Fan art of popular video games are all fun but what makes them even better is getting validation from someone who works in the industry and does something to contribute to the art form even though they may not be attached to the subject in question.

God of War was equally good narratively as it was visually and one of the art directors who worked on the project was Raf Grassetti. He has taken on characters from the Nintendo Universe especially taking on the Mushroom Kingdom lineup.

Raf Grassetti brings a new outlook to these characters making them seem lifelike and more vicious. His take on these characters gives them a defined personality as every character seems to stand out on their own.

You can check out his Instagram page @rafagrassetti where he has posted a collection of these characters. All seem lifelike and surreal.

As you go deeper into his page you will come across some of the most beloved characters in all of gaming and popular media.

Here are some of our favorites

Here is the Elder Predator design I started last weekend, I鈥檝e been trying to do a new Predator piece since forever.. The scar from the last predator movie still hurts..Those who know me know that it鈥檚 one of my favorite characters. Hope you like it and Share ??. More stuff very soon! I鈥檒l post the renders and wip shots this week. Cheers! #predator #characterdesign #zbrush #sculpting #creaturedesign #conceptart

A post shared by Raf Grassetti (@rafagrassetti) on Dec 10, 2018 at 7:16am PST

Link ? . Second character of the #smashbrosremastered series! Swipe left for more and a sneak peek of the next one! I鈥檓 making it too easy to guess 馃檪 Having a lot of fun with these quick ones! I have a long way to go still. . ?? Segundo personagem da s茅rie de #smashbrosultimate . Arrasta pro lado para ver outros e um pouco do pr贸ximo! Qual seu personagem favorito ?? . #zelda #link #nintendo #supersmashbros #breathofthewild #nintenderoseninstagram #nintendoswitch #nintendomag #ninstagram

A post shared by Raf Grassetti (@rafagrassetti) on Jan 4, 2019 at 7:20am PST