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EnglishWhat Tools Does Subchrist Software Offer?
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Subchrist Software is a retro-gaming development tool maker founded in 2001, best known for its Commodore 64 graphics editors. Its catalog spans sprite and character graphics design, tile-map editing, parallax effects, and cassette-tape preservation software. Most tools are paid Windows desktop applications sold through itch.io, with a few older or specialized tools available free.
The main tools
Final TAP
Final TAP was Subchrist Software's first project. It performs digital remastering of software transferred from cassette tapes, and it played a central role in the race to save thousands of classic game tapes from being lost to magnetic degradation or "bit rot." If you're working with C64 tape dumps and need to clean up or preserve their contents, this is the tool built for that job.
SpritePad
SpritePad is a Windows desktop tool for designing sprite images and animations for 2D video games. It targets the Commodore 64. The current paid version is SpritePad C64 Pro ($15).
CharPad
CharPad is a Windows desktop tool for designing character graphics and game maps for 2D video games. Like SpritePad, it targets the Commodore 64. The current paid version is CharPad C64 Pro ($15). An older version, CharPad C64 (old version, free), is also offered.
CharPad C16 Pro
CharPad C16 Pro is an advanced tile-map editor for the Commodore 16 and Commodore Plus/4 computers — a newer addition that extends the CharPad line beyond the C64. It costs $15.
CharPad Glaze C64
CharPad Glaze C64 is a free Commodore 64 parallax effects builder and viewer for Windows. Use it when you want to construct or preview parallax effects for C64 projects.
Pricing at a glance
| Tool | Platform | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CharPad C64 Pro + SpritePad C64 Pro (twin-pack) | Windows | $20 |
| CharPad C64 Pro | Windows | $15 |
| SpritePad C64 Pro | Windows | $15 |
| CharPad C16 Pro | Windows | $15 |
| CharPad C64 (old version) | Windows | Free |
| CharPad Glaze C64 | Windows | Free |
How to choose
- Designing C64 sprites or animations: SpritePad C64 Pro.
- Designing C64 character graphics and maps: CharPad C64 Pro.
- Doing both: the CharPad C64 Pro + SpritePad C64 Pro twin-pack at $20, which costs less than buying the two separately at $15 each.
- Working with Commodore 16 or Plus/4 tile maps: CharPad C16 Pro.
- Building or viewing C64 parallax effects: CharPad Glaze C64, which is free.
- Preserving cassette-tape software: Final TAP.
All tools are Windows desktop applications, and the paid ones are distributed through the Subchrist Software itch.io page.