Pixel Paint Review (Wii U eShop)

If you are still wondering what this app is about considering its title, it’s basically a pixel drawing application. Don’t expect something like Art Academy Sketchpad in terms of presentation or content (unless we’re putting its price tag into consideration), still it doesn’t mean there’s no reason to buy Pixel Paint either: you can do pixel art after all, an actual option that is missing in the Art Academy title and also a pretty popular art style on the Internet.

Once you start the app, you will have the option to create a new project, load a previous work you did (there is a maximum of 111 projects) and also view the controls. You can also see the controls in the e-manual of the game.

There are six different sizes to work with and while this doesn’t actually affect the canvas size, it allows the artist to add more or less details. Your work space is pretty simple and I will use the next screenshot in order to explain:

In the Gamepad you will see this and on the TV, your final work.

Something that’s easy to notice is you have the options in the left side of the screen and your work space on the right side. The small white box you can see above the options shows where you’re drawing in the canvas, including a small preview of the actual work. Remember you can only move the drawing section with the L-Stick.

• Pencil: the basic drawing option. It includes two sizes: small (one square) and big (nine squares).
• Brush: it works exactly like the pencil, so I’m not sure if there’s a difference I can’t notice, the existence of a bug or if it’s just for easy swapping between sizes.
• Fill: the classic fill option.
• Replace: this is actually a great feature. It will replace any color you fill for another one making it easy to change the color pattern of the final work.
• Copy: You’re able to select a section of the drawing then you can drag it in order to paste it, saving time and work.
• Cut: Sadly, this is the same as copy. Since it doesn’t remove the original content which is the actual function of a normal cut feature, I’m pretty sure this is a bug.
• Pattern: There is a nice variety of patterns you can use, including color schemes like 8-bit and True Color. A few are based on consoles like the Commodore 64 and the Game Boy.

There are other functions you can access only with the buttons:

• Undo and Redo: You can undo or redo up to three times using the buttons A (redo) and Y (undo).
• Zoom: if you press the ZL button when moving, you can zoom in and out.
• Color Picker: If you use for example the True Color patter, it will be difficult to choose exactly the same color again, therefore this will save you from that. Pressing the L button when touching a color with the stylus will select it to work.

Pressing start you will also be able to share your work on Miiverse and since it’s displayed on the TV, using the Wii U sharing tool will allow you to upload it to Twitter and Facebook for example.

Still, its price can make the title hard to consider since there’s Art Academy Sketchpad for the same price and SDK Paint will be available next week as of writing this for $2.99, making Pixel Paint look expensive not as a title but because of its competitors.

Conclusion:
Pixel Paint is a nice app for pixel art but it’s really basic for its price, making it hard to recommend. If you want to share pixel art on Miiverse for example, then you should consider purchasing this application.