Feathr: The NES

This was my last year my Feathr design that payed homage to classic game Zelda. This year I hope to expand that. There were many things I would have liked to have explored within pattern making on a topic i'm so passionate about. I spoke about admiring the visuals and colour palettes found in the games of the 90s and yet did not explore that to its full potenial. This year I would like to explore this theme more in depth and create a series of bright, patterned wallpapers that pays its respects to the brilliant visuals and design direction of 90s games.

This time, I began by looking into the aesthetics shapes and specifically colours within this time era of gaming. There is such a nostalgic feel toward theres colours and icons. This time around, I'd really like to capture that. Last year I focused on the approachability of it, watering it down to look more commercial, but i'd really like to play up the colours and keep the original inspiration strong.

So the console, i'll be focusing on is the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). It came to Europe in 1986 and was the best selling console of it's time. It was released after the "video game crash" of the early 1980s, in which many retailers believed that electronic games were merely a passing fad, with many believing the NES would be the same. There were many iconic game franchises that began on the NES and it's hardware limitations led to a style of game design that still strongly influence video game creation and culture. Some of said important franchises were Nintendo's own Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. Capcom's Mega Man franchise, Konami's Castlevania franchise, Square's Final Fantasy and Enix's Dragon Quest franchises. All of these still exist today.