[New Theme] Kidz

[dmmarti]

EDIT --- version 1.0 is now released.

If you download and install it ... please let me know how it performs and/or things that need tweaked. There's still some refinements I'd like to make in future versions and possibly some additional visuals added as well.

Thanks!

You can install it via the ES Themes manager.

Here's the GitHub link for manual download/installation as well.

https://github.com/dmmarti/es-theme-kidz

---

I have several nieces and nephews that love to play retro games. I've built them several RetroPie machines that they all have in their bedrooms.

Many of them are younger than 10-12 years old ... and I usually set the default theme used to something "age appropriate".

I went through all of the available themes and saw a few "younger kids" suitable ones ... but I decided to try a new one. A little more bold in color scheme to keep their attention some.

It's still a work in progress....but slowly getting there.

Here's screenshots for the main menu, basic, and video views. It'll support all the usual stuff along with the newer virtual systems (all games, favorites, last played, collections) as well as a few collections too.

[ohmycommodore]

A kids theme is a great idea. I like the idea of a collage of the most popular characters for each system's background, because those characters would be the most likely to have games installed for that system.

[dmmarti]

...added a few more characters into the main menu image...

[ohmycommodore]

But should / could this evolve into a different page for each system...?

Nintendo page featuring Mario, Zelda, etc. Sega featuring Sonic, Battletoads, TMNT, etc. And so on? I know there is some overlap, and some systems are way more obscure in terms of their "star" characters... but it might work. It could certainly work for the systems that kids might gravitate to easiest.

[dmmarti]

@ohmycommodore I thought about that ... if I wanted to make different backgrounds for each system or not.

Right now, I just have to single global image for every system. True, for the more "popular" systems kids would use, we should be able to easily find a relevant character for it. Yea, those other systems though, like the various computer ones, that'd be tough I'd think.

I'll toss it around - might Google some, see if I can find some characters for some systems that might work for them.

[mattrixk]

@ohmycommodore The main downside to that, is that with 80+ systems, it's a heck of a lot of work to make custom images for each.

[ohmycommodore]

indeed. just spitballing ideas though. will make for some fun debates over which of the lovable Infocom kid-friendly characters to feature :)

well... Marvin the Paranoid Android actually. but the deep roster is plenty hard!

[mattrixk]

@dmmarti: You could do a "best of both worlds" measure, and create a single image (as the one above) that will be used for most systems, then create only a couple of custom images, just for the main systems that the kids in your life use, be it SNES, MegaDrive, NES and Gameboy, or Atari, C64 and Playstation.

[dmmarti]

Taking the advice from above from @ohmycommodore and @mattrixk .... I've switched to a new style of background for the main menu.

Now, the main menu looks like this.....

That's the generic background that will be used by systems not covered by the manufacturer backgrounds.

The manufacturer backgrounds will be used globally by same manufacturer systems. They each have characters shown that relate to that system.

Arcade - mame and fba
Atari - all Atari systems
NEC - all NEC systems
Nintendo - all Nintendo systems
Sega - all Sega systems
Sony - all Sony systems

This way, there is some variety while scrolling the systems and still provide uniformity to them.

Still some work left to do .... but I think I like this better than my original main menu backgrounds.

Additional samples:

[Febbweiss]

@dmmarti Cool !! I love this style !!

[alphatoanant]

@dmmarti very cool, I love the uniqueness of the chalkboard design. Solid work!

[ohmycommodore]

yeah this can work. i can already see your next theme "Teen"... then work your way up to "Old Guy".

in all seriousness, the audience who uses a product like this is a different theming approach than basing the style and art on the systems or games themselves.

[DigitalMonkey]

Just a suggestion....

Those blocks on the left seem to be going to waste! What if you used them to show the system name?

Ya know those kids blocks with letters on them?

[dmmarti]

@digitalmonkey -- that's an awesome idea! thanks a lot!

here's a quick mockup for the Sega systems background....

[mattrixk]

@dmmarti I really like your idea of having a custom screen for each Manufacturer, rather than each System. It does give a good variety without having to create 80-odd custom images.

I'm curious about the LEGO Batman though. Did he have a game on PSP?

[dmmarti]

@mattrixk Hmm....you're probably right.

I know there were LEGO games for PlayStation ... but not sure which ones.....

Heck....I'll have to swap him out with somebody else then! Haha

Yea, I was wanting different backgrounds but the thought of making all of them kind of got me down. So having manufacturer ones was my compromise to having different ones.

I'll go through the list and see if there are anymore that are worthy to be separated out before release. I just did the big ones that were easy to identify with initially.

[dmmarti]

Here's a preview of where I'm at with the theme at the moment.

A quick scroll through the main menu items. Still have some touch ups to do ... but it's almost time to begin work on the basic and detail/video views.

[dmmarti]

Version 1.0 is now released and ready for testing/use.

If you download and install it, please let me know how it performs and/or things that need tweaked. There's some refinements I want to make on future versions as well as some extra visual things I want to add in.

For release 1.0, I've removed the system names on the left hand side that's inside the blocks. I need to find a better way to implement that.

Thanks!!

https://github.com/dmmarti/es-theme-kidz

[dmmarti]

If you look closely at the list of names for the "High Scores" list ..... for the generic system background image ...... you might recognize some names in that list.....

[dmmarti]

Theme is now available via the ES Themes manager.

I just wanted to say thanks to all the developers/scripters that make all us this possible for us to use and have fun with.

@pjft, @TMNTturtlguy, and all the others......I threw an Easter Egg into the theme for many of you as a way to say thanks for everything everyone does.