Game Font Forensics

• pcface

  13 78 5.3 Python

  Bitmap arrays for rendering CP437 glyphs using IBM PC OEM fonts

I hold VileR's work on int10h.org in high esteem, given its exceptional quality. As someone whose initial exposure to computers was through IBM PCs, I find VileR's website to be a treasure trove of IBM PC fonts, BIOS fonts, and related resources.

Inspired by IBM PC games from the 1990s, I aspired to create my own invaders-like game. However hindered by limited access to computers and limited computer programming knowledge, the most I could manage to make were a few text-based adventure games. Although 25 years too late, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I revisited this dream and spent a weekend writing my own Invaders game[1] using HTML5 Canvas.

Initially, I used CanvasRenderingContext2D: fillText() to display text (current score, info screen, etc.). However, dissatisfied with the text rendering quality, I began looking for IBM PC OEM fonts online and came across the Oldschool PC Fonts[2] on int10h.org. I downloaded the font packs from the website, used a Python script to convert them to bitmaps[3] (arrays of integers), and then used the bitmaps to draw text on the canvas, one cell at a time, to get pixel-perfect results!

I eventually switched to a different font pack called Modern DOS[4] developed by Jayvee Enaguas. Nevertheless given how extensive VileR's website is and how convenient the font preview tools[5] on the website are, int10h.org remains as my go-to website whenever I am doing any type of retrocomputing work for fun.

[1] https://susam.net/invaders.html

[2] https://int10h.org/oldschool-pc-fonts/

[3] https://github.com/susam/pcface

[4] https://www.dafont.com/modern-dos.font

[5] https://int10h.org/oldschool-pc-fonts/fontlist/font?ibm_vga_...

• invaders

  21 156 5.2 HTML

  A 1980s-arcade-style game written using HTML5, Canvas, and Web Audio (by susam)

I hold VileR's work on int10h.org in high esteem, given its exceptional quality. As someone whose initial exposure to computers was through IBM PCs, I find VileR's website to be a treasure trove of IBM PC fonts, BIOS fonts, and related resources.

Inspired by IBM PC games from the 1990s, I aspired to create my own invaders-like game. However hindered by limited access to computers and limited computer programming knowledge, the most I could manage to make were a few text-based adventure games. Although 25 years too late, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I revisited this dream and spent a weekend writing my own Invaders game[1] using HTML5 Canvas.

Initially, I used CanvasRenderingContext2D: fillText() to display text (current score, info screen, etc.). However, dissatisfied with the text rendering quality, I began looking for IBM PC OEM fonts online and came across the Oldschool PC Fonts[2] on int10h.org. I downloaded the font packs from the website, used a Python script to convert them to bitmaps[3] (arrays of integers), and then used the bitmaps to draw text on the canvas, one cell at a time, to get pixel-perfect results!

I eventually switched to a different font pack called Modern DOS[4] developed by Jayvee Enaguas. Nevertheless given how extensive VileR's website is and how convenient the font preview tools[5] on the website are, int10h.org remains as my go-to website whenever I am doing any type of retrocomputing work for fun.

[1] https://susam.net/invaders.html

[2] https://int10h.org/oldschool-pc-fonts/

[3] https://github.com/susam/pcface

[4] https://www.dafont.com/modern-dos.font

[5] https://int10h.org/oldschool-pc-fonts/fontlist/font?ibm_vga_...

• InfluxDB

  www.influxdata.com featured

  Power Real-Time Data Analytics at Scale. Get real-time insights from all types of time series data with InfluxDB. Ingest, query, and analyze billions of data points in real-time with unbounded cardinality.

  

• vga-text-mode-fonts

  1 116 -

  A big ol' pile of bitmap fonts in raw binary format, for use w/Fontraption font editor (and anywhere else)

Thanks for those comments, much appreciated. I'm still planning future updates to that font collection, and I'll probably include straight-up binary dumps of the characters, so you won't have to jump through hoops to convert them (although many of them are already available in this form at https://github.com/viler-int10h/vga-text-mode-fonts - all you need is a hex dump).

Do the Modern DOS fonts have a particular advantage for you, in terms of implementation? If they do, let me know and I'll consider those improvements as well!

Suggest a related project