Character designs, level 2
March 1, 2009 6:25 PM Subscribe
I thoroughly agree with his take on Freeman. When I finally got around to playing HL2 (I bought a 360 and the Orange Box on the same day), I was so unfamiliar with the controller and so prone to getting shot up that I developed a strategy of crouching behind a barrel, picking it up and advancing very slowly. So I never actually got to see 90% of the cool eye-candy in the game. I'm hoping HL3 has shiny barrels so I can get some kind of distorted glimpse of all this stuff everyone raves about.
posted by Ritchie at 6:38 PM on March 1, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by Ritchie at 6:38 PM on March 1, 2009 [4 favorites]
I disliked the assumption he made that women with PhDs are dumpy. Pardis Sabeti at Harvard is in my general superfield of biomedical science, is where I'll be in about a decade, and I suspect many men would think she's nice to look at.
posted by kldickson at 6:42 PM on March 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by kldickson at 6:42 PM on March 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
^ Ritchie you should have replaced the barrel texture with a transparent bitmap.
posted by autodidact at 6:43 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by autodidact at 6:43 PM on March 1, 2009
The problems with these kind of artists is that as soon as I see they're work I almost want to start harassing them into doing the art for the games I own.
These are great, the retro game covers are great, come on internet artists expand expand expand!
posted by Science! at 6:45 PM on March 1, 2009
These are great, the retro game covers are great, come on internet artists expand expand expand!
posted by Science! at 6:45 PM on March 1, 2009
Gordon doesn't seem to look quite like what Valve has in mind, though. They say in their commentary tracks that they want the HL series to be the equivalent of an action movie, but that they need to find ways to get players to act like a hero. They've found they need to add visual cues or dialog to get people to try the really awesome stuff. Still, I'd say he is probably a shy and nerdy guy who happens to be skilled with a gun through and through, considering those are the only aspects we get of Gordon's personality (went to MIT, never talks as noted by other characters).
I suck at first person shooters, even single player ones, so he'd be more like the Highlander for me, with his infinite respawns.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:46 PM on March 1, 2009
I suck at first person shooters, even single player ones, so he'd be more like the Highlander for me, with his infinite respawns.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:46 PM on March 1, 2009
Ritchie: "I thoroughly agree with his take on Freeman. When I finally got around to playing HL2 (I bought a 360 and the Orange Box on the same day), I was so unfamiliar with the controller and so prone to getting shot up that I developed a strategy of crouching behind a barrel, picking it up and advancing very slowly. So I never actually got to see 90% of the cool eye-candy in the game. I'm hoping HL3 has shiny barrels so I can get some kind of distorted glimpse of all this stuff everyone raves about."
Holy shit! I've never played #1 and I keep getting slaughtered 10 minutes into the game on the Orange Box/360, thanks for the tip!
posted by Science! at 6:47 PM on March 1, 2009
Holy shit! I've never played #1 and I keep getting slaughtered 10 minutes into the game on the Orange Box/360, thanks for the tip!
posted by Science! at 6:47 PM on March 1, 2009
Also, I like how he drew Mario as a more realistic person. The overalls are pretty dated, almost nobody wears them. It points out how bizarre the games really are if he dresses like a normal person. But then after that, we start hoping he develops a personality and reacts to how weird his universe is...
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:48 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:48 PM on March 1, 2009
thanks for the tip
Just don't try it with the explosive barrels.
posted by Ritchie at 6:50 PM on March 1, 2009
Just don't try it with the explosive barrels.
posted by Ritchie at 6:50 PM on March 1, 2009
PS: Forgot to mention this Gordon looks a lot like asavage. Maybe he had recently watched the Discovery channel? The tone on the site seems like he'd mention that inspiration if he consciously did it.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:51 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:51 PM on March 1, 2009
"Did you know that Ryu was supposed to be Japanese??"
Um...
posted by grobstein at 7:22 PM on March 1, 2009
Um...
posted by grobstein at 7:22 PM on March 1, 2009
I don't know why, but the one with the Pong paddles is probably my favorite.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:31 PM on March 1, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by Afroblanco at 7:31 PM on March 1, 2009 [4 favorites]
These are fantastic. I'd love to see some flash game homages to the originals done with these character designs.
posted by EatTheWeek at 7:41 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by EatTheWeek at 7:41 PM on March 1, 2009
I give the Battle Toad an A+, the drawing may be kinda sub-par, but you just don't hear enough about the Battle Toads these days.
posted by clearly at 7:46 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by clearly at 7:46 PM on March 1, 2009
I finally cracked up when I saw his Pong players. Well done.
posted by ardgedee at 7:56 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by ardgedee at 7:56 PM on March 1, 2009
After seeing her name mentioned by kldickson, I needed to look up Pardis Sabeti. Yes, yes. I endorse her 100% for the next Tomb Raider heroine. She is, indeed, a babe.
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:09 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:09 PM on March 1, 2009
Speaking as a scientist with shoulder length hair and more action accessories than you, all I can say is, "Bring it on, punk!"
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 8:20 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 8:20 PM on March 1, 2009
"Classic game characters redrawn."
Yes, but why?
posted by Effigy2000 at 8:20 PM on March 1, 2009 [4 favorites]
Yes, but why?
posted by Effigy2000 at 8:20 PM on March 1, 2009 [4 favorites]
clearly, clearly you don't work at Gamestop. Or 4chan.
Goddamn I hate battletoads so much now.
posted by Stunt at 10:37 PM on March 1, 2009
Goddamn I hate battletoads so much now.
posted by Stunt at 10:37 PM on March 1, 2009
Why? Why not?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:10 PM on March 1, 2009
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:10 PM on March 1, 2009
Pong players thumbs up, Sonic and Knuckles a BIG THUMBS DOWN. Man. How can Sonic kill stuff if he doesn't have big mean spines on his back? You can't even tell he's supposed to be a hedgehog.
*goes back to Sega Genesis and plays Sonic 2, muttering about "kids" and "lawn"*
posted by Night_owl at 11:31 PM on March 1, 2009
*goes back to Sega Genesis and plays Sonic 2, muttering about "kids" and "lawn"*
posted by Night_owl at 11:31 PM on March 1, 2009
How can Sonic kill stuff if he doesn't have big mean spines on his back?
You mean the super-deadly spikes on his back that instantly makes enemies die when they touch them?
They never worked like that for me. In fact if my back, which contains the aforementioned spikes were to come into contact with an enemy, I would instantly see all my hard-earned rings flying away from me. I'd collect maybe 5 or 6 of them and then would set about trying to just get the hell out of dodge so I wouldn't lose my 5 or 6 rings by nudging against something.
(yes I know this is every single video game ever, just pointing out the spikes are purely cosmetic, stupid hedgehog)
posted by Phantomx at 12:03 AM on March 2, 2009
You mean the super-deadly spikes on his back that instantly makes enemies die when they touch them?
They never worked like that for me. In fact if my back, which contains the aforementioned spikes were to come into contact with an enemy, I would instantly see all my hard-earned rings flying away from me. I'd collect maybe 5 or 6 of them and then would set about trying to just get the hell out of dodge so I wouldn't lose my 5 or 6 rings by nudging against something.
(yes I know this is every single video game ever, just pointing out the spikes are purely cosmetic, stupid hedgehog)
posted by Phantomx at 12:03 AM on March 2, 2009
Phantomx: "You mean the super-deadly spikes on his back that instantly makes enemies die when they touch them?
They never worked like that for me. In fact if my back, which contains the aforementioned spikes were to come into contact with an enemy, I would instantly see all my hard-earned rings flying away from me. "
When we were kids growing up with nothing better to do than play inordinate amounts of video games, my friend and I called this a 'Sega Gyp', on account of how Sega's seemingly crappy collision detection programming (in what were otherwise awesome games) would often rob us of what we had worked so hard to collect (rings, lives, etc). And it wasn't just collision detection worthy of being called a Sega Gyp. Often enemies and spikes and other deadly objects would be placed where you had no way of avoiding them, resulting in death, loss of rings or something similarly disastrous. It was very frustrating but it made we gamers-of-yore tough, goddammit.
Then we grew up and for ages I didn't play any Sega games. Then I got a Wii and had the opportunity to get gypped by Sega all over again, be it in the new Sonic games or any old Sega game you can get on the Virtual Console.
Good times, good times...
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:28 AM on March 2, 2009
They never worked like that for me. In fact if my back, which contains the aforementioned spikes were to come into contact with an enemy, I would instantly see all my hard-earned rings flying away from me. "
When we were kids growing up with nothing better to do than play inordinate amounts of video games, my friend and I called this a 'Sega Gyp', on account of how Sega's seemingly crappy collision detection programming (in what were otherwise awesome games) would often rob us of what we had worked so hard to collect (rings, lives, etc). And it wasn't just collision detection worthy of being called a Sega Gyp. Often enemies and spikes and other deadly objects would be placed where you had no way of avoiding them, resulting in death, loss of rings or something similarly disastrous. It was very frustrating but it made we gamers-of-yore tough, goddammit.
Then we grew up and for ages I didn't play any Sega games. Then I got a Wii and had the opportunity to get gypped by Sega all over again, be it in the new Sonic games or any old Sega game you can get on the Virtual Console.
Good times, good times...
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:28 AM on March 2, 2009
There's just no way that the Duke would be rocking a bum-bag. Hail to the king, baby!
posted by metaxa at 1:31 AM on March 2, 2009
posted by metaxa at 1:31 AM on March 2, 2009
I'm really disappointed with the lack of Toejam and Earl. Though I guess it would be difficult to update two rad '90's dudes.
posted by giraffe at 3:54 AM on March 2, 2009
posted by giraffe at 3:54 AM on March 2, 2009
KlDickson is right. PhD adventure archaologists only get cast as paunchy and old if they're Harrison Ford.
posted by condour75 at 5:25 AM on March 2, 2009
posted by condour75 at 5:25 AM on March 2, 2009
Okay, sonic and knuckles are really cute
I wish the games would go in a direction like this, rather than carry on with Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Unleashed and Sonic: Dark Emo-hog Knight of Darkness or whatever it is SEGA are currently employing to piss the franchise up the wall.
posted by permafrost at 6:07 AM on March 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
I wish the games would go in a direction like this, rather than carry on with Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Unleashed and Sonic: Dark Emo-hog Knight of Darkness or whatever it is SEGA are currently employing to piss the franchise up the wall.
posted by permafrost at 6:07 AM on March 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
The Pong paddles kind of annoy me, because they play into that whole "gender neutral = male" trope. On the other hand, Yoshi is the bestest thing ever. He looks exactly like Yoshi, only ... a gnarly tyrannosaur monster.
posted by bettafish at 9:18 AM on March 2, 2009
posted by bettafish at 9:18 AM on March 2, 2009
In a similar vein. From the amazing DrMcNinja.com
posted by shmegegge at 10:30 AM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by shmegegge at 10:30 AM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
mccarty.tim, asavage was the first thing I thought of when I saw his Gordon Freeman, too. Maybe he thought the resemblance was too obvious for him to have to point it out?
posted by EarBucket at 12:58 PM on March 5, 2009
posted by EarBucket at 12:58 PM on March 5, 2009
« Older He only uses two fingers | The Nano Song Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Rinku at 6:33 PM on March 1, 2009 [1 favorite]