Ray and I are both excited to bring you the very first Pixel Vision Adventures comic! We’ve talked for a long time about bringing in original characters that we have total creative control over. A few months ago we realized that with Lace, Ray’s creation for his 2005 album Pixel Vision, we already had just that! I proposed to Ray that we use Lace in different scenarios that poke fun at aspects of retro gaming (or gaming in general). Using an original creation, we have the flexibility of parodying any game, franchise, or genre without using those specific characters. I’m sure we’ll find Lace in many interesting scenarios in the future. Anyway, we hope you enjoy this comic!
This comic series is finally giving me the opportunity to update my ideas from 2005, and solidify my vision for Lace and her Land of Videogames. I’ve never had so many ideas for her game flow out as I did during the creation of this comic, and many of them I knew simply shouldn’t be used yet. We have a lot planned for this little heroine, and I’m pleased to be a part in the epic battle between Lace and Anti-Alias.
“Wow! Incredible!” SSBB Announcer
But I have to say, this is very impressive. The level design reminds me of Super Paper Mario, World 3, if I recall correctly. Anyway, I look forward to seeing more of Lace’s adventures!
Lace! I love Lace! Great job, Ray! Now we know what the Pixelvision game will look like, instead of just being stuck visualizing it by the music.
Great comic guys. Totally liking the idea you are bringing forth with Lace, and I hope to see many awesome adventures involving Ace, and maybe some other characters from games we all know and love.
Oops, sorry. Didn’t mean to double-post. I didn’t think that the first comment had been submitted, so I changed it a little, but the first one showed up then. And now it won’t let me edit! I feel ashamed and embarrassed now. I’m going to go hide in the corner.
Blah, blah, blah
The question is, when does this get licensed to Capcom for development of a new WiiWare title based on the overwhelming success of the comic?
Took me a few seconds to get the joke, but good one. I’ve never seen this joke before, even though it’s an astoundingly basic observation.
Hooray for untapped material.
I was a bit unsure about your decision to make Lace a 2P Start character, but this comic shows a very familiar scene that is not connected to a specific franchise. I honestly can’t even remember a time I actually came across this kind scenario. I just know that I have.
If you keep using her in comics about video game clichés that don’t have a memorable example linked to them, you should be golden.
Very nice. I look forward to this wandering from the normal 2pStart formula. Always nice to mix things up.
Between this and the original music video, Lace’s 2D world looks amazing! I love the energy the colors and design radiate.
But even more interesting is the character of Lace herself. Her over-the-top design, hyperactive movement, and non-exploited gender really bring back the nostalgia of the era when the most popular games were colorful, upbeat, and far removed from the seriousness of gritty realism.
If Pixel Vision Adventures did exist as a game, it would certainly be as radical as it would be seizure inducing.
5 stars, simple as that. ncg.
I do like the idea and set up for a Lace game…
Although I do fear that once the series will have to take it’s inevitable leap into 3-D it will suffer in quality…
I really like the action frame. The background and silhouette really have beautiful contrast. Well done, guys!
So, is this the (un)official comic of the official game? Will it add more characters like the Saturday morning cartoon and try mish-mashing it into the game cannon? (Man I hated that about the Archie Sonic Comics..) great comic guys, Lance looking hot as ever, and a new character for the 2p Start universe…(made by intelligent design). The only thing left is for me HAVING A CAMEO!
I will eat 50 muffins
I never have much to say about the comics though they’re always spiffy so NCG…or actually SCG. 😀 I’m going to use that now. Also the level she’s in looks very much like the Bitlands from Super Paper Mario.
This comic used to be good….
Now it’s great! 😀
It took me a second to get the punch line, but this comic is great. Hope for more Lace!!
Do you think Tim and Ray will meet Lace? Or are they playing the game? 0_o
I like this idea. Pretty cool old school stuff going on there. Classic platforming always shines and makes a comeback.
please disregard how I misspelled ‘Lace’ as ‘Lance’ in my earlier post…
See? someone else thinks it is a good idea..
Nice comic! Though, I can’t rate it for some reason… the stars aren’t showing up…
Is she supposed to not have eyes? I’m not saying it looks bad, I was just wondering.
ncg im serious ray u really should make a game out of this
Funny thing, I was listening to Pixel Vision when I saw the comic. NCG. Is she in the flower level? Liked how you called it “Mission” 1. Flameboy/flower level is the best song on Pixel Vision. Hope to see another Pixel Vision comic soon, but not all in a row. One month of pure Pixel Vision might get old.
Hmm… Interesting… Will this become a regular thing, maybe once a month or is this just a one-time-only story arc?
I really like the art style, but… that’s about it.
You know I thought that 15 muffins so I will have to up it so I will have to up it to 100 muffins, a new born puppy, and Tims first child ( if he ever has one). Remember Tim I will be waiting.
Gotta love that intelligent design.
Yea I really don’t get the joke here? Man I feel like an idiot right now. Now I am going to go get dysentery and die.
Don’t worry, once the series hits HD it’ll use a retro cel-shaded look.
Here.
Intelligent design is a controversial topic regarding creation vs. evolution. Applied to video games, of course all games are designed (hopefully intelligently), but Lace wouldn’t know she’s in a video game. To her, the perfect placement of the enemies for her to proceed points to Intelligent Design.
Awesomeness!
But I have one question:
Shouldn’t Lace be drawn out of pixels?
Or would that just make it way too hard?
This comic comes at an appropriate time for me, as I’ve been playing a lot of Sonic The Hedgehog lately and this situation has come up about 100 times in the past three days.
CELL SHADING!!!!
AUG!
It’s too kiddy and cute and even though the game is awesome I hate it!!!!
Bingo. Sonic is notorious for doing this (in 3D games). I hate how the enemies actually HELP Sonic. I’m always thinking, “Gee, if they weren’t there, Sonic would just die.” It really takes you out of the game when it’s done so often.
Yup. The punchline practically made the comic for me without getting it at first, because I’ve been doing a lot with that particular topic as of late, so it was kinda funny to actually hear it with some humor for once. XD
I didn’t get the comic at first, though i liked seeing lace since i just listened to teh soundtrack for the first time yesterday and am listening to it again as i post this. The boss music is really catchy. Good joke (once i got it) and awesome comic overall.
Sorry to double post but i just noticed the logo. Great job on the logo. NCALG!
I’m…. just not feeling it. I get the joke. I think the oversized first panel is what sort of drags it down for me. Sorry…
*runs off into Zbrush again*
Meh, this one wasn’t great, but I’m looking forward to see how this is used in the future. I think it’s a great idea, and I like the artwork.
I thought the same thing…that was one of the better levels in that game.
Hey, don’t be hatin’ on Wind Waker!
http://www.toytokyo.com/productImages/8935_1.jpg
^Look him in the eyes and tell him you hate him!
I hate you!
Just downloaded the album a few days ago too. Sounds just as great as this looks. Do you think the multi-part theme will be frequent or infrequent?
I don’t really know what to say…You guys are always saying you want the comic to be simple, but this one is a bit…I don’t know, it just seems like the punchline could have been more clear.
Good comic, took me awhile at first, but very clever when I understood it.
If you mean more annoying then yes. I remember severely disliking that level…especially the tree. It didn’t get good until you actually got to Francis’ Fort. The Underwhere was the best level.
I agree. NCALG!
That was awesome! Somebody make a flash game for Lace!
I forgot the tree was part of that, I mostly remembered Francis’ Fort, which is what I was referring to as one of the better levels.
The first panel is more like a cover of a comic book than a panel, giving the reader a peek into what is to come, pulling them into the world and making them want to go deeper into it.
Why do online comics need covers anyway? It is not like they actually protect the ‘pages’ inside like real ones do
it gives the comic a style. almost a preview of whats to come.
This is comic number 103, yes?
I went through the archives, and found 4 comics not drawn by Ray (3 guest strips, and Tim’s take). So that means that next comic will, in a way, be comic 100. Comic 100 by Ray, at least. That means you still need to make it REALLY awesome! =D
NCG, but instead of doing a 2pstart live this week, you guys should do a Pixel Vision Radio drama.
Most excellent. Might 2P Start! be the first gaming webcomic to follow in the footsteps of Penny Arcade and actually get a game published?? Time will tell… fans can hope…
Wow. What?
I have enjoyed all of the 2P Start comics so far, up to this one.
I don’t understand what the orange thing is.
I don’t know what the purple things are.
Where are they at?
Why?
I’d like a little more comic and a little less ‘gameplay.’
No offense, but this poking fun at “those times when you can’t figure out how to jump this but then the things come up to jump on” doesn’t work for me.
In brief: Look at comment 27 where Tim explains the joke. Though frankly I’m amazed that it needs explaining at all.
In not-so-brief:
Game levels are full of stupid things that would make no sense in the real world. Things like
Doors that need to be shot with missiles to get through (metroid)
Corridors that lead nowhere and serve no purpose (most FPSs)
Monsters who live in hidden cupboards just waiting to attack (Doom 3)
and so on.
Of course they’re all there because the designer doesn’t need to worry about real-world practicalities when building a level. He knows that you’re going to be playing as someone with a rocket launcher on their arm so using it to open doors is entirely sensible.
But think about it from the perspective of living inside that game. These things would all be really odd to say the least.
Even if the levels and enemies themselves aren’t weird enough, surely the lack of reaction from the game characters is!
So the comic represents a living character inside a game which has been designed like most games – badly. Because the character isn’t designed by the same creator they don’t have an in-built acceptance of the illogical world they inhabit.
The comedy is therefore two-fold:
1. The punch-line with the play on the creationist viewpoint – ironic in this case because the reader knows full well that the enemies were indeed designed for the express purpose of being a living platform.
2. The final panel reveal that the character is not actually behaving as a part of the game world, but is instead using real-world thinking about illogical, fantasy world rules.
Anyway, now that the joke has been thoroughly spoiled by over explanation I’m going to go and point out to some kids that Santa can’t physically exist.
Ciao.
Oh, and on the art design. I like the fuzzy pixels around the enemies. Are they significant of the influence of Anti-Alias?
WHAT???
Anyway do you mean the story that goes like “to bear Santa’s weight the reindeers need to go at x velocity” etc.? That’s awesome.
Also about how he needs to go at x speed in order to visit every house, so long as he only spends x seconds at each house, which is impossible… blah blah blah..
Stuff like that.
And yes, it’s awesome. =D
I always thought that was stupid in Sonic games, especially in Sonic Heroes, where enemies would be in a perfect line to get you to an otherwise unreachable platform. Anyways, nice comic guys.
If it was intelligent design, then wouldn’t they evolve to NOT get killed?
No.
In evolution the creatures most likely to succeed tend to do better. It doesn’t mean you evolve to not be killed (or lions would die out because they couldn’t eat any more)
Intelligent design actually claims that evolution is a lie and that creatures were designed by an exterior intelligence – a God. So intelligently designed creatures don’t have to make any sense, they were just made that way by someone.
That fifth frame is gorgeous. Wallpaper plz?
I must say, on the last podcast, that was evil at the Black Doom award.
What did I do?
I love the punchline! Totally unexpected. (And very relevant to February’s media onslaught!) Thanks. …..Plus, I love how your bold button works, especially since it uses the proper “strong” HTML! Rock on! heheheheh
Re: FluffyPanda
<blockquoteIn evolution the creatures most likely to succeed tend to do better.
Actually, that’s Natural Selection, which has been empirically observed. Neither the Intelligent Design nor Evolution model of origins has ever been empirically observed. (ID model being an uncaused non-material mind causing the material effect of life; E model being the gradual changing of primitive species into different, advanced species (with a general assumption that spontaneous generation–abiogensis–is naturally possible after all).) My definition only deals with “life,” but there are corresponding cosmological definitions, too.)
You got this statement very right.
Well, that’s just silly. That would be a definition of UNintelligent design! Any good scientist will admit that there are still things we don’t quite understand. (The difference between evolutionists and creationists, however, tend to go along these lines, if they’re consistent: evolutionist sees organ s/he can’t explain, Oh, this must be vestigial for a purpose I can no longer observe (or it’s an anomaly with no purpose at all); creationist sees organ s/he can’t explain, Oh, I must not be able yet to observe God’s purpose for this. On a slightly related note, scientists just keep on finding present uses for all those pesky “vestigial” organs–meaning they had a use that simply wasn’t yet observed in the past, and meaning they’re not vestigial at all. Hm!)
HEY!! I remember Lace!! 😀
I lost your stuff, Ray, when my HD died so I’m sad 🙁
This weird ‘page bouncing up when I submit a comment’ thing is wwweeeirrdd…
is pixel vision a real game? where can I get it?
Aaaw…I thought that was an actual game that I hadn’t heard of before and it looked really fun to play. Then I read your comments and it turns out its just your own fake one. I was really dissapointed. : (
I would totally play this.
Combo!