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[redhades]

I always found that the Megaman Legends games had the most beautiful use of low-res textures on polygons.
 
http://www.legends-station.com/mml2/wallpaper/mastermemory0800.jpg
http://www.legends-station.com/motb/wallpaper/colossus0800.jpg
http://www.legends-station.com/motb/wallpaper/harbor0800.jpg
http://www.legends-station.com/motb/wallpaper/farm0800.jpg
http://www.legends-station.com/mml2/wallpaper/serabattle0800.jpg

Seriously, that is some awesome use of limited polycount and textures resolutions.
The artistic direction and character designs seem to fit perfectly with that somehow, especially for the enemy robots.

[Glaiel-Gamer]

Honestly I think that was more of a lack of sufficient technology rather than artistic choice.

[andy wolff]

that does look rather sexy

[The-Imp]

I remember watching my brother play this once! Looking at it now, it does look rather wonderful... Now I wanna try something like this...

[fish]

that kind of stuff is so nice.

makes me want to get back into 3D modeling and do exactly that.

[redhades]

Honestly I think that was more of a lack of sufficient technology rather than artistic choice.

I'd rather use the term "constraints".

Constraints are something every artist has to work with on some level, whether it's imposed by hardware, the media they use or just self-imposed. I'm mostly saying that they did an awesome job at designing things within their constraints.

But looking at this stuff, I get the feeling that these constraints somehow helped the artists to make some stylish and unique choices. As if their stuff didn't just "end up" all blocky and jagged, but almost like it was designed to be pretty blocks and stylish angles.

Or maybe you are saying that this isn't really pixel art because it was not created from self-imposed constraints, but actual technology constraints from that time?

[Loren Schmidt]

Early 3d work is really neat in some ways!

I like the way it tends to resemble pixel art. Because the textures were low resolution and had palette limitations, the artists tended to fall back on pixel art techniques. DOOM and Quake are both this way to different degrees.

Another thing I've noticed is that earlier 3d games tend to have more dramatic shapes in them. Nowadays a lot of buildings are boxy and all the walls are at right angles. In the early days people really wanted to prove how '3d' their games were, and they included all kinds of weird architecture: tilted walls and floors, weird low poly organic shapes, pillars at strange angles. There also tends to be more z-axis to older 3d games (enemies on balconies, bridges over arenas, pits, etc.).

[Inanimate]

I always loved MML's art style, it is fantastic!

[letsap]

I love Mega Man Legends so much. I wanna see pixel art in 3D more often.

[Adamski]

omg the boat in that third link 

[Halcyon]

I love the combination of low poly models with pixel art texturing, then again I just love pixel art whatever the form.

[Bree]

I remember seeing this game in a Babbage's when I was little- remember those? Man... I saw the robot on the back of the box (the one you can see in the third pic), and knew I wanted that game. Sadly, I have still not been able to find a copy. Is it actually any good, and if so, which console should I get it for?

For combining 2D and 3D art... Gitaroo Man, anyone?

EDIT: Something I've been wondering about. I've been modeling in 3d for a little bit, but I want to know if there is some program that allows you to paint textures right onto the model (as opposed to drawing the texture in Photoshop and importing it). If there was, it would make it far easier to achieve a look similar to the games we've been discussing. And if this software doesn't exist, well... anybody wanna make it?

[Inanimate]

Yeah, that is what I dreamed of in one of my game ideas. A 3D model editor, with drawing on the model. I have never heard of anything like that though.

[Pietepiet]

Models like these are incredibly fun to make, and actually not all that hard I love messing around in 3Ds Max and making stuff like this.

[EDIT] @ Matthew: Modo allows you to paint on your model, but sadly you still have to import at least something into the program. I think it would actually be easier to just make something in Photoshop and map it on the model. Takes some getting used to, but after a while unwrapping a model isn't that hard anymore.

There's some excellent stuff like this over at Pixelation, by the way:
http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?PHPSESSID=6a983865e03b4acc30c8e9007e85a5bd&board=17.0

[Core Xii]

I like this and this.

[Pigbuster]

EDIT: Something I've been wondering about. I've been modeling in 3d for a little bit, but I want to know if there is some program that allows you to paint textures right onto the model (as opposed to drawing the texture in Photoshop and importing it). If there was, it would make it far easier to achieve a look similar to the games we've been discussing. And if this software doesn't exist, well... anybody wanna make it?

Doesn't Photoshop CS4 allow that?

Photoshop CS4 features additions such as the ability to paint directly on 3D models, wrap 2D images around 3D shapes, convert gradient maps to 3D objects, add depth to layers and text, get print-quality output with the new ray-tracing rendering engine, and enjoy exporting to supported common 3D formats

[fish]

fuuuuuuuu
this stuff is SO nice.
SO NICE.

if team fortress actually had a mode like that dude's stuff, i could actually play it with a decent framerate!

but mark my words... this kind of stuff is the enxt big thing in indie aesthetic.
its gonna blow up.

[Renton]

but mark my words... this kind of stuff is the enxt big thing in indie aesthetic.
its gonna blow up.

And I think Dock will probably have something to do with that.

[fish]

i cant spell.

[The-Imp]

Not everyone can. And if anyone re-makes a game, someone should try this method for graphics. I could see it working with a lot of games!