I can't really recommend of specific screen size, but according to w3schools 2012 log files, the most common screen size is over 1024x768. 1366x768 is currently the most popular. This also confirmed by StatCounter Global Stats.

That fixed it. I did have it set to linear. It scales perfectly now. Thank you very much!

Ok, I tested it out and it didin't work out too well. I typed in the exact same events and the sprites still look terrible. What image format did you use to create the ship in your example? Maybe that's the problem.

Awesome! Thanks again. :)

7Soul

Exactly like that. I'm using a laptop with a small screen to build the game and when I test the game out, it's too small to see what's happening. Resizing the window deteriates the sprites. I need the it to zoom in to enlarge the layout or I'll have to enlarge the sprites manually. I have a lot of art, so I cringe at the thought.

shinkan

Yes! You're a life saver! The pixel art looks great in your example. I like how you used the mouse to resize the screen from 2x to the actual size. That's clever. I'm guessing if I change the mouse function to System>Start & End>On start of layout then this will become the default size? Actually, I going to switch it up and make a keystroke change the size and let the player have that option.

Thank you!

Are you wanting original work or already designed sprite packs? If you Google "sprite packs", you'll find several places to purchase them online.

Looks great so far. I love the title screen and the pixel art. Well done!

Issues:

1. Enemies are lined up. You kill one and you find out down the road you killed several more. If you move up and down and spray your weapon, you can kill all the enemies in the level without advancing. An easy fix is to make it where the bullet doesn't travel past the view of the screen.

2. Player gets stuck ducking against a wall. At fist, I thought the player automatically ducts when shot at. I thought that was cool, but it only happens if you next to a wall. I'm not sure if there is a key to press to let go, but I just press 's' (down) multiple times until he moves away from it. It's troublesome.

3. Sprite overlap issues on level 3. Player flickers when against the wall.

4. There's other things like chopper not attacking, first aid kit not healing and so on, but I understand the game isn't finished.

Other than that, I love the retro feel of the game. I like the celebration the enemies do after they kill you. It makes me want to play again and get him back. It also makes me play harder because I don't want them to celebrate my defeat. Maybe add random celebrations, like having them point and laugh at you? I also like the rain effect on level three.

So far so good. I hope you post a link when it's complete!

Which is the better solution and the easiest on the CPU, One large layout filled with multiple 'levels' or multiple layouts acting as levels and switching between them? Does it even matter?

whiteheat, that's fantastic! I like your solution and the way you explained it as an interactive tutorial. I'm a visual learner, and this really help me understand your approach. Thanks for posting it. Maybe you can upload it to the tutorial section?

I hope that this helps chasethomas as well. Good luck Chase on the clone.

Thank you for the response. I've tried using the 'integer scale', but the pixel art doesn't stay crisp. I was hoping if I can control the zoom, instead of the scale, it would keep the pixel art sharp.

Is there a way to have the game zoom in 200% or 2x and enlarge the window the same?

I think canvas is a good solution. Here's a couple examples. You might be able to pick apart the code.

sketchpad.io

mudcu.be/sketchpad

Hi,

I'm working on an 8-bit NES inspired game and my layout is 256x224. I want to continue to work at this scale, but I want the game to scale up 200% (512 x 448) when it's executed. I have an art background, but I'm not a programmer. Is there an easy way to achieve this?

Thanks.

<font color=red>Edit: problem solved</font>

I'll post a walk through for anyone searching for the same answer.

Step 1

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Add event:

System > Start & End > On start of layout

Add the following actions to it:

System > Layers & Layout > Set layout scale > Scale: 2.0 (or whatever size you want)

System > Display > Set canvas size > Width: 512 Height: 448 ( or whatever size matches the scaled layout)

Step 2

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View Project Properties > Configuration Settings > Sampling: Point

Special thanks to shinkan for the help.