Videomation

Videomation is a North America-exclusive art application for the Nintendo Entertainment System that was released in 1991.

Videomation
Cover art
Developer(s)FarSight Studios[1]
Publisher(s)Toy Headquarters[1]
Programmer(s)Rand Siegfried[2]
Platform(s)NES[1]
Release
Genre(s)Productivity[1]
Mode(s)Single-player[6]

Videomation saw official release outside North America, by BIC, who sold it in Asian cartridge. They give the official license to a well known, regional famiclone distributors like BiT Argentina[4] (known from Bitgame, Super Bitgame and Video Racer), BobMark Int. Poland[5] (known from Pegasus) and others.

Overview
Designing a fantasy house through the use of the Videomation drawing program.

This application allows players to create artwork using a mostly freestyle method, with support for full video animation. The game does not support the use of a mouse or any other external component, requiring users to rely on the NES game controller to draw objects. There is a basic grey screen surrounded by graphics stamps. This application utilizes the CHR RAM chip that is also used in a variety of other contemporaneous NES video games. Thirteen different variations of palettes and seven different kinds of tools (including a pen, various geometric shapes,and the eraser) are available for use in creative compositions.[7] Once the user chooses one of the palettes, there are different colors to choose. The colors include these: turquoise, pink, purple, light blue, and colors that have been dithered.

After drawing a stationary picture, the game allows to place one of a few possible animatable objects (these include a man, a child, a car, a plane, etc.) and then choose a path it will follow on the screen. One options allows the object to follow the cursor.

The game's instruction manual has some ideas for drawing including these: geometric designs with intense patches of color,[8] birds flying over untamed jungles,[8] cars on a race track,[8] and dinosaurs in the user's imaginary backyard.[8]

There is no data storage or export medium, so pictures and video can only be saved by recording a playback of the NES's display through a VCR.[6]

Reception

According to InstallSoftware.com, the game offers a relatively good short-term replay factor while lacking on the long-term replay factor.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Additional release information". Gamervision. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  2. "Programmer information". Game Developer Research Institute. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  3. "Release information". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
  4. "Este es el equipo para tu próxima aventura!". Action Games (3): 4–5.
  5. "Wieści ze świata grania". Top Secret (30): 39.
  6. "# of players information/recording information". Gamervision. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
  7. "Game tools information". DEngel (GameFAQs). Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  8. "Instruction manual". NES World. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  9. "Retro Video Game Evaluation: Videomation (Nes)". InstallSoftware.com. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
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