Observe below a gallery of some of the best and worst sprite art in gaming history! Witness the evolution of 2D video game pixel art over three decades! See evolving game protagonist trends at a glance! Or you could just use it as a menu to browse through my articles I suppose.
Hovering over an image will reveal who it is and what it's from and clicking will take you to the game's page.
(Updated 2nd Jun 2017)
RPGs and Action Adventures
Shoot 'em Ups (Vertical Scrolling)
Shoot 'em Ups (Horizontal Scrolling)
Point and Click Adventure Games
Shoot 'em Ups (Vertical Scrolling)
Shoot 'em Ups (Horizontal Scrolling)
Point and Click Adventure Games
RPGs and Action Adventure Games:
1986.png "Link - The Legend of Zelda (NES)") _32x32.png "Dragon Quest (Famicom)") | 1987.png "Fighter - Final Fantasy (NES)") | 1988.png "Wasteland (Apple II)") .png "Firion - Final Fantasy II (NES)") | 1989.png "Dragon Warrior (NES)") | 1990_Onion_Knight.png "Onion Knight - Final Fantasy III (NES)") _a.png "Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday (Genesis/Mega Drive)") |
1991_Cecil.png "Cecil Harvey - Final Fantasy IV (SNES)") .gif "Link - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)") | 1992.png "Shining Force (Genesis/Mega Drive)") _Bartz.png "Bartz - Final Fantasy V (SNES)") | 1993_32x48.png "The Hero - Lufia & The Fortress of Doom (SNES)") .png "Alien - 7th Saga (SNES)") .png "Alys - Phantasy Star IV (Genesis/Mega Drive)") |
1994.png "Prince Ali - Beyond Oasis AKA. The Story of Thor (Genesis/Mega Drive)") _32x32.png "Terra - Final Fantasy VI (SNES)") _Ness.png "Ness - Earthbound (SNES)") .png "Remeer - Brain Lord (SNES)")  .png "Soleil/Crusader of Centy (Genesis/Mega Drive)") |
1995_32x32_a.png "Maxim - Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (SNES)") _Chrono.png "Crono - Chrono Trigger (SNES)") _32x48.png "Ark - Terranigma (SNES)") | 1996 | 1997.png "Luke Skywalker - Star Wars: Yoda Stories (PC)") | 1998.png "Link's Awakening DX (GBC)") | 2000 |
2003.png "Mario - Mario & Luigi's Superstar Saga (GBA)") | 2004 | 2013.png "Clink - Evoland (PC)") | 2015 | 2016 |
Shoot 'em Ups (Vertical Scrolling):
1988.png "Xenon (Atari ST)") | 1989.png "Xenon II (Amiga)") | 1991.png "Final Soldier (TurboGrafx-16)") | 1994.png "Banshee - Banshee (Amiga CD32)") | 1997.png "DoDonPachi (Arcade)") |
Shoot 'em Ups (Horizontal Scrolling):
1987.png "Vic Viper - Life Force (NES)") | 1990.png "Barunba (TurboGrafx-16)") .png "Download (TurboGrafx-16)") | 1991.png "Ripple - Magical Chase (TG16)") |
| ||||||||
_Alestes.gif "Alestes - Agony (Amiga)")
.gif "Ikuro - Apidya (Amiga)")
.png "James Bond Jr. (SNES)")
.png "Garland TFF-01 - BlaZeon (SNES)")
.png "Bio-Hazard Battle (Mega Drive/Genesis)")
1993  | 1995.gif "Kolibri (32X)") |
Adventure Games:
1989 | 1990 | 1992 .png "Diermot - Lure of the Temptress (DOS)")  |
1993 .png "Gabriel Knight - Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (MS-DOS)")    |
1994.png "Robert Foster - Beneath a Steel Sky (DOS)") | 1995 | 1996 |
1997 | 2015 |
Platformers and the Like:
1983
.png "Mario - Mario Bros. (Arcade)")
.png "Miner Willy - Manic Miner (ZX Spectrum)")
1985
.png "Citadel (BBC Micro)")
.png "Mario - Super Mario Bros. (NES)")
1986
.png "Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)")
.png "Mr Goemon (Arcade)")
.png "Samus Aran - Metroid (NES)")
.png "Simon Belmont - Castlevania (NES)")
1987
.gif "Mega Man (NES)")
.png "Link - Zelda II (NES)")
.png "Giana - Giana Sisters (C64)")
.png "Simon Belmont - Castlevania II (NES)")
.png "Faxanadu (NES)")
1988
.png "Upa - Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa (NES)")
.png "Konami Man - Wai Wai World (NES)")
.png "Ronald McDonald - Donald Land (NES)")
.png "Mario - Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)")
.png "Mario - Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)")
1989
.gif "Dizzy - Fantasy World Dizzy (ZX Spectrum)")
.png "Holy Diver (NES)")
.png "Trevor Belmont - Castlevania III (NES)")
.png "Batman (NES)")
.png "Mario - Super Mario Land (GB)")
.png "Douglas Quaid - Total Recall (Amiga)")
.png "Aarbron - Shadow of the Beast (Amiga)")
.png "Prince of Persia (DOS)")
.png "Batman - Batman: The Movie (Amiga)")
1990
1991
.png "Jake Blues - The Blues Brothers (Amiga)")
.png "Commander Keen (DOS)")
.png "Snake Eyes - G.I. Joe (NES)")
.png "Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "James Bond Jr. (NES)")
.png "The Bitmap Kid - Magic Pockets (Amiga)")
.png "Wolverine (NES)")
.png "Arthur - Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (SNES)")
.png "Samus Aran - Metroid II (GB)")
.gif "James Pond - James Pond 2: RoboCod (Amiga)")
.png "Mickey Mouse - Fantasia (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Jerry - Tom and Jerry (NES)")
.png "Batman - Batman: Return of the Joker (NES)")
.png "Chuck D. Head - DecapAttack (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Mage - Cadash (TG16)")
.png "Gods (Amiga)")
.png "Ghost Battle (Amiga)")
.png "Simon Belmont - Super Castlevania IV (SNES)")
.png "Captain America and the Avengers (NES)")
.png "Donald Duck - QuackShot (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Ken Ryugasaki - Genocide 2 (X68000)")
.png "Friedrich Von Horgen - Golden Eagle (Amiga)")
1992
.png "Mick - McDonaldland (GB)")
.png "Yumetaro - Mr Gimmick (NES)")
.png "Bonk - B.C. Kid (Amiga)")
.png "Conrad B. Hart - Flashback (Amiga)")
.png "Bucky O'Hare (NES)")
.png "Casey - Kid Chameleon (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Santa Claus - Santa's X-Mas Caper (Amiga)")
.png "Mick - M.C. Kids (Amiga)")
.png "Mick - Global Gladiators (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Mario - Super Mario Land 2 (GB)")
.png "E.V.O. (SNES)")
.png "Cool Coyote - Fire and Ice (Amiga)")
.png "Hegor - Barbarian II (Amiga)")
.png "Rena Brant - Super Valis IV (SNES)")
.png "Luke Skywalker - Super Star Wars (SNES)")
.png "James Bond Jr. (SNES)")
.png "Doodle Bug - Doodlebug (Amiga)")
.png "Zool - Zool (Amiga)")
1993
.png "Aero the Acro-Bat (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Alfred Chicken (Amiga)")
.png "Linus Spacehead - Cosmic Spacehead (Amiga)")
.png "James Bond - The Duel (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Dr Alan Grant - Jurassic Park (Master System)")
_Clyde.png "Clyde Radcliffe - Creatures (Amiga)")
.png "Superfrog (Amiga)")
.png "Soccer Kid (Amiga)")
.png "Valdyn - Lionheart (Amiga)")
.png "Simon Belmont - Castlevania Chronicles (X68000)")
.png "Rocky Rodent (SNES)")
.png "Ronald McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Aladdin (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Aladdin (SNES)")
.png "Ardy Lightfoot (SNES)")
.png "Oscar (CD32)")
.png "Franky - Adventures of Dr. Franken (SNES)")
.png "Josephine - Kendo Rage (SNES)")
.png "Prince of Persia 2 (Apple Mac)")
1994
.png "Mario - Donkey Kong (GB)")
.png "The Beast - Beauty and the Beast (NES)")
.png "Cool Spot (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Ronald McDonald - Ronald in The Magical World (Game Gear)")
.png "Jazz Jackrabbit (DOS)")
.png "Dynamite Headdy (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.gif "Dr Alan Grant - Jurassic Park 2 (GB)")
.png "Amanda Carey - Hurricanes (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Cal Casey - Hurricanes (SNES)")
.png "Marko's Magic Football (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Dr. Alan Grant - Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Normy's Beachbabe-o-Rama (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Flink - Misadventures of Flink (Mega CD)")
.png "Samus Aran - Super Metroid (SNES)")
.png "Popful Mail (seriously) - Popful Mail (Mega CD)")
.png "Earthworm Jim (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Kyle Vlaros - Blackthorne (SNES)")
.png "Tim \"The Tool Man\" Taylor - Home Improvement (SNES)")
.png "Dr. Alan Grant - Jurassic Park II: The Chaos Continues (SNES)")
.png "Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales (Jaguar)")
.png "Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby (Amiga)")
.png "Taz in Escape from Mars (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES)")
1995
.png "Asterix and the Power of the Gods (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Charly the Clown (MS-DOS)")
.png "The Princess - Magical Pop'n (SNES)")
.png "Cedric and The Lost Scepter (Amiga)")
.png "Ristar (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Judge Dredd (SNES)")
.png "Vector - Knuckles' Chaotix (32X)")
.png "Garfield: Caught in the Act (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Donald in Maui Mallard (SNES)")
.png "Goliath - Gargoyles (SMD)")
.png "Spider-Man: Lethal Foes (SNES)")
.png "Commander Benjamin Sisko - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Crossroads of Time (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Zenki - Kishin Douji Zenki FX: Vajura Fight (PC-FX)")
1996
.png "Necromantics (DOS)")
.png "Charlie J. Cool (Amiga)")
1997
.png "Mega Man X - Mega Man X4 (PSX)")
1998
.png "Tempo - Super Tempo (32X)")
_48x64.png "Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (PC)")
1999
.png "Little Ralph - Adventure of Little Ralph (PSX)")
2000
.png "Spider-Man (GBC)")
2001
.png "Action Man (GBC)")
.png "Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six (GBC)")
2002
.png "David Beckham - Go! Go! Beckham (GBA)")
.png "Spider-Man (GBA)")
.png "Santa Claus Jr. Advance (GBA)")
2004
_32x32.png "Quote - Cave Story (PC)")
2005
.png "Robin - Teen Titans (GBA)")
2012
.png "Gomez - Fez (PC)")
.png "They Bleed Pixels (PC)")
1983
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
.png "Batman (Arcade)") |  .png "Mega Man (DOS)")  .png "Rad Gravity - Adventures of Rad Gravity (NES)") _48x48.png "Rick Dangerous (Atari ST)")  .png "Mario - Super Mario World (SNES)") .png "Spider-Man - Amazing Spider-Man (Amiga)") .png "Batman: The Video Game (GB)") |
.png "Batman (Genesis/Mega Drive)") .png "The Master - ActRaiser (SNES)") .png "Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu (NES)") |
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2004
2005
2012
Scrolling Beat 'em Ups:
1991.png "Iron Man - Captain America and the Avengers (Arcade)") .png "Zac - PuLiRuLa (FMTowns)") | 1993.png "Jack Slater - Last Action Hero (SNES)") .png "Al - The Peace Keepers (SNES)") |
1994 .png "Ioz - Pirates of Dark Water (SNES)") .png "Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (SNES)") .png "Angus - Stone Protectors (SNES)") |
1995 .png "Mademoiselle Lady - Gourmet Sentai Bara Yarou (SNES)") .png "Fujiro Yarai - Renny Blaster (PCE)") |
Fighting Games:
1985
.png "Oolong - Yie Ar Kung-Fu (Arcade)")
1992
.png "Grimrock - Doomsday Warrior (SNES)")
1993
.png "Shadow Yamoto - Eternal Champions (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Luisa - Dangerous Streets (CD32)")
.png "Kotono - Tuff E Nuff (SNES)")
1994
.png "Mike Haggar - Saturday Night Slam Masters (SNES)")
.png "Kris Shiratori - Seifuku Densetsu Pretty Fighter (SNES)")
1995
.png "Superman - Justice League Task Force (Genesis/Mega Drive)")
.png "Kung-Fu Bunny - Brutal: Above the Claw (32X)")
1985
1992
1993
1994
1995
Batman Games:
Castlevania Games:
Mario Games:
Spider-Man Games: