goldensunartinitiative

[goldensunartinitiative]

I will grant you peace.

It was technically Susa who ended up killing the Serpent that was plaguing Izumo, but the moment in The Lost Age seems a little anticlimactic. To get a picture of Susa in the moment of that final strike to save his beloved Kushinada? That's what we have thanks to Asu (@Aegis_Asu on Twitter).

Here is a glimpse at "The Killing Blow" in which Asu managed to capture Susa's moment of glory. Briefly seen characters in Golden Sun deserve so much more love, and this image certainly qualifies!

In the planning phase, there were several interconnected prompts, and this is one of a trilogy related to the characters and generations of Izumo. When the single image Zine drops, please look for these. You won't be disappointed.

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #golden sun susa #izumo

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Lonesome George is Lonesome no more!

We have reached the final preview from the Golden Sun Art Initiative pixel portrait side project. The next time you see any of the pixel art that GSAI has commissioned, it will be in the form of a zine!

And for the record, progress is being made, slowly, by our new compiler. For now, check out George!

This portrait features none other than Lonesome George, made by Tacocrepe (on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tacocrepe) who also crafted the other trading game animals. As well as Li'l Turtle, since we all could use a friend.

There are 33 pixel portraits in total in this bonus collection and I can't wait for you to see the others!

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #pixel art #pixelart #LonesomeGeorge #Turtle

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Pixel Portrait of Ahri, the future playable Wind Adept who never got a game...

When you reach Contigo in Golden Sun The Lost Age, there is an infant or toddler who has the powers of a wind adept. She has inherited the power of Anemos, and this young child, Ahri, is set up similar to Eoleo and Takeru as future adepts for a future game!

Sadly, that was not a game we ever got to see. Eoleo shows up in Dark Dawn, and Takeru is mentioned but never seen. Ahri didn't even get that. Despite this, there is always a chance for Golden Sun 4...

But we wanted to show love to Ahri (AKA アレ or Ahre) as a named character with a unique sprite. Thankfully @generalfang15 was up to the task of creating a sprite for this intriguing "should have been great" future character.

Oh Ahri, you were too good of an idea for what came after you.

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #pixelart #pixel art #npc #golden sun ahri

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The Bard from Bilibin

A nice touch in Golden Sun are the occasional unique NPC designs. They are unnamed, you meet them once, and you can also skip them (or miss out on them entirely if you don't explore). For example, there is no reason to go upstairs in the inn at Bilibin, but you can, and encounter a unique NPC playing an instrument.

And it's great. This is extra flavor in a game which isn't needed, but shows all of the effort that went into the Golden Sun games. And these NPCs deserve love, so Morgan (Greatgramcrackr on Twitter and Bluesky) has crafted portraits for these NPCs as part of the GSAI pixel project. Check out the Bilibin Bard!

And be on the lookout for more to come.

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #pixel art

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Obaba: The Best

We resume previews with THE MOST BADASS character in all of Golden Sun: Obaba!

Already ancient when we meet her in The Lost Age, she still is thriving 30 years later in Dark Dawn. And she is a master of the forge, as you can see from what she is working on here in this stunning image made by Lou (soulastah_ on Twitter).

Imagine the power she wields, not to mention living to see her children and grandson fail to learn her skills as a smith...but her great grandson has potential! Obaba's story is underappreciated, and she deserves all of the art.

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #obaba #golden sun obaba #blacksmith

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A pitch for a new Golden Sun game

If you were not aware, the first two Golden Sun games are now available on the Switch. My personal stance is to abstain until an actual new game is made, but to help celebrate, here is a pitch for a new Golden Sun game.

This may be a bit unorthodox, but it would tell the second half of the story, but would radically differ from The Lost Age. And be warned, there are massive spoilers for the first two in this pitch.

Isaac and company battle Saturos and Menardi, but once the Fusion Dragon forms, Felix sneaks up and kills Isaac. The rest of the team kill Felix, but are wiped out by the Dragon. Once they separate, Saturos and Menardi also succumb to the effects of fusion, so they all end up dead as the Venus Lighthouse beacon is fired. Sheba still falls, but does not survive without Felix. Jenna and Kraden are swept away into the ocean and drown. Who does that leave us with?

Alex.

And now a new team is needed. Hamma saw the future and combines forces with this possibly evil manipulator. So Mercury and Jupiter both have an adept on this new team. With no one to prove Piers is innocent, he is executed. The Great Gabomba spirit sees how the jewel came from a now dead man, and tells Akafubu that to atone for the death of the man who owned the jewel he used in the ceremony, Akafubu must take a new test: he must join the quest to become the witch doctor. Now we have a Mars adept.

Briggs made out well from the situation, escaping Alhafra to Champa with the boat, the food, and the money. But when he learns of Piers, Briggs agrees to join the quest to help as a navigator at sea. Maha from Garoh joins as an additional Jupiter support, and you team up with Susa to kill the serpent. Susa joins as your Venus adept.

The group still gets to Lemuria, but with no Piers it gets awkward. Piers uncle goes with you, in defiance of the senate. Second Mercury adept!

Karst and Agatio still appear, but they turn on Alex for letting Saturos and Mendardi die. Fighting ensues? And perhaps Maopa could join. He learns of your quest, and comes along to ensure the power of Anemos would be used wisely. Then parties could be 5 instead of 4 (always with one non-adept; Briggs or Maopa).

Reaching Prox, Karst and Agatio are missing (same fate as The Lost Age). You need help to find them and finish the quest. Puelle becomes your second Mars adept, and upon learning his son has died, Kyle also joins. Yeah, in this version, no parent abduction because their kids are already dead!!!

Now you have 8 adepts, many of whom are severely under-powered non-fighters (Pier's Uncle, Pulle, Kyle) plus two non-adepts susceptible to the elements. And with no Doom Dragon, your final boss?

The Wise One! You are no match, but at a critical moment it is possible for Alex to warp away. Instead, Alex stays and willingly gets wrecked by The Wise One (as is tradition) who then…willingly backs off? The Wise One allows Alex to light the last beacon and heals this united band of misfits. Because The Wise One has seen who they have become on this journey:

-Alex realizing that there is more than power, and he legitimately wants to help Weyard now. -Akafubu becoming a strong leader to his people, worthy of the title of Witch Doctor. -Maha transforming from a hermit to an ambassador for Beastmen across the world, and allowing Beastmen to be open in the world. -Piers' Uncle and Kyle complete what their relatives died trying to do and can return home to honor their memories. -Maopa reestablishes open and good relations between the people of Atteka and Hespiria. -Susa becomes a better equipped leader for Izumo, more capable than just they guy who stabbed an already dying serpent. -Puelle gets better character development, and becomes the actual hero of Prox. -Hamma completes what Ivan was supposed to have done, and can now focus on the return of the Anemos to honor her fallen brother and restore her people's heritage. -Briggs gets booty. Both treasure and Chaucha. He's a pirate, what do you expect? Some things don't change too much.

Everyone gets character growth and the stakes are high since both parties are gone. But all in all it is a satisfying experience, made up by a group even more fragmented and desperate than the Lost Age crew, but just as noble.

Now, obviously this would never happen due to tone alone, but I hope this outline demonstrates not only the interesting possibilities in the scenario of "what would happen if everyone you play as completely died" but also its feasibility as a game. It would follow The Lost Age in terms of geography and would use the same mechanics, but with changes to story and unexpected character moments this would be a unique game. No doubt about it, perhaps a little too unique and controversial.

Of course, even better than this would be a 4th Golden Sun game. So what are you waiting for Camelot?

#golden sun #goldensun #黄金の太陽 #game pitch #au

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An introduction, by way of an unfortunate update

It has become apparent that the Golden Sun Art Initiative is going through a change.

Hello to all. I am Jass Kells, the de facto creative lead on the Golden Sun Art Initiative. I am an experimental writer, theatre artist, amateur dancer, and am involved in several more activities that are best left to the imagination. My GSAI responsibilities were more limited at the start to collaborating on prompt concepts and text, but I was bestowed as "creative lead" on the project, since over time other duties have come to include final approval of commissioned images. And unfortunately as of now, I am the only person on the GSAI "team" remaining. Social media is not my strong suit, yet that is now what I am handling as well.

This parting is unfortunate due to circumstances and timing. I am a particularly private person, and wish to respect the privacy of others without divulging too many details. Roughly one year ago, Golden Sun Art Initiative kicked off to support human artists and commission more artwork based on the Golden Sun games. This past year has seen too many changes and bumps in the road to count.

We have funded the creation of over 80 new images related to Golden Sun; a good portion of these are related to our spontaneous side project of Pixel Portraits, but even with those not included, there are 55 new Golden Sun artworks that are either complete or in production. Many have been previewed and the feedback has been mostly positive, a testament to this small yet passionate and loving community.

And yet, a critical time is approaching and I find myself without the support to make our goals a reality. I cannot criticize the choice or reasons to depart this labor of love, and so I will not.

I wish that I had more specifics to share, but all I will say for certain is that if you notice a drop off in social media activity, or if the final product is not up to the quality you were expecting, this is probably the reason. Also it puts in jeopardy the third GSAI zine which has been in the planning stage until the first two were complete.

For now I am going to proceed with the project as best I can. Compiling everything into a professional looking zine is beyond my skill or time allotment. This may impact the timeline and quality of the zines we have been working towards. I am uncertain how specifically or what will and can be done, but the work will continue. Additionally, this will not become a "Jass Kells joint" by which I mean this continues to be the Golden Sun Art Initiative. After all, there are 16 artists (and hopefully more soon) whose work is included in what we are doing. As I said; collaboration!

We are still waiting on several images from artists, so perhaps we may be on target for a first quarter 2024 release. In these days, who can say for certain? Thank you for your kind words and interest in this little Golden Sun fandom project.

[goldensunartinitiative]

Bask in the glow of the Dusk

Courtesy of @vaicupcakes, one of our zines will feature a series of 5 new Duskshipping images. Felix and Karst, a pair of doomed lovers; one doomed to die, and the other to live. Momories of nights like this linger...

And as a bonus here on Tumblr, have an extra preview!

If you are active on Blueskky, find us there for yet ANOTHER bonus preview!

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #golden sun felix #golden sun karst #duskshipping #felix #karst

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The Kraken Meets The Sea Dog

Just look at this for a while. It is amazing! Kaja, a character that (to our knowledge) has never received the fan art treatment which is a shame since he seems to grizzled and is hinted at having a wild life. So how else to portray him besides jumping directly into the fight against the Kraken in Golden Sun?

For this, Jass came up with a comedic scenario in a serious moment, and plenty of artists told us, "No thanks." But @kurumi-igarashi took on this challenge, and delivered a stunning work.

The full image highlights the teamwork needed to defeat a great challenge, but in this preview you can see the hints of Garet and Ivan involved. However, the star of the show is Kaja, immortalized with harpoon in hand and a scream of delight at getting another chance to slay a sea monster.

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun garet #golden sun ivan #kaja #golden sun kaja #kraken #golden sun kraken

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A Wise Decision

Another preview of our pixel commissions: Please welcome the great work of tacocrepe (on Twitter) who has given a fantastic creation of the most important Golden Sun character who goes without a portrait: The Wise One.

Watch out Alex, The Wise One has a portrait now...

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #pixelart #pixel art

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Colosso Trading Cards?

Does anyone remember Buford?

When it comes to Golden Sun NPCs, the seven gladiators at Colosso were an interesting group with quirky personalities and character growth...at least for the six who got cameos in The Lost Age.

One gladiator did not: Buford, the 7th seed was denied an appearance. Thankfully, the wonderful GeneralFang15 (https://www.tumblr.com/generalfang15) has crafted profile images for all seven, including our frequently forgotten friend.

Justice for Buford!

Side story; when these were first considered as a side project for pixel art images, one of the thoughts was "Colosso Trading Cards" which given how Isaac ended up in the finals at the last minute, that probably threw a wrench into the trading card market.

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #pixelart #pixel art #colosso #golden sun gladiator

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A new Golden Sun art side project!

Do you remember Justin and Megan? Mia's apprentices in Imil? Generic sprites although they have names?

And there are other examples, as well as unique character sprites, named and otherwise. Why didn't these characters have portraits when they speak? Well...

Introducing the Golden Sun Art Initiative pixel portrait series! Providing portraits for named/unique characters without their own portraits in the original two games. The collection will be included in a SFW zine currently in production.

First up is Justin and Megan from Imil by Morgan (Greatgramcrackr on Twitter) who has taken on a large portion of these characters. But more artists, and more characters are coming and will get previewed soon!

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #pixel art #pixelart

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The Vow of Saturos

After being bested at Mercury Lighthouse, Saturos vowed that he would never suffer defeat again. He would watch the Golden Sun rise. Those four who pursued would not be so lucky the next time they met.

Despite the vow, despite all of the training, despite the pain, not all promises can be kept…

These glimpses of a larger montage/collage of Saturos were commissioned to and drawn by https://www.tumblr.com/vaicupcakes who brought out the menace and dedication found in Saturos.

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #saturos #golden sun saturos #goldensunsaturos

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Begging For Naught

Sveta is one of the most loved characters in all of Golden Sun. She makes up for much of what the rest of Dark Dawn is lacking in, and Jass came up with a particularly emotional moment for her to be seen in; the moment Sveta breaks away from her brother to try and stop his plans.

This piece had a particular mood and look that we had in mind, and sought out @HardRime (Twitter Handle) who knew exactly what to do.

By the way, the glimpse of the blue orb is exclusive to Tumblr and Bluesky posts, so thank you for joining us on those platforms!

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun dark dawn #golden sun sveta #golden sun stella

[goldensunartinitiative]

Morning Mia

Now you can see why Isaac was smiling in the previous post!

A preview of another creation by Nekoru (@kurumi-igarashi) based upon a prompt from the Golden Sun Art Initiative. The mudshipping continues.

This was going to be a Tumblr exclusive, but we are excited to announce that within the past hour we have been invited to Bluesky! So this will be greeting you there if you have the luck to be on that platform (and given Twitter's disgusting path over the last year and a half...yeah, easy choice).

Come say hello: @goldensunart.bsky.social

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun mia

[goldensunartinitiative]

Morning Glow

It is the morning after, and Isaac may feel deep down that this was a bad idea. But whatever comes next, right now it is feeling like perfection.

Speaking of perfection, is there anything more perfect than a cute Isaac? Okay, yes. But not many things more perfect!

This is the first of three images in this set, commissioned to and made by Nekoru (@kurumi-igarashi / https://twitter.com/kurumi_igarashi) and there will be more to come here.

#golden sun #goldensun #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #黄金の太陽 #golden sun isaac

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Apologies

When the great adventure is at an end, and the one you had lost forever returns, it may not end up being a happy reunion after all.

Imagine Kay and Felix having been nearing love before Felix was lost in the storm. 3 years later and he is alive, but a traitor, and Kay's own brother Garet is tasked with stopping Felix. And once their adventure is over, perhaps Kay and Felix try to pick up where they left off.

But too much has changed. They are different people now.

A companion image to a previous preview, by Velkia (https://velkia.tumblr.com/).

"I'm sorry that I can't be what she was for you."

"I'm sorry that we even tried."

#golden sun #goldensun #黄金の太陽 #golden sun the lost age #goldensunart #goldensunfanart #golden sun felix #golden sun kay