Creatures 1 from the Real World to the Screen
Written onThere is something that has always appealed to me in the Creatures 1 background. The palette of colors, which is capped at just 256, feels warm and inviting. There are endless objects and surprises around every corner: Take a close look! One of the more iconic spots of the world is actually the settlement. This was always one of the most interesting places to me, and I imagined what the Shee might have been up to in these rooms. Yet there is an even bigger story that many players may not be aware of, and that involves the origin of the background. Hand-drawn? Rendered by a graphic program? Actually, the majority of Albia was crafted in real life before it made its way onto the screen!
The wonderful Centre for Computing History, located in Cambridge, joined us in celebrating the 20th anniversary with a new feature! The museum is home to the main background model of Creatures 1, and some beautiful new closeups can be seen on this dedicated page. Take a look at the first image from within the game and compare it to this view of the physical model. Pretty awesome! It’s great to know that this piece of Creatures history is currently being preserved by an organization dedicated to computing history, and delivering related education to the next generation. If I was remotely close, I imagine that I would dedicate an entire day to marveling over this intricate piece of art that’s so integral to the memory of Creatures. Thanks again to the Centre for Computing History for this special surprise, and for keeping this display safe for all to enjoy!
Second Image Credited to the Centre for Computing History
Now that’s cool!
It was amazing to see some new views even after all this time! This process has to be one of the neatest I’ve ever read about, at least in terms of how a video game background was crafted. It’s real art, and I think it turned out beautifully. This is how you make a cool game with an interesting history!
Wooow that was a bird and nest the whole time wasn’t it. It’s so amazing the extra details in this.
I know what you mean… Seeing the real model helps me figure out what some of those tiny details really are! I really think I would be that person who would look at this for an entire day. Maybe it’s a good thing I can’t visit it anytime soon! Ha ha!