📰 New article from Retro Handhelds
RGC-BASIC Hits Version 2.0 With MOD Music, 256-Colour Palettes, and New Screen Modes
If you thought version 1.11 was just a minor tweak, think again. What started as a simple sound update for RGC-BASIC has spiraled into a full-blown graphical and auditory overhaul.
Developer Chris Garrett’s latest leap, version 2.0, is less of a “point release” and more of a total transformation. The inspiration? Stumbling upon an old Amiga tracker module. That rabbit hole led to a new streaming music system that supports everything from classic MOD and XM files to modern MP3s and OGGs. Even better, you can now run background music alongside sound effects without them clashing.
But the real magic is happening on screen. The graphics pipeline has been completely rewritten, moving far beyond simple 16-color bitmaps. New features include:
- Expanded Palettes: Jump from 16 colors to a massive 256-entry palette system.
- New Screen Modes: High-res 640×400 RGBA canvas and classic indexed modes for those retro water/fire animations.
- Advanced Effects: Support for parallax scrolling and alpha compositing (transparency) that would make any Amiga demo-scene veteran weep with joy.
The best part? You can test all this right in your browser via the online IDE—no installation required. Grab the source on GitHub and start coding.