New 16:9 1080p overlays

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:
Gerrilla War 1080p overlay

Ikari Warriors:
Ikari Warriors 1080p overlay

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.

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@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:
3Wonders 1080p overlay

Pang!:
Pang! 1080p overlay

Paperboy:
Paperboy 1080p overlay

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:
Astro Blaster 1080p overlay

Cosmic Alien:
Cosmic Alien 1080p overlay

Terra Cresta (from an original overlay by AlecDC22):
Terra Cresta 1080p overlay

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):
In The Hunt 1080p overlay

Space Harrier (Sega):
Space Harrier 1080p overlay

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:
Super Offroad 1080p overlay

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):
Galaxian (Midway) 1080p overlay

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):
Galaxian (Namco) 1080p overlay

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).

nono6493

@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

@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:
alt text
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

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

ande.rocha

@nono6493
no words to thank brother! perfect work!

nono6493

@ande-rocha, very happy If you like.

nono6493

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

Bomberman (Dynablaster):
Bomberman / Dynablaster 1080p overlay
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.