Turaco CL is a command-line based tool for extracting sprite/bank based graphic imagery from Arcade game ROMs into a common graphics file format so that you can view and edit them in a paint program. You can then use Turaco CL to take these extracted graphics and convert them back into Arcade game ROMs to be burned out to EPROMS and installed into arcade games.

You can also (with some hacking) get Turaco CL to work with other sprite-based graphics data such as PC bitmapped/VGA/Console fonts, GameBoy graphics, or even NES/VCS/other classic-console graphics.

With a little bit of manipulation, you can take your favorite game characters and put them into the wrong game or do other fun things with the graphics in general.

Turaco CL is the updated version of my older Turaco Classic video game graphics editor. It is command-line based (hence "CL") and simply extracts and rebuilds graphics roms using the Turaco routines and drivers. You can then edit your graphics in whichever modern paint program that you want to use, rather than waiting for the next version of Turaco to come out. ;)

Pac-Man graphics are ©1980-1982 NAMCO/Bally-Midway

And we also generate "checkerboard" files which can be used to help you determine where the boundaries of the sprites are, or for helping you to figure out tilemaps in the game.

<< 2003.05.30 >>

YAY! 0.8 released!

New features for 0.8:

• Filenames only use first 3 letters of driver (DOS safe)
• Old driver/palettes are auto-brightened
• PCX Image file load and save
• Capable of multiple image formats supported for the future
• Tilemap import and export
• -dmp command line option
• Improved general runtime output

Bugfixes for 0.8:

• 15 5 color photoshop files load properly now.
• 05 arbitrary character widths are valid now
• 06 If only -ini selected, driver name is not "unknown" anymore
• 10 loads in ROMs properly for decoding now under MS-DOS
• -- isNeeded was flawed, so all roms are now "needed" for decoding

<< 2003.04.17 >>

Tracking down bugs, busy with other projects, making little advances here and there.

I just added in better checkerboard file support, about to add in tilemap support (for 0.10 probably). In about a week, once the DOS port becomes stable, I'll probably release 0.8, which is significantly improved over 0.6.

<< 2003.03.30 >>

I just released 0.6. It adds one bugfix, one modification to the checkerboard file, and support for MS-DOS builds. Also on this page, you'll now find some binary distributions down below as well. YAY!

One more thing; as far as I can see, there are only 3 people who look at this, and two of them are me. If you use Turaco (any version), drop me an email... join the Turaco Yahoo Group . .. something... Please?

<< 2003.03.29 >>

I just set up a Turaco Yahoo Group for updates, support discussion, graphics bank swapping and such!

• Many bugs fixed
• Tilemap support, better filenames, etc.
• CHANGELOG.txt
• README.txt

• Version 1.1 of the Turaco Classic driver files
• 847 drivers included.

• Minor bugfixes, MS-DOS build support
• Requires the driver download as well.
• README.txt

• Full initial functionality.
• Requires the driver download as well.
• README.txt

• Does almost nothing. ;)
• README.txt

• 9 starter bank images.
• Convert these to ROMs and use them in your game/hack.
• Check 'em out here.

• 23 starter bank images.
• Convert these to ROMs and use them in your game/hack.
• Check 'em out here.

• Library-based version
• GIMP file importer/exporter module
• Image Magick importer/exporter module
• Photoshop importer/exporter module (if someone pays me!)