Difference between revisions of "HUD"

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In Video games, the HUD (Head Up Display) is the part of the screen where games informations are displayed.
 
In Video games, the HUD (Head Up Display) is the part of the screen where games informations are displayed.
  
Most often, we can see the score, number of lives availlable, ammunitions, and many game's related usefull informations.
+
Most often, we can see the score, number of remaining Lives, ammunitions, and many game's related usefull informations...Hi-Score too.
  
 
In Amstrad CPC  games, the HUD is often quite large and covers a large part of the screen, yet some games preferred minimalist HUD, as a large and graphical HUD is also a waste of CPU and graphic ressource.
 
In Amstrad CPC  games, the HUD is often quite large and covers a large part of the screen, yet some games preferred minimalist HUD, as a large and graphical HUD is also a waste of CPU and graphic ressource.
  
A Logo of the game is Sometimes displayed too (often in poor production).
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A Logo of the game is Sometimes displayed too.
  
Also the real Games window (where the action is) can be displayed inside a Frame (Shadow of the Beast).
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Also the real Game's window (where the action is) can be displayed inside a Frame (Shadow of the Beast).
  
Heavy graphical HUD are often a mean to "hide" the fact that the game is poorly developped, Slow, and directly ported from a Speccy. The Big HUD then complete the small and tiny games wiindows to make illusion the screen is big and finely developped.
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Heavy graphical HUD are often a mean to "hide" the fact that the game is poorly developped, slow, and directly ported from a Speccy.  
 +
 
 +
The Big HUD then complete the small and tiny game's windows to make illusion the screen is big and finely developped.
  
 
Ironically, Games in Full Screen (sometimes mis-dubbed as "Overscan mode") often display very minimalist HUD...while extremly reduced screens (Speccy standards, even less) display an almost huge 1/3 of the screen massive HUD.
 
Ironically, Games in Full Screen (sometimes mis-dubbed as "Overscan mode") often display very minimalist HUD...while extremly reduced screens (Speccy standards, even less) display an almost huge 1/3 of the screen massive HUD.
  
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==The many HUDs==
  
 
Also, a HUD can be Vertical, Horizontal or Diagonal, or include some kind of [[GUI]].
 
Also, a HUD can be Vertical, Horizontal or Diagonal, or include some kind of [[GUI]].
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The HUD is sometimes an excuse to display more colours than theorically possible in Native Mode, by mean of [[Rasters]].
 
The HUD is sometimes an excuse to display more colours than theorically possible in Native Mode, by mean of [[Rasters]].
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 +
This technic theorically cannot be used with a vertical HUD...yet if your game's window is monocolour, you can cheat on this (PacMania...)
  
 
Notable [[Speccy Port|Speccy Ports]] do this. Ironically, in those (often) scrappy Speccy Ports the screen then display 5 or even more colours in Mode1... Yet the game's windows may remains monocolour (PacMania and Black Tiger...)
 
Notable [[Speccy Port|Speccy Ports]] do this. Ironically, in those (often) scrappy Speccy Ports the screen then display 5 or even more colours in Mode1... Yet the game's windows may remains monocolour (PacMania and Black Tiger...)

Revision as of 04:44, 14 October 2009

In Video games, the HUD (Head Up Display) is the part of the screen where games informations are displayed.

Most often, we can see the score, number of remaining Lives, ammunitions, and many game's related usefull informations...Hi-Score too.

In Amstrad CPC games, the HUD is often quite large and covers a large part of the screen, yet some games preferred minimalist HUD, as a large and graphical HUD is also a waste of CPU and graphic ressource.

A Logo of the game is Sometimes displayed too.

Also the real Game's window (where the action is) can be displayed inside a Frame (Shadow of the Beast).

Heavy graphical HUD are often a mean to "hide" the fact that the game is poorly developped, slow, and directly ported from a Speccy.

The Big HUD then complete the small and tiny game's windows to make illusion the screen is big and finely developped.

Ironically, Games in Full Screen (sometimes mis-dubbed as "Overscan mode") often display very minimalist HUD...while extremly reduced screens (Speccy standards, even less) display an almost huge 1/3 of the screen massive HUD.


The many HUDs

Also, a HUD can be Vertical, Horizontal or Diagonal, or include some kind of GUI.

It can be Simple or Double.

With double HUD the Game's window is then often "sandwiched" by 2 HUD.

The HUD is sometimes an excuse to display more colours than theorically possible in Native Mode, by mean of Rasters.

This technic theorically cannot be used with a vertical HUD...yet if your game's window is monocolour, you can cheat on this (PacMania...)

Notable Speccy Ports do this. Ironically, in those (often) scrappy Speccy Ports the screen then display 5 or even more colours in Mode1... Yet the game's windows may remains monocolour (PacMania and Black Tiger...)

Also some Games Producers sometimes displayed the HUD in another Graphic Mode, this allows to display a good 16 colours in the Game's window while the HUD use the highest resolution of Mode 1 to ease the display of informations.

Horizontal HUD

Double Horizontal HUD

Vertical HUD

Double Vertical HUD

Diagonal HUD or Crossed Diagonal HUD

Frame around the Game's window

HUD with GUI

  • Hero Quest

HUD with different Graphic Mode than the Game windows

HUD with a big logo of the game's name

Minimalist HUD

  • Ghouls 'n' Ghost : even more notable as this game is in Full screen...
  • Arkanoid : Also notable because of the Full screen.

HUD displaying extra colours

Animated HUD

Mixed HUD technics

  • Barbarian (palace software) : Games information are diplayed Upside and Downside (game's mode...minimalist yet). The snakes heads (in fact upper horizontal HUD) scream when Damage are done, and a Frame is displayed all around the Game's window (snakes bodies)


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