Swood Gozon

Digital rendering on a CRT TV. 2024

This project was inspired by a screenshot I came across on TikTok. It was a picture of Smash Bros 64 paused. I’ve been drawn to the aesthetics of old analog imagery. I find the limitations of technology made for creative workarounds that contributed to this unique stylized era that was known in the 90s and 2000s for its sharp and polygonal composition. It feels both nostalgic and engaging to look back at those times.

I started modeling out my scenery with blender. I used to be pretty keen on 3d modeling software such as 3ds Max and mud box so using blender was like getting back on my old bike. I had the ability to create a more intricate model and scenery but that would go against the philosophical design that guided me: Keep it simple and ask yourself “would this fit inside of a 64 bit gaming console?” if not, start over. I used a deviant art texture file for the grass texture, it was the same one used for Super Mario 64. As for the sky, I used Chat GPT and prompted it to generate a Mario 64-style skyline. Both image textures were mapped on a plane and propped up accordingly.

Once I had the scenery set, I exported the image from blender and sent it to my drive. From there I edited the image to add a user interface people would find if they had paused a game. I added things like text showing the options a player would have when they paused a game as well as a health meter to imply this was a fighting game. I also added extra flare like visual effects. To add an extra layer of authenticity, I utilized a CRT Tv. I have an HDMI to RCA converter which lets me convert any HDMI output and project it onto my old TV. Now for this next part, I’m sure there are more conventional ways to approach this but I didn’t know how. What I did was connect my Xbox to my old TV using the converter. I accessed my drive and displayed the 3d render and shot it with my regular camera. I think I did a pretty dang good job. >:)