Question What resolution should screenshots be in older games when doing reviews?

[Sonic Angel Knight]

I need help deciding what resolution should the screenshots be in when taking screenshots on older consoles. Unlike the new consoles, we don't have a dedicated screenshot button to take pics and share with ease, those come with predetermined sizes set by console settings. Older games are rather tricky and obviously don't have the more common HD resolutions we are using now, they are rather small in size. Of course using emulators, screenshots can be taken with simple use and clearity, no need to use a video capture device and perhaps screenshot pics from recording videos.

Basically I was curious on what resolutions should I be using? Honestly I dunno if you all are fine with the raw resolutions each game has, but some are just too small. Some examples.

• NES = 256X240
• SMS = 256X240
• SNES = 256X224 or 512X448 (Depending on the game)
• GENS = 320X240

I just want to ask if is okay to double the size for these lower SD resolutions. I don't want it to be too small for viewing in the reviews, besides if I wanted smaller, I can use the thumbnail option right?

 

[Issac]

I would double or triple the size (and make sure to use nearest neighbor scaling, so it doesn't "smooth out" anything). Just make sure you're doing a whole step when increasing the size, to not screw up the pixel ratio or whatever it's called.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

(and make sure to use nearest neighbor scaling, so it doesn't "smooth out" anything)

I have no idea what this means, nearest neighbor? Just want to point out i'm not a professional image producer... usually just press the screenshot button on my emulators.

 

[Deleted User]

I have no idea what this means, nearest neighbor? Just want to point out i'm not a professional image producer... usually just press the screenshot button on my emulators.

In most image editing programs that I have used, when scaling an image (using the image resize function not the drag resize), you have some configurations you can edit. One of these being the methods used to resize. There are things like nearest neighbor, bilinear, bicubic, automatic, et c.

 

[Issac]

Yeah, but if you want to double the size, you'll be scaling the images

Nearest neighbor just means that it doesn't smooth anything out. And Always multiply by 2x 3x 4x and so on... never 1.5x or something.

Here are a few good images to demonstrate:

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

In most image editing programs that I have used, when scaling an image (using the image resize function not the drag resize), you have some configurations you can edit. One of these being the methods used to resize. There are things like nearest neighbor, bilinear, bicubic, automatic, et c.

Okay and how does this work in Microsoft paint?

 

[Deleted User]

Okay and how does this work in Microsoft paint?

Download paint.net. It is free and 900% better than paint

 

[Chary]

Okay and how does this work in Microsoft paint?

You probably want Paint.net or Gimp for that. Or if you're feeling fancy, Photoshop.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Or if you're feeling fancy, Photoshop.

Just want to point out i'm not a professional image producer... usually just press the screenshot button on my emulators.

I am not feeling fancy

I'll try the paint.net since is the closest I can get to the name of the microsoft paint.

This is just some examples, since different emulators use different options for screen shots. One emulator I use has three options for screenshot outputs. The first one is raw, which uses the same resolution as the official console and their games (if any had dynamic resolutions like snes) the second is corrected which uses the 640X480 Resolution, so it is doubled which I would prefer to use. The last one is final which I would probably never use for reviews since it takes screenshots at whatever resolution the window is currently set to. The screen was full screen 1920X1080 and also had a graphic plugin video filter too. You can see the difference. I usually don't use any photo edits tools for my screenshots. How does the corrected one look? (Middle)




When I did the secret of mana review, that game uses a dynamic resolution, during the in game menus, the resolution doubles to 512X448 the actual games runs 256X224. Some snes games do that, is the only one I noticed. It was just weird to see bigger images compared to smaller ones and wonder if I should have made it bigger to match and keep it consistent.

 

[Issac]

I am not feeling fancy

I'll try the paint.net since is the closest I can get to the name of the microsoft paint.

This is just some examples, since different emulators use different options for screen shots. One emulator I use has three options for screenshot outputs. The first one is raw, which uses the same resolution as the official console and their games (if any had dynamic resolutions like snes) the second is corrected which uses the 640X480 Resolution, so it is doubled which I would prefer to use. The last one is final which I would probably never use for reviews since it takes screenshots at whatever resolution the window is currently set to. The screen was full screen 1920X1080 and also had a graphic plugin video filter too. You can see the difference. I usually don't use any photo edits tools for my screenshots. How does the corrected one look? (Middle)

View attachment 114471 View attachment 114472 View attachment 114473


When I did the secret of mana review, that game uses a dynamic resolution, during the in game menus, the resolution doubles to 512X448 the actual games runs 256X224. Some snes games do that, is the only one I noticed. It was just weird to see bigger images compared to smaller ones and wonder if I should have made it bigger to match and keep it consistent.

The corrected one looks fine IN THIS CASE. Since it's a genesis that is 320x240, increasing the width and height by 2x is 640x480 so that's perfect.
However, if you would play a game like Secret of Mana, 256x224 raw and "automatically corrected" to 640x480 would look bad.

 

[Issac]

So either play the game in windowed mode, with an integer multiplication of the resolution that you enjoy, make sure screenshots are saved in a good way automatically, or fix it with paint.net (it's easy to do once you're used to it).

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

The corrected one looks fine IN THIS CASE. Since it's a genesis that is 320x240, increasing the width and height by 2x is 640x480 so that's perfect.

Does the image have any of that nearest neighbor integer stuff you mentioned?

256x224 raw and "automatically corrected" to 640x480 would look bad

The proper correction would be 512X448 which some games on snes actually do depending on the game and the circumstance like secret of mana during the open menu.

 

[Axido]

Download paint.net. It is free and 900% better than paint

You probably want Paint.net or Gimp for that. Or if you're feeling fancy, Photoshop.

Paint by default does Nearest Neighbor when resizing the image and it couldn't be easier with any of those tools you guys recommend. Photoshop, Gimp or Paint.net make such simple tasks overly complicated.

So, yeah, for the task at hand MS Paint is actually the most efficient option, believe it or not.

Ctrl-A, Ctrl-W, change the percentage to the multiple of 100 that corresponds to your liking, Enter, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-V, done!
The last two steps are for automatically resizing the canvas, btw, since it doesn't do that right when resizing the image.

 

[Issac]

Does the image have any of that nearest neighbor integer stuff you mentioned?


The proper correction would be 512X448 which some games on snes actually do depending on the game and the circumstance like secret of mana during the open menu.

Yes I know what the proper correction should be, but I thought you said it automatically outputted 640x480 images (no matter what resolution you were playing) and yeah, that was nearest neighbor (you would see the difference otherwise).

But Axido says it best, just do what he says and you'll be fine ^^

 

[Deleted User]

Paint by default does Nearest Neighbor when resizing the image and it couldn't be easier with any of those tools you guys recommend. Photoshop, Gimp or Paint.net make such simple tasks overly complicated.

So, yeah, for the task at hand MS Paint is actually the most efficient option, believe it or not.

Ctrl-A, Ctrl-W, change the percentage to the multiple of 100 that corresponds to your liking, Enter, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-V, done!
The last two steps are for automatically resizing the canvas, btw, since it doesn't do that right when resizing the image.

paint.net is by far easier because you can actually do more with it? That is, in the case that it wasn't a nearest-neighbor benefiting scale, bilinear or bicubic interpolation would actually be nice to use easily.
Here is an example:
This mario sprite benefits from nearest neighbor interpolation. It stays clear because the image has harsh edges. Seeing the bilinear and bicubic interpolations actually hurts a bit, but the order here goes:
Nearest Neighbor -> Bicubic -> Bilinear (shown in order of pixel clarity)


Next, this screenshot from the original tomb raider actually doesn't benefit from nearest neighbor interpolation as much as it would bilinear or bicubic. I couldn't study the differences for long (because I would look like a pervert), however nearest neighbor is definitely at the end of the list. The most clear cut factor for this is looking at the body shapes. Whether they be arms, or breasts, whichever you prefer.
Show in order: Bicubic -> Bilinear -> Nearest Neighbor (show in order of smoothness)

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

(because I would look like a pervert)

Not if you don't tell no one.

So then games using polygons like playstation/saturn/nintendo 64 is not good for the neighbor thing?

 

[Deleted User]

Not if you don't tell no one.

So then games using polygons like playstation/saturn/nintendo 64 is not good for the neighbor thing?

No, because the likelihood of them using hard edges is unlikely.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

No, because the likelihood of them using hard edges is unlikely.

Well I haven't really done a polygon game yet, i don't have a N64 emulator (Cause not sure which is best to use) or bother on playstation or saturn. Mostly been targeting the consoles before that.

 

[Deleted User]

Well I haven't really done a polygon game yet, i don't have a N64 emulator (Cause not sure which is best to use) or bother on playstation or saturn. Mostly been targeting the consoles before that.

Just know that paint lacks the versatility of other programs. That's all.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Just know that paint lacks the versatility of other programs. That's all.

Umm which paint? The microsoft paint or the paint you told me to download?