Reasons to develop 640x480 SCI tools

[MusicallyInspired]

Made with ESRGAN AI neural net upscaling using a Manga109 dataset-trained model.

This is truly black magic:




(2048x1460!!)

Tons more I generated

Original thread I found this thing in with tons more screenshot examples from other games including Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, and texture mods from 3D games as well.

It runs on Python. See these links for instructions on how to set it up. It helps to have a high-end GPU:

• https://old.reddit.com/r/GameUpscale/comments/a7msxo/getting_started/
• https://kingdomakrillic.tumblr.com/post/178254875891/i-figured-out-how-to-get-esrgan-and-sftgan
• https://kingdomakrillic.tumblr.com/post/181294654011/manga109-model-attempt-for-illustrations

[Kawa]

Holy mother of frig.

[MusicallyInspired]

For the KQ6 screens I used the higher res images found on the KQ6 CD-ROM which were 512x356 (bumping it up to 2048x1460). The scene with the tree where the nightingale appears was a little different than the final in-game one, though, so I upscaled both just to show the difference. The in-game ones only go up to 1280x960 (4x).

Monkey Island 2 looks like it was made for this. It puts the Special Edition to shame. Pics are huge so I'll just leave links since we don't have a spoiler code expander.

Big Tree:

• ESRGAN
• Original in-game
• Special Edition

Cliff Face:

• ESRGAN
• Original in-game
• Special Edition

LeChuck's Throne:

• ESRGAN
• Original in-game
• Special Edition
• Original artwork by Peter Chan

[Collector]

Wouldn't this require at least SCI2.1 or so to be VESA/SVGA compatible?

[Collector]

Too bad that we don't have the source for the later interpreters.

[EricOakford]

But hey, we can at least recreate the original art assets. And maybe it could serve as the foundation for potential HD remakes.

[MusicallyInspired]

Wouldn't this require at least SCI2.1 or so to be VESA/SVGA compatible?

Hence reasons to develop it.

[MusicallyInspired]

Been getting a lot of requests to do backgrounds from other Sierra games so I took most of yesterday writing that script to extract background resources, convert to PNG, and then upscale them with ESRGAN. I'm doing all the Sierra games and uploading them to a Google Drive folder. I'll upload more as time goes on: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1r6wxN7xQzuV9bm4H_rw3u4aCOO5r43P4?usp=sharing

For PQ4 (and some screens in PQ3) I'm going to try a different model that's more accustomed and trained to restore low resolution live photos. It's coming out more like a painting, and while that's cool, I think it can do these better.

For QFG4, all the backgrounds are in pieces with foreground objects as different picture resources entirely so I'm going to take more time with that one and stitch them all together before upscaling.

[OmerMor]

Too bad that we don't have the source for the later interpreters.

I'll do something about that later. 

[MusicallyInspired]

[Kawa]

Why would you extract and convert them yourself when I did it all for you? http://helmet.kafuka.org/backgrounds/sci/

[OmerMor]

Why would you extract and convert them yourself when I did it all for you? http://helmet.kafuka.org/backgrounds/sci/

Kawa, you're missing a few games:

• Mixed-up Mother Goose Deluxe
• Mixed-Up Fairy Tales EGA
• Conquests of the Longbow EGA
• Jones in the Fast Lane EGA
• Jones in the Fast Lane VGA
• Hoyle 1
• Hoyle 2
• Hoyle 3 VGA
• Hoyle 5 (Classic Games)
• Laura Bow 2
• Slater and Charlie
• Phantasmagoria 2
• Police Quest: SWAT
• Rama
• Lighthouse
• Shivers 2
• ImagiNation Network
• The Realm

If you're missing any, drop me line.

[MusicallyInspired]

Why would you extract and convert them yourself when I did it all for you? http://helmet.kafuka.org/backgrounds/sci/

Same reason I didn't end up using Companion's export feature. It's fun. 

[Kawa]

Same reason I didn't end up using Companion's export feature. It's fun. 

And ain't that the best reason?

And OmerMor? Did you really just say I'm missing Laura Bow 2? Thanks for the offer, but I'm more interested in sauce

[OmerMor]

And OmerMor? Did you really just say I'm missing Laura Bow 2? Thanks for the offer, but I'm more interested in sauce

Oops 

When I skimmed through your list I was looking for "Colonel's Bequest 2" / "Laura Bow 2" / "lb2" / etc...