8-Bit Pocket Camera Brings Back Nostalgic Memories
8-Bit Pocket Camera ($0.99) by Dezro is a retro camera app that brings back memories of the Gameboy Camera that was introduced in 1998.
8-bit certainly seems to be making a comeback these days, isn't it? Kind of strange, since in this day and age we think of more pixels and high-definition as better. But I guess the feeling of nostalgia never leaves us, and that's definitely the case with 8-bit Pocket Camera!
You'll be greeted with a completely grayscale, 8-bit interface. The image from the viewfinder will be displayed in a square in the top half, with brightness and contrast sliders for you to tweak to your liking. If you're on an iPhone 4, you can switch between the front and rear facing cameras with the arrow.
The bottom half has several buttons that allow you to modify the 8-bit image. Stuff like overall smoothness, different variations of black/white/gray pixels, mirror effects, zoom in (closeup), four squares, squeeze, stretch, and even have multiple shots in one frame. There's even an adjustable timer.
Once you get the effects just right, capture your memories in nostalgic 8-bit glory with the capture button. The photo will be taken and then instantly moved into your "Photo Album" within the app. There's more stuff to do in the Photo Album.
In the Photo Album, for a selected photo, you can change the border and "sticker" color of the photo. There are six borders to choose from and three sticker paper colors. Are you feeling the nostalgia for your Gameboy Camera yet? Additionally, you can also view the date and time the photo was taken, as well as where it was taken if you turned Location Services on when prompted. A photo can be viewed full-screen from the Album as well.
Once you've applied the finishing touches on your photo, you have several sharing options. You can save it to your Camera Roll, or share it by Facebook, Twitter, or email.
Of course, with 8-bit photos, you can't really expect high quality resolution, right? Because you're not going to find it here. The point is to bring back memories of the 8-bit days, specifically like when Nintendo had the Gameboy Camera.
The app is fun and should find a place on the home screen of anyone that remembers the 8-bit days of the 1990s. I can't find any flaws, because the app does what it says it does - it is your 8-bit pocket camera.
Please note - the developer is aware of issues with the iPhone 3G and problems with software prior to 4.2. They are working on fixes for these issues and should have an update coming.
For $1, the app certainly brings back welcome memories. Long live 8-bit!
