Introduction

Game design trends, much like trends in fashion and music, are quite cyclical. There is currently a trend in game art, especially in indie circles, to give games a pixilated, retro feel but with modern game mechanics and effects. Many developers are trying to capture the look and feel of classic 8-bit and 16-bit games while simultaneously keeping the games modern using certain special effects. One of these effects is to give games lighting systems that can produce, in a way, realistic light effects, watered down as necessary to maintain the desired look.

This isn't entirely a new concept; some games from the 16-bit era had some basic lighting effects, though they were presented differently. Consider a couple of very popular games, such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Super Mario World and Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Both of these games used the same hardware and were released one year apart, almost to the day.

Super Mario World contains many levels that take...