Yeah, the modern use of "8-bit" doesn't actually have anything to do with the number of bits used for neither instructions nor graphics. "8-bit graphics" today simply means "low resolution with limited colors". You can't run any 8-bit application on any modern OS without the use of some kind of emulator.

Also, when people talk of "8-bit graphics" in a historical context, what they tend to actually mean is "graphics used by 8-bit systems", but 8-bit systems generally did not use 8-bit color palettes. The C64 had only a 4-bit color palette (16 colors) while the NES (technically speaking) had a 6-bit one (64 colors, although only 54 were available).

Yep, it's a little bit of an awkward term, but Echo of the Winds definitely doesn't fit into any definition of 8-bit, aside from having some pixel art in it. And really, 8-bit should not be a synonym for pixel art.

Echo of the Wilds looks interesting. I will check out the demo when I got the time.

Thank you Thistler for finding it and akhliber for the short review :)

No Worries!

Sound can be simulated 8-bit as well. Chiptunes are often considered to fall in this category, especially when they emulate the C64 SID chip.

Echo of the Wilds and Ilamentia are in the current Groupees be mine bundle.