A downloadable NES graphics tool

NEXXT is an all-in-one studio for making fully NES compatible graphics. 

It's a free to use continuation based off Shiru's classic NES Screen Tool (NESST). The original is in of itself responsible for a huge quality jump in the NES homebrew scene when it was first released, thanks to its focus on tile-efficient screen construction and a fast, modifier key based interface.

Having used NESST for years, when it ceased receiving updates, i decided develop the features I always wanted. Fast forward a couple years, NEXXT now has several factors more features, with 220.000 lines of code improving on the original's 14.500.  



The tool emulates the rules of the NES PPU (picture processing unit). This has 2 benefits: You can always be sure that anything you create in NEXXT is NES displayable.

It also helps learning how NES graphics works efficiently, & helps provide many insights how to "outsmart" the restrictions. That said, the NES restrictions emulated  in NEXXT shouldn't be taken dogmatically as hard limits. Some things can be bent with cartridge hardware or clever programming. 



The tool is free & public domain, though coins in the tip jar are appreciated and will help me set more time aside to continue development. Donations can be made on  ko-fi, or through patreon if you prefer to support its development continually.  

Updated 3 days ago
StatusReleased
CategoryTool
Rating
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
(28 total ratings)
AuthorFrankenGraphics
Tags2D, 8-Bit, Drawing, NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), Pixel Art, Retro, Sprites, Tilemap, Tileset

Download

Download
NEXXT 3.3.1.zip 8.9 MB

Install instructions

This tool is designed for windows, but reportedly works fine in Wine for Mac / Linux too. It is portable, so simply start it from wherever you like. 

Pro tip: It is sometimes very useful to run multiple instances, where you can use one workspace as scratch space and deposit for assets for use in the other. 

Development log

View all posts