NES palette

[Gatuca]

Can somebody told me which NES palette is the most accurate, some emulators actually had their own, but i really need to know, since some palettes i been found on the internet, REALLY do quite vary.

[Joseph Collins]

This one.

[Zan]

This one.

It's not.

[N-Mario]

It's not.

You could have been at least helpful and giving them the right one then. :-/


I think I have a few palettes that I have found from various NES emulators that I used. It seems like when I last played MegaMan, there was a a palette close to the one that was used on the PSX/PS1 ports. Would that help any?

[Zan]

You could have been at least helpful and giving them the right one then. :-/

It's not quite so simple. There's a reason why each emulator uses its own distinct palette. As the NES output is not in RGB, it has only been replicated by eye. Therefore, there's no 'actual', just close approximates. Take whichever one you like and stay consistent.

[N-Mario]

Y so technical?

All this guy wanted was a palette. Not a full detailed explanation of how the NES colors work.

[OBJECTION MAN]

Zan is 100% right. All we have are approximations, and most emulators have wildly incorrect palettes if you're looking for the authentic NES look.

If you want a (non-authentic) look closer to the colors as the NES's internal data represents, then the official Megaman 9/10 palette is a safe bet. It's not 100% but its adjusted for modern displays. This is NOT the colors the NES put out to a TV though.

If you want to actually go authentic, then you need the NTSC approximation palette. This makes it look exactly how you remember it from the old days. This is the color palette your NES pushes out to an NTSC TV, and it's different than the color data found in the NES itself suggests.

The palette images I constructed (attached for you below) have ordered palette indexes that are exactly the same. You can swap one palette with the other, and everything lines up. This way you can view your palette'd images in either palette to see how they look. One of them is the Megaman 9/10 palette, and the other is the authentic NTSC palette. The NTSC palette was constructed from examining the actual output signal of an NES. It's as accurate as you're going to get.

Also included is a sample of the difference between the two, using a screen shot from Megaman 5.

If you want it too look like a real NES, then the NTSC is the palette you're looking for.

[Joseph Collins]

Okay, fine.

I was wrong.  Horribly, horribly wrong.

Lesson learned: Wikipedia cannot be trusted and is full of [parasitic bomb] about everything and anything.

And incidentally, VirtuaNES's default palette seems to match the NTSC palette provided there.  And I genuinely think it looks butt ugly.  I like my colors a bit less vivid and a little more washed-out.  But that's clearly just me.

[Zan]

Wikipedia isn't incorrect, it's 'close enough'.

They simply presented one of many approximations. Approximations that vary depending on TV brightness/contrast settings.

IMO, whichever palette you choose is mostly your own preference. If possible, give players an option between multiple.

[Gatuca]

Ok thanks guys, i really can make use of this.

[xemiroth]

ever460????This????JewePres????WCNoMichFablSony5534Nest????Glob(???SwisJuli????????VisuPrep
????????????????PenhStVa????CharOrgaCaud????Lati????YorkGezaHarrByre????????????Roge????????
blon????Colu????????Dizz????????Serg????tortSelaSana????GeorPariFern????RafaCharDoro????Amid
MeriBattOrbiMiguMicrGian????Geor????YakuMcKi????WindSwarKarlErleChri????????Isab????WindLope
ArtsApplArtsZone????????XVIIXVII????????????Howa????DolbWinxMusiMiniFyodChriAlfrTrib????Geta
Dalv????????CMOS????GardArdoKatsAgneShawDisn????????6124????????????????Pion????????LimbFolk
????????????????????????????JeweLostJewe????MoulDremCart????AlexEloy(197????????????Xeno????
Eric????Roma(183????????Book????Peac????????????????Proz????MikhVega????????????????MariSigm
Farr????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????CMOSCMOS
CMOS????Meta????????Tito????????????????????Digi????tuchkastentPete

[xemiroth]

audiobookkeeper.rucottagenet.rueyesvision.rueyesvisions.comfactoringfee.rufilmzones.rugadwall.rugaffertape.rugageboard.rugagrule.rugallduct.rugalvanometric.rugangforeman.rugangwayplatform.rugarbagechute.rugardeningleave.rugascautery.rugashbucket.rugasreturn.rugatedsweep.rugaugemodel.rugaussianfilter.rugearpitchdiameter.ru
geartreating.rugeneralizedanalysis.rugeneralprovisions.rugeophysicalprobe.rugeriatricnurse.rugetintoaflap.rugetthebounce.ruhabeascorpus.ruhabituate.ruhackedbolt.ruhackworker.ruhadronicannihilation.ruhaemagglutinin.ruhailsquall.ruhairysphere.ruhalforderfringe.ruhalfsiblings.ruhallofresidence.ruhaltstate.ruhandcoding.ruhandportedhead.ruhandradar.ruhandsfreetelephone.ru
hangonpart.ruhaphazardwinding.ruhardalloyteeth.ruhardasiron.ruhardenedconcrete.ruharmonicinteraction.ruhartlaubgoose.ruhatchholddown.ruhaveafinetime.ruhazardousatmosphere.ruheadregulator.ruheartofgold.ruheatageingresistance.ruheatinggas.ruheavydutymetalcutting.rujacketedwall.rujapanesecedar.rujibtypecrane.rujobabandonment.rujobstress.rujogformation.rujointcapsule.rujointsealingmaterial.ru
journallubricator.rujuicecatcher.rujunctionofchannels.rujusticiablehomicide.rujuxtapositiontwin.rukaposidisease.rukeepagoodoffing.rukeepsmthinhand.rukentishglory.rukerbweight.rukerrrotation.rukeymanassurance.rukeyserum.rukickplate.rukillthefattedcalf.rukilowattsecond.rukingweakfish.rukinozones.rukleinbottle.rukneejoint.ruknifesethouse.ruknockonatom.ruknowledgestate.ru
kondoferromagnet.rulabeledgraph.rulaborracket.rulabourearnings.rulabourleasing.rulaburnumtree.rulacingcourse.rulacrimalpoint.rulactogenicfactor.rulacunarycoefficient.ruladletreatediron.rulaggingload.rulaissezaller.rulambdatransition.rulaminatedmaterial.rulammasshoot.rulamphouse.rulancecorporal.rulancingdie.rulandingdoor.rulandmarksensor.rulandreform.rulanduseratio.ru
languagelaboratory.rulargeheart.rulasercalibration.rulaserlens.rulaserpulse.rulaterevent.rulatrinesergeant.rulayabout.ruleadcoating.ruleadingfirm.rulearningcurve.ruleaveword.rumachinesensible.rumagneticequator.rumagnetotelluricfield.rumailinghouse.rumajorconcern.rumammasdarling.rumanagerialstaff.rumanipulatinghand.rumanualchoke.rumedinfobooks.rump3lists.ru
nameresolution.runaphtheneseries.runarrowmouthed.runationalcensus.runaturalfunctor.runavelseed.runeatplaster.runecroticcaries.runegativefibration.runeighbouringrights.ruobjectmodule.ruobservationballoon.ruobstructivepatent.ruoceanmining.ruoctupolephonon.ruofflinesystem.ruoffsetholder.ruolibanumresinoid.ruonesticket.rupackedspheres.rupagingterminal.rupalatinebones.rupalmberry.ru
papercoating.ruparaconvexgroup.ruparasolmonoplane.ruparkingbrake.rupartfamily.rupartialmajorant.ruquadrupleworm.ruqualitybooster.ruquasimoney.ruquenchedspark.ruquodrecuperet.rurabbetledge.ruradialchaser.ruradiationestimator.rurailwaybridge.rurandomcoloration.rurapidgrowth.rurattlesnakemaster.rureachthroughregion.rureadingmagnifier.rurearchain.rurecessioncone.rurecordedassignment.ru
rectifiersubstation.ruredemptionvalue.rureducingflange.rureferenceantigen.ruregeneratedprotein.rureinvestmentplan.rusafedrilling.rusagprofile.rusalestypelease.rusamplinginterval.rusatellitehydrology.ruscarcecommodity.ruscrapermat.ruscrewingunit.ruseawaterpump.rusecondaryblock.rusecularclergy.ruseismicefficiency.ruselectivediffuser.rusemiasphalticflux.rusemifinishmachining.ruspicetrade.ruspysale.ru
stungun.rutacticaldiameter.rutailstockcenter.rutamecurve.rutapecorrection.rutappingchuck.rutaskreasoning.rutechnicalgrade.rutelangiectaticlipoma.rutelescopicdamper.rutemperateclimate.rutemperedmeasure.rutenementbuilding.rutuchkasultramaficrock.ruultraviolettesting.ru