Pixel Art

The Challenge Developing and publishing Leon’s Mahjong was, and continues to be, a challenge in many aspects. But there was one particular challenge I didn’t see coming: how much “retro” to incorporate into the retro software we create? The more faithful it is to its original versions from 20 or 30 years ago, the more it clashes with current user experience practices and modern devices. The Mahjong solitaire that Leon’s Mahjong is based on dates back to the late 80s. Back then, there were no mobile devices with touchscreens, computer screens only existed in 4:3 aspect ratio, and color palettes were generally restricted. ...

Intro Sometime in June 2023, my son Leon brought from Köln a mid-90s laptop with Windows 95 installed. The only game it had was a version of the famous Chinese solitaire Mahjong called “Shanghai II”. Leon didn’t know the game, and he got really excited about it. When I saw the game, I told him: “But that version is terrible, it looks horrible. There was an older version, on the Commodore Amiga, that I used to play with my dad that was much better.” Seeing the connection I had with that game, he said: “Why don’t you program it? So it’s available on modern computers?” ...

Some time ago I saw this joke and it seemed as cruel as it was real: Dead Pixel Joke Last year, for some reason, I found myself playing Final Fantasy I on the PSP 3000 and the fact that I could see the pixels on that small 480x272 screen filled me with happiness. Final Fantasy I PSP Pixel art is that. It’s being able to see the pixel, being able to enjoy it, it’s part of the art. What was once a technical limitation today determines a wonderful aesthetic. More and more sophisticated games and media will continue to come out, but those that are left behind don’t disappear, they’re not discarded, they don’t die… they generate a specific aesthetic. ...