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1[[quoteright:275:[[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mortal_kombat-2_4002.jpg]]]]
2
3When the sprite graphics in a VideoGame are made by conversion of an image created externally (such as a photograph, CGI render, hand-drawn artwork, video feed, etc.) into a sprite, as opposed to the Pixel Art methods typically associated with the creation of videogame sprites. This can actually save a lot of time and effort in the production cycle, but the results are often not as pleasing (particularly when photography is used).
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5This was popular in the TheNineties (MediaNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames) before processing power and tech prices could make UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics practical for home computers and video game consoles. The process could actually make more detailed graphics than many of the early polygon-capable game systems since it was taking more advanced CGI and converting it to 2D images.
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7Also, if a photo is used, it could be anything from RealLife pictures, to actors, to StopMotion (e.g. {{Claymation}} models).
8
9Compare SpritePolygonMix (and can overlap if the sprites or bitmaps are also digitized). Also compare PreRenderedGraphics.
10----
11!!Examples:
12%%
13%% Zero-context examples have been commented out. Please add context before adding them back.
14%%
15
16[[foldercontrol]]
17
18[[folder:Adventure Games]]
19%%* ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest4OpenSeason''
20* Creator/{{Sierra}} used this technique heavily in their '90s adventure games, though the artists would usually [[{{Rotoscoping}} touch up the sprites]] in their paint programs. They did this heavily in games like ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIHeirTodayGoneTomorrow'' but left the sprites largely untouched for the ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' games to fit the series' more naturalistic setting. ''VideoGame/{{Phantasmagoria}}'' also seems to drift back and forth between digitized actor sprites and heavily {{Chroma Key}}ed {{Live Action|Cutscene}}.
21* The Game Boy Advance video game adaptation of ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' uses digitized sprites for player characters and backgrounds.
22* ''VideoGame/TheNeverhood'''s graphics were done using {{claymation}}. The CD includes a "behind-the-scenes" video showing how the claymation and CGI were created.
23* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'' uses actual 3D models almost everywhere, but the wild audience of the Treacherous Tower is pre-rendered, to avoid rendering too many characters in addition to the (already numerous) monsters in the arena with you.
24* ''VideoGame/{{Toonstruck}}'' has sprites for the protagonist Drew Blanc made by filming Creator/ChristopherLloyd in a brown jacket.
25[[/folder]]
26
27[[folder:Beat 'em Up]]
28* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
29** ''VideoGame/MightyMorphinPowerRangersSega'' - The cutscenes for the Genesis and Game Gear versions use these.
30** ''VideoGame/PowerRangersTimeForce'' - The Game Boy Advance version has digitized screenshot scans and promotional art for non-gameplay screens and 3D models for gameplay sprites.
31** ''VideoGame/PowerRangersWildForce'' - Same as above.
32** ''VideoGame/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'' - Same as above.
33** ''VideoGame/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' - Same as above.
34** ''VideoGame/PowerRangersSPD'' - Same as above.
35[[/folder]]
36
37[[folder:Fighting Games]]
38%%* ''Avengers in Galactic Storm''
39%%* The ''VideoGame/BatmanForever'' LicensedGame.
40* ''Battle Monsters'' is another Japanese Mortal Kombat Klone from the same makers of ''Survival Arts'' and likewise they digitize live-action performers.
41* ''VideoGame/ClayFighter'' used actual clay models, ones that in the first and third games were made and animated by [[WesternAnimation/BumpInTheNight Danger Productions]]. This was part of the reason the decision to make it a fighting game was made, feeling the genre's large characters were well-suited to the medium.
42* Creator/{{Taito}}'s ''VideoGame/DinoRex'' has digitized dinosaur models.
43%%* ''VideoGame/JackieChanTheKungFuMaster'', produced at the same time as the movie ''Thunderbolt''.
44* ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' was made using digitized sprites from pre-rendered models and motion capture of character designer Kevin Bayless who modelled some of the moves.
45* The ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' series started out this way, with sprites and animations based on filming live actor performances. Most of the more "monstrous" fighters, such as the Shokan, were made with clay models.
46%%* Certain ''VideoGame/{{MUGEN}}'' characters are like this. A good example of a MUGEN-exclusive character with these would be Dragon Claw.
47%%* ''VideoGame/OneMustFall 2097''
48* Done for the character sprites for ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', according to an interview.
49* ''VideoGame/PitFighter'' used sprites and animations based on filming live actor performances
50* ''VideoGame/PrimalRage'' uses digitized stop-motion figures as sprites.
51* ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheRobots'' uses pre-rendered 3D models.
52%%* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' does this to retain its cartoon style. Every frame of animation is drawn by hand to make digital art, without the assistance of vectors.
53* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterTheMovie'' uses sprites made from live-action actors with the game's attract mode going as far as to promote the cast.
54* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfFury'' uses high-definition sprites of live-action characters, sometimes with a color filter for enemy variants.
55* ''Survival Arts'' is a Japanese Mortal Kombat Klone and similarly used digitized sprites from filming live actors. There are no clone fighters such as Subzero/Scorpion, but the budget was crap so the costumes were often worse than the first Mortal Kombat.
56* ''VideoGame/TattooAssassins'' used sprites and animations based on filming live actor performances
57* ''VideoGame/TwinGoddesses'': Three of the eight fighters are rendered this way. Those being the co-protagonists Nina and Syllin as well as the main antagonist Carmilla. All other fighters are made in a 2D hand-drawn art style.
58* ''VideoGame/WayOfTheWarrior'' used sprites and animations based on filming live actor performances
59* Some of the late-90's WWF arcade games such as ''In Your House'' featured sprites of the actual wrestlers like Wrestling/BretHart and Wrestling/TheUndertaker.
60%%* ''VideoGame/XPerts'' (BeatEmUp SpinOff of ''VideoGame/EternalChampions'')
61* ''The Untouchable'', an obscure Mac game which, much like ''Mortal Kombat'', filmed its actors and digitized them in the game.
62[[/folder]]
63
64[[folder:First Person Shooters]]
65* Some of the monsters from ''VideoGame/{{DOOM}}'' and ''DOOM 2'' were first created as clay, 3D, or latex models which were photographed and then rendered into sprites. In mods, it's common to see weapons from modern 3D games imported into ''Doom'' via the same technique.
66** Likewise with ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' and ''[[VideoGame/ShadowWarrior1997 Shadow Warrior]]''.
67* ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad'' used the Apogee staff in costumes to create the enemies. Tom Hall played the final boss.
68* ''VideoGame/Blood1997'' also used detailed models for all the monsters. More info about the work process can be found [[http://www.the-postmortem.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1181&hilit=clay here]].
69* ''VideoGame/PowerSlave'' used model puppets for monsters in a similar way to Blood.
70* The first ''VideoGame/DarkForces'' game was populated using these. It's easy to tell what's rotoscoped, what's hand-drawn, and what's a digitized render by the light levels of the sprites. Sprites with minimal lighting like those of the Dianoga and Gammorean Guard are drawn, moderately shaded human enemy sprites are rotoscoped, and the highly shiny droid enemy sprites are taken from renders.
71* Brazilian FPS ''Hades 2'' used actors and costumes for the majority of its sprites, The rest being renders.
72* ''Harmony'', A standalone Zdoom engine game that uses painted clay figures and models for all of its graphics.
73* ''VideoGame/SystemShock'' features sprites for several enemies made from pre-rendered 3D models.
74[[/folder]]
75
76[[folder:Light Gun Games]]
77* ''VideoGame/Area51'' used actors for the human enemies/allies and stop motion animation for the alien enemies.
78* ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers'' and its sequel, ''Lethal Enforcers 2: The Gunfighters''. ''Lethal Enforcers 3'', released in 2005, would switch to polygonal graphics.
79* ''VideoGame/OperationWolf 3''
80* ''VideoGame/RevolutionX''
81[[/folder]]
82
83[[folder:Platform Games]]
84* The Platform/SegaGenesis and Platform/GameGear game ''VideoGame/BugsBunnyInDoubleTrouble'' features these.
85* All graphics elements (sprites and backgrounds alike) from the first three ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games were created from renders of 3D models created and animated on expensive SGI workstations.[[note]]While arcade games (including the original VideoGame/{{Mortal Kombat|1992}}, PC games, and games for CD-ROM based console systems (including add-ons) had done it previously, the first game marked the first time it had ever been done on a cartridge-based video game system without the use of add-ons to such an extent.[[/note]]
86** ''VideoGame/DKJungleClimber'' also uses this same technique for its sprites.
87* ''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}'': The title character and nearly everything is made of polygon graphics turned into sprites.
88* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' on the Genesis used this to contrast the futuristic machine enemies with the hand-drawn sprites of enemies from Goliath's original time.
89* ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'''s sprites are 3D models from Blender, rendered with flat-shading.
90* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'' used the technique for the opposite effect, with the artists scanning hand-drawn sketches and manually drawing sprites over those to get the look of a storybook. [[ArtShift The opening cutscene]] does use the more traditional CGI application popularized by ''Donkey Kong Country''.
91%%* ''VideoGame/MarioVsDonkeyKong'', first installment.
92* ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3'' also used the ''Yoshi's Island'' technique, where its sprites were drawn in pastels first before they were digitally scanned to be inserted into the game. The style is so thorough that the whole game looks like a chalk drawing, even the menu screens. Some of the original drawings were showcased in the booklet included with ''[[CompilationRerelease Kirby's Dream Collection]]''.
93* ''VideoGame/ToyStory'' had sprites based on the CG models used in the film.
94* Many of Disney's video games throughout the '90s such as ''VideoGame/{{Aladdin|Virgin Games}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheLionKing'' used cels drawn by Disney's film animation team drawn specifically for the game.
95* Sprites in ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt'' used hand-drawn animated cells.
96%%* ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}} Legions''
97* ''VideoGame/MischiefMakers'' does this along with SpritePolygonMix.
98* ''VideoGame/CastleOfMagic'' actually gives this ability to the player. They can take photos of real-world objects and turn them into sprites in the game, for everything from the basic [[FollowTheMoney gem pickups]] to the [[SillinessSwitch bosses' heads]].
99* ''Penguin Brothers'': Many enemy sprites are obviously digitized 3D models, as are the zoomed-out versions of the player characters.
100* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
101** The Mega Drive-era games tended to use prerendered 3d models for pseudo-3d bonus levels. [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles]] also used prerenders of Sonic and Knuckles for the title screens.
102** ''VideoGame/Sonic3DBlast'', having isometric gameplay, used the technique for the entirety of its graphics.
103** ''VideoGame/SonicBlast'', being released around the same time as ''3D Blast'' and near the end of the Platform/GameGear's lifespan, is a 2D side-scroller that experiments with pre-rendered graphics, with limited success given the reduced horsepower behind the system.
104** ''VideoGame/SonicXtreme'' was going to have polygonal levels, but it would have used prerendered sprites for player characters and enemies. After its cancellation, ''VideoGame/SonicsSchoolhouse'' recycled Sonic's sprites, in addition to using prerendered graphics for other characters.
105[[/folder]]
106
107[[folder:Puzzle Games]]
108* In ''VideoGame/UncleAlbertsAdventures'', The sprites for every animal and a few objects are made out of 3D models.
109[[/folder]]
110
111[[folder:Racing Games]]
112* ''VideoGame/MarioKartSuperCircuit'' and ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'' both use digitized sprites for racers and items.
113[[/folder]]
114
115[[folder:Real Time Strategy]]
116* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresI'' and ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' used CGI Renderings for trees, animals, buildings, and units alike.
117* ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' used CGI renders for it's buildings, units and landscapes.
118** The 2017 remaster also uses pre-rendered sprites but with a much higher resolution. However the renders used for the original game had been lost, So most of the assets had to be recreated again from scratch, With some being re-used from ''VideoGame/StarCraftII''.
119* The first two games of the ''Videogame/TotalWar'' series, ''Shogun'' and ''Medieval'', used CGI Renderings for every unit.
120[[/folder]]
121
122[[folder:Role-Playing Games]]
123* ''VideoGame/Fallout1'' used 3D models converted into sprites for all of its graphics. The sole exception were talking heads, created from clay models painstakingly digitized into 3D and then saved as sprites.
124* The ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' games on the Platform/GameBoyAdvance digitized most of their sprites.
125* A modern example: ''VideoGame/ProjectZomboid'' uses this as a {{Retraux}}.
126* The EnhancedRemake of ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryI'' used clay models for its in-battle monster graphics.
127* ''Videogame/SuperMarioRPG'', much like ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'', derived its sprite and environment graphics from pre-rendered CGI models.
128* Early installments of the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series feature monster graphics generated by directly scanning the artwork into the game.
129* ''VideoGame/CosmicStarHeroine'' for the most part uses pixel art, but some ships are 3D models converted into sprites.
130[[/folder]]
131
132[[folder:Shoot Em Up]]
133* Most Creator/{{CAVE}} shmups starting with ''VideoGame/{{Espgaluda}} II'' feature 3D models that are digitized as sprites. When these games got ported to home consoles, these ports added console-exclusive modes with higher-resolution sprites to take advantage of HD displays, although most of these ports still feature "Arcade" modes that recreate the lower resolution of the arcade originals.
134* ''VideoGame/ChoAniki: Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko''. There is a short video in the main menu showing how the digitizing were created.
135* ''Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire'' has many enemies, particularly bosses, made of prerendered polygonal models.
136* ''VideoGame/{{Silpheed}}'' for the Platform/SegaCD [=FMVs=] with prerendered 3d objects for the backgrounds, while the player character and enemies were polygons rendered in real time.
137%%* ''Viewpoint''
138* ''VideoGame/{{Platypus}}'' features everything from ships to scenery being made from clay figures.
139[[/folder]]
140
141[[folder:Simulation]]
142* ''Videogame/RollerCoasterTycoon'' 1 and 2 used screencapped 3D for its vehicles and most scenery, while everything else was standard sprites. [[http://www.chrissawyergames.com/feature3.htm Seen here.]]
143%%* ''VideoGame/SpaceRangers''
144* In several of the ''VideoGame/ForzaMotorsport'' games the crowds are flat sprites with copypasted photos of the developers.
145[[/folder]]
146
147[[folder:WideOpenSandbox]]
148* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' has the mission [[VideoGame/StreetsOfRage Saints of Rage]], where [[PlayerCharacter The President]] goes into a [[StylisticSuck 16-bit side-scroller]] to rescue [[spoiler:Johnny Gat]]. However this is actually an InvertedTrope, as technically the game is still in 3D (and given massive filter to make it look blurry, choppy, and low quality) as your customized protagonist appeared with your currently equipped outfit in the mission, just having a large GenreShift just for the one mission alone. It's all, naturally, {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d, and comes complete with choppy sound bites and nonsensical food healing items.
149[[/folder]]
150
151[[folder:Other]]
152* ''American Girls Premiere'' and its predecessor, ''Opening Night'', used chroma-keyed footage from live actors and props, with the former using the ''Literature/{{American Girl|sCollection}}'' catalog along with actors dressed as characters from the franchise, and the latter using generic characters, sets, and props. It wasn't as refined as ''Mortal Kombat's'' though, as the characters were poorly chroma-keyed, and was grainier due to the dithered 256-colour palette.
153* ''Sociolotron'' sprites are still renders of 3D models at various animation frames. The independent developer didn't have the artistry to illustrate the full graphic set needed to animate the characters, and at the time most systems and internet connections didn't have the speed to render huge communities of 3D animated models. It was a necessary compromise that has lingered while the developer focuses on game mechanics and setting instead.
154[[/folder]]

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