Triptych: Mega Mashups

"Work In Progress" by Vincent Bocognani

"Mega Man War Asset" by Burton Durand

"Metroid Man" by 1up Apparel

Showcase: Ty Lettau's 8-Bit NES Cartridges

"The Legend of Zelda"

"Metroid"

"Super Mario Bros."

Ty Lettau is currently one of my favourite pixel artists and these 8-bit NES cartridge designs are a big part of the reason why.

[Ty Lettau's Flickr Page]

Triptych: Screw Attack!

"Hunter's Crest" by Spitfire Illustrations

"Space Jump" (t-shirt) by Jon Kay

"Mona Aran" by Gene Kelly

Triptych: Metroid Eat Brain

"Caution: Metroid Is On The Loose!" by Fluffy Pancakes

"Part of a Balanced Energy Consumption" by Daniel Bressette

"Metroid" by Thiago Krening

Showcase: Campbell Whyte's 8-bit Dream Series

(Click on any of the images for full-size)

Zelda 2: The Adventures of Link, Urban Champion, T&C Surf Designs: Wood & Water Rage

Spy vs. Spy, Spy Hunter, Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt

Rygar, Rush'n Attack, Rampage

Paperboy, Metroid, Metal Gear

Megaman, Maniac Mansion, Legend of Zelda

Kid Icarus, Karnov, Joust

Ikari Warriors 2, Ice Climber, Goonies II

Ghosts and Goblins, Fester's Quest, Faxanadu

ExciteBike, DuckTales, Double Dragon

Donkey Kong, Contra, Castlevania II

Castlevania, Bubble Bobble, Bionic Commando

Adventures of Bayou Billy, Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach, Adventure Island

Browsing through Campbell Whyte's "8-bit Dreams" NES illustrations was an experience rife with intense nostalgia. The images I've selected and shared here are a fraction of the dozens that he's done to date, and I chose these ones specifically because I owned each and every one back in the day. In fact, the first handful of games I had for the Nintendo were Urban Champion, T&C Surf, Bandai Golf, and Adventure Island... Games that I once played with a passion (yes, even Bandai Golf) but haven't even thought about in decades.

Beyond the impressive scope of Campbell Whyte's undertaking (apparently, to illustrate each and every Nintendo game ever produced), what I love about this series is the personality inherent in each piece, borne from an obvious familiarity with these games. If Whyte's goal here was to inspire people to go back and play all of these games for old-time's sake, then he's definitely succeeded.

[Campbell Whyte -
8-bit Dreams]