Looking to the lo-fi aesthetic of 80s and 90s video games for some artistic inspiration, a talented Minecraft player has created a gorgeous pixel art tribute to Mojang Studios’ block-based builder. Already the best-selling video game in history, the blockbuster franchise is set to expand yet again when the strategy-focused spin-off Minecraft Legends releases in April for PC and consoles.
Originally released for PC in late 2011, in just over a decade Minecraft has grown to become one of the largest and most recognizable entertainment properties in the world. With a sprawling media empire that now includes several video games on multiple platforms, card and board games, comics, and even a rumored live-action Minecraft films in the works, it’s hard to understate the reach of Minecraft. The immense popularity of the franchise has led players to produce some incredible Minecraft-inspired fan art over the years in a variety of mediums, from detailed paintings to an impressive 3D-printed Minecraft wolf.
In a new post on the r/Minecraft subreddit, user M178music excitedly showed off a stunning, pixel art Minecraft tribute they’d created. Looking like something straight out of a 1990s adventure game, the gorgeous pixel art creation shows a Minecraft town lit by torches beneath a nighttime sky complete with animated, flickering stars. Even though the image features the limited color palette typically associated with pixel art, viewers can still clearly see the details of the various structures and props in the screenshot. With a blocky visual aesthetic that is already decidedly lo-fi when compared to other popular games, it’s no wonder that Mojang’s sandbox title has inspired so many players to create Minecraft pixel art.
Redditors responding to the post were impressed by the unique pixel art creation, though several comments stated that it looked similar to some of the shaders that were available using the short-lived Super Secret Settings options in previous versions of Minecraft. Responding to these comments, M178music noted that they’d based the image on a screenshot using a pixel art filter, but then went back through to manually fix, repaint, and readjust elements of the image such as the colors and the lighting. Many Minecraft fans were blown away by the finished product, with several commenters stating that they’d love to see a texture pack featuring a similar style.
This charming pixel art creation is sure to create a bit of nostalgia for both long-time Minecraft players and fans of retro gaming in general, and is a great reminder of how wildly creative the Minecraft fan community can be. And for those who feel the urge to dive back into the game’s blocky world after seeing this screenshot, the recently released Camp Enderwood DLC for Minecraft could be the perfect place to find some new artistic inspiration.
Minecraft is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and legacy platforms.