I need you to look at these screens and realize there are ONLY 32 COLORS. This art is a master class. - ThreadSky

frankcifaldi.bsky.social • 108 days ago

I need you to look at these screens and realize there are ONLY 32 COLORS. This art is a master class.

Defender of the Crown ⚔️ First released in 1986, this was Cinemaware's debut game, one of medieval strategy and mini games. A technical showpiece for the Commodore Amiga featuring Jim Sach's artistic talents.

This truly was a showstopper for the young computer released only the year before.

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goldenaxedoom.bsky.social•108 days ago

that is goddamn jaw-dropping

authormattrouse.hookdm.com•108 days ago

That was solid game!

calactyte.bsky.social•108 days ago

Cinemaware was the best but now I can't get the Defenders of the Crown music out of my head. 😄

zehn.bsky.social•108 days ago

The game was super fun as well. I came across it on an Apple at a friend’s place and played it again on NES.

ebomike.bsky.social•108 days ago

Cinemaware's games were ahead of their time. All of them.

positronicbrain.usrobots.org•108 days ago

I had a C64 and remembered seeing pictures of Defenders of the Crown in magazines and I kept wondering what magic was powering that game.

(The magic of Good Art Direction, I learned later)

unoclay.bsky.social•108 days ago

and then you play it and are like oh man this is so boring

positronicbrain.usrobots.org•108 days ago

A Game with outstanding graphics that was boring to play? Surely the videogame industry learned from this and didn't make this mistake twice.

sharkabytes.bsky.social•108 days ago

I had a C64 until '92, and yeah, I'd see Amiga game screenshots in magazines in '89/90 and they looked like something from the future.

As you say, Good Art Direction works wonders with a limited colour palette.

joshuatsui.bsky.social•108 days ago

Jim Sachs, what a talent

dustinquillen.bsky.social•108 days ago

I only ever played the NES version, which is… less impressive. Kinda fun seeing all these scenes I recognize rendered in much higher detail, though.

jfroholt.bsky.social•108 days ago

Jim Sachs is a true legend. I hope that as we now move away from the bullshit "Atari -> crash -> Nintendo" story, more people will discover and celebrate people like him and how they influenced gaming as it is today.

talkingorange.bsky.social•108 days ago

I was SO jealous of people with color monitors 😭

planepackedjess.bsky.social•108 days ago

You can get a ton of mileage out of a small color palette if you get to choose which colors you're using. This is also why PC-98 pixel art often looks great and pre-VGA IBM PC stuff often doesn't.

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