Looks like 2D adventure game 'Owlboy' will come to Linux using FNA

The trailer does look promising. Do keep us posted. :)

Since the article doesn't explain and I had no idea I'll just leave this;

"FNA is a reimplementation of the Microsoft XNA Game Studio 4.0 Refresh libraries."
http://fna-xna.github.io/

Quoting: nllaGimme scanlines and I'm sold.

...Why?

Seriously, I've always found those effects pointless.

Quoting: nllaIt's just that pixels were always meant to be accompanied by scanlines. They were designed with CRTs in mind, which are a perfect complement to them. Scanlines were the things that turned ugly, low-res blocks into beautiful works of art. (As well as chiptunes, off course.)

Pixels weren't designed with anything in mind. The hardware had low resolution, which meant visible pixels. Same goes with scanlines. They're an ugly (IMHO) artifact of an inferior display technology, and I don't get the nostalgia. I love me some pretty pixel art, but I don't see what blurring and distortion adds to the experience.

EDIT: These are my purely subjective opinions, not trying to put down anyone's personal feelings on the subject.


Last edited by tuubi on 16 September 2016 at 3:45 pm UTC

This game looks great! Can't wait to try it out once it hits Linux!
I wonder if this was made using the same program as Frogatto... it looks really similar to me, and I know Frogatto was originally meant to be a template for people to make new games.

I've had an eye on Owlboy for years, and I'm very happy that it looks like it'll come to Linux. Flibitijibibo tweeted about it a couple of weeks ago too.

Quoting: tuubi

Quoting: nllaIt's just that pixels were always meant to be accompanied by scanlines. They were designed with CRTs in mind, which are a perfect complement to them. Scanlines were the things that turned ugly, low-res blocks into beautiful works of art. (As well as chiptunes, off course.)

Pixels weren't designed with anything in mind. The hardware had low resolution, which meant visible pixels. Same goes with scanlines. They're an ugly (IMHO) artifact of an inferior display technology, and I don't get the nostalgia. I love me some pretty pixel art, but I don't see what blurring and distortion adds to the experience.

EDIT: These are my purely subjective opinions, not trying to put down anyone's personal feelings on the subject.

You are both correct. And both wrong too. :)

On CRT monitors, the pixels were not "square" as with crisper monitors, mainly due to the dots on screen consisting of seperate RGB guns, arranged a certain way. On most, these were in a triangle shape, and on Trinitron screens, these were arranged next to each other. The result is that even on these two types of CRT screens, a pixel would look subtly different to the another, and a LOT different to how it looks on a crisp screen.

So designers definitely designed for graphics to look good on these screens specifically (usually televisions). Colours also came out differently: A precise mix of R, G and B would look different based on screen type.

Older games were specifically designed for thee screens, but emulating the effect on modern screens is also not as simple as adding scanlines.

See this comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3SZkjF1RDI

Also, read this detailed description by Kyle Pittman http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/KylePittman/20150420/241442/CRT_Simulation_in_Super_Win_the_Game.php


Last edited by rustybroomhandle on 17 September 2016 at 8:48 am UTC

Yes, I've been around long enough to know quite a lot about the technology. I have to say the "CRT for retro gaming" video is far from scientific (comparing a run-of-the-mill, old TN LCD monitor to a CRT and bitching about colour separation, duh). Even Pittman admits his work is all about his preference for the retro aesthetic, not about making low-res games look objectively better. We're not talking about emulated oldies here, but a brand new game with low resolution graphics.

Modern pixel games aren't automatically "retro", and there's no reason to assume they were designed to look good or tested on an old CRT. Most likely the graphics were created using--and intended to be viewed on--modern LCD screens. If you miss the "good" old days of 16 bit consoles or something, sure go nuts with your blurry filters, but I for one always disable them if possible.

Quoting: tuubiModern pixel games aren't automatically "retro",

Bingo. Modern pixel art games often have an aesthetic that does not really resemble anything from ye good olde days. Games in the 8 and 16 bit era did not aspire to be "pixel art" - it was just graphics and they worked to make em look as good as they could within the limitations. Modern pixel art tends to rub the pixelness in quite a bit.

Flink (1995):


On a CRT screen the individual pixels would have been barely discernible.


Last edited by rustybroomhandle on 17 September 2016 at 4:00 pm UTC

I suppose pixel art is more of a statement these days than a limitation to overcome.

I do like everything about the look of this game... except for the red noses. They conflict with my pathetic need for glamour.