Pixel Art #47: The Legend of the Mystical Ninja

An army of ninja cats, two-player cooperative action, and a colorful array of in-game mini-games including a playable demo of Gradius 3? The Legend of the Mystical Ninja holds a fond place in my memory as an ever enjoyable experience despite its ramped up difficulty later in the adventure. I remember playing this with myContinue reading “Pixel Art #47: The Legend of the Mystical Ninja”

Pixel Art #46: Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II

The original Wizards & Warriors game came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987 (before Japan!). I remember playing this game briefly at my neighbor’s house which was being rented by a group of college students who happened to have some of those early games. Later in life, I ended up getting its sequelContinue reading “Pixel Art #46: Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II”

Perler Art #45: Lakitu

Lakitu has been terrorizing the famous plumber duo since his first appearance in Super Mario Bros in 1985 where he would chuck spinies at his victims below from the comforts of his portable cloud. In future games he would act as an official in Super Mario Kart, and he was the man behind the cameraContinue reading “Perler Art #45: Lakitu”

Marker Art #44: Lemmings

My first experience with Lemmings was at a friend’s house (yes, the same friend where I accidentally borrowed Chrono Trigger), and it was something that held our attention far more than it should have. I loved the challenge of trying to manage all these brainless creatures as they marched carelessly toward their goal (or impendingContinue reading “Marker Art #44: Lemmings”

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Marker Art #43: Ducktales

Kids of the NES era were blessed to have a company like Capcom working on games based on their favorite Disney afternoon shows. Amongst gems like Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers (1990) and Darkwing Duck (1992) was Ducktales (1989), a charming show about the adventures of a thrifty tycoon with a boppin’ theme song. It’sContinue reading “Marker Art #43: Ducktales”

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Marker Art #42: The Phantom Train

Halloween is almost here so I decided to break out the markers again to create some spooky pixel art! My selection this time is a scene from Final Fantasy 6 (SNES 1994) where Sabin and Cyan accidentally board a train that takes its passengers to the land of the dead. Their only chance of survivalContinue reading “Marker Art #42: The Phantom Train”

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Marker Art #41: Super Mario Kart Yoshi

Super Mario Kart was easily one of my most-played games as a kid. It was the pinnacle multiplayer experience that offered hours of entertainment up there with games like Turtles in Time and Super Bomberman. When we weren’t vying for that sweet first place finish in the Mario Kart GP mode, we’d be duking itContinue reading “Marker Art #41: Super Mario Kart Yoshi”

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Marker Art #40: Excitebike

Designed by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto, Excitebike (1985) was one of the very first launch titles for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. I learned recently that this game’s engine was a key component for Miyamoto’s team in the development of Super Mario Bros. Namely, Mario’s ability to accelerate from a walk to a run wasContinue reading “Marker Art #40: Excitebike”

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Marker Art #39: The Goonies 2

The Goonies movie came out in 1985 and remains one of my most cherished movies from my childhood. I mean, what a story! A group of kids find a treasure map, search through secret tunnels with puzzles a la Indiana Jones, and then fight off a family of criminals aboard a pirate ship???? This filmContinue reading “Marker Art #39: The Goonies 2”

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Marker Art #38: Donkey Kong Jr.

I often credit Donkey Kong Jr (1982) as being one of the first arcade machines that really attracted me to video games. I loved all the colors and characters that were depicted all over the cabinet. When my parents finally lifted me high enough to see the screen, I was completely enthralled. Of course, IContinue reading “Marker Art #38: Donkey Kong Jr.”

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