Tag: Art - Page 3
News Nintendo Shares Gorgeous Concept Art For Kirby Star Allies On Switch
"Various directions were considered"
We've seen numerous pieces of concept art for a wide variety of games over the past few months - including a darker take on Zelda: Breath of the Wild, early King K. Rool designs, and even Nintendo's very
News This Gorgeous Bayonetta 2 Art Book Hits Western Stores Later This Year
Pre-order available now
A few years ago, coinciding with the game's initial launch on Wii U, an art book for Bayonetta 2 was released in Japan. An English translation of the book has since been in the works and western buyers should be able to get their hands on a copy very soon. The book, titled 'The Eyes of Bayonetta 2', features all the...
Random Making Giant Pokémon Art From Rubik's Cubes
Gotta solve 'em all
We see a lot of artists take on the world of Pokémon here at Nintendo Life - just a quick ponder online will bring up dozens of super-talented people getting their masterpieces down on paper - but we don't usually see anyone using Rubik's Cubes. These images, uploaded by Twitter user epee415, show the awesome art pieces...
News These Early Zelda: Breath of the Wild Concept Designs Have Us Dreaming Of A Darker Sequel
Creepy stuff
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild turned out to be a near-masterpiece in the current climate of games, starting a trend that has seen some of Nintendo's top franchises taking bold new directions to fantastic effect. Because of this, we're rather happy that the big N finalised the game's development in the way it did, although...
Awesome Hand-Drawn Guide To Contra Proves The Pen Is Mightier Than The Keyboard
Tips to live by
If you grew up in the 8 and 16-bit eras then you'll no doubt be familiar with the concept of writing down notes and drawing maps to help you beat tricky games. In the days before the internet and readily-available guidebooks, players had to make their own luck - and that usually involved putting pen to paper and creating your...
Random These Zelda Propaganda Posters Are Mini Works Of Art
"Listen! Increased production is Ganon's destruction!"
Fernando Reza is a name truly dedicated Nintendo fans may already be familiar with; he created a series of posters based on propaganda imagery from World War II with the cast of Super Mario Bros. as the stars. Reza - who has had his work exhibited all over the world and designed...
News Former Super Play And Rare Artist Wil Overton Needs Your 'Get Well Soon' Wishes
"Nearly never made it but have just scraped through the other end"
Long-standing visitors to this site will no doubt be aware of the name Wil Overton - he's something of a legend if you were a UK-based Nintendo fan in the early '90s. His stunning illustrations graced every single cover of Super Play magazine, and Overton's talents would eventually...
Art Check Out This Incredible Zelda: Breath Of The Wild x Splatoon Mash-Up
Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, Inkling Bokoblin?!
As you are probably aware, we're pretty big fans of Splatoon here at Nintendo Life. Then Breath of the Wild came in to our lives, and - even though it was only one year ago - we really don't know how we coped without it. Imagine our shock and delight, then, as we stumbled upon illustrator...
News Got Bob Wakelin's Original Art For NES Contra? You're Sitting On $100,000
Game art collector wants to hear from you
When the legendary Bob Wakelin passed away last month he left behind an incredible legacy of artwork. Wakelin's associating with British publisher Ocean resulted in a flood of amazing covers, but he also did work for other companies, with the NES version of Contra being one of his most famous pieces. Now,...
Art These Fantasy Nintendo Hardware Breakdowns Are Just Magical
NES, SNES, Game Boy, DS and more get opened up (kind of)
Consoles like the NES, SNES and Game Boy may just be fashioned from circuit boards, chips and plastic, but they're a portal to a seemingly limitless world of possibilities and will, for many players, have provided a wondrous backdrop for entire childhoods. London-based artist Jing Zhang was...
News The Art of Shantae Launches Sometime in 2018
Ret-2-go!
Shantae is a series that owes a lot of its success to the Nintendo audience; it’s always felt like something of a second party game to a certain degree. And with the latest success of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero on the Wii U and Switch, that series has no doubt been gradually accruing a much larger fanbase. As something of a gift to...
Random This ARMS And Popeye Fan Art Mixes Nintendo's Past And Present
"I am what I am"
Nintendo has a long association wth the comic character Popeye. The company produced licensed NES and Game & Watch titles based on E. C. Segar's hero, and Donkey Kong - its first smash hit - was originally supposed to feature the spinach-gulping sailor. Now, artist Ed Peppe has fused Nintendo's past with its...
Gallery Revel In This Ridiculously Retro 3-Bit ARMS Artwork
Yes, we mean 3-bit
8-bit artwork and musical recreations inspired by modern games are nothing new in anyone's books; most have a healthy (or unhealthy) nostalgia for the past and that can be encapsulated by the limitations of one or more 8-bit gaming machines. If you take that technology back a step or two further you can get even more retro...
News Here's Your First Look At UDON's Shovel Knight: Official Design Works
Coming in August this year
We reported last month that an official Shovel Knight art book was on the way, and now Yacht Club Games has shown off a few pages from the publication. Created in conjunction with UDON Entertainment - which can count Street Fighter, Okami, Mega Man, Dark Souls, Bayonetta and Sonic the Hedgehog amongst its other...
Art Xenoblade Chronicles Demake - Going Back to the 16-bit Era
It's still Reyn time
Earlier this week we shared some rather handsome Banjo-Kazooie reimagined as a Mario RPG artwork, as the first of what we plan to be daily posts celebrating amazing fan art. Now we have more pixel art, this time in honour of an iconic Wii / New 3DS title. AbyssWolf on DeviantArt - real name Daniel Oliver - was recommended to us...
Art Banjo-Kazooie Reimagined in the Mario RPG Style
It's a bear necessity
As a daily treat this year we're going to take a little time to step away from wondering about how leaky Nintendo has become, and simply focus on some lovely fan-made art. We've occasionally shared some stand-out examples in the past, but now we want to make it a daily occurrence; the only objective is to highlight some cool...
News You'll Want This Sonic The Hedgehog Art Book On Your Coffee Table
Shipping April 2017
Sonic turned 25 this year, and Sega marked the occasion by confirming that the popular character would be getting two new outings next year, one of which is the gorgeous-looking Sonic Mania. Art house Cook & Becker also has something special for fans of the Blue Blur coming next year - a coffee table book which shows off a...
Art This Guy Has An Insane Amount Of Original Western Mega Man Cover Artwork
Boxing clever
This promotional image for Game Players Magazine unites two of Greg Winters' cover subjects - he also did some covers for Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog While it can't always be said that western cover artwork is superior to that seen in Japan, it's important to remember that for many gamers growing up during the 8 and 16-bit eras, it was...
News 'Sonic 25' Fine Art Collection Pays Homage To The World's Fastest Hedgehog
Needs more blue
Sega Europe has joined forces with the UK's leading fine art publisher to create 'Sonic 25', a collection of 25 original pieces which pay tribute to Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic 25 sees a series of Washington Green artists - including Dan Lane, Paul Kenton, Frédéric Daty, Louis Sidoli, Stuart McAlpine Miller, Robert Oxley, Craig...
Random The Nintendo Switch Sure Makes A Cute Looking Pooch Plushie
Woof.
When Nintendo lifted the lid on its new Switch console last week it triggered a lot of questions. Does it have a touchscreen? How long will the battery last? What are those tiny, tiny pads going to be like when you've been gaming for six hours straight? And why does the assembled Joy-Con controller look like a dog? That final question is one...
Weirdness Russian Illustrators Create The Pokémon Of Your Nightmares
"Squirtle is the demon of ocean depths and failed trips to sea"
While there are some seriously creepy Pokémon lurking in the ever-expanding Pokédex, most are relatively cute and cuddly, such as Pikachu, Vulpix and Snorlax. Possibly wishing to redress the balance a little, Russian Illustrators Boris and Daria Sokolovsky - otherwise known as...
News Super Play's Wil Overton Is Creating Cover Art For HyperPlay Issue 2
Legendary artist goes full circle
Gamers of a certain age will almost certainly recall the days before the internet when fan-made magazines were all the rage. These crude, monochrome publications were put together thanks to the sheer enthusiasm of their creators and provided a sense of community that wasn't always present in professional mags, but...
News The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Manga Is Coming to the West
'Akira Himekawa' confirms Viz Media will take up publication
A while ago it was confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess would have its own manga. At the time it was only pinned down for a Japanese release, but Akira Himekawa - the combined name for the two artists behind many of these franchise manga - has since outed it as being...
Art Meet The Famicube, The NES Successor That Only Exists In A Parallel Universe
NES 1.5
Given that Sony and Microsoft are chewing up the column inches with rumours of "updated" versions of their current consoles, it seems fitting that we should take a look at an amazing project by Swedish artist and programmer Arne Niklas Jansson for what he dubs "the NES 1.5" - a console which would have bridged the gap between the NES and...
News Someone Has Made A Rowlet Pokémon Plush Already
Fans work fast
The starter Pokémon featured in the forthcoming Sun & Moon were only revealed yesterday, but we've already seen fan art appear for Rowlet, Litten and Poppilo. This is impressive in itself, but one fan has gone to the next level by crafting an incredibly professional-looking pl
Art If Nintendo Ever Took Zelda Into The Future, We'd Want Link To Look Like This
Future legend
As we all know, The Legend of Zelda series is set in a fantasy universe which sticks to some pretty basic rules - magic and swords are the weapons of choice. However, with titles like Spirit Tracks (trains) and Skyward Sword (AI-like constructs like Fi) Nintendo has tentatively pushed the franchise into new realms, and perhaps one day...
News Unleash Your Creative Side with Disney Art Academy
Launching on 3DS in May 2016
Grab your styluses! Disney Art Academy launches on May 13th for 3DS in North America, though Europeans will have to wait until 15th July. Using a variety of tools and enhancements, you can learn to draw characters such as Elsa and Olaf from Frozen, Mickey Mouse and Friends, Winnie the Pooh, and characters from Pixar's...
Random Fan Intends to Recreate All 721 Pokémon as Stained Glass Artwork
Quite the undertaking
Be it by artwork, music, or something else, many artists have found creative ways to express their love for their favorite games. Seeing as how it's the 20th anniversary of Pokémon, it's no surprise that there's been something of a surge in Pokémon related content that's appearing around the web. While this will no doubt...
News Cult SNES Hero Plok Stars In Another Action-Packed Comic Book
"It feels great to get fourth Plok book out there"
Plok is without a doubt one of the true hidden gems of the SNES library. Created by British coding siblings Ste and John Pickford, Plok originally starred in a unique platforming epic for the 16-bit console but has since gone on to become the lead character in a series of web-based comics, drawn by...
Gallery Legend Of Zelda Meets Minecraft In These Amazing Fan-Made Voxel Images
Pick a pixel
The pixel-based entries in the massively popular Legend of Zelda series might lack the immersion seen in the more recent offerings like Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess HD, but they have a quality which is almost timeless. Amazingly, even when these flat 2D images are turned into 3D landscapes, the appeal of that iconic pixel-heavy...
News Genei Ibun Roku #FE Art Book Releases on 26th February in Japan
A Fire Emblem art book hat trick
It seems that this is the year for Fire Emblem art books, as yet another one was just recently revealed. A few months ago, we caught wind of their being a 25th anniversary book on the way, and shortly after, there was news of a book that would focus on just Fire Emblem: Awakening. Now, we have the book for
News The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Will Have Its Own Manga
Shackled to a Japanese app for now
Those who like their legends unfolding from right to left might be happy to learn that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be the next game in the Zelda series to receive its own official manga. A pair of artists who go by the combined name Akira Himekawa will take up their inks for the project once again,...
Gallery These Fan-Made Splatoon Weapons Are Pretty Fresh
Tools of the trade
The Game Party Japan 2016 event has just hosted the Japanese National Splatoon Championship, giving fans of the game the chance to test their skill against like-minded individuals. It also gave the truly dedicated the opportunity to show off their creative talents, as there was a booth which showcased fan-made versions of the...
Ninterview The History of Gaming, In Oil Paint
We have a chat with Randy Gallegos about his gaming art
If you've ever seen our Instagram account you'll know we love a bit of gaming art here at Nintendo Life. The majority of the art we come across is digital, however we recently came across the work of an American artist who does things a little differently. Artist Randy Gallegos has been...
Art Here's Another Western Take On The Legend Of Zelda's Link
The Hero of Time is looking a bit more rugged (again)
Last week, we featured some concept renders of Link from The Legend of Zelda created by 343 Industries character designer Kyle Hefley. Sporting a more mature and realistic look, it was an interesting mix between east and west. We've unearthed another piece of Link art and it shares some...
Art Halo Character Artist Gives Legend Of Zelda's Link A Realistic Makeover
Zelda meets Skyrim?
The Legend of Zelda protagonist Link is one of gaming's most iconic heroes, but he's something of an enigma - an intentionally empty vessel for the player to inhabit instead of a fleshed-out character. Rather than being a negative thing, this has led to Link becoming one of the most drawn and imitated video game icons, with...
Art If Nintendo Did Resurrect The Game Boy, We'd Want It To Look Like This
Past and present
The Game Boy line may be effectively retired in Nintendo's eyes, but the name itself still carries a lot of weight with gamers all over the world - including German designer Florian Renner, who has put together a cool concept which resurrects the classic brand for the modern era. The Game Boy 1up is of course nothing more than a fe
Gallery There's Loads Of Awesome Linkle Fan Art Available Already
We're pulled together some of our favourites
The news that Hyrule Warriors Legends is getting a female version of Link named Linkle has caused quite a stir online, but it's merely the latest chapter in the character's interesting history. Concept art appeared in the Hyrule Warriors artbook
News Celebrate Super Mario World's 25th With These Stylish Prints
Available in poster or postcard form
Super Mario World launched alongside the Super Famicom on November 21st 1990, which makes this year the game's 25th birthday. Arguably one of the greatest video games ever made, this iconic platformer certainly deserves a bit of birthday celebration, and with that in mind Arkotype's Dan Clarke has created some...
Video Mario & Luigi Become Gods in This Lovely Japanese Painting
Based on the Rimpa School of Art
Nintendo has embarked upon various promotional activities for the 30th Anniversary of the Super Mario franchise, and this example from Japan is certainly one of the most appealing yet. It's a collaboration with the artist Taro Yamamoto, who is a skilled painter in the Rimpa style, a traditional approach that has...
"I want to get the tone, the mood, the mystical elements right"
Marked by dreamlike brushstrokes and an uncanny mind for fan service, Orioto's artwork is the type to stick with you after you've seen it. For years, this Paris-based digital artist has created moving portraits of a who's-who in the fictional gaming sphere: Link, Ryu, Sonic, and many...
Video Watch a Super Mario 30th Anniversary Mural Come Together in London
Move over, Banksy
Last week we had the pleasure of attending Nintendo UK's post-E3 showing in trendy Shoreditch in London. We've already been sharing our thoughts on the games on show there to supplement the fine work which Morgan and Alan did on the LA E3 show floor for us. One of the most striking things as we approached the venue showing...
News You Need These Exclusive Sega-Themed Artworks On Your Wall
Golden Axe! Streets of Rage! Shinobi! More!
What happens when digital art studio Cook & Becker enlists talented artists - working in the fields of Sci-Fi, gaming and comics - to create original art for their favourite Sega titles? Awesome happens, that's what. Kilian Eng, Gerald Parel, Julien Renoult, Roman van der Haven and Emmanuel Malin...
News Less Than A Day Old And Yooka-Laylee Already Has Lots of Awesome Fan-Art
Now that's a Rare sight
It's been less than a day now since Playtonic Games lifted the lid on its upcoming game, Yooka-Laylee, and already the Internet has gone fan-art crazy. This is all before the Kickstarter campaign has even gone live, too, emphasizing the hype around this project. We've picked out some early winners in the fan-art stakes for...
News Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies Art Book Taking the Stand
AKA The Big Book of Courtroom Breakdowns
So sure, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies never came out in a physical form for most of us, and that might still sting a bit. For those still yearning to feel justice in their hands, however, a different sort of medium has arisen. Capcom's courtroom style will be set to page this coming 9 June...
Gallery These Artistic Recreations of Women Characters Set a Different Tone
Samus, Princess Peach and more given a fresh perspective
With March drawing to a close we also have the end of Women's History Month, in which the role of women in various aspects of society are celebrated and highlighted. We previously shared a somewhat quirky effort at participation from Nintendo of America, highlighting a range of characters that...
News Animal Crossing Helped This Artist Get Through Her Chemotherapy Treatment
"The mundanity of it is really comforting"
Chicago artist Krystal DiFronzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma - a cancer of the blood - last August. Like all cancer suffers, she had to deal with a lot of worry and heartbreak, but found an unlikely aid in the Nintendo 3DS title Animal Crossing: New Leaf. DiFronzo has created a series - called...
News We're Over The Moon With This Zelda: Majora's Mask Game Boy
You've met with some awesome paint, haven't you?
We love a good custom paint job of classic gaming hardware here at Nintendo Life Towers, and this Majora's Mask Game Boy is one of the coolest mods we have seen in a while. French artist Oskunk has given this tired old Game Boy a refreshing new lease of life by bringing it bang up to date with a...
News This Awesome Star Fox 2 Box Art Shows Us What Could Have Been
We did a barrel roll when we saw this
With an all-new Star Fox game for Wii U on the way later this year, our thoughts sometimes drift back to the good old days of the Super Nintendo. With the critical and commercial success of Star Fox on the SNES, a sequel of some description was inevitable and it seemed that the SNES would be the platform to host...
Video Pixelated Recreation of The Simpsons Evokes Nostalgia
Then it just gets freaky
The Simpsons has been running long enough that its opening is firmly cemented in pop culture history, but Paul Robertson and Ivan Dixon have decided to delve even deeper into the nostalgia centers of our brains by rendering it in pixel form. The video calls out a few classic game icons and tropes, certainly, but something...
