Retropixels

Version: 0.6.2 Web: https://github. com/micheldebree/retropixels

While the amount of 32-bit software gradually declines in the PC market, there is a strong and active community of historic 8-bit Commodore 64 (C64) users. The original Commodore hardware dominated the low-end computer market in the 1980s, so after almost 40 years have passed it’s no wonder that more and more people are using software emulators such as Vice (http://vice-emu. sourceforge.net) for their Commodore needs.

But the subject of this review is a fun and very easyto-use imaging tool with a very C64 feel. It converts any image into a low-res 8-bit mode, giving it a retro look. But Retropixels isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a useful conversion tool that enables viewing any image either on a real C64 computer or via Vice or another emulator.

Retropixels comes as a Node.js module; therefore it is very easy to install it provided that you have the npm package manager. Proceed with this:

$ npm install -g retropixels

Next, use this simple syntax for actual conversion:

$ retropixels input_file output_file

The input can be any bitmap (PNG, JPG, BMP and so on), but the output is limited to PNG, Koala Bitmap (KLA) and Commodore 64 executable (PRG). The last option is of special interest, as it produces binary files that are compatible with the original C64 hardware. If you don’t own one, it is still possible to see how the C64 would load such a file by using Vice:

$ x64 your_file.prg

Retropixels also accepts a number of options, which you can discover by examining the readme file. It’s possible to adjust the colour conversion algorithm and change dithering mode. If you aren’t fond of npm, the

Retropixels executable can be built using Docker – again, refer to the project’s documentation for details.

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