Okay, so there’s a whole bunch of pixel art that I find amazing and well worth checking out.
Nonetheless, there’s one thing I am quite fed up with, and that’s the perceived intrinsic association between “indie games” and “pixel art” (include “art games”, if you will and do find that iffy category valid). For some reason, the growing tendency has been for such experimental projects to be resolved in this form.
While some people use it well, all too often I feel the choice of pixel art is haphazard at best, and usually it’s just pretentious. I cannot escape the thought that many developers fancy pixel art because of the nostalgia effect it may induce on the player, rather than use it because it’s technically and aesthetically preferable to do so.

The Spirit Engine 2, by Mark Pay. Good pixel art.
I understand it is, in many cases, a knee-jerk reaction from those who fastidiously lash at the AAA industry, and try to run in the exact opposite direction (in terms of both visuals and gameplay) to separate themselves as much as possible from it. So, if EA and UbiSoft are hatching up new state-of-the-art rendering tools, they go back to the most basic and elementary resources available to them.
I don’t think that’s wise, though. It seems unreasonable for me to decide what my options are based on what I don’t like, instead of trying to figure out what my game needs and can be, and then deciding what kind of visuals can make it stand out.
I know many programmers find pixel art much easier to manage. Personal limitations aren’t much excuse, however, when it comes to producing a game. If you can’t draw, find someone who does. There are indie artist that will probably side with your project.
I also know it’s fundamental to prototype something quickly and test the core mechanic before producing “final art” for the game, so pixel art can be more economic in that aspect. Still, I find it odd that once a prototype proves functional and playable, many people don’t seem to try and find a unique voice and identity through its graphics. For example, I would love to see something appealing done with Nidhogg, to match and exacerbate its promising gameplay.
So, unless your game benefits and stands out by being illustrated through pixel art, don’t do it. In the end, it’s all about finding a voices, and some voices just don’t match some bodies.
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