers game, and then Super Mario Bros. was released. The rest is history.

IMG_0030.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Dig Dug was an awesome game! I never played it on the NES, but on my Commodore 64/128. As a kid growing up, we didn't own an NES (but I played one all the time at the local youth center). We owned a Commodore 128, and let me tell you that was a game MACHINE. We had tons of 5 1/4 floppy disks with games. Gotta love a computer that requires command line to launch a game.

IMG_0031.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . This ghost is vulnerable to Pac-Man's awesome chomping powers, at least temporarily.

IMG_0032.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . Pac-Mac, classic video game of the 80s. Kinda sad some of the trash games he's been in since the original. Wish I could play the MarioKart arcade game with Pac-Man and the red ghost though.

IMG_0037.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . One of the ducks from Duck Hunt. Anyone play the Wii Play shooting game?

IMG_0035.JPG , originally uploaded by dash16 . That darn dog from Duck Hunt. Anyone ever shoot him?

IMG_0029.JPG , originally uploaded by dustinnewell16 . 8-bit Link from The Legend of Zelda. For as much as I love Zelda, I never actually beat the first game. Never even played the second. Link to the Past was my hook into the series. Perhaps one day I'll go back and play Zelda 1 and 2; I have them on the Zelda collectors disc for the Gamecube.

IMG_0026.JPG , originally uploaded by dustinnewell16 . Samus Aran from the original Metroid game. Much easier to do than the 16-bit version. A Coworker recently asked if I could build the final fight against Mother Brain from NES Metroid for him. I've been looking into how many blocks it is going to take, and trying to figure out the best way to mount these in a semi-permanent state. I'm thinking picture frame, easy to hang on the wall. Would also be nice if I could come up with a way to backlight it, since the pixelblocks are semi-transparent it would look really nice.