What if Blade Runner were an arcade game?

In this pixel art concept-to-completion, I interpret the classic Cyberpunk-Noir film "Blade Runner" into an arcade game, inspired by the look of 'Ninja Commando' for the NEO•GEO. Throughout the creation of the mock-up, I share the workflow involved in creating character sprites, environmental designs and perspective, and a few finishing touches!
Music during artwork reveal: “Jet Cruiser” by Taytaytazer Music
open.spotify.com/artist/4EvZn...
/ taytaytazer
Saultoons
/ saultoons
/ saultoons
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0:00 Introduction
0:50 Planning for the arcade look
1:56 Deckard sprite
5:13 HUD and Lettering
7:51 Portrait
9:00 Sidewalk and Road
10:29 Parking Meters
11:22 The Bradbury
15:40 Neon and glow effects
16:41 Leon Kowalski sprite
17:53 Rain
18:43 FINAL ARTWORK
19:22 Finishing Touches
20:08 CRT Time
20:55 VID OVER
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Check out my art here:
/ brandonjamesgreer
/ bjgpixel
► SHOP: rdbl.co/bjgpixel
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Software used: Adobe Photoshop (CS6)
Need help picking a pixel art program? Watch this: • What Program to use fo...
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Title sequence theme music by Failpositive:
www.failpositive.bandcamp.com/
/ failpositiv
Chiptune music by mcguy215/Concrete Castles:
www.fiverr.com/mcguy215
/ mcguy215
Other music featured throughout this video was obtained from the KZbin Audio Library.

[@bolson42]

I love how well this pixel art style complements with the movie itself. The movie was made in the recent past which is about our present time (the future of the past), and the pixel art is a modern reimagining of the retro style from years before.

[@BJGpixel]

Thanks, that's such a great way to contextualize it! :D

[@bolson42]

@@BJGpixel wow thanks for replying!! I love your art so much!!

[@jonathanharding5103]

Sometimes I'm more impressed by your graphic design skills than anything else

[@mateussampz]

me too... me too

[@virtuouspleasant9346]

Is there something else featured in these videos outside of that?

[@Selrisitai]

@@virtuouspleasant9346 Pixel art.

[@dialog_box]

14:56 i'm sorry this is just magical to watch. my man just casually turns a flat blob into a perfectly believable 3D object with an intricate design so fast. i love it

[@2lowfatmilk606]

If this were a real game, i would play the heck out of it.

[@thatsockspanda9073]

Game sorry

[@thatsockspanda9073]

Can u see my comment,

[@bunnyninjaface]

@@thatsockspanda9073 pardon?

[@thatsockspanda9073]

@@bunnyninjaface nothing my KZbin glitched

[@2lowfatmilk606]

@@thatsockspanda9073 yeah i couldn't see your comment mate, it said i had 4 replys but i didn't see anything. Same thing happened to me a couple weeks ago.

[@AndreTheBarbadian]

You always make this process so easy man. Would love to see your take on anything from the Grand Theft Auto realm be it the top down or the 3-d era. Keep up the good work.

[@cabben7310]

This is some of your best work yet, it's just gorgeous. There's so much effort and care put into it, you can really tell that you're a big fan of the film. On top of that there's just so much to learn from this and your other videos as an artist in general, not just for pixel work. This is why it makes my day every time you put out a new video

[@BJGpixel]

Ah thanks so much, this comment made MY day! :D

[@saultoons]

Wow, you absolutely nailed this! The subtle colour variation in the pavement/streets is something that can easily not be thought about, but it gives it so much more life. I would play this in a heartbeat. The blob process too! 😆 How did you find that? You got the shape of Deckards coat down really well. It's cool to see the evolution from blob to final character, it reminds me of Pokemon when the character sprite at the start reduces in size to the game sprite. But in reverse? :D Thanks for the shoutout too, not necessary at all man but I appreciate it! Always impressed with your art skill and knowledge, a real inspiration😀

[@BJGpixel]

Thanks so much dude! It was almost a relief to do a piece with a higher colour count than I normally would, because it made it easier to decide to keep layering on different colours and details :D And yeah I think the blob was the right thing to do here, glad we had that discussion right before I started this! Because of the perspective, it was kind of about laying down the best approximation first, and then continuing to reshape to find the correct angle on the sprite. Very funny to see Deckard's pokemon evolution throughout the timelapse 😂

[@saultoons]

@@BJGpixel I know what you mean about freedom, but sometimes I still struggle when there are palettes with a lot of colours, I end up going crazy with the amount of choice and add too much haha, but all of your decisions turned out great here! I think the use of blending layers is really interesting too. Can be really nice for adding glow and subtle effects that make so much difference as you've shown. Yeah, it was really interesting watching how you sculpted the character out of the original blob, like watching your decision making in real-time (or sped up at least haha). I'm planning to try your stick approach in a future piece, INSPIRED!! :D

[@BJGpixel]

@@saultoons Totally, I tend to prefer small palettes because there's also fun about trying to find solutions with a higher level of restriction lol. Haha ooh good luck with the other approach, looking forward to that! #TeamStick 😅

[@Alttavus]

A more in-depth breakdown/analysis of how different blending modes work and how they can be used in pixel art specifically would be really cool to see in the future! :)

[@nithen8179]

Dude your work is more amzing than ever!!

[@ThePixelExpedition]

I love having my morning coffee on the weekend watching your work. I get into a trance! This is insanely good. I love Blade Runner and you captured it perfectly! Absolutely phenomenal stuff!

[@BJGpixel]

Thanks so much dude, happy to hear that and honoured to be part of the weekend routine! :D

[@Holgast]

That transparency + dissolve blend on the rain layer is a GAME CHANGER! I will absolutely use this! Thank you for the awesome tip!

[@lymx4604]

Pixel art + Blade runner = Perfection ! Love this piece

[@CKTDanny]

That dissolve trick on the rain was so clever! Dissolve has always been one of those blending modes I never really thought much of but seeing it used for pixel art in this way has definitely changed my perspective on it 😱 The final piece came out so great! I feel like the subtle horizontal glows give it a cinematic or "anamorphic" kind of look which is really neat, especially for a format like an arcade game ✨

[@BJGpixel]

Haha yeah it's almost as if Dissolve is made with pixel art in mind in a way; sometimes you need that random spray can effect 😅 Thanks for noticing the horizontal glows! Felt like a neat way to introduce something cinematic like moving light or lens flare type of idea into a static piece! :D

[@CKTDanny]

@@BJGpixel Haha right? Any yeah they totally look like the stretched lens flares you'd get from anamorphic lenses. Such a cool look and esp fitting for a cyberpunk/Blade Runner piece! 🤩

[@TheBushdoctor68]

Holy crap, this captures the atmosphere of Blade Runner so well. It's gorgeous! This is giving the old Lucasart games a run for their money! Ever considered making a retro point-and-click graphic adventure game? Something like The Dig, Indiana Jones, or Monkey Island?

[@Rynax-]

That was amazing! I didn't think CRT Time could get any more perfect, but then you added rain sounds! :D

[@roncash7640]

Marvelous! Blade Runner is one of my all-time favorite movies. In fact, all movies based on Philip K. Dick works are classics. . .🤩😎💯

[@aburamegirl8267]

This is just so cool

[@justben2305]

You should post your finished work on r/pixel art. Everything you do is so amazing, and your teaching as well helps so much!

[@paolonino221]

he does

[@justben2305]

@@paolonino221 Dope, I guess I just miss them whenever I browse it.

[@toastsandwich9928]

This is amazing work, keep it up. I think it would be cool if you made a bob ross styled pixel art, let me know what you think

[@crystanubis]

The Mononoke one's got plenty of happy little trees.

[@pinkajou656]

Oh my gosh yes!!!!

[@thatsockspanda9073]

Can u see my comment

[@gamedevmanti4578]

Great stuff! Love the grungy detailing, and how those extra blended glow layers really sell the neon atmosphere of the film. It's also refreshing to see somebody going into more depth with a piece using more than a couple of colour steps. Most videos of art with this level of detail are usually silent timelapses with no narration.

[@thatsockspanda9073]

Can u see my comment I'm not a bot pls reply

[@BJGpixel]

Thanks dude! Had a lot of fun letting loose with all the layering and effects 😀 The level of detail (colour steps etc) was also more than I use in most pieces, so I'm glad it could share a bit of info on - still something I've gotta keep exploring also!

[@yourlocalpoobrain3899]

@@thatsockspanda9073 why do you want to get seen bot

[@thatsockspanda9073]

@@yourlocalpoobrain3899 I got shadowbanned

[@thatsockspanda9073]

@@yourlocalpoobrain3899 and my pfp and name were INVIS

[@awizard72]

i guess i must have missed this video when it came out, but this has to be my favorite piece you've done so far. every detail is so refined, you never fail to impress!

[@flikkie72]

We need a pixelart museum with concept art like this 😍

[@BearlyRegal]

I stumbled on this channel just a few days ago...and I haven't stopped watching. I'm especially fond of this video because 1) Blade Runner is nothing short of amazing, 2) I *really* want this to be a real game and 3) it was published on my birthday which is kinda cool :) Keep up the great work!

[@joscharadaj6735]

4:45 - "Pixel Rick" :D I see what you did there. Awesome Video as always.

[@yourlocalpoobrain3899]

I'm Pixel Rick, yeah

[@diegomedeiros4671]

I never watched the movie. This really look a very good and rendered game. The after effect really add to the image. The montage going from the black blob from the character to the whole picture is always entertainment to look at. The music in the reveal also was pretty good. I also was mind blowed for the rain. I never saw that layer effect used like that. The font on the CRT was really good too. Amazing peace, one of my favorites

[@jad4945]

Holy crap, the way you modified those letters in "press start" was nuts!

[@svenhegenmusic]

~16:30 when you're working with blending modes, make sure to not use the opacity but the fill slider. the math behind those two is different and Fill usually results in a more pleasing way.

[@BJGpixel]

Interesting, I'll have to give that a shot - thanks for the tip! :D

[@svenhegenmusic]

@@BJGpixel No worries. I do have to say, the differences on a small resolution might of course be more subtile, especially with a limited color palette. And for some blending modes like Multiply you might not really be able to spot the difference, but I would recommend it as a genereal approach for all blending modes. The difference is most notable on modes like Hard Mix and Color Dodge. If you wanna find out more about it, try blending two high res photos and play around with Opacity and Fill.

[@SethKotta]

I'm really digging this. Now I want something Bubblegum Crisis inspired...

[@BJGpixel]

Thanks, and that's a fantastic idea! :D

[@curlitogr]

Not sure how or why, but suddenly I want to see a LOTR pixel art game concept designed by you.

[@mauvepicard9979]

How the heck are you so good????? I've been watching your videos for a while now, and you never cease to amaze me!

[@ulrickai]

Maaaannn. This is so sick. You can really feel the Blade Runner vibe from the image. At the start I was honestly wondering if going for a more natural, darker color palette would have worked better but by the end I was so much more drawn in to it with the coloring you did use. I also love that you mention so many coloring and lighting techniques. It helps out so much. Another amazing work and major plus points just because it's Blade Runner inspired~

[@twostepghouls]

That trick for the rain had my jaw on the floor

[@jthomas6080]

Wow that turned out great. We need a blade runner 2049 one more. Maybe the car in the ocean or him in the steps in the snow

[@virtuouspleasant9346]

Complete this and just call it *Bladegunner* . Perfect!

[@pixelartgamergirl]

Hear! Hear! 🙉

[@simonkemeid]

I love that you explain every little step you took. Your videos are invaluable for anyone interested in all the subtleties of creative process.

[@QuintenKilborn]

This is amazing. I love seeing the glow lines/neon effects in the final image, really made it feel cyberpunk

[@QuintenKilborn]

Also this image looks absolutely PERFECT in CRT time

[@javisartdesign]

really cool concept! Like to see morre of these these mockups

[@Hi-tg3xf]

Oh man this is just too cool! I've been waiting for a Blade Runner game! Someone has to make this a reality

[@Viremind]

The silent outro being broken up only by the rain gave me chills

[@grill_dad]

What a perfect idea for a game. Wish this had been released on Genesis

[@RaendyLeBeau]

19:12 - its looking fantastic!! This is insanely good. You captured it perfectly! 👍👍👍

[@RhumpleOriginal]

I thought there was a limit to the love I have for your ideas. This was an overload

[@ChristopherAOBoyle]

Great piece and even greater video! Awesome work here can't wait to see more!

[@ObsidianContraption]

Nice scene! I feel an honorable mention for a game inspired by blade runner is Flashback, esp the city levels where you chase down replicants

[@prof_nobody]

The CRT addition to these is just stupidly annoyingly awesome.

[@Pspnky]

This video series has alot of potential

[@Holdsworthands]

dang one of your best works! it looks extra amazing on the crt, i specially love the way you rendered the pillars

[@SnowheadBlitz]

Ooooooooo so preeettyyyyy

[@yaninyunus]

Best one so far, love it 😍

[@mebamme]

This is the best thing you've made in a while. Love the color scheme!

[@Yumaja]

Awesome work as usual!

[@grayfaux_]

Awesome glow effects

[@keithkarnage]

Best video yet! Great work man. I would love to see that look in a playable game.

[@jallomoth]

completely knocked it out of the park once again man, totally insane work and edited in such a professional way!

[@WB-zr7pq]

Snatcher pretty much was blade runner as a video game, Kojima often was "inspired" for his games. Worth checking out.

[@PixelRocket]

Excellent work! I love seeing your process. I think you nailed the aesthetic!

[@bartbazaz]

You really nailed this one! Aesome work

[@asher3311]

id love to see a video like this about the sprites in pokemon black and white

[@j.vonhogen9650]

This is amazing! I'm really impressed by your talent! You must have a lot of experience and self-confidence to be able to screen capture the entire process from start to finish without making any mistake. Thanks a lot for the great video! B.t.w. I loved that old point-and-click Blade Runner game, since it had the exact same atmosphere as in the movie, and it had the original Blade Runner music in the background. It somehow felt like an open world with all the famous locations from the movie featured in the game. It felt like an interactive movie.

[@katachiaudio]

awesome piece of pixel art, love your videos

[@Clouron]

Ah man, my OCD pushes me to mention that the "E" in LIFE and TIME have an unmatching pixel on the tip of the middle "arm" haha apart from that: you are quickly becoming a youtube reference in what comes to pixel art AND graphic design for me! Keep making each video better than the last!!

[@BJGpixel]

Haha oh no! That's what I get for not copy/pasting those outline pixels 😂 Went back and changed it in the original file, since I'll still post to social media eventually 👍 It's nice to know you are paying attention to every square that goes down, thanks for your support! :D

[@kevinbatdorf]

I can’t unsee it now :D

[@cimmeriabastardsword]

The future is in the past! Outstanding work!

[@simongregory9198]

This might be my favourite video of yours yet.

[@msx80]

Such a masterpiece!

[@dschuno]

I love your work and this one is really fantastic!

[@P.i.p.a.]

sos muy bueno hermano! es un placer verte trabajar y como llegas a cada resultado, todo parece salirte muy naturalmente, pero claro q se nota todo el trabajo q hay detras, gracias por compartirlo con los demas!

[@tuna5305]

I didn't know so much work and consideration goes into making and selecting fonts. It makes me wonder about the design choices of this KZbin font I'm writing in right now.

[@backflipsimmons]

This turned out beautifully. When you were creating Leon it also made me realize Star Fox completely ripped him off, but iguana.

[@3pFreakillz]

Your talent is just amazing!

[@nuclear-meltdown]

Awesome, as usual

[@richmoney9348]

Great work!

[@skope2055]

amazing work!

[@jeromealday614]

Great work

[@promania8956]

This looks awesome

[@pixelfingers]

Love this!

[@aneoms]

I would play this 10/10! Love your work, man! Keep up the good work. -Much Love, from Pakistan

[@MatthewArringtonphoto]

Stunning work! As Blade Runner is one of my favorite films of all time, I’m a bit biased, but this is my favorite of your works so far! You really captured the ambiance and mood of the film and I love all of the little details from the Bradbury building and even the care you went into with the fonts. I would love to buy a print of this and hope that’s something you’ll put on your store soon. Also, I’d be interested to see your take on BR 2049 as well! Keep up the amazing work!

[@punolee]

That's so cool! I would love to see you do an Akira mockup!

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

Nice work, this feels very much like something I would have been hyped to see in an arcade as a kid. If you do a console Blade Runner game though, I feel like it should be a story heavy RPG.

[@alexbossgcity8883]

So amazing

[@ilpesto554]

Insanely good woork❤️

[@chickkensalad]

You're an absolute master. Holy smokes.

[@parinamais]

this is the best channel on youtube

[@tarquinnff3]

Amazing.

[@brandonjacksoon]

Blade Runner - Awesome Movie! I agree with you, Brandon! Always best youtube content, Thank you!

[@BJGpixel]

Thanks Brandon! Have been wanting to do a full Blade Runner piece like this for so long, happy to finally get it made! :D

[@CannibalKats]

nice work!

[@spacerpunk]

I NEED to play this.

[@TonyTylerDraws]

I've been wanting to make a cyberpunk game for awhile, and was looking at side scrollers. Hadn't thought about a top down arcade style. This looks fantastic. I can even imagine the Spinner levels where you blow up flying cars and drones.

[@BJGpixel]

Ooh that would be so cool! Yeah this top-down would be a really interesting format for a cyberpunk scroller :D

[@TonyTylerDraws]

@@BJGpixelI just found GDevelop….so maybe I will!

[@mateuszpatua3016]

omg 😍 I've never hit the notification so fast, I love Blade Runner (tbh, I didn't watch this movie until November 2019 - funnily enough, the action of the movie is set in November 2019 - I was pretty shocked when I'd learned that 🤯, cause I'd postponed watching it a few times, and now I'm waiting until 2049 to watch the sequel 😂😂)

[@TOOFUTURETV]

Impressive, most impressive. 😎

[@manplusguitar]

Beautiful work, especially the lighting. I always thought Shadowrun on the SNES was the closest thing to a Blade Runner game. 😁

[@innominatebeing]

Im hooked on your work, absolutly fantastic. wish i could do some myself but i dont have a drawing pad, photoshop with a mouse is a lil weird to say the least.

[@browsermage]

Looks great, I do think the gun looked more like a knife in the end from stage 6 to 7. Great skills :)

[@BJGpixel]

Haha it does kinda look like a knife - I guess he really is a *BLADE* Runner! 👈😄👈

[@browsermage]

@@BJGpixel haha daddy jokes

[@Cryptozoology]

I want a game in your art style!

[@MG-mh8xp]

god that crt time is WHY I FUCKING LOVE PIXEL ART AHHHHH

[@Jellyjam14blas]

Epic :)

[@ErnoSallinen]

Amazing! You have got to get a PVM for CRT Time, these would look so sweet on one :)

[@BJGpixel]

Would love that, have definitely kept an eye on eBay from time to time 😅

[@ErnoSallinen]

@@BJGpixel If you’re on Facebook, I recommend joining a group called The CRT Collective, if you’re not already a member. There’s a lot of good info there :) Keep up the great work!

[@RhumpleOriginal]

Came back to this. That pillar is sexy

[@complexitysimplyfied]

Great

[@dimitreze]

15:36 the left side of the marquee where it touches the building should be skewed like the other lines on the building also you should see the front of the marquee since you can see the front of the building great drawing nonetheless

[@vindictive5149]

I mean he literally mentions that it was a design choice and he acknowledges that it looks goofy. Having made the choice to paint the pillar in that perspective you'd either have the marquee look goofy against the pillar vs the building. He chose the latter.

[@dimitreze]

@@vindictive5149 yes, I watched the video or do you think I randomly leave comments on youtube hoping it makes sense one day?

[@jonboy150279]

@@dimitreze Did you watch the video on mute then?

[@mikeuk666]

@@dimitreze commented before watching more like then looking silly

[@GeahkBurchill]

I was gonna mention the same thing