Sprites capture the feel of a cartoon better than Cel-Shading. Check out Wario Land!

[DeadlyNinja]

To me, this really screams playing a cartoon. I know cel-shading is more technologically advanced, but it just doesn't feel right.

 

[sunscar]

To me, this really screams playing a cartoon. I know cel-shading is more technologically advanced, but it just doesn't feel right.

Forgive me for pointing out the fairly obvious, but sprites *are* cartoons, essentially. They're a collection of cells played in sequence to produce the illusion of motion. The catch is their rigidity, you can't draw every possible frame for an object from every possible angle, so sprite-based games attempting to emulate cartoons tend to stay within the confines of 2D. When gameplay shifts into the third dimension, it's typically easier just to use cell shaded 3D models.

BUUUUT, that doesn't mean you're out of luck - There are quite a few, super-nice looking cell shaded techniques around that appear quite pleasing and convincing in 3D, and even these things called TRIXELS that you may be interrested in. The technology isn't anything new by any stretch (They're basically just voxels), but the application seems a little bit novel (Look for a game called FEZ).

 

[vazel]

This game looks really awesome but I don't see why you have to drag in a vs argument. If you don't think cel-shading can do a really good job of being cartoony you haven't played Wind Waker. And as pointed out sprites being animated frames of drawn pictures are cartoons.

 

[Arwin]

To me, this really screams playing a cartoon. I know cel-shading is more technologically advanced, but it just doesn't feel right.

It looks like slightly smoother version of a lot of platform games / shooters I played way back in the day (Rainbow Island, Rick Dangerous, Blood Money, etc.). Some bits look really nice mind you, but to say that this really looks like a cartoon? Hmm.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Wario is using true Japanese cartoon artwork, so the look is totally authentic. As for the origins of this thread though and the comparison to cel-shading, how many animes have you seen where the character is centre-screen, side-on profile for the whole episode?! Comparing to the likes of Naruto, with their special effects, 3D viewpoints rather than static side-on view, and other dramatic stylizations, the Cel shaded engines are definitely closer aproximations of hand-drawn stop-motion from the studios of Japan.

 

[DeadlyNinja]

That's why I emphasized feel in my post. The original post wasn't really a VS thread though. I was just stating my personal opinions.

Forgive me for pointing out the fairly obvious, but sprites *are* cartoons, essentially.

Yup, that's why using a 3D substitute just doesn't cut it.

If you don't think cel-shading can do a really good job of being cartoony you haven't played Wind Waker.

A silly as it sounds, Wind Waker suffers from the uncanny valley. In this case, the more it looks like a cartoon, the easier it is to spot all the little problem caused by 3D polygons. Link isn't round. Certain objects don't look right like clipping etc.

 

[patsu]

I like WindWaker (cel-shaded) and Viewtiful Joe (sprites ?). Their are both convincing ! I can't argue whether Viewtiful Joe is better off with 3D cel-shading, or WindWaker is better off with sprites. Their gameplay is designed for their respective game world.

 

[I.S.T.]

Uh, VJ is 3d cel shaded.

 

[patsu]

Heh, I wasn't sure. I always thought it's using some clever 2D tricks to make it look like 3D. The gameplay is pretty much 2D.

 

[zarbaj]

i really don't see how this is more cartoon than naruto ps3 or dragon ball next gen.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Here's a reference point :

 

[zarbaj]

youtube doesn't do it justice

http://www.gamersyde.com/stream_7657_en.html

edit: for some reason, gamersyde embedding isn't loading here, weird.