New 16:9 1080p overlays

nono6493 · 6 Apr 2019, 22:13

@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 · 6 Apr 2019, 22:26

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 · 11 May 2019, 18:11

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 · 19 May 2019, 19:20

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 · 19 May 2019, 21:55

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 · 20 May 2019, 08:11

@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 · 20 May 2019, 19:32

@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).

nono6493 · 20 May 2019, 20:12

@UDb23 Thank you for your consent. Before using the work of someone else, it's always better to ask.

About Crash, I have checked and I have found the source. It's here, on progetto-snaps. Do not look the thumbnail, it's not the good one. Just look the "Alternate" link. Inside the 14 Mb archive, there's an 8Mb file with an hi-res version of the overlay. Blue Background, Race cars on each side of the screen and the "crash" at the bottom. The quality is very good, but it's not vector, only bitmap. And no credit, no information about the source inside.

I just want to say to the ones who don't know how much the vectorization of bezels and other arcade cabinets elements is important. I am only working on bitmap files, but nothing could be possible without people doing this hard job. If I can publish here 3 or 4 overlays every week, that's only because I find some very clean arts. So thank you for all your work.

UDb23 · 20 May 2019, 20:38

@nono6493 Yes asking original creator and person that provided the scan is very important. I do the same with my sources.
Those alternate artwork in your link are quite interesting. Will check for some artwork I'm looking for other overlays.
Crash scan I'm working is this:

About 90mb source file !
Still once vectoring and restoring is finalized it will need some extra editing on the top part with the Crash text; on the original cabinet that part is "3D" (in relief) and also was illuminated.

Research on the original cab is also part of my typical restoration ;-)

nono6493 · 20 May 2019, 21:07

@UDb23 Nice. I will keep an eye on Mr'Do's web site to see the result when you will finish.

ande.rocha · 22 May 2019, 01:59

@nono6493
no words to thank brother! perfect work!

nono6493 · 22 May 2019, 13:49

@ande-rocha, very happy If you like.

nono6493 · 25 May 2019, 09:46

Here is the delivery of the week. 3 new overlays for Bomberman (Dynablaster), Tetris and Klax.

Bomberman (Dynablaster):

For the ones who don't already know, the dynablaster title of the rom from the 0.139 romset (usable with lr-mame2010 core) can be changed by using the deepswitches.

Klax:

Klax is a contribution from @ts-x, submitted in my repository long time ago, and modified to add the border.

Tetris (Atari):

As usual, they are now available here, or in my github repository or by using the @meleu rpie-art script.
More to come soon.

Brigane · 25 May 2019, 10:27

@nono6493 Much appreciated as always, please keep up your amazing work!

nono6493 · 2 Jun 2019, 21:38

That's time for the new overlays of the week. Today, nothing very original but still nice to have.

Anteater (Tago):

Congo Bongo (Sega):

The Electric Yoyo (Taito)

An overlay made from the cabinet's bezel restoration by Comboman.

For next week, I am working on overlays for very popular games. So stay tuned.

nono6493 · 9 Jun 2019, 20:12

Sunday night. I have worked hard to add some new artworks to my retropie console. But, as promised last week, it's now the moment to release 3 of them dedicated to some very popular games. One is more popular in the US. I have discoveredit vely late in Europe, but I like it. It's Cadillac and Dinosaurs. The second is so popular im my country that a game dev studio have done a remake recently: Toki. And the last one is simply Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja. Not my best artwork, but I have played this game a lot on Amiga when I was young.

But I have talk enough. Let's get serious:

Cadillac and Dinosaurs (Capcom):

Toki (Tad Corporation):

Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja (Data East):

Or course, you can download them here, from my repository or with @meleu's rpie-art tool.
Next week, we will talk about violent drivers ;o) . So stay tuned.

nono6493 · 16 Jun 2019, 18:29

You like to drive ? You like to fight ? Retrogaming can helps you ! With some games, you can drive fast and fight hard at the same time. And of course, those games have their own overlays. Let's look the ones released today :

Crash (Exidy):

Bad Lands (Atari):

Spy hunter (Midway)

All this stuff is available in my github repository or with @meleu rpie-art script.
You need more ? Ok ! More action next time ! So stay tuned.

nono6493 · 23 Jun 2019, 21:04

It's time for the three new overlays of the week. Today, not to much to say about them except that Karnov asked me a lot of time and work. The final result is ok but under my expectations.

As everytime, they are all available in my github reporitory and in @meleu rpie-art script.

Gun.Smoke (Capcom):

Alien Syndrome (Sega):

Karnov (Data East):

The week will be hot (I talk about the weather over my country). Not sure that I will have the opportunity to work on new artworks. If you want to know, stay tuned.

digitech · 24 Jun 2019, 17:15

I have registered to tell you that those are the best arcade bezels i have ever seen,, i hope i can design some of my own pretty soon and help all,, thanks a lot for the awesome work, im a graphic designer btw

Brigane · 24 Jun 2019, 17:45

@digitech Welcome to the Forum. We always appreciate new faces who wants to contribute.