January 23rd was our 9th annual Pixel Day on NG. Here are the winners!
Top Six Pixel Art ($210, $150, $125, $100, $75, $50)
“This one just exudes quality, incredible craftsmanship and astounding scope. To work with such a limited palette into so many effects and with so many elements going on is astounding. Special shoutout to the chains over the corset animating individually too. Incredible!” -SovanJedi
“The colours of this one work beautifully together, and in spite of the amount of detail present everything is clear and harmonious with one another. The layout of the two cosmic entities is so good and sparks a curiosity about the theme or story behind the piece. I absolutely love it!” -SovanJedi
“Lovely mood and great, nostalgic feel to the tileset style. This looks like a game I would have had genuine nostalgia over from the Amiga era. The rainfall switching contrast over different parts of the scene works really well and I love the spattering on the ground. The play between alternating light and dark colours depending on surrounding light is super effective.” -SovanJedi
“Frames very well in the scene, the light bleeding into the lower part to give clarity to the foreground works especially well as it doubles as a low mist. It paints a great mood for the scene; you can practically smell this landscape. I also really like the lighting on the foliage in the bottom right.” -SovanJedi
“The subject matter with the text is spaced out exceptionally well, filling the image without feeling crowded in the least. The gentle use of colours with high and low contrast give a sense of sharpness which works well with highlighting all of the details in the face area. I enjoy the colour range immensely and I think it's synergized well with the piece overall.” -SovanJedi
“I really like the texture of this piece; all the details of the grass blades and wood/brick paneling lends this piece the feeling of a fine tapestry piece. The unified style with the vertical lines and rounded edges works well throughout, and being able to make characters work in that while providing a range of different shapes and sizes to them is a commendable achievement.” -SovanJedi
Runner-up
Thank you @SovanJedi and @JohnnyUtah for art judging assistance!
Top Four Games ($300, $250, $120, $100)
“Wow, feels like a full-on action RPG console game. Graphics set a very engaging tone and the SFX are really well done. Controls were very intuitive to me which is rare for me in the RPG genre. I can see spending a looong time exploring the full depth of this world even in this limited demo. “ -BoMToons
“As a big fan of Sekiro and parry mechanics in general, this metroidvania activated my neurons with its strong focus on deflection and incredibly satisfying sword clangs. It's only a demo at the moment, but already I was quite impressed with the game's construction and combat mechanics, and look forward to its final version. The boss battle was a real highlight for me, and I want to play the demo all over again just to fight them once more!” -FutureCopLGF
“This short and sweet pixel adventure may seem simple at first, but like a penrose staircase, it amazed me with how it just kept escalating the stakes with each level introducing new mechanics, levels that test those mechanics to their absolute creative limits, and not to spoil it, some mind-bending twists that'll leave your mouth agape!” -FutureCopLGF
“Nice minimal pixel art, tough as nails, and really groovin’ Pico-8 music!” -BoMToons
“This charming little arcade game not only looks good, sounds good, and feels good, it also delivers a unique 'triangulation' gameplay mechanic that is both fascinatingly exotic yet easily intuitive at the same time. With new obstacles being introduced every few rounds that keep things interesting, I didn't even need the pull of its bonus gacha mechanic to get addicted to this cute and juicy game. Kiwi!” -FutureCopLGF
“Tons of pixelated style points, but where this really shines is the unique gameplay concept. The controls were surprisingly intuitive for not being a typical game genre. If fleshed out with some further challenges, maybe different shapes to draw, reasons to motivate faster decision making, or creative ways to deal with enemies, this could turn into something BIG!” -BoMToons
“With its seemingly simple yet bafflingly esoteric control scheme, my first impression of this game was very rough as my brain refused to grasp its mechanics. But from a combination of the game's forgiving instant restarts for death, its bumping music that intensifies so enticingly with every level you complete, and its cool, otherworldly vibes, I was helplessly entranced and kept playing and playing until my mind finally understood and I became one within its rapturous embrace. Oh, Vatis!” -FutureCopLGF
“I love me a one-button game and this was a really fresh concept with amazing audio to accompany the simple visuals. The whispering “level… up” was both haunting and motivating. True web game purity here with a constant draw to play again and make it a little further to see what surprises are waiting.” -BoMToons
Runner-up
“Holy mackerel! The art and animation in this game was off the charts, so much 90’s arcade style! The character design was also memorable and interesting and I’d love to see a full-fledged beatemup from this team… I definitely need MOAR from these guys.” -BoMToons
Thank you @FutureCopLGF and @BoMToons for game judging assistance!
Top Three Movies ($300, $150, $100)
The reigning champion of Pixel Day animation has returned to claim his crown once again! Thanks to adorable art with jamming music and lively animation, Scrimblo got that bread, got that cheddar.
Our obsession with online affirmation is explored in a charming pixel format. Numerous reviews summed it up as, “very accurate.”
Embark on a tour of the Fantasy Factory! Part sexy, part scary, all PC-98 nostalgia.
Runner-up
Thank you @JohnnyUtah for movie judging assistance!
Top Four Music ($250, $150, $100, $75)
“Extremely polished short tune with lots of fun happening in the melody and awesome countermelodies going on everywhere. Makes me want to play a virtual boy- I loved it” -Supabubba
“@Mizemu’s ability to create infectious melodies with some excellent fusion of different genres makes this an absolute banger of a listen!” -TeraVex
“Some proggy goodness, very reminiscent of some of those classic genesis OSTs. Loved the B section, and super fun solos happening in the middle. Killer bass riffs- total slapper here” -Supabubba
“@GasGrass makes a wonderful chiptune that would fit right at home in Shovel Knight or Castlevania!“ -TeraVex
Runner-up
Thank you @Supabubba and @TeraVex for music judging assistance!
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