Best (most readable) font used in a game

[LoTonah]

Hi there. I'm working on a game for the Colecovision (it uses the TMS9918 video chip) and can have problems with color bleed.

 

I would love to see your favorite fonts that may help me in my game.

 

Thanks!

[carlsson]

Which font are you already using? Is it having one or two pixel wide vertical lines, and is that what would cause lack of sharpness and colour bleed?

[The Usotsuki]

There's the classic arcade font you find (with variants) on, say, Nintendo, Namco, Taito, etc. games. You know the one...

 

[LoTonah]

Which font are you already using? Is it having one or two pixel wide vertical lines, and is that what would cause lack of sharpness and colour bleed?

 

The built-in 32 column Coleco font is horrible. It actually makes writing harder to read.

 

It is single-pixel width. There is a 40 column mode available, but it is a bit of work to use it. A little better, but it is single pixel too.

 

The Usotsuki: Yes, I've thought about that font. Definitely gets rid of the bleed issue. But I'll have to research a little further (not sure if it has lower-case!)

[carlsson]

Some common fonts that have two pixel wide vertical lines and definitely lower case would be the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit computer and Amstrad CPC fonts. Plus a few hundred other custom fonts, in case you don't feel like drawing your own. And yes, at least the NES has lower case.

 

When it comes to the C64, you have a lot of copyrighted fonts here: http://kofler.dot.at/c64/

 

More links:

https://damieng.com/blog/2011/02/20/typography-in-8-bits-system-fonts

 

An AA thread for the VDP brother TI-99/4A, so any font that "works" on the TI should work on the Colecovision:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/165697-fonts/

Edited December 4, 2017 by carlsson

[mr_me]

In the United States there is no copyright protection on the font itself.