​

If you are from the Nintendo DS Homebrew era, you may remember a hidden gem among the homebrew available for that line of consoles: Colors! A painting homebrew that even being at a "beta" stage, it let you do profesional-like paintings with ease and very accesible tools on the go. Among all the features it had, three of the most important that made it shine were:​

• Real time replays (the later so-called time lapses) for each painting, you could watch the entire sequence on how it was made from scratch, even letting you to pause at certain points in case you wanted to fix something.​
• The use for an unused feature of the Nintendo DS: presure-sensitive touches, making it feel like you were painting with real brushes; however, this was only available for the "Fat" and Lite models, as the later released DSi models touchscreen lacked a presure sensitive sensor for unknown reasons.​
• You could upload and share your paintings online to share with the comunity, including the replay data, so everyone was able to see and replay the entire process of the painting, it was (and is) something worth to be seen.​

Because of this, it became so popular that later it got ported to several systems with touch inputs, such as the iPhone, the Nintendo 3DS (With 3D layers support) and even the PSVita.

It was long expected that a WiiU version could come soon, as the Gamepad was a perfect fit for it, but words were never said about that. So as the Nintendo Switch launched, many people from the Colors! lineup community immediately asked Jens Anderson, the developer, if there were plans for a port for the new Nintendo console as it had touch support, but according to him, there were some reasons that could hold him back to do so:

"Many people have asked me to bring Colors! to Nintendo Switch. However, I didn’t really want to do that, unless I could make a better version than Colors! 3D. Without a pen, I would have to rely on finger-painting which is not something I think is very fun. [...]

[...]"A little bit over a year ago, an inventor friend of mine in Hong Kong contacted me. When I saw the pressure-sensitive pen that he was working on, I realized that this would be perfect for the Nintendo Switch. Together we developed the Colors SonarPen that comes bundled with Colors Live. This way we can give you real pressure-sensitivity, a responsive way to control thickness and transparency of each stroke with just the amount of pressure applied."

So after all his ideas came together, he realized that his beolved painting app had potential on the Nintendo Switch, and released a Kickstarter campaing to fund his new project, now known as "Colors l!ve".

[...]"Making Colors! has been an incredible journey. From my first experiments with the Nintendo DS hardware, to founding my studio in San Francisco, and most importantly, to every day see all the amazing things that YOU create in it.

Now we are finally taking Colors Live to the Nintendo Switch. By launching on Kickstarter, we can crowd-fund what we need to manufacture the first batch of the Colors SonarPen and finish the development of Colors Live. In fact, some of you will be able to test the Colors Live prototype as soon as the campaign ends!

If you are as excited as I am about this, I hope you will consider backing the campaign and sharing it with your friends. Help us make this project as good as it can be, and I think it will be truly special!"

​

One of the main features by becoming a kickstarter backer, is the oportunity to get the "Sonar Pen" bundled with the game download code, a seemingly temporary "exclusive", set to be shipped before the game releases. Is still yet to be confirmed if non-backers will get the opportunity to order this peripheral later or if it will be available at official retail stores.

​

What is pretty interesting on the "Sonar Pen", is that it uses the headphone port to work, some specs are detailed below:

​

"Colors SonarPen is a pressure-sensitive, responsive stylus and the best way to experience painting with the Colors Live. It was created in cooperation with GreenBulb, who have produced versions of the SonarPen since their first Kickstarter 2018.

It features Pressure-Sensitivity - natural painting feeling and fully customizable for stroke thickness, opacity or both - Palm rejection - comfortably rest your hand on the screen while painting - and Shortcut button for easy access of your favorite brush or tool.

No battery or Bluetooth pairing needed! The Colors SonarPen plugs into the headphone jack of your Nintendo Switch. It weights 0.74 oz / 21 gr, have a cable length of 19.67 in / 0.5 m and comes with a 1 year limited warranty."

Also, the app will get a full game, named "Colors Quest":

"Colors Quest is a single-player game-mode, where you paint something new every day, using a set theme and various rules. By using crowd-sourcing, I've managed to create something that works for every skill-level and that rewards you for improving over time. My hope is that this mode will be a great inspiration for you!"

​

According to the kickstarter page, the estimated release date frame has been set between 2020/2021 to cover all regions.

"Colors Live comes exclusively to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite as a Digital Download code for the Nintendo eShop in America, Europe and Australia (summer 2020) and in Japan (fall/winter 2020)."

Source​

​

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Oh hey I remember this homebrew way back when, I had no idea it got an official release on the 3DS, that's pretty neat.

 

[MetoMeto]

This homebrew was free on DS. I used it as first digital painting software.
It was great, it had pressure sensitivity on DS lite!
........
Yes that is correct, DS lite has pressure sensitive screen!
Colors on 3DS does not have pressure sensitivity.

This is not so great software per se, but what i find gret about it is the ability to playback stroke by stroke when drawing and see other people drawings stroke by stroke in real time or slowed down. That was great.

I still think DS Lite version is the best.

 

[Veho]

Colors! Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time.
I gave the original DS homebrew a try, liked it but as you can see drawing is... not my strong suit. Still a great little program, and I'm glad it got this far.

It's great that they're bundling a stylus. Capacitive screens may be more responsive but the precision on them is absolute balls.

EDIT:
I looked SonarPen up and it costs $35 on its own.

https://www.sonarpen.com/

It works on Android and iOS devices.
This also means it can be ordered separately.

 

[MetoMeto]

precision on them is absolute balls.

You need more practice for precision, but yes, its not that precise.

 

[DSoryu]

I have installed Colors 3D on my 3DS again and man, I had forgotten how beautiful many of the paintings look in 3D, you can even get to see some photorealistic wonders like this one:

https://www.colorslive.com/details/1204383

 

[Bedel]

So you can only get the pen with kickstarter and won't be sell in stores? I don't like that...

 

[Veho]

So you can only get the pen with kickstarter and won't be sell in stores? I don't like that...

The pen can be bought separately. It also works with Android and iOS devices.

https://www.sonarpen.com/

 

[JuanMena]

Where were I all this past years that didn't knew this existed!?

Let's start the research.

If you own a Nintendo DS you can go to ScenebetaDS to download the "latest" stable released version of Colors!
If you want to download it, just let me know and I'll share my Username and Password for the site, as only registered members are allowed to download.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

So you can only get the pen with kickstarter and won't be sell in stores? I don't like that...

No, it will be sold separatedly. This kickstarter bundle is exclusive for kickstarters.

 

[Deleted member 512337]

Yeah thanks I still got my dsi not buying some stupid fucking pen.

 

[JuanMena]

I have installed Colors 3D on my 3DS again and man, I had forgotten how beautiful many of the paintings look in 3D, you can even get to see some photorealistic wonders like this one:

View attachment 212855

https://www.colorslive.com/details/1204383

I painted more than 1 eye:
https://www.colorslive.com/details/3703400

 

[stanleyopar2000]

Who knew a free homebrew would evolve into a large scale official product?

Did the dev retain the rights to it still?

 

[JuanMena]

Who knew a free homebrew would evolve into a large scale official product?

Did the dev retain the rights to it still?

Yes, and his name is Jens Anderssen.

 

[CMDreamer]

If you own a Nintendo DS you can go to ScenebetaDS to download the "latest" stable released version of Colors!
If you want to download it, just let me know and I'll share my Username and Password for the site, as only registered members are allowed to download.
[...]

Thank you so much for kindly offering your credentials of ScenebetaDS site! And yes, actually I've got a NDSi XL, where I like to play some hacked games.

Can you please let me know which one is the most "recent" DS version of Colors!? I've found somewhere else the 1.1 version, but don't know if it is the most "recent" version.

Best regards.

 

[ciaomao]

Is this just a conductive pen, connected to the audio GND? The pressure sensitivity can be achieved by the touch controller fw. Do we know more about the internals?

 

[MetoMeto]

If you own a Nintendo DS you can go to ScenebetaDS to download the "latest" stable released version of Colors!
If you want to download it, just let me know and I'll share my Username and Password for the site, as only registered members are allowed to download.

But....the DS version of Colors! is free (i don't mean financially free, but account free) to download from here, without any account: https://www.gamebrew.org/wiki/Colors!

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I just hate this added peripherals like pen that are not part of the console like pen was on DS/3DS. It just adds extra weight nuisance and thing to carry around ON TOP of that, switch is not exactly a pocket console, no sir, its really big like a small laptop. It defeats the purpose of portable console. Yes you can transport it but not so conveniently like DS lite or GBA SP.

Anyway, pen doesn't help that. If i do want to do art id much rather buy iPad and a pen or a PC tablet like Wacom or something, or Cintique. Or just get a DS version of Colors with pressure sensitivity.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

Stumbled across my old DS homebrew 'Colors' drawings the other day. Had a crappy little doodle I did of my ex girlfriend at the time. My heart sunk. God damn, that was 12 years ago. Where does the time go.

 

[Deleted User]

Yeah, those are better solutions for artists and producers, but this app, since its roots, was aimed for amateurs, casuals or just artists who want to spend their free time doodling or something, also, this has been way cheaper (except if you don't own a switch) in the platforms it has been released on.
As stated, back in the day one of the marvels this had was the time-lapse feature, and many artists started their career with this.

do yourself a favor and buy a wacom pen [Latest version] for an iPad or just buy a tablet with wacom support, i am telling you that this game is worthless compared to the real thing

i am a Designer for 15 years and i can tell you that this piece of hardware is a joke and an insult to artists

its your choice

 

[Alato]

do yourself a favor and buy a wacom pen [Latest version] for an iPad or just buy a tablet with wacom support, i am telling you that this game is worthless compared to the real thing

i am a Designer for 15 years and i can tell you that this piece of hardware is a joke and an insult to artists

its your choice

You're talking about spending hundreds of dollars for pens and tablets vs. spending $40 to use a cool app on a Nintendo Switch.

It's not a joke nor an insult to artists. It's a way of using a video game console in a unique (dare I say subversive?) way, which I'd even argue is more interesting and valuable to the artists who are looking to create things that haven't been done before.

It's totally cool to be purist about it, but then it's no different than if a classical oil painter told you that your Wacom tablet is useless and an 'insult' to 'real artists'.

//On-topic: This homebrew always blew my mind when it was on the DS. It was so well designed and really felt like official licensed software, so it's super cool to see that his work become a real product.

 

[Deleted User]

You're talking about spending hundreds of dollars for pens and tablets vs. spending $40 to use a cool app on a Nintendo Switch.

It's not a joke nor an insult to artists. It's a way of using a video game console in a unique (dare I say subversive?) way, which I'd even argue is more interesting and valuable to the artists who are looking to create things that haven't been done before.

It's totally cool to be purist about it, but then it's no different than if a classical oil painter told you that your Wacom tablet is useless and an 'insult' to 'real artists'.

//On-topic: This homebrew always blew my mind when it was on the DS. It was so well designed and really felt like official licensed software, so it's super cool to see that his work become a real product.

you have a flat circle around the nip of the pen that you have to use to draw, suit yourself enjoy it

wacom pens for ipads
https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo...keywords=wacom+pen+ipad&qid=1591890664&sr=8-7

wacom tablets start at 80$

Chinese knock offs at 40$
https://www.amazon.com/Inspiroy-H64...&keywords=wacom+tablet&qid=1591890751&sr=8-14

i forgot kids with no income brows these forums, sorry i tried to help you understand that the product for switch is trash

 

[JuanMena]

Thank you so much for kindly offering your credentials of ScenebetaDS site! And yes, actually I've got a NDSi XL, where I like to play some hacked games.

Can you please let me know which one is the most "recent" DS version of Colors!? I've found somewhere else the 1.1 version, but don't know if it is the most "recent" version.

Best regards.

1.1b BETA 2 according to this site

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

But....the DS version of Colors! is free (i don't mean financially free, but account free) to download from here, without any account: https://www.gamebrew.org/wiki/Colors!

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I just hate this added peripherals like pen that are not part of the console like pen was on DS/3DS. It just adds extra weight nuisance and thing to carry around ON TOP of that, switch is not exactly a pocket console, no sir, its really big like a small laptop. It defeats the purpose of portable console. Yes you can transport it but not so conveniently like DS lite or GBA SP.

Anyway, pen doesn't help that. If i do want to do art id much rather buy iPad and a pen or a PC tablet like Wacom or something, or Cintique. Or just get a DS version of Colors with pressure sensitivity.

Yes, well sure is somewhere else besides the site I mentioned.
Is just that my first experience with NDS Flashcards and NDS Homebrew was with that site, and I met Colors! thanks to that site, so it still holds a special place in my mind, and that's why I keep using the site, as I've made my account about 10 years ago, and all the homebrew apps are in their servers. They're safe and always available.
Still, if anybody would like to use my password and username, feel free to message me.