
Chapter 1
The grid and the grain
Chapter 2
Hardware color palettes and edible dyes
Chapter 3
Layering depth from parallax scrolling to bento levels
Chapter 4
Sprite collision and structural food engineering
Ch 3 · Layering depth from parallax scrolling to bento levels
Glossary
orthographic projection (noun)
A drawing method that tilts our perspective to show both the top and front of an object at a three-quarter angle without realistic perspective distortion. In retro-game bento styling, this is how you arrange rectangular tamagoyaki omelets to look like solid 3D building blocks, showcasing both the decorative toppings and the delicious layers on the side.
A drawing method that tilts our perspective to show both the top and front of an object at a three-quarter angle without realistic perspective distortion. In retro-game bento styling, this is how you arrange rectangular tamagoyaki omelets to look like solid 3D building blocks, showcasing both the decorative toppings and the delicious layers on the side.
choko Bento Parallax Layering
We layer up the bento like a classic game screen (oh, like a game screen!)

choko The midground layer is where game action happens, requiring solid structural support.
Fun Fact
Edible depth: Shaving the edges of food at a forty-five degree angle is a trick used by both bento artists and game designers to fake depth.

Glossary
parallax scrolling (noun)
A computer graphics technique where background layers move slower than foreground layers to create an illusion of depth. The 1982 game Moon Patrol pioneered this technique, recreated in kyaraben by stacking ingredients at different heights.
A computer graphics technique where background layers move slower than foreground layers to create an illusion of depth. The 1982 game Moon Patrol pioneered this technique, recreated in kyaraben by stacking ingredients at different heights.
Quiz
What term describes the three-quarter angled viewpoint common in classic role-playing games?

BETA
choko Assemble bento ingredients to learn how retro game artists built worlds pixel by pixel.
Quiz
What Japanese cured fish cake is frequently sliced at angles to represent 3D buildings in bento?
Quiz
Which classic 1994 SNES game is famous for its groundbreaking use of pre-rendered 3D sprites and foreground framing?
Quiz
In game engines, which layer typically contains the interactive platforms and playable characters?
Quiz
Why do bento artists pack background elements, like rice, tightly at the very bottom of the box?
Quiz
What visual technique moves background elements slower than foreground elements to create depth?

