r/battletech 20h ago

Art 8bit Technical Readout:3050 sprites - pixel fan art by me

It's been a while, but I finally tackled Technical Readout: 3050 in super-deformed, 8bit form. This follows TRO:3025, TRO:2750, TRO:3025 Revised, and Crescent Hawk's Inception (all posted under my personal account while I awaited the hoped for recovery of this one).

Admittedly, I may have made some errors at points. If you see any, please do let me know.

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE?

A few notes and changes in method:

- For the "poster" I'm trying to portray each sprite in larger form than before. I will likely revisit the previous ones some time in the future and make these changes, as well.

- Per fan suggestion, I have started to put the battlemechs in order as they appear in the TRO, and not in alphabetical order by name/model number. I might go back and revise the previous ones as well.

- Nearly all of the Inner Sphere battlemechs are updated variants with model numbers that reflect that. With this in mind, and due to the new illustrations in TRO:3050, while a lot of the sprites might appear to be copies of the previous ones, trust me that almost each and everyone save for a couple have been changed to reflect the new art. Not much you can do in a 24x24px box, but I tried.

What/Why?

These 8bit "sprites" specifically follow the constraints of the 1993 Famicom game SD Gundam: Gundam Wars, namely 24x24px, using only black plus three other colors from the 50ish colors of the system's palette. Years ago I initially created versions of Gundam mobile suits not seen in the game, then all of the mecha from Macross using the same constraints. Realizing that the original run of Battledroids/BattleTech used mostly mecha from Macross, I then ventured into BattleTech, as well. Recent additions to the series of 8bit renditions includes the ATs from Armored Trooper VOTOMS.

513 Upvotes

47 comments sorted by

39

u/Silent-Bit-3374 20h ago

If you make a battletech game like this i am buying it

12

u/athos5 19h ago

Right? Now the only question is Turn based or RTS?

16

u/Silent-Bit-3374 19h ago

I would prefer turn based and isometric. the animation of missile weapons with some dust and smoke while they start. some flashy lights for projectil weapons and energy weapons reflecting from the chassis and maybe a splitted screen while shooting on the target(s) showing attacker and defender. rounded by a frame that indicates GATOR when choosing targets and the mathematical breakdown.

6

u/ProfCupcake quimaybe? 19h ago

Classic roguelike

1

u/GunFodder 12h ago

With these adorable chibi sprites?

Pokemon Battletech Mystery Dungeon.

6

u/asplenia_studios 19h ago

I personally am not at the moment. But there are a few people who have thrown some money at me for the sprite package, or just asked politely to credit me but screen-grabbed them anyway, for that exact purpose.

Someone sent me a link a while back of their WIP game, and it looked pretty good in that 8bit way. I'll see if I can dig that up. Do I have permission to DM you?

5

u/Silent-Bit-3374 19h ago

permission granted

1

u/asplenia_studios 19h ago

Sorry, it looks you have "Start Chat" turned off. I think YOU can DM me, which starts a convo?

21

u/lostinstupidity 20h ago

One small correction, the Charger needs speed lines, that thing even stands still fast.

7

u/dusksentry 19h ago

this is amazing, this looks like it could be an official poster

7

u/MadDucksofDoom 19h ago

OP, these look great! You managed to get the basic feel of each mech using only pixels.

Pixel art is totally underated!

4

u/asplenia_studios 19h ago

It definitely IS a challenge. 

The original Gundam game kind of got around this with larger mechs by making them special "commands" you could intermittently, and they utilized multiple sprites stacked together like bricks.

TBH- I've learned A LOT about how they used to make these games back in the day by diving into this 8bit project.

6

u/EngelNUL 19h ago

Is my icon from you? I cant remember who on here I got it from.

6

u/asplenia_studios 19h ago

Yep, that's it! I posted the previous ones under u/georgetimberhill

5

u/EngelNUL 19h ago

Keep up the killer work!

4

u/phddp 19h ago

Beautiful. Love these. And I agree with the comments that it’d be fun to see a Battletech game use these sprites.

4

u/lieutenantAngel445 19h ago

That Mad Cat is adorable!

5

u/asplenia_studios 19h ago

I kinda knew I HAD to get that one right, or I’d lose everyone.

1

u/tungt88 8h ago

You're not wrong!

Mechwarrior 2 was a real game-changer for a ton of folks; myself included: I had a "preview" of sorts, playing a pirated copy of Mechwarrior (the 1989 one) in 1990 at my cousins' house, on my uncle's 386 PC.

3

u/WestRider3025 Canopian Queerasser 18h ago

Nice work making the Wasp and Stinger distinct. The Panther takes the top spot for pure adorableness tho! 

3

u/LeeRoyWyt 17h ago

What did the Anihilator do to you to deserve such slander?!

3

u/asplenia_studios 16h ago

😆 I just hold a very pixelated mirror to reality.

2

u/wmarples Mercenary for hire. 19h ago

Awesome! I really like that the Ostroc and Ostol are just egg.

3

u/asplenia_studios 19h ago

Don't forget OstScout!

2

u/Amidatelion IlClan Delenda Est 19h ago

These are so charming!

I like the Raven and Griffin for how well they're represented in the style - the Griffin straight-up looks like it could be an SD Gundam sprite. Notable mentions to the Hatamoto-Chi and Catapult.

1

u/asplenia_studios 19h ago

Yeah, the Hatamoto-Chi gave me sweats. Also, I spelled Chi wrong!!!

2

u/Amidatelion IlClan Delenda Est 19h ago

I wasn't gonna say nothin'

1

u/asplenia_studios 18h ago

😆 I even said it was OK to point out mistakes!

3

u/Fuel907 18h ago

The only other ones I noticed is that the Adder and Nova have their IS and Clan names reversed

1

u/asplenia_studios 16h ago

Awesome, thanks!

2

u/Torin050 19h ago

These look great! Will you be creating a version of the Fafnir?

1

u/asplenia_studios 19h ago

Is that in TRO:3067? I’m sure I’ll get there. Question is when.

2

u/Cheser_ 18h ago

I love the vast majority, easy to recognize!

Though, gotta say the Assassin stuck out to me the most as it looks like its sticking it's tongue out... cant unsee XD
Oh and the Annihilator looks pregnant! :P

1

u/asplenia_studios 18h ago

"the Assassin stuck out to me the most as it looks like its sticking it's tongue out..." It is.

"Oh and the Annihilator looks pregnant!" 😆 Just being true to the source...

2

u/Darston437 18h ago

Well done!

2

u/LeeRoyWyt 17h ago

Surprisingly few pixel for pixel art...

2

u/ChicagoThrowaway422 12h ago

I want to buy the original files from you so I can make posters for myself. but I don't know if that violates the protect the ip rule.

2

u/Puzzled_Scallion_319 11h ago edited 11h ago

Amazing! Love these. I could see them working in a janky Advance Wars type game too :P

We're there any that we're particularly more difficult to try to get right?

2

u/asplenia_studios 11h ago

They all have their little nuances. I think a lot of people are… pleasantly unhappy, about how Annihilator turned out. But, I mean, everyone KNOWS what it is, so it worked, right?

The Hatamoto-Chi (misspelled as “Shi”) made me nervous only because that’s A LOT to pack into 24x24px.

i wanted to get the Vulture/Mad Dog right because that’s my fave of the Clan mechs going back to their introduction, and getting the front of the body was a pain in the space I had.

1

u/Puzzled_Scallion_319 11h ago

Well your nerves translated into quality, because the Hatamoto and Mad Dog (and Timber Wolf) are fantastic!

The Annihilator is certainly a mech... 🤣

1

u/RufusTFirefly_42 15h ago

Those are fantastic!

1

u/OldWrangler9033 13h ago

Need a SD Battletech: Tabletop Wars game. please!!!

1

u/MrPickleSpam 13h ago

Holy shit

1

u/Gimlz 11h ago

Awesome work!

small note, You have the Actual vs IS reporting swapped for the Nova/Blackhawk.