Idk why so many DS games opted to go the ugly 3D route instead of just giving players better pixel art, lol. What game should I try to experience the best pixel art the DS (or DSi) has to offer?
Henry Hatsworth absolutely! Often an overlooked title. Glad you pointed it out!
Rhaspsody mentioned!!!!
I forgot about Rayman, but man does it look nice. Wish Ubisoft still had it in em….
Maaaaan FFTA2 is so good. So good. That game warms my heart.
"Idk why so many DS games opted to go the ugly 3D Route instead of just giving players better Pixel Art"
Because the DS was the first handheld that was capable of handling 3D at least somewhat? If it was just pixel art, it would be just another Gameboy Advance instead of a brand new system.
At the time the 3D was the cool new thing and so of course everyone wanted to jump on that, but looking back I actually think the DS was the peak 2D console. It was super capable as far as sprites and palettes and stuff, and I wish more developers used the 3D “layer” as an additional effect to the 2D (Partners in Time and Bowser’s Inside Story are great examples of using 3D to enhance the 2D effects)
PiT and BiS have 3D?!
Yeah! The Time Hole in PiT is a good example. The effect when you enter or exit with the stars bursting out is actually a 3D layer on top of the 2D, and then the whole time travel cutscene is actually all 3D. There’s some other effects that use 3D too.
And then BIS actually runs ENTIRELY in 3D. Boundary Break did a great video about this.
I see...
i forgor 💀 about BiS being 3D
That was definitely it. It was easy to assume a game was "meatier", even though i9n practice the 3D engine is still mostly for aesthetics and the gameplay mostly took place on a 2D plane. Zelda, many RPGs, NSMB. That aspect was pretty dissapointing after the promise of Mario 64, with only ocassional stuff like Kingdom Hearts, and oddly enough, a lot of licensed games, using a 3d camera.
64 ds was good
Plants vs zombie, mystery dungeon, cooking mama
Plants vs Zombies is legendary, thanks for reminding me that it’s on DS.
The DS version of PvZ is great for those who don't want to find the original APK of PvZ and the OBB files to get it running on a modern Android.
I'd get the DSiWare version tbh
I played it while listening youtube podcast :-)
the castlevania games, megaman games, contra 4
Metal slug.
Excellent game all around. I always end up on going back to it.
How dare you disrespect the shitty ds 3d models
Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 is probably my favorite looking non cel shaded 3D game. The Final Fantasy 4 Heroes of Light is even better but its clearly trying to look 2D.
Square Enix and its satelite studios usually worked wonders. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 still holds up despite trying to look like the PS2/PSP games.
Haven't played those, but they do look great! I'm really fond of the old animal crossing character models and those of the various mario games on the system personally.
Ace attorney investigations
Pokemon D/P
I´d say either HGSS or BW1/2. I feel some Kanto/Johto Pokemon had better sprites in the former that were not used in the latter two. I also have mixed thoughts on the new back sprites in Gen 5, which are very pixelated and have odd poses.
I hate how people didn't like the chibi models in the Switch BD/SP remake, when in reality, the chibi 3D models more closely matched the pixel art originally designed for the DS's 256x192 pixel screen
Because it's 3D chibi art. Had they made it pixel art and that remake would go down in Pokemon history as a work of art.
I guess it's offputting at first, but it's easy to get used to.
The pokemon games look like absolute ass except for Pokemon sprites in battle. They fucked up the scaling completely due to the tilted non-isometric* camera making objects scale with uneven pixel sizes all over.
It looks horrible, any pixel art was destroyed, unlike the pixel perfect GBA games.
(*Isometric meaning that objects scale with distance instead if being the same size across the screen, a lot of people seem to think it means games with a 45 degree angle)
I honestly prefer the player sprite compared to B/W2
I would play platinum if you OP never played a pokemon game on a nds. It’s just the better d/p. Also HGSS are beautiful games
pokémon black and white (honestly all of the mainline pokémon games on the ds, really)
Despite GF's reputation today, I feel the DS games were very good at looking good without trying to do something way too advanced for the hardware. I would describe the look as very late era SNES with Super Fx chip.
Are you blind? The pixel scaling is awful in those games, who tf likes uneven pixels across the screen. They should've made the games pixel perfect like the GBA games. But instead you have ugly clusters of pixels that wobble around from the awful scaling. Completely ruins any good pixel art in the games. Then you have all the bad looking 3D elements thrown in as well.
The battles pokemon sprites look great though.
Seriously Black and White was on some real shit with their gym designs.
I love the gen 5 Pokémon games, so much character in the moving sprites compared to previous and subsequent generations
The Digimon World games! God they have some gorgeous pixel art
came here to say exactly this!!! their sprite work is AMAZING
Love the animated sprites of Pokémon Black and White
All the WayForward games have some great art and animation, but I gotta say I find Aliens: Infestation the best looking among them.
The Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney games look great, as do the Pokemon games.
dragon ball z attack of the saiyans
Its very good looking, but i frankly think the overworld sprites are really tiny even for a GBA game, and could had been even better.
I was thinking about this game too
Shantae Risky's Revenge is one for the most gorgeous pixel art games on DSi(ware)
Any of the pokemon games
I love the Kirby Games on DS. Peak Style, so charming
Pokemon BW/BW2
Didn't see anyone say this yet - the Legend of Zelda Tingle spinoff games. They were developed by Vanpool, which consisted of some former members of LOVE•de•LIC. You can definitely see the similarities between the art (interior and character art, specifically) in the tingle games and LOVE•de•LIC games like MOON, UFO, and L.O.L.!
None of the games came out in the US, but I believe all three of them have English patches!
Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon is pretty sick. FE animations are legendary.
Metal Slug and Elebits both have quite nice art.
Also Shantae if you have a DSi
999, Pokémon Black/White 1/2
Drawn to life
I like the art direction that Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (Dark Conflict for PAL) went with.
The DS was Nintendo's first portable to be truly capable of 3D. The GBA felt much closer to SNES level of 3D than PS1 level.
It might not be the prettiest, but if you look for a solid fighting game go and check out Jump Ultimate Stars, it can be played online thanks to Wimmfi (there is a discord for it).
Los Castlevania y los Pokemon.
Basically all the Kirby games that are not canvas curse
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is well known for its outstanding sprite animation and art style.
I always loved Thor god of thunder
Mega man ZX
Shantae risky revenge
Don't forget the Bomberman games.
Bowsers inside story has some of the most visually pleasing pixel graphics I’ve seen, very stylized with expressive characters, lush colors and fluid animations
Cooking mama has been listed already but they really are charming games to look at and the food looks genuinely delicious.
Ace attorney from what I’ve seen also has impressive pixel art, very distinct and colorful. You’d be missing out playing the games on anything BUT the original hardware- those HD sprites don’t cut it - someone who watches lot of French Baguette Intelligence
God typing this made me realize how bad I miss pixel art in the mainstream
castlevania: portrait of ruin is beautiful
Ahem!
Henry Hatsworth, Monster tale, Knights in the nightmare, rondo of swords, ff tactics A2, Rhapsody, Luminous arc, Disgaea, rayman dsiware, penguin patrol, tales of hearts, heroes of might and magic, the world ends with you.
Edit: After checking my collection i should add these: Super robot taisen endless frontier, witch's tale, sands of destruction, devil survivor, super princess peach, gianna sisters, radiant historia, laevatein tactics, ace attorney series, heroes of mana.