Retropixels is a cross-platform command line tool to convert images to a format that is supported by the legendary Commodore 64 (c-64) home computer. It can output images in the style of the c-64, and also executables that can be run on a real c-64.
Retropixels can be found on Github and in the npm repository
New in this version Link to heading
In this new version, you can choose between a couple of color palettes, and also a color space to use when the image is quantized, with two new arguments:
--palette <colodore|pepto|deekay>
--colorspace <xyz|yuv|rgb|rainbow>
Prior to 0.7.1, these were hardcoded to pepto and yuv. The new defaults are
colodore and xyz. I am not too sure about the science behind it, but after
playing around, I decided colodore combined with xyz looked better. What
stands out to me from the examples below is:
- More contrast and depth. Especially in faces there seems to be more expression.
- Colors are closer to the original and more vibrant. Also less yellowy.
- On the downside, the new setting seems to sometimes produce harsher artifacts, particularly black pixels that really stand out.
So, to get the best results, just play around with the settings a bit. You can read more about the Colodore palette and the CIE 1931 XYZ color space online.
| Prior to 0.7.1 (hardcoded pepto/yuv) | 0.7.1 (default colodore/xyz) |
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