Judges

Concept art comments follows 3d comments. Scroll down to view.

Dargon

1 Commercial License of BodyPaint3d v3.5 by MAXON

Puppetshop by LUMONIX

1 Commercial License of Puppetshop

A Rigging and Animation plugin for 3dsmax 8 (or higher)

1 Wii console or $300 in cash!

1 Gold GameArtisans profile award (worth 3 points)

modeling_man

1 Nintendo DS or $150 Cash

Puppetshop by LUMONIX

1 Commercial License of Puppetshop

A Rigging and Animation plugin for 3dsmax 8 (or higher)

1 Silver GameArtisans profile award (worth 2 points)

lost_soul

1 Nintendo DS or $150 Cash

1 Bronze GameArtisans profile award (worth 1 point)

What the Judges had to say...

Fredrik [FredH] Hultqvist
With a total of 32 finalists, this challenge had nearly as many 3d entries as the preceding naruto challenge (33 entries). Once again, there were a few technically superior entries but each and every artist still managed to create a very good Wii entry. Great work everyone! As for my votes, here are my choices:

First Place - Dargon
After one look, I was completely sold on this character because of her weapon accessories! The artist planned well in advance how to make this character shine, not only in costume, look, and style, but in functionality. I would gladly pick up a gamepad just to play with her weapon options. Design wise, the character itself is very strong. The artist opted for a high contrast red on black design, and this really helped make this character pop! Plus, her enormous eyes were a great addition since her expressions could be seen from practically 1 km away hehe. With an excellent overall presentation, character design, and game mechanics idea, all in all, this was a very solid entry. Nothing was left to chance and because of this, I had no doubt about placing this entry as my first choice. Well done Dargon!

Second Place - Euphronios
This character possesses a great deal of charm because of his shape and silhouette. His head’s form looks great from a distance and you really get a sense that this character would look good running or sneaking around. The choice of colors is well thought up and I particularly like his purple skin. The only thing that could have made this character better is a proper mouth. It would have looked great to see his mouth open for more expression capabilities. Regardless, it was a job well done. Good job David T aka Euphronous

Third Place - Modeling Man
I really like this character’s design. The cat offers many more maneuvers and tricks and the witch herself, with the use of magic and spells, promises fun times ahead. The colors are a great choice for this entry and I also like her simplistic style. She has some not-too-bright colors, but just enough to make her attractive as a wii icon. The only thing that kept me from picking this character as my first place choice was the little girl: I did not particularly like her face. It’s hard to pinpoint why this feature seemed a little weak, but after some careful thought, I think it’s because of her mouth. The mouth is abnormally wide and because of its width, it broke the smoothness of her cheeks, which in turn made her look very old in some shots. Plus, some redness on the lips might have made her look a little more lively. I am probably just nit picking here because overall, this was a fantastic entry. Really well thought up and really well concluded. Great work Brian - aka Modeling man!

Joe [Blankslatejoe] Mirabello
First Place - Modeling Man
Gorgeous work. Clean model, clean texturing. Attack variants that really show off some interesting play mechanics... I can really imagine what kind of game she’d be in. This is pretty thought out all around. Not much else to say.

Second Place - Dargon
Excellent work all around. The high poly is good, the model has a nice style to it, and the textures are pretty excellent all around (shiny latex!). Interesting way to pull off spring-hair too - it works well. She’s a truly next gen model. My only comment would be that she deserves a colored specular map, instead of the old grayscale.

Third Place - livio3d
So I was a bit torn on this one - technically I think some of the other entries may have you beat. The texture, for a pure painted one, could use some more refinement, and it’s really tough to measure last gen entries against next gen ones. But she’s got a great ‘personality’, and that can go a long way. There’s a lot of charm in this entry, and I can see her running around as an extra character in Super Smash Bro’s or something. Good work!

Triatami - the girl is excellent....what is that thing in the back though? It’s not nearly the same quality level. I love the concept.

Kwakki - genius idea! And a solid execution. The entry falls a bit short for me simply because of the proportions. I can’t quite put a finger on it, but he doesn’t quite feel like he would fit in the Wii world. I think
if he were shorter, with the same size head - sort of like Diddy Kong, then it would really improve things. Kudos for making the xbox-defeated variant!

Sectaurs - No normal maps, and a liberal use of polygons to round things off, with AO baking and vibrant colors... you’ve got something really unique; pretty off the standard next gen path. How the heck does he move? Does he just bob around like a wind up toy? Also, that concept screams ‘wood cut’ to me. Sweet.

Marcus [Marcus Dublin] Dublin
First Place - Modelling Man
This competition called for a Wii inspired character that was both catchy and charming, and no other character in the competition displayed this more than modeling man’s Mira & Mouse! Not only does the character duo look like they occupy the same game world but the premise is very fresh and original as well. Everything from the fleshed out character design, color palette, and game play function exudes Wii fun! From a technical point of view the modeling, texture work, and lighting is spot on and feels very professional. With all that said the final element that really sold me on this was the presentation. Looking at the duo in the various game play poses makes me want to use the characters in a game, and to find out more about the world in which they interact with. All in all Mira & Mouse is a classy entry and would make a fine addition to the Nintendo universe, kudos to modeling man for creating an outstanding piece.

Second Place - lost_soul
If I could use one word to describe this character it would be fun! The concept art and color palette is probably stronger than the other two entries and simply leaps off of my monitor! This character could easily be the lead in a new Nintendo franchise and I could only imagine the colorful world in which he comes from. Aside from that the modeling is really well done across the board, from the high poly model thru to the low poly model. The texture work is also very crisp and has the right amount of color and contrast; it complements the normal map well and everything feels natural due to this. All in all lost_soul created a fun little character and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the artists future works.

Third Place - TheMagnetic
If Nintendo was to make a lighthearted God of War then I could see The Magnetic’s Strongleg being the main character. The artist has a strong background in stylized character art and this latest creation really shows off his talents. The character itself has a cool tribal feel to him with a nice complementary color palette as well. Looking at the character in the various poses makes me want to play through a game staring him! The one thing that falls a bit short for me are parts of the armor, which feels a bit to polygonal and clunky. Even with that nitpick The Magnetic created a wonderful piece and I can’t wait to see what gem he comes up with next.

Waahh - The artist narrowly missed out on my top 3 list as his character had all the makings of a Wii all star but the final presentation and execution was a bit lacking. Even with that said the artist turned out a solid entry and it deserved to be noted.

Kalango - Had this character had a few more days of polish it could have made my top 3! I love the character design but the modeling and texturing had a few question marks that held it back. Outside of that Kalango made a cool character that deserved a nod!

Sectaurs - Hands down this has to be the most bizarre and original design executed for the competition! I can honestly see this character in a Nintendo franchise and due to that it almost made my top 3 list. The one thing that took it down a few notches was some of the color choices and texture work. Of course those are subjective nitpicks at best and it’s always good to see artists stretching there imaginations a bit!

Taehoon Oh [taehoon] Oh
First Place - Dargon
No hesitating to choose this art piece as my first choice. Well balanced anatomy with a big sized head, well done! Additionally, I love her winning pose shot; really shows off her full potential as a character. The extra action screenshots are just more icing on the cake. Great work all around!

Second Place - Alemar
An Innovated design came from a great artist. His low poly structure is very well balanced and very good looking. The skill used to create the 3d sculpture is really impressive, especially on the hairs and wrinkles. Good job!

Third Place - lost_soul
I love this fairy tale boy. This artist created a well-rendered final image and the concept images were very useful when it came to making it live in 3d. However, with all this, a touch more of an orange tinge throughout the model could have really made this little guy pop out. Well done lost_soul!

_tdc_

1 Wii console or $300 in cash!

1 DS or $150 in cash!

1 Gold GameArtisans profile award (worth 3 points)

Lolie Ningyou

1 Nintendo DS or $150 Cash

1 Silver GameArtisans profile award (worth 2 points)

Chaos81

$50 credit for Amazon.com (includes shipping)

1 Bronze GameArtisans profile award (worth 1 point)

What the Judges had to say...

Fredrik [FredH] Hultqvist
First Place - _tdc_
TDC for the win! This entry has a great deal of appeal. Sure, he is the least flexible character I have ever seen, but this is why I like him. As long as he can move his stubby little arms up and down, I think his jet pack is good for doing everything else. It’s like playing a game with a giant bubble.. you float him around leisurely and blast everything he passes by. Gameplay aside, this artist also did some really great renders in both his final colored image and his modeling sheet, making this character one of the easiest to 3d model in a pinch. My hat goes off to this concept artist's work. Well done Te-Jui [tdc]!

Second Place - Michu
Michu did a great job in creating a very catchy and attractive little character. The balance of the final image's layout works really well and I particularly liked how this little girl demonstrates her powers in her illustrative final colored image. Technically, the face is adorable. The panda-like features combined with her petite frame and some catchy colors performed really well in making her an attractive character. On the down side, it would have been nice to have a Wii logo in there somewhere hehe Regardless, top notch job Michelle!

Third Place - Lolie Ningyou
I am bombarded with cuteness with this one, but I really like her hehe. The simple colors and toned down hues really do well in giving her a nice style. On top of this all, the presentation delivered within each separate sheet is really well done. For me, it is the line work that really brings this character to the top. Well done Lolie!

Jason [website] Bennett
First Place - Michu
The fun liveliness of the final image sets this one over the top, and I like the clean rendering and choice of shapes too. The proportions work quite well, and the emotive action poses give great ideas for Lili’s animation and attitude. If I could gripe, it would be that michu could experiment with a few more panda/pandroid design cues, but that awesome red hovercart helps to distract me from these concerns. Also- this is really minor (and purely opinion), but the color of the glove shadows and the bodysuit seem too close for such different materials. Perhaps you could try playing with this balance, but try to keep that nice purpley fill light you have going on in the hand. Very nice work!

Second - Lolie Ningyou
Great color and simplicity, as well as excellent use of shape… I really dig the play of the sharp angles and straight lines against rounded forms that make her look appealing and cute, yet still energetic and quite capable of defending herself. Nice clean sketches too, and unique style. I get a good sense of her character from the sketches too. Sweet! (har har)

Third - chaos81
My initial reaction to this character was thinking, “Harry Potter meets Lunar Knights”, and without the cape, there’s something about the open-backed shirt in conjunction with the wide hips that feel just a tad too gender ambiguous. However, upon taking a further look, I was blown away by thorough planning evident in the details and process work. Not only were all of his gadgets fun and well thought-out, chaos81 even put Vincce’s parents in they’re, mirroring the little design cues and hinting at back-story. Very cool... Nice, clean color and rendering in the final too.

Honorable Mentions:
_tdc_ - Funny, unique design; I really like the contrast of realism over the stylized body shape too. Just to nitpick, it would have been interesting to see more experimentation in the initial phase, perhaps trying out a bit more variety with the body shape and limb proportions.

iworkat – The heavy-hitter / small sidekick idea is always something that appeals to me, and the initial sketches are great. If I had a major criticism of the final design, it would be that of color choice… Perhaps Chip could be a brighter, warmer color to compliment Chomp’s cold greyness...

kongni – This design really stood out to me- I like the color and style of the final image, and I’m a sucker for games that use brushes as a mechanic. There’s something about the design of Miki’s face I find slightly unappealing though… Perhaps working with the shape / placement of the eyes and mouth could help in this- also don’t be afraid to get more stylized or iconic with the treatment of the features ( I refer mainly to the rendering of the nose).

modeling_man - There’s something to be said for this simple, fun design, and Cluck’s expression of elation in the final image is totally great. I love the little sketches with the ideas for feather treatment too.

Laurel [Tully] Austin
First Place - _tdc_
It's the personality that wins it with me. Great combo of hilarious proportions and weird subject matter with all the lovely little details in the costume that make it fun to look at. I could definitely see playing a game as this character and imagine him flying about and being animated in silly ways, and that gives him real possibilities. He would be an absolute riot to build a game around, and that's exactly what this sort of character needs to be. Some movement studies on him would've been really nice to see -- he's the sort that looks like he needs to be waddling around or shooting away on a jet pack, or blasting some alien with a ray gun -- but I'm nit picking. Well done ortho makes it easy for a character artist to work from. Job well done.

Second Place - Michu
This one is easily the most skillfully rendered of any of the entries. Absolutely beautiful colours and shapes make it a really nice image to look at. Where it falls behind in relation to tdc's entry is the ideation -- it's just not as interesting. Who is Lili? What does she do? Why would I want to play as her in a game? If I saw her on the cover of a game box in the store, as nicely painted as she is here, I don't think that I would be enticed to pick it up. She doesn't have the personality, and as nice as Michu's painting is, it isn't a nicely painted piece of concept art that sells a game to the player. Nice clean lines on those sketches, and a good ortho. I can't fault Michu on the execution, but Lili just doesn't have that extra bit of oomph to make her truly compelling.

Third Place - Modeling_Man
I picked this one because it is completely adorable and charismatic. I love your fat chicken drawing and the little face studies. I could also see it making a really fun character to run around as and having a lot of possibilities for gameplay -- throwing eggs and having a silly flapping movement to get from place to place. He looks like he would bounce! However, I would advise next time you do a character like this, to make the linework super clean. The entry loses a lot because the edges are feathery, and more saturated colours like in Michu's would go a very long way to improving it.

Challenge ended on:
11:59 p.m Eastern Time, Monday January 7th 2008