/vr/ - Retro Games

>>2017048
That's the illusion. They used 3D models for reference and a lot of scaling + rotating wizardry. The units aren't animated as whole sprites but instead as heads, limbs, and other moving parts that are then rigged together. This helps them achieve that illusory 3D effect whilst letting them animate to the confines of 2D.

>>2017085
This is my issue with Vanillaware and the Rayman games. Too much tweening, not enough reference frames, and rotation of individual limbs doesn't work as well for humanoids as it does for robots or large creatures. Their sprites look great but not so much in terms of actual animation.