简体中文
EnglishWho Are Subchrist Software's Retro-Gaming Tools For?
Updated
Subchrist Software's tools are built for people developing 2D games for Commodore platforms — primarily the Commodore 64, and more recently the Commodore 16 and Plus/4. If you are creating sprite images, animations, or tile-based game maps for those machines and want a dedicated Windows desktop editor rather than a general-purpose art program, these tools are aimed at you. If you work on other platforms, or only need occasional pixel art, they are probably more than you need.
The audience in detail
The company has focused almost entirely on the Commodore 64 since it was founded in 2001, and its product line reflects that:
- Commodore 64 game developers designing character graphics, sprites, and maps.
- Commodore 16 and Plus/4 developers, served by the newer CharPad C16 Pro tile-map editor.
- Retro-gaming developers generally — the tools are described as considered by most retro-gaming developers to be the best available, after more than a decade of refinement.
The common thread is 2D game asset creation on Windows: sprite images, sprite animations, and game maps. These are production tools for people shipping or prototyping games on real Commodore hardware or accurate emulators, not casual drawing apps.
What each tool is for
| Tool | Platform target | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| CharPad C64 Pro | Commodore 64 | Character graphics editor |
| SpritePad C64 Pro | Commodore 64 | Sprite graphics editor |
| CharPad C64 Pro + SpritePad C64 Pro | Commodore 64 | Twin-pack of both editors |
| CharPad C16 Pro | Commodore 16 / Plus/4 | Character graphics editor |
| CharPad C64 (old version) | Commodore 64 | Character graphics editor, free |
| CharPad Glaze C64 | Commodore 64 | Parallax effects builder/viewer, free |
Choosing based on your situation
- You develop for the C64 and need both sprites and characters/maps → the CharPad C64 Pro + SpritePad C64 Pro twin-pack covers both.
- You only need character graphics or maps on the C64 → CharPad C64 Pro alone.
- You only need sprites on the C64 → SpritePad C64 Pro alone.
- You work on the Commodore 16 or Plus/4 → CharPad C16 Pro.
- You want to try the workflow before paying, or only need basic character editing → the free old CharPad C64 version.
- You want parallax effects for a C64 project → CharPad Glaze C64, which is free.
A note on the company's background
Subchrist Software's first project was Final TAP, a tool for digital remastering of software transferred from cassette tapes. It played a central role in an effort to save thousands of classic game tapes from being lost to magnetic degradation or "bit rot." That heritage — preserving and enabling Commodore software — runs through the current toolset, which exists to help people keep building for these machines.
If your work involves designing sprites, animations, or tile maps for Commodore 64, 16, or Plus/4 games on Windows, this toolset is made for you. If not, look elsewhere.