The game’s sprite layering also helped environments feel deep without ever leaving the 2D plane, from the crumbling walls of Sigma’s fortress to the rain-slicked rooftops of the opening stage.

Sprite-Based Game Art Is Far from Overdone Indie developers love sprites, but each studio has a unique thumbprint that keeps the retro style fresh.

And with iOS 7—and Mavericks—comes Sprite Kit, which contains everything developers need to write a 2D game from scratch, without having to worry about OpenGL.

Combining rich HD 3D backdrops with SNES-inspired pixel art characters and monsters, HD-2D's colour palette, lighting, and beautifully detailed boss sprites have helped create a nostalgic, beloved ...