Pixelblog 64: a NES-style ninja platformer, from player sprite to parallax city
Raymond Schlitter's latest Pixelblog on SLYNYRD is a study in 8-bit ninja platformers, and it is a good read for anyone who likes to see a whole set of game assets built around one idea. He openly takes his cue from Ninja Gaiden and works with the NES palette throughout, though he does not stick strictly to the hardware limits.
The player character comes first. He starts from a plain dummy template so the animations are settled before any design detail goes on, and the bright red suit is chosen for pop even if it is not very stealthy. The moveset is modelled on Ryu Hayabusa: a brisk run, climbing walls, hanging from ceilings, a flip jump and an air slash. What I liked is the reasoning that the character stands still while attacking on the ground, because that compromise forces precision in encounters instead of letting you mash slash while running.
Then come the enemies: a heli-turret that sweeps its cannon over 180 degrees in five directions, a spider tank that clings to walls and ceilings, and a slow cyber gorilla that acts as a damage sponge. For the gorilla he worked from knuckle-walking reference, blocked out simple body shapes to get the motion right, and only afterwards added robotic details. Merging head and body into one part gives it a deliberate stiffness.
The environment is the part I found most useful. It uses 16x16 tiles in six layers, each of which can scroll at its own speed for parallax, and a cabinet-style projection where depth lines run at roughly 67.5 degrees so they step cleanly, two pixels up for every one across. The result is shown in a 320x180 mockup.
One more thing worth knowing: this is the first Pixelblog where one of the mini tutorials, the full frame breakdown of the ninja, sits behind a Patreon paywall, while the main lesson stays free. The assets and source files are sold as a separate pack. I would love to see someone drop these sprites into a real player controller.
Source: SLYNYRD
The player character comes first. He starts from a plain dummy template so the animations are settled before any design detail goes on, and the bright red suit is chosen for pop even if it is not very stealthy. The moveset is modelled on Ryu Hayabusa: a brisk run, climbing walls, hanging from ceilings, a flip jump and an air slash. What I liked is the reasoning that the character stands still while attacking on the ground, because that compromise forces precision in encounters instead of letting you mash slash while running.
Then come the enemies: a heli-turret that sweeps its cannon over 180 degrees in five directions, a spider tank that clings to walls and ceilings, and a slow cyber gorilla that acts as a damage sponge. For the gorilla he worked from knuckle-walking reference, blocked out simple body shapes to get the motion right, and only afterwards added robotic details. Merging head and body into one part gives it a deliberate stiffness.
The environment is the part I found most useful. It uses 16x16 tiles in six layers, each of which can scroll at its own speed for parallax, and a cabinet-style projection where depth lines run at roughly 67.5 degrees so they step cleanly, two pixels up for every one across. The result is shown in a 320x180 mockup.
One more thing worth knowing: this is the first Pixelblog where one of the mini tutorials, the full frame breakdown of the ninja, sits behind a Patreon paywall, while the main lesson stays free. The assets and source files are sold as a separate pack. I would love to see someone drop these sprites into a real player controller.
Source: SLYNYRD
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