I've got a light bulb above my head for a new ES theme, but can anyone tell me if this is a good idea?

h2805270

Basically, I've been thinking of making a theme based off of the current Android TV UI. But I'm not sure if that even is a great idea.

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The way it works is unlike the typical scroll navigation we get in the regular ES, it can move all 4 directions to select from the squares.

I don't even know if it's possible to make something this ambitious. If you have any better suggestions, I'm all ears...

mitu

I don't think EmulationStation has all that flexibility you want - using the Grid View to get that Android UI - but you might want to look at Pegasus, I think it already has a Netflix-like theme included.

mpnuttall

@h2805270 I reckon this must be do-able. I made this Monkey Island theme ages ago (can't remember whose code I built it off - would have been an existing theme though), and it's the same principle really - one background with the system 'buttons' in different positions, which then link to the system pages (apologies for the dodgy handheld video, I don't have any way to do screen capture):

I suppose the difference is that with mine you're still just scrolling left and right through the systems in effect though - not actually moving the selection in 4 different directions to choose a system. So visually it's definitely possible to do what you want, but you might still be left with a theme where you have to go through all the themes until you get to the one you want, rather than being able to navigate to it more quickly. I've no idea if that's possible - if so, it sounds a good idea to me.

Cheers, Mark

sad_muso

@mpnuttall As a huuuuge Monkey Island fan, I must say that this is amazing! Good work! 😀

celly

@mpnuttall that Monkey Island theme looks better than a rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle. Have you ever thought of uploading what you created? Looks amazing.

johnodon

OMG that is awesome!!!

DOTT next? ("Bernard...float over here so I can punch you.") :D

Impman66

Liking the Monkey Island theme.

Question for you all. Do themes for the Emulation Station always have to have some link to the consoles and arcade machines of old? I know there are a few out there that don't, but the majority have something in there - A console, artwork from a game, the logo of the system.
Is there any stipulation, that says what a theme should be made up of?
I only ask, because I have been working on a theme loosely based on Epic Noir, but with the overriding subject being, the most successful anime ever - One Piece.
Here for what it's worth are a couple of screenshots.

It's really basic, and not a patch on the other themes available, but I just wondered is there any basic requirements necessary?

mpnuttall

@sad_muso That's very kind, thanks 😊

mpnuttall

@celly @celly Thanks very much 😊 There's two things stopping me from uploading it really.

As I mentioned, it's not all my own work - it's built off someone else's code, and the images obviously aren't my own work either! I'd hate to be seen to be taking credit for the work of others.
It's incomplete insofar as I've built the 'logos', menus, and XML for only the systems I use (NES, SNES, PSX, SCUMMVM, AMIGA, MASTERSYSTEM, MEGADRIVE, PCENGINE, NEOGEO, N64 possibly (can't remember!)).

I'm happy to provide what I have plus the PSD files etc if someone else wants to take on the task of completing it. It was actually a bit of a challenge finding enough images (screenshots) of sufficient resolution for even just the system images I found though - especially when I'm obsessive enough to want them to roughly correlate to where I've pinned each system on the map!!

I've also made a '16-bit' version of this theme, based on the original graphics and UIs. Let me know if you'd like to see an equally dodgy handheld vid of that one 😆

PS. You fight like a dairy farmer.

mpnuttall

@johnodon Thanks very much! I'm very much an (ageing!) Amiga fan, so don't have the nostalgic fondness for DOTT that I do for MI, good game though it is. I did make a Speedball 2 theme though, but it's much more simplistic than the MI one.

mpnuttall

@sad_muso @celly @johnodon Here's the 16 bit version if you fancy a look:

celly

@mpnuttall man... thats the second biggest monkey head I’ve ever seen! The theme looks great. You should publish it. Just give credit to whomever you used artwork from or based the theme on. Be a kick in the pants for just a ScummVM build.

h2805270

I have another light bulb!!!

A Teletext Theme!

Simplistic, Innovative, and Nostalgic all at the same time (and it looks good on CRTs).

This is just a "proof-of-concept" drawing. Please tell me if it's any good... (I don't plan on working solo on this).

mpnuttall

@h2805270 Really clever idea, looks a lot like Teletext, and clean layout too. My only reservation is that I'm not sure I'd want to spend too long looking a Teletext screen, as they're not the easiest on the eye. I was never a big user back in its heyday though, and others may well have a greater fondness and nostalgia for it.