Pixel art often holds a very nostalgic feeling when presented in the in the modern light. Oddly enough, visibly sized small blocks composing a low resolution image is often enough to spur a sense of nostalgia in a lot of populations today. Pixel art is often seen as very dated graphically so it is interesting to see major progressions in how the art is presented today.
Perhaps it's the lack of clarity that draws people into enjoying the art form? Pixel art is interesting because it was abstraction by necessity. Personal computation was limited in sheer power when pixel art become present, forcing developers to generate artwork with as little detail as possible. Items that would often be seen as a complex forms in 3D space are replaced with a simplistic blocks that abstractify the item. 4 colored cubes can represent a charm on a necklace, a facial expression, or even a a symbol like a star or cross.
Pixel art can also be combined with more traditional graphical techniques that enhance the work substantially. Traditional lighting can be implemented and overlaid into the work. The fusion of two vastly different styles of art direction creates something substantially different from the norm. Depth of this light can make the 2D Sprites appear almost 3 dimensional in space. Light interacts with certain sprites in certain ways, generating depth in the different layers and forms of the object.
Pixel art is a remarkable style of graphic that has stood the test of time and continues to develop to this day.
