Dev Blogs

September


5th September 2018

Next I pulled out the original source folder of Bio Sword. Mixed feelings, lots of memories. Based on the earlier analysis I knew I had to basically recreate all backgrounds and user interface elements.

For me, upgrading existing graphics was easier than having to design new ones from scratch. There was minimal creativity involved, which made the process relaxing - but still time consuming.

The first concern was whether the old 480x320 backgrounds would translate well to 1080. Since the graphics were cartoony, the emphasis would be on clean, sharp outlines. Some areas would need more attention to detail, such as the skies. Next I needed a simple approach to get consistent results.

Using an existing image, I re-created the backgrounds by adding a layer and then tracing the outlines. After that, I would add more layers and fill in the colours until it resembled the original. Where possible I improved the colours and lighting. It is easier to trace than to draw new, and the results were respectable.