Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead
Encyclopedia
Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead is a fan-made 8-bit remake of the 2008 PC
shooter Left 4 Dead
. It was released for free download on January 4, 2010, and was designed by independent video game developer Eric Ruth. Like its basis game, Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead allows players to play as one or two of the four survivors: Bill, a Vietnam veteran
; Francis, a biker
; Louis, an office worker; and Zoey, an aspiring film director
. It is an overhead shooter, and is described as a combination of Ikari Warriors
and Fester's Quest by Destructoid
. It is the first of the Pixel Remix series; since its release, Ruth has developed Pixel Force: Halo and Pixel Force: DJ Hero. It was met with mixed reception to the trailer; while some found the designs of the characters to be cute, others thought that the low number of zombies shown in the trailer was not in keeping with Left 4 Dead.
, incorporating weapons such as pistol
s, machine gun
s, and shotguns, zombies, and the four main characters: Bill, Francis, Louis, and Zoey. While Left 4 Dead is a first-person shooter
, this game is an overhead shooter. Similarly, while Left 4 Dead allows four-player co-op, this game only offers two. While at the title screen, players can also choose whether to play on Normal or Advanced mode. The game has a total of four stages: No Mercy, Death Toll, Dead Air, and Blood Harvest, each with five parts to them. The objective of each stage is to survive the zombie attack for each part until they reach an escape route at the end. In single player, if the player's character's health is depleted, they will die, and the game will restart at the checkpoint. In multi-player, if one character collapses, the other character can help them up before they die. If they die before then, they cannot appear again until the next checkpoint. Zombies do not attack players' characters unless they are close usually, though special infected attack from a distance, such as the Boomer, which shoots projectile vomit at players. Players can hold two weapons at a time: the pistol, their default weapon, and either the shotgun or machine gun, which can be found throughout the game.
by independent video game designer Eric Ruth. It was his first attempt at creating an 8-bit styled remake of a previously existing title. The idea of making an 8-bit remake of Left 4 Dead originally took form when he suggested to his friend "wouldn't it be cool if I re-made Left 4 Dead..but like, as an NES style game?", which his friend with a straightforward "Hell yeah!" While developing another game called Mean Kathleen, he began working on sprites for the four survivors and special infected from Left 4 Dead for fun. They turned out well enough, so he decided to expand the sprites more. He noted the composition of the music as the most difficult part of the game's development, due to how Valve
's Left 4 Dead was designed to have music that is difficult to remake with only four channels of sound. In the end, he was able to accomplish this. Due to the limitations that go along with an 8-bit game, the Survivor and Versus modes from the original Left 4 Dead were cut, along with some of the weapons. It was released on January 4, 2010. Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead started a series of fan-made retro game remakes of newer games under the Pixel Force label; since its release, Ruth has released two more games: Pixel Force: DJ Hero and Pixel Force: Halo.
's Owen Good commented that the infected were too docile, and that it seemed easier than typically difficult NES games. GameSpy
's Tyler Barber said that it "may be the cutest thing you'll see all day", though wondering if it would not have better complimented Left 4 Dead by making it a more fast-paced action game like Robotron 2084; however, he declares that he will download it day one. Retronauts' Bob Mackey called it an "impressive piece of work from a very devoted fan." While he noted that the first video shown was somewhat disappointing, the more recent video at the time showed it to be an ambitious project. Rock Paper Shotgun's Alec Meer described it as a "lovely game". 1UP.com
's Chris Pereira called it an "impressive project" and "not too shabby" because it was made by only one person.
After release, however, the game was considerably more well-received. While Valve has yet to comment to creator Eric Ruth on the game, they have described it as "hilarious." Destructoid
's Jonathan Holmes called it "pretty fun", describing it as a combination of Left 4 Dead, Fester's Quest, and Ikari Warriors
. Fellow Destructoid editor Jordan Devore called it a "cool little project", though he wished that the zombies moved faster. The Escapist's John Funk noted it as a good choice for fans of zombie games and retro games. Eurogamer
's Tom Bramwell comments that it is worth it for the "cutesy takes on Bill, Zoey, Francis and Louis if nothing else." GamePro
s Dave Rudden, while not having played it, hoped that it would inspire more games like it.
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
shooter Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...
. It was released for free download on January 4, 2010, and was designed by independent video game developer Eric Ruth. Like its basis game, Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead allows players to play as one or two of the four survivors: Bill, a Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
; Francis, a biker
Motorcycling
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
; Louis, an office worker; and Zoey, an aspiring film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. It is an overhead shooter, and is described as a combination of Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors is a 1986 arcade game by SNK, published in the United States and Europe by Tradewest. Known simply as in Japan, this was SNK's first major breakthrough US release and became something of a classic. The game was released at the time when there were many Commando clones on the market...
and Fester's Quest by Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
. It is the first of the Pixel Remix series; since its release, Ruth has developed Pixel Force: Halo and Pixel Force: DJ Hero. It was met with mixed reception to the trailer; while some found the designs of the characters to be cute, others thought that the low number of zombies shown in the trailer was not in keeping with Left 4 Dead.
Gameplay
Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead takes some cues from its inspiration, Left 4 DeadLeft 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...
, incorporating weapons such as pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s, machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s, and shotguns, zombies, and the four main characters: Bill, Francis, Louis, and Zoey. While Left 4 Dead is a first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
, this game is an overhead shooter. Similarly, while Left 4 Dead allows four-player co-op, this game only offers two. While at the title screen, players can also choose whether to play on Normal or Advanced mode. The game has a total of four stages: No Mercy, Death Toll, Dead Air, and Blood Harvest, each with five parts to them. The objective of each stage is to survive the zombie attack for each part until they reach an escape route at the end. In single player, if the player's character's health is depleted, they will die, and the game will restart at the checkpoint. In multi-player, if one character collapses, the other character can help them up before they die. If they die before then, they cannot appear again until the next checkpoint. Zombies do not attack players' characters unless they are close usually, though special infected attack from a distance, such as the Boomer, which shoots projectile vomit at players. Players can hold two weapons at a time: the pistol, their default weapon, and either the shotgun or machine gun, which can be found throughout the game.
Development
Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead is a fan-made version of Left 4 DeadLeft 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...
by independent video game designer Eric Ruth. It was his first attempt at creating an 8-bit styled remake of a previously existing title. The idea of making an 8-bit remake of Left 4 Dead originally took form when he suggested to his friend "wouldn't it be cool if I re-made Left 4 Dead..but like, as an NES style game?", which his friend with a straightforward "Hell yeah!" While developing another game called Mean Kathleen, he began working on sprites for the four survivors and special infected from Left 4 Dead for fun. They turned out well enough, so he decided to expand the sprites more. He noted the composition of the music as the most difficult part of the game's development, due to how Valve
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
's Left 4 Dead was designed to have music that is difficult to remake with only four channels of sound. In the end, he was able to accomplish this. Due to the limitations that go along with an 8-bit game, the Survivor and Versus modes from the original Left 4 Dead were cut, along with some of the weapons. It was released on January 4, 2010. Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead started a series of fan-made retro game remakes of newer games under the Pixel Force label; since its release, Ruth has released two more games: Pixel Force: DJ Hero and Pixel Force: Halo.
Reception
Before its release, Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead received mixed reception. In response to the first trailer, KotakuKotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
's Owen Good commented that the infected were too docile, and that it seemed easier than typically difficult NES games. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
's Tyler Barber said that it "may be the cutest thing you'll see all day", though wondering if it would not have better complimented Left 4 Dead by making it a more fast-paced action game like Robotron 2084; however, he declares that he will download it day one. Retronauts' Bob Mackey called it an "impressive piece of work from a very devoted fan." While he noted that the first video shown was somewhat disappointing, the more recent video at the time showed it to be an ambitious project. Rock Paper Shotgun's Alec Meer described it as a "lovely game". 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Chris Pereira called it an "impressive project" and "not too shabby" because it was made by only one person.
After release, however, the game was considerably more well-received. While Valve has yet to comment to creator Eric Ruth on the game, they have described it as "hilarious." Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
's Jonathan Holmes called it "pretty fun", describing it as a combination of Left 4 Dead, Fester's Quest, and Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors is a 1986 arcade game by SNK, published in the United States and Europe by Tradewest. Known simply as in Japan, this was SNK's first major breakthrough US release and became something of a classic. The game was released at the time when there were many Commando clones on the market...
. Fellow Destructoid editor Jordan Devore called it a "cool little project", though he wished that the zombies moved faster. The Escapist's John Funk noted it as a good choice for fans of zombie games and retro games. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
's Tom Bramwell comments that it is worth it for the "cutesy takes on Bill, Zoey, Francis and Louis if nothing else." GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
s Dave Rudden, while not having played it, hoped that it would inspire more games like it.