10 Games with the Best-Looking 3D Sprites Ever

The 1990s signaled widespread advancement of video game technology across every single aspect of development. Everything was getting better and more powerful. Sound chips were more capable, engines got faster, and video games were becoming even more entrenched in pop culture.

One way that video games advanced in the 1990s was the advent of 3D, digitized sprites. This generally involves the process of taking a high-end 3D model, or in some special cases, actual live-action filmed or 2D animated footage, and digitizing it into a 2D asset for game engines.

It was a fascinating technique, and one that powered some of the most iconic games of all time. These days, digitized sprites are not really as popular as they were, but it was a pretty impressive bit of technology back in the day. It created some of the most compelling visual styles of its generation rather easily.

10 Batman Forever: The Arcade Game

Okay Game, Amazing Sprites

Batman's time in video games has proven to be something of a roller coaster. He's been in amazing games like the Arkham franchise and hidden gems like 2005's Batman Begins tie-in, but The Dark Knight has also been the star of a lot of mediocre games.

The tie-in arcade beat 'em up for 1995's Batman Forever: The Arcade Game is a rather uninspired experience as a game, but the 3D sprites are actually quite lovely to look at. They have a dark, bleak look that matches the tone of the movie flawlessly.

They're actually animated rather nicely, as well. Both Batman and Robin are playable, and they have some pretty fun animations to look at. Considering how weak the actual game is, though it's not awful as far as arcade beat 'em ups from this era go, the 3D sprites are delightful.

9 NBA Jam

He's Heating Up!

Sports games were somewhat unhinged during the 1990s. It was a mix of more simulation-based games and arcade-style experiences, but no game encapsulates the wild tonal swings that sports games were going through at that time more than NBA Jam.

As anyone who has played it knows, NBA Jam itself is a high-energy, off-the-rails vision of basketball that has absolutely no desire to slow down. That outrageous pace is matched only by the game's 3D sprites, the creation of which is one of gaming's most fascinating tales.

The 3D sprites of NBA Jam were created by digitizing live-action footage of a number of amateur basketball players, including future Utah Jazz player Stephen Howard. With no state-of-the-art face scanning technology available to them, the team at Midway took scans of NBA players' faces from sports magazines and popped those onto their digitized players. It was incredibly inventive looking back.

8 Donkey Kong Country

Technological Innovation Meets Outstanding Platformer

The 1990s was a time of technological innovation in video games that was so unlike any other. Hardware was advancing at a rapid rate, and Rare always seemed to be at the forefront of whatever was available.

One very clear and obvious example of that was the work they did on Donkey Kong Country, which saw them use highly advanced SGI workstations known as the Onyx and Challenge to create incredibly detailed 3D models of DK and his friends. Those sprites were then digitized, and while they lost some color depth due to SNES hardware limitations, it was still a massive achievement.

To create the 3D models, Rare used programs like Softimage 3D and Alias Power Animator. These were film industry staples, used in iconic 90s movies like Jurassic Park. This shared relationship between movies and video games foreshadowed what was to come, as the two have remained inseparable for decades.

7 Doom

Hand-Crafted Horrors

For all the impressive technology and new hardware that was booming in the 1990s, there's something to be said about how far a bit of real-world work will get you. That's exactly how the iconic 3D sprites of Doom were created, after all.

Using a combination of physical objects that they took pictures of and sculpted models, John Carmack and his team at id Software created some truly memorable 3D sprites for the original Doom. Much like the in-game antics of these demonic creatures, each one looks and feels unique.

All the sprites in Doom have their own flavor, as each enemy evokes a compelling brand of horror that is so distinct to them. The same is true for the weapons, which id Softawre constructed with real photographs of weapons and custom-made props. The original Doom is a masterclass in doing a lot with what little you have.

6 Street Fighter: The Movie

I'm a Game Based on a Movie Based on Another Game

There's not much good to say about the 1994 Street Fighter movie, and the same can unfortunately be said of the arcade game tie-in. Except for one thing, of course, which is the spectacular 3D sprites.

During production of the movie, the actors were drafted for another job. A much more important job, that of posing and doing fighting actions in front of blue and green screens for the purpose of being digitized into 2D game assets for Street Fighter: The Movie.

Released in arcades and across multiple home consoles, Street Fighter: The Movie isn't much of a contender on the fighting game circuit. The sprites, however, are incredible to look at. It's a shame that the game just isn't there to back up the sprite work.

5 WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game

Digitized Main Event

If you were around for the pro wrestling boom of the 1990s, you probably remember just how fun and special it was. There was really something for everyone, no matter if you liked the more traditional spectacle of the WWF and WCW or the more violent edge of ECW.

You were also in luck when it came to wrestling video games at the time, as they were all just as varied and wild as the on-screen product. With WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game, which was every bit the macabre cartoon that WCW promoter Bill Watts described it as, developer Midway found that the best way to bring the showcase of the immortals to life was to literally bring them to life with digitized 3D sprites.

Midway filmed hours of actual WWF superstars, including the likes of The Undertaker, Lex Luger and Bret Hart, in order to capture their likeness. It was a mammoth undertaking, and one that paid off, becoming one of the most popular arcade games of its era.

4 Duke Nukem 3D

The Genius of Chuck Jones

While Duke Nukem 3D is given all sorts of appropriate, well-earned praise for its level design and shooting mechanics, the true unsung hero of the game is Chuck Jones. Without his efforts, I don't think Duke Nukem 3D would have been able to reach the level that it did.

The painstakingly hand-sculpted clay models that Chuck Jones created were photographed, edited and sized down to perfection. It's the amount of effort and humanity that went into the models that really sells it for me, as they just look absolutely phenomenal. There was also some pretty excellent 3D model work, as well.

Duke Nukem 3D was a triumph in that regard, and the models are a big reason why that is. The work Chuck Jones and the rest of the 3D artists did was outstanding, and it gave each model a unique, interesting look. To this day, the style that Chuck Jones captured is unmatched by a lot of contemporary games.

3 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Fight!

When someone thinks of digitized 3D sprites, chances are that the original Mortal Kombat is the first game that springs to mind. It's not completely outrageous, either, as while it wasn't the first game to do it, it's the one that everyone remembers.

By the time Mortal Kombat 3 came out in 1995, Midway had become exceptionally efficient at the workflow and pipeline required to make these digitized sprites work. The production cycle was the same, as Midway filmed live-action actors in suits performing the actions, then transformed that footage into sprite sheets.

What really is so amazing about MK3's sprites is how much more confident everything looks and feels. The costumes, props and make-up for the actors is simply stupendous. MK3 isn't just the greatest Mortal Kombat game of all time, it has some of the most beautiful 3D sprites I've ever seen.

2 Titanic: Adventure Out of Time

The Most Insane Game Ever Made

Two years before James Cameron's big-budget blockbuster explored the harrowing final days of the RMS Titanic, developer CyberFlix would create a point-and-click adventure game set aboard the infamous ship. Titanic: Adventure out of Time was conceived as a game that would see a British SIS member going back in time to the night the glorious ship sank.

Despite its outrageous story that features time travel, conspiracies and whispers of the occult, Adventure out of Time is one of the most fascinating games I've ever played. A big part of the game's appeal is the graphics, which rely on immaculately dressed and styled live-action actors that are digitized into sprites.

In conjunction with the spectacularly corny voice acting, these sprites are a delight to watch in motion. There's a certain surreal nature to them, as they have limited animation, but yet feel oddly realistic. If you're a fan of camp and oddball style, Titanic: Adventure Out of Time is a dream come true.

The Force is Strong With This Sequel

If any franchise is known for being at the forefront of technological innovations, it's Star Wars. In a lot of cases, George Lucas was actually the pioneer of said technology. It's just kinda his thing.

Star Wars Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire really felt like the kind of game that was made by obsessed fans. It came out in the middle of a film drought, where there was no new live-action Star Wars content being produced. Seeing Tie-Fighters, X-Wings and Star Destroyers in live-action again was like a dream come true.

Better yet, getting to pilot them through gorgeously rendered CG environments was a treat. As this was a LucasArts game, they were able to effortlessly go into the archives and use actual film props and models. It's one of the most authentic Star Wars game experiences of all time, and it all starts with the sprites.