New 16:9 1080p overlays

[nono6493]

I am happy to deliver 3 new overlays on the theme of circus and funfair. As usual, you can download them from here, or from my github repository.

But that's not all. My repository is now ready to be included in the @meleu rpie-art script. All the required files are now present in the right folders for my "personal overlays" that you can see above. The remaining work will be done fast now. But meanwhile, here are the new overlays.

Circus Charlie (from the original work by Krakerman):

Clowns:

Mr Do's Wild Ride:

I think I can go back to work now. So stay tuned.

[Brigane]

@nono6493 Great work as always. I can't wait to get my hands on these from meleu's rpie-art script.

[meleu]

the @nono6493's repo is now available in rpie-art script.

Just launch the script, select Update rpie-art script.and his repo will be available on the list.

For a fresh install:

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/meleu/rpie-art
cd rpie-art
./rpie-art.sh

And to "install" the rpie-art script on the emulationstation's RetroPie menu:

./rpie-art.sh --install

(TBH I didn't even remember that feature, but it works! :P )

Cheers!

[Brigane]

I encounter that the text (game instructions) gets quite blurry and mostly unreadable in most cases when using the overlays, can I do anything about that?

[nono6493]

@Brigane, I have tried with the only two overlays that were not already in my personal retropie setup : Mr Do's Wild Ride and Circus Charlie. The first one worked fine, but unexpectedly the config file of the second one was not the same as the one expected. It was "trucated". I will investigate on that. Perhaps an issue in the file in my repository.

Concerning the "blurry" effect that you are talking about, it makes me think about a resolution problem. Those overlays are created for a 1920x1080 pixels screen. If your screen has a different resolution, retroarch will try to interpolate the missing pixels. This can create the "blurry effect". Can you confirm the resolution of your screen and the name of the games with which you have the problems ?

For me, once my config file completed for Circus Charlie, the overlay was exactly shown exactly as expected. The instructions were perfecly readable.

[Brigane]

@nono6493 I fixed the problem. Apparently I was using an older Retroarch version which made the overlays blurry and poor in quality.

[Menion]

Hello
Can you briefly explain how enable an overlay in Retropie (recent version)?
Thanks, bye

[nono6493]

@Menion The best way if you want to enable overlays for a specific arcade game is to use the rpie-art script from @meleu. Once in retropie, quit emulationstation and install it as described above in his previous post. After you will just have to launch it, choose a repository (mine is the second, but @UDb23's is also very recommanded), chose the game for which you want an overlay and let the script finish the job.

But if you want a more generic (but more complex) way to use overlays, you will find a great tuto from ETA Prime on You Tube.

.

[nono6493]

This time it's war ! Just in games of course. I am pleased to deliver today 3 new overlays on the theme of war. The games are from SNK and two of them are among my favorites. And for the first time, they are available here, in my repository and in rpie-art script at the same time. So let's have a look at those overlays.

Guerrilla War:

Ikari Warriors:

SAR - Search And Rescue (this one is an original overlay from AlexDC22 that I have just modified a few):

So have fun and stay tuned for the next delivery.

[Menion]

@nono6493 said in New 16:9 1080p overlays:

@Menion The best way if you want to enable overlays for a specific arcade game is to use the rpie-art script from @meleu. Once in retropie, quit emulationstation and install it as described above in his previous post. After you will just have to launch it, choose a repository (mine is the second, but @UDb23's is also very recommanded), chose the game for which you want an overlay and let the script finish the job.

But if you want a more generic (but more complex) way to use overlays, you will find a great tuto from ETA Prime on You Tube.

.

@nono6493 done that, but it does not work on my system. People asked to check the .cfg files, but since there are little information about it, also because this automated tools exist, I have trouble to debug it. There must be something in my system because other people use rpie-art with no issue

[UDb23]

@Menion Can you provide more info to support you ?
What HW and system are you using? What core (emulator) ? Where are your roms located ?
Also check this (bottom of the page) for manual install.

[nono6493]

Today is a good day to deliver 3 Wonders. There's the game from Capcom of course, but also two other gems from the mid 80's : Paperboy and Pang (aka Buster Bros. in the USA). You can download those new overlays from here, from my repository, or easily install them with the rpie-art script.

3 Wonders:

Pang!:

Paperboy:

That's all for this week, but I am preparing next week. So stay tuned.

[Brigane]

@nono6493 Thank you, these are amazing as always. Are you using Photoshop to create these?

[nono6493]

@Brigane thank you for your support. I use Photoshop and Paint .Net. That's strange but Paint .NET have some powerful and very useful functions that Photoshop do not have out of the box.

[nono6493]

Hi all, it's time for the weekly delivery. Today, here are overlays for games to play when you are lost in space. If you like fighting aliens, invaders or any other spaceships, they are for you.

As everytime now, you can download them from here, from my github repository or install them easily with the rpie-art script.

Astro Blaster:

Cosmic Alien:

Terra Cresta (from an original overlay by AlecDC22):

Sorry guys, but now I need some holydays. I will not post new overlay during 3 weeks to 1 month. But I will come back with more artworks after, so stay tuned.

[nono6493]

After one month of silence, I am coming back with 3 new overlays. The last ones were for 3 shmups. The 3 new ones are ... ... for 3 other shmups. Why to change?

In The Hunt (Irem):

Space Harrier (Sega):

Ashura Blaster (Taito):

Those overlays can be downloaded here, from my github repository, or by using the rpie-art script from @meleu.
Enjoy.

[nono6493]

Sorry for this long post, but today I will do two things for the fist time, and I hope you will be pleased about that.

First "premiere": I answer to a request. In february, @ande-rocha requested an overlay for Super Off Road. I love this game, so I tried to find some source material. I found little things and tried to do something about it. Here is the result.

Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road:

Second thing that I will do for the first time: posting two overlays for one game. This game is Galaxian. Why two overlays ? Because american peoples are happy with the Midway's cabinet bezel. @UDB23 have done one few time ago, but I wanted to use the full cocktail instructions card he have found and restored. Here is the result:

Galaxian (Midway):

But I am not american, I am european. During my chilhood I have discovered Galaxian on Namco's Cabinet. I have found some photo, a vectorized version of the bezel, another one of the side-art, and I have done that.

Galaxian (Namco):

So Midway ? Namco ? What's your favorite version ? I would like to know.
And do not forget, those overlays are available here, or in my reporitory, or on your pie with the rpie-art script from @meleu .

[UDb23]

Well done. Nice overlays as usual.
All my "overlay artwork time" since weeks absorbed by two widely time consuming original bezel scan restorations: Exidy 's Crash and Venture.

[nono6493]

@UDb23 said in New 16:9 1080p overlays:

All my "overlay artwork time" since weeks absorbed by two widely time consuming original bezel scan restorations: Exidy 's Crash and Venture.

About Crash, I don't know if you are doing a bitmap restoration or a vectorization. But there's already a bitmap restauration that I have found on the net. I do not remember if it was on emumovies or on progettosnap. Perhaps you can save time by checking that. I have already done an overlay waiting to be published. I will deliver it soon. But perhaps I will wait to see yours. Now, I'm in a hurry to see Venture!

One last thing: There's a lot of overlays you have done that I like very much. I use them in my personal retropie image. But they miss something important to me: the border. I like this element because it gives a "premium" aspect to the overlays. I would like to know if you could let me modify some of your overlays to add the border and to publish them in my repository. Off course, I will keep the credits because you have done all the job. Just tell me first.

[UDb23]

@nono6493 Thanks for the suggestion on Crash. Actually I'm working, for both Exidy's bezels, on high res scans of the original bezels. Lots of detail but also, unfortunately, quite damaged and made of multiple unstitched images. Still I believe those are the best scans available (unless you buy a NOS bezel ;-)) and were provided by MrDo from mameworld forum. I am vectorizing those carefully keeping all the details... that's why restoring them takes a huge amount of time.

Concerning my overlays, originally I was using borders to frame the screen (playable) area, if that's what you mean. I later decided I like to use all possible space for the artwork, so no more borders. Just personal preference. Similarly I prefer to keep the artwork loyal, as much as possible, to the original arcade bezel or Flyer; creating "custom" artwork only if original had no bezel or bezel is impossible to find. Again just personal preference.
Of course feel free to modify my overlays as you like; unless you're going to add NSFW graphics. Just kidding of course (I recently read an article about Sony censoring PS4 games).