SNES RareWare Graphics Workstation/Dev Box

[Mark30001]

I found these pictures in one of my old Nintendo Power magazines on what appears to be a "Dev box" used by RareWare in England during the production of Donkey Kong Country for the SNES.



A Summary:

Basically RareWare used ACM (Advanced Computer Modeling) for Donkey Kong Country, Killer Instinct, and other titles on Silicon Graphics hardware and software, one being Alias Power Animator. The technique was rather different than most 2D animation. Real world graphics were created through a 3D wireframe model using an Indigo 2 workstation, a unit which revealed the true power of the Super Nintendo's graphics. After creating and testing models, they were transfered to even more powerful computers such as the Challenge XL or Challenge L, and were constructed into solid 3D images which you can find on the Donkey Kong Country series.

[Sally]

Monkey see, monkey do... Uh... sorry...

Take a look at the SNES in the background of the first pic, notice the huge cart in there (although i guess it matches the 8 ft tall pc tower sitting next to it). That looks more like an american model SNES to me, but it's hard to tell. And it looks like he's using a 3rd party turbo controller...

I remember reading an article on the process rare used, i'll see if i can dig it up.

[Yakumo]

The controller is an ASCII FT Pad, the BEST SFC/SNES controller out there ! Unlike other 3rd party crap this felt just like the original plus all the bells and whistles.

Yakumo

[Kittyhawk]

The controller is an ASCII FT Pad, the BEST SFC/SNES controller out there ! Unlike other 3rd party crap this felt just like the original plus all the bells and whistles.

Oh yeah. I love that controller. I remember my mom gave my brother and me the SNES the day it came out, so we went to Walmart to get accessories. My brother and I both bought the ASCII FT, and even now, I will not use any other controller on my SNES.

Did you notice in the pic with the ASCII controller that it's reversed? :lol:

[Yakumo]

Did you notice in the pic with the ASCII controller that it's reversed? :lol:

Oh Yeah ! Never noticed that. Why on earth is it the wrong way around? Did Ascii make left hand controllers?

yakumo

[ccovell]

No, magazines often reverse images to make the composition better. And sometimes they even flip game screenshots upside-down, but that's out of sheer stupidity.

[AntiPasta]

Is this "Advanced Computer Modelling" not just a fancy moniker for using pre-rendered, as opposed to hand-drawn, sprites?

[ASSEMbler]

Such an inhouse device would have been guarded jealously. Even nintendo didn't have stuff like that , rare was always good at doing incredible things with hardware.

They after all, made a demo for nes and got hired by nintendo. I can't think of too many other companies that had nintendo go after THEM.

[Mark30001]

That looks more like an american model SNES to me, but it's hard to tell.

Yep, it's an American model SNES they were using.

No, magazines often reverse images to make the composition better. And sometimes they even flip game screenshots upside-down, but that's out of sheer stupidity.

I've re-scanned pictures to a better quality. I've also flipped that one image. ;-)

[ASSEMbler]

^^
I think that posts in the wrong thread assembler...

that was really odd...

[zappenduster]

i think they used alias/ wavefront poweranimator (dont thing softimage was already around at that time) or something on the line of that and for silicon graphics systems, somewhere ive got a picture of a rare developer (or whoever that was) aside with a onyx from sgi just gotta find it

[sobman]

That dude looks the the uncle you never really wanted to get close to...

[Calpis]

He looks like Gary Senise - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000641/

[sayin999]

funny you should say that, i was watching forest gump a minute ago................

[sobman]

Rare was way ahead of its time, i go back and play donkey kong contry (the orignal of corse) and the graphics are just outstanding

[ASSEMbler]

Ah sobman, you enjoyed my ebay response eh?

[sobman]

I have yet to see many 11 year olds with degrees in advance physics

[kammedo]

Ah sobman, you enjoyed my ebay response eh?

:lol:
That's something i truly wouldnt expect as a topic answer. Assembler, you are great! Anyway, so they used ACM to first make the models and then later bitmapped them? Would (at the time they did) the effort for the work be worth it? I mena, its still a doubled work...

[MexicanGritzTaster]

It isn't "doubled" work. When using 3d models as sprites, like in Donkey Kong Country, the method behind it is, you build the model, then progress them to the frames of animation you want bitmaps for, and take them. The alternative is to hand draw these, using the human mind to estimate the proper perspective for each angle of the supposed 3d charactor. I trust a computer a whole lot more.

[Mark30001]

I have updated the first post with the following pictures after rescanning the same issue Nintendo Power magazine. I hope that helps some: