07-08-2019, 12:43 PM
Quadplay Console Released Free And Open Sourced
Quadplay, a fantasy console by CasualEffects, was just released for free, open sourced under the LGPL3 license. Fantasy consoles are virtual consoles, often with specifications similar to classic hardware such as NES or Gameboy, often with a easy to use programming language, and Quadplay is no exception.
The specifications of the virtual hardware is as follows:
- 60 fps @ 384 x 224 pixels = 12:7 aspect ≈ 16:9.3
- 4096 sRGB (4:4:4) colors
- Hundreds of built-in sprites, sounds, and fonts
- Program in PyxlScript, a friendly Python-like language
- Order-independent 4-bit (16-level) alpha transparency
- Native 2.5D graphics via z-order
- 9.4 MB of total sprite memory
- Up to 64 sprite and font sheets of up to 1024×1024
- Four 10-button gamepads (D-pad + ⓐⓑⓒⓓ + ⓟⓠ)
- Optional 192 x 112, 128 x 128, and 64 x 64 screen modes
- Free and open source
The console and programming environment is remarkably well documented. The source code for quadplay is available on GitHub. The name CasualEffects may seem familiar, they are also responsible for the G3D Innovation Engine we covered earlier, as well as the simpler Nano Jammer virtual console, among other projects.
Check out quadplay in action in the video below.