THUNDERDOME 5!! REDESIGN Classic Game character!

**Jason Manley** · March 31st, 2003, 11:31 AM

"hey all...here is the thread to post any questions or discussion about the latest thunderdome contest due may 1 2003.

LETS SEE WHAT U GOT!
the question is...what do you want foster to write in that book you are going to win as part of the prize package??

j"

DAVI: Ok, the thunderdome is being changed.
the "NEW" theme is going to be..

REDESIGN CLASSIC VIDEO GAME CHARACTERS
...don't fucking do "fan art"

we took off the "movie characters", because there isn't much i could see coming from that and it some up jumbles the topic.

And we are defining classic as... NOT NEW GEN CONSOLE CHARACTERS... meaning soul calibur characters aren't classic. mario is... Same fisher(splinter cell) isn't...kid icarus(hint) is...

--------
list classic games here for help give people ideas

**Smeagol71** · March 31st, 2003, 03:01 PM

Great idea Jason! Thanks, I'm definitely going to shoot for this one.

Hey, are we doing a "first come, first serve" kind of thing with the characters, or will it be okay if there are some duplicates in the choices? I guess if there is they'll be different takes on the same character anyway.

If we do have to call 'em...I CALL DIBS ON THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON!

Good luck everyone! Can't wait to see this one from everyone!!!!

**Jason Manley** · March 31st, 2003, 04:12 PM

you can do any you choose....duplicate or not...just have fun and do the best image you can...treat it as a portfolio piece...

good luck...

jason

PS...the great contest idea came from andrew...both games and film nowadays are pushing the same idea and he thought it would be appropriate to the kind of work that you all will face as concept artists or illustrators in the future.

**Nimrod** · March 31st, 2003, 06:02 PM

Are we allowed to submit more than one entry?

**Loga4** · March 31st, 2003, 06:33 PM

Thats really cool idea!
I mean to ask same question as
Nimrod,but he did it first

Another: ds it have to be character from
game/movie or it can be from comics or books,also?
Anyway,thanks Jason & crew,I will try
to participate.
Cheers!

:chug:

**Jason Manley** · March 31st, 2003, 06:56 PM

well as far as character choices...just about anything is fair game nowadays. game and film are pulling from just about any franchise. How can you update these characters for current use...so they are relative to todays ideas and marketplace.

one of the things the judge will look at if you choose to do a video game character is how well that character would actually transfer into a game with todays technology. it is important when designing characters for games to keep in mind poly limits and where you can focus your details both with texture and with triangles. if the character is too detailed in structure than it simply can not be done with todays tech.

so...think about why you are changing things...but first and foremost just make a killer piece.

I will have andrew post the qualities the judge will be looking for in terms of the video game character redesign...other than color..line..idea...lighting...clarity of idea...etc...

j

**Lono** · April 1st, 2003, 02:50 AM

i dont know man,, i was up at Id recently looking at Doom3,, and those guys dont seem to be too limited with there poly count,, now granted the engine does a lot of cheating with the lightmaping, and there is an actual low poly model underneath.. anyway,,, there gonna be licensing the shit out of that engine in the near future so i have a feeling thats the direction pc game tec is heading in... i also hear from an inside source that Valves new tech is gonna blow doom3 out of the water.
my point is that the "extreme" poly count limitations will soon no longer be a crutch to the concept artist. currently they are,,, sadly.

-Lono

**Fozzybar** · April 1st, 2003, 03:23 AM

But the subject is about video AND film characters...i mean, there are no polys in movie-actors, are there? Also i think that in the concept arts you should/could add more detail, just to show how your char looks and works...even if you have to reduce the details afterwards when making the poly-modell...am i wrong?

...probably yes...

**Lono** · April 1st, 2003, 03:33 AM

hey,,, are we challenging those scoundrels of Poo,, or is this a civil war?

-Lono

**Lono** · April 1st, 2003, 04:56 AM

im working on my character right now...

that book is good as mine..

prepare to be ownzored!!!

-Lono

**seb** · April 1st, 2003, 05:02 AM

for the sake of arguement, any chance of any of the future thunderdomes being other than character driven? so far everything has been character based and i'm sure an enviroments, props, vehicles, etc design project could be cool.

**KeatonMarks** · April 1st, 2003, 05:26 AM

do you think this topic may cause whatever judge to be biased, choosing a character he likes or relates with most regardless of the artists skill/presentation?

Example: i love megaman... if someone chooses megaman as 'great character' peice, i might be more inclined to choose that based off of the character alone, disregarding other artists choices.

**Mr.Magnetichead** · April 1st, 2003, 08:40 AM

Lono have you seen anything on S.T.A.L.K.E.R?

That game is gonna blow any competition out of the water.

**Jason Manley** · April 1st, 2003, 09:50 AM

no it will not be judge biased...i love megaman...bs...hahaha... i love cats but this isnt a catwoman contest.

anyhow...yes..the next contest will not be character at this point.

also...if you are doing a character for film than dont worry about poly counts and such....if you are doing a character for games and you want to work in games or do work in games than we can all learn and share some info on the aspects of design that go into that kind of thing. functional design is important too.

no poo vs world....anyone from eatpoo is welcome to participate and come here to try to rule the nest. there is a lot of talent over there.

ps...lono...lets just say that ive seen the tech you are talking about and that since video cards can currently and in the near future will only be able to handle so many polys, textures, lights, bumps etc...that any new engine coming out will simply be a different balance of those things. doom for example is heavily balanced on the lighting side...ive played that demo...ive checked the amount of lights in their scenes..HUGE....the characters however are super low poly compared to some other engines i have seen. i think doom is still hovering under 2000 per character so that they can focus on the lights and the amount of characters in game...also with the normals maps...that only changes subtle surface for the most part...you cant normals map giant shoulderpads and such....the contour of the forms stay low poly...its just an illusion i guess. so low poly considerations are still and will still be important for years to come. normals maps also take a lot of time and resources to use...do you want more characters on screen? or do you want normals maps....those kinds of things have to be balanced.

**Jason Manley** · April 1st, 2003, 09:51 AM

submit as many entries as you like...GO FOR IT.

j

**davi** · April 1st, 2003, 01:05 PM

altered beast
zelda
super street fighter 2 turbo
bad dudes
kid icarus
pacman
Alone in the Dark 1
pre playstation 2 final fantasy
Bionic Commando
Ninja Gaiden
Metal Gear
Contra
Metroid
Double Dragon
Punch-Out
Excitebike
Ms. Pac-Man
Donkey Kong

check out vgmuseum.com for more ideas.

**Atmospheria** · April 1st, 2003, 01:24 PM

This contest will be very cool!...
Don't forget the old commodore games....the last ninja, green berret!! they were rockin!!

**Smeagol71** · April 1st, 2003, 01:27 PM

OH MAN...Davi, I never even thought of some of the games you mentioned. LOL, I would love to see someone do Pac-Man or Donkey Kong. LOL! That would be hilarious!

Indiana Jones
Robby the robot
Sinbad
Ymir
Gort
Saucer Men (from Invasion of the Saucer Men)
Cylon warrior
Daggit
E.T.
Snake Pliskin
Mad Max
Metropolis robot

We could go on and on, eh? Just some ideas, would love to see any of those!

**Deth Jester** · April 1st, 2003, 02:56 PM

I was thinking of charecters in old cartoons i use to watch which would be cool for games... like

GI Joe
Thundercats
SilverHawks
Transformers
Voltron
Inspector Gadget
Snorks
Smurfs
Dragon's Lair
Gobots
Johnny Quest
Captain N: Game Master
DuckTales
Jem
Richie Rich
Space Ghost
Robocop
ghostbusters

and I can't remember some more.. like that one about the futuristic cops show that was highly stylized.. and Reboot, I think that was 90's though.. and there was this one with a car that had tail like a scorpion, but it was a buz saw... *shrug*

just some ideas...

are Cartoons cool J?

peace

**Runcible** · April 1st, 2003, 03:07 PM

Not to get off topic...but Jester, I think that was Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors! I remember that. A bunch of plant-based kind of cars and stuff, right?

**davi** · April 1st, 2003, 03:29 PM

JESTER we actually changed the topic away from cartoons/movies and such and are going to just stick with video game characters

**Deth Jester** · April 1st, 2003, 03:39 PM

thats cool

I can dig it!

vid games....

Im gonna have to go with

Oregon Trail... Im sorry! jk!
or maybe

Carmen Sandiego! now that game rocked!!!! heheh

wow brings back a tear to my eye. the good ole days! of computer learning with games..

I liked Super Dodgeball and River City Ransom.. on Nintendo.

Dodgeball might be fun.. they made a sequel to it where you could get armor and stuff.. I think I might do that....

oh well keep the ideas roll'n

**davi** · April 1st, 2003, 03:46 PM

http://snoot.org/toys/wuss/vg/

dodgeball could be freaky if done all sci-fi'd

- "i will crush andrew jones" -

**Nimrod** · April 1st, 2003, 03:59 PM

NINJAS HAVE KIDNAPPED THE PRESIDENT!!!

ARE YOU A BAD ENOUGH DUDE TO SAVE HIM?!?!?

I'M BAD!

**Android** · April 1st, 2003, 04:00 PM

Ok -

well to better clarify, Imagine that you just landed your dream job as a concept artist and a new studio. you are developing games for a new next gen console so new that it has not even been announced yet, every publisher is beating down your door to develop a game for them based on thier existing franchise characters. you have the oppourtunity to choose any character you want . this includes any old nintendo, snes, sega genesis, turbografix, atiri, any old school standup is also in the mix, that includes galaga,dig dug, centepede. whateven you want. your challenge is to take the old dated character based on the old sprite, the box art or your vision of it and revamp the design, bring it into this generation and update it.
Since it has been my job to do this for the past few years revamping the metroid franchise, I will be ineligable to compete,( but I will be making some drawings for inspiration) so I will be one of the judges of this thunderdome.

I will be making my decision based on a number of critera.
from, color, line, creativity, function, and most importantly coolness. the minumum requirement is one concept of the character from the front view, make sure his pose is ledgibal and clear. additional drawings of the back and side will also hepl you chances of wining. extra points will also be awarded for any design of supporting characters within the same franchise or background elements you chose, as long as they do not take away from the readibility of the character. you can enter as many characters as you want. but the award will go to one drawing so make it good.
I will try my best not to be biased based on the character you choose, of course if you choose to reconcept metroid I will enevitably be holding your work under a tighter microscope.

I hope everyone will enjoy this contest, for those of you tryong to break into the game industry, or those of you allready in it, the concepts you finish will be a great addition to any game portfolio, good luck and get drawing:chug:

**donkeyslayer** · April 1st, 2003, 04:24 PM

this looks like real fun. i want to do mother brain. or something from metroid. i love metriod, but prom loves it more. it will rock. thanks for pumping me up, andrew

**Adam** · April 1st, 2003, 05:18 PM

agreed - prom, this is your moment man

break out that old school metroid shit!!!

PS - anyone recognize?

**gallon** · April 1st, 2003, 05:30 PM

Okay, is this console games only ( as nintendo 8, 16 and sega) or can you do amiga games as well....?

Moonstone (brahahah, satanic laughter, sword of sharpness....ah, those were the days..)

Edit* Didn't realize there was a page 2. Andrew covered all my questions.
Thank you, and i gotta play the new Metroid (and I really hope that you can't get "stuck in a hole as in the old version

).

**wassermelone** · April 1st, 2003, 05:53 PM

Man Im definetly going to do Frog or Magus from Chrono Trigger...
I was think of doing White Mage from the FFs... but Frog would be really cool =)

Magus the floating badass would be pretty cool too...
And it would be good to get rid of that cruddy concept art done by the DBZ guy... =|

**Android** · April 1st, 2003, 06:11 PM

adam,- agreed- prom is going to be very stiff competition, I definately had him in mind when designing this contest, he has the qualifications to judge this contest but I didnt want to take the fun away from it for him.

work for this contest must me new work specificaly drawn for thunderdome, no dusting off some old stuff and passing it off as fresh. new work only please

toaster- yes, this is your oppourtunity to show the word how YOU would have designed these characters.

when starting your drawings, take as much liberty with the look of the characters as you feel fit, but make sure to keep thier mechanics relitvely similar. for example, if you were to redesign the bionic commando, he better have a gun that shoots some type of projectile and and bionic arm that extends so he can swing from trees.