# LowRes NX Coder โ€” Program retro games in BASIC! > Program retro games in BASIC on a virtual console with integrated creative tools. (iPhone/iPad app by Timo Kloss.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowres-nx-coder/id1318884577 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Timo Kloss](https://appshunter.io/developer/899138816) - Category: Education, Entertainment - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.80/5 from 349 App Store ratings ยท 89 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 9.0 ยท 25 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2018-04-25 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowres-nx-coder/id1318884577/reviews.md ## What is LowRes NX Coder? Make your own retro games on a virtual game console. Program in the classic BASIC language and create sprites, tile maps, sound and music with the included tools. As a beginner you will quickly understand how to create simple text games or show your first sprite on a tile map. As an experienced programmer you can discover the full potential of retro hardware tricks! Virtual Game Console Imagine LowRes NX as a handheld game console with a d-pad, two action buttons and a little rubber keyboard below a slidable touchscreen. LowRes NX was inspired by real 8- and 16-bit systems and simulates chips for graphics, sound and I/O, which actually work like classic hardware. It supports hardware sprites as well as hardware parallax scrolling, and even offers vertical blank and raster interrupts to create authentic retro effects. Old-School Programming The programming language of LowRes NX is based on second-generation, structured BASIC. It offers all the classic commands, but with labels, loops and subprograms instead of line numbers. Graphics and sound are supported by additional commands and you can even access the virtual hardware directly using PEEK and POKE. You have complete control over the program flow, there is no standard update function to implement. Creative Tools LowRes NX includes all the tools you need: The Gfx Designer for editing sprites, tiles, fonts and maps, as well as the Sound Composer for music and sound effects. All of these are just normal BASIC programs. You can change and improve them or even create your own custom editors. Share and Play Send your games directly to other users or share them via the website. All programs are open source, so you can play them, learn from them and edit them. Do you prefer making just art or music? Share your creations as assets and let other programmers use them in their projects. ## Key features - Virtual game console simulation - Structured BASIC programming language - Sprite and tile map editor - Sound and music composer - Direct hardware access (PEEK/POKE) - Open-source game sharing ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Small donation | $1.99 | one-time | | Medium donation | $4.99 | one-time | | Large donation | $9.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of LowRes NX Coder? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - ๐Ÿ‘ Free and accessible for all users - ๐ŸŽฎ Great retro game development experience - ๐Ÿ“š Comprehensive documentation and manual - ๐ŸŽจ Built-in sprite, background, and graphics editors - ๐Ÿ’ป Easy-to-learn BASIC programming language - ๐ŸŒ Active and friendly community - ๐ŸŽต Sound and music design tools included - โšก Smooth 60 FPS performance - ๐Ÿ“ฑ Works on multiple devices and platforms - ๐ŸŽฏ Excellent for beginners learning to code - ๐Ÿ”ง Powerful tools for experienced programmers - ๐Ÿ’พ Cross-platform compatibility (iOS, Mac, Desktop) **Cons** - ๐Ÿ› No sound on some devices (iPhone X reported) - ๐Ÿ“– Steep learning curve for absolute beginners - ๐ŸŽฎ Limited screen resolution options - โŒจ๏ธ Mobile keyboard limitations (missing escape key) - ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Graphics display issues in some cases - ๐Ÿ“ Text games can appear cramped - ๐Ÿ”™ No undo/redo functionality - โŒ Unclear documentation for some features - ๐ŸŽฎ Difficult for non-coders to understand - ๐Ÿ“Š Limited customization options **Commonly reported bugs** - No sound output on certain devices - Background/graphics not displaying correctly in GFX designer - Mobile escape key not accessible for edit menu - Account login issues - App crashes and glitches - Game files deleted when removed from Files app - Code accidentally erased without recovery option - Conditional statements requiring unnecessary loops - Pixel display issues in graphics designer **Most requested features** - Undo and redo buttons for code editing - More comprehensive beginner tutorials - 3D graphics support and 3D mode option - Text-to-speech voice synthesis feature - AI-assisted coding helper - Additional gamepad buttons support - Customizable key bindings - Higher screen resolution options (512x478 mentioned) - Follow system on LowRes NX website - In-app update notification system - Progressive tutorial series for game development - Downloadable offline documentation - Python language support - Networking and multiplayer support - Leaderboard functionality - More color palettes - Sound effect import capability - 8x8 pixel graphics support - Interactive tutorials instead of manual reading - YouTube video guides ## Recent user reviews (10 of 89) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowres-nx-coder/id1318884577/reviews.md ### 5/5 โ€” Super Awesome *2025-11-27* The only program for iOS I could find that is free and supports BASIC. Love the color palette and gfx/sfx designers as well! ### 5/5 โ€” Fabulous *2025-10-12, version 1.13* I love it I have always wanted to try this and it is my thing I never get angry itโ€™s just amazing ๐Ÿคฉ you need to get it and you donโ€™t need to pay for it!๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ƒ ### 5/5 โ€” Great beginner game engine *2025-08-12, version 1.13* Itโ€™s very easy to make games with LowRes no coder, itโ€™s kinda like python and lua but mixed in to a pico 8 like engine for free. Best retro game engine on the App Store!!! ### 5/5 โ€” The best app for making retro games *2025-08-08, version 1.13* DONT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING ELSE WITHOUT LOOKING THIS IS REALLY GOOD AND SIMPLE AND NO PAYMENTS YOU ONLY NEED A FEW COMMANDS TO MAKE A GOOD GAME IN THE CONSOLE ### 5/5 โ€” Nice but needs some features *2025-07-02* So I really love this app and I really like uploading my programs to the website. One feature is adding a Open Website for latest update (if there is a latest update available) with 2 buttons skip or update. Another feature is just and Open Website. Last feature I would like you guys to add is a Follow system on the lowres nx website. Well that all ๐Ÿ‘‹ ### 1/5 โ€” Good itโ€™s back *2025-06-13, version 1.13* Good the app is back but not for beginners to coding like me ### 5/5 โ€” Great Fantasy Console *2025-01-25, version 1.13* Super convenient for iPhone. Has full docs and examples. Everything you need to spend your time during long trips. If you want to play a game - write the game first. My childhood zx spectrum vibes XD ### 5/5 โ€” Simple and easy *2025-01-20, version 1.13* One word: Awesome ### 4/5 โ€” Great coder *2025-01-14, version 1.13* I have had this coder for a year or two now and it has brought me from not knowing anything about coding to making full on games but there could be things added, and I want to offer some ideas. Gamekeypad Gamekeypad is a gamepad and keyboard you can do Gamekeypad 2 And what it does is adds to gamepads and just one keyboard. More buttons Many people would be very satisfied if you added at least two more buttons for a gamepad but you have to add it on Example: If tap button (0,3) If tap button (0,4) If tap button (1,3) If tap button (1,4) 3D 3D is awesome and I have found ways to make games 3D before, but it has been very hard and it would be better if you could choose between 2D and 3D when creating a new program and all it would do is have a 3D designer that when you show main bg it shows up 3D. This would be very useful for creating first person games or VR experiences. A voice To have a voice in this coder would be different than other coding apps and make it stand out because you add something like a voice and then do print and whatever you want and it would read it for you. AI assistance Just like what it sounds like an AI assistant that you tell it, what the code or helps you code by filling in gaps or doing sections for you. These are some of the ideas that Iโ€™ve had. I hope you take it into account some of them but overall a great coding app and I use it almost all the time with over 200 programs thank you for this app. ### 5/5 โ€” Very good app *2025-01-13, version 1.13* Glad I could redownload it ## Frequently asked questions about LowRes NX Coder ### What is LowRes NX Coder? LowRes NX Coder is an application that allows you to create retro-style video games on a virtual game console. It utilizes a structured BASIC programming language and includes integrated tools for designing graphics, sound, and music. ### What kind of games can I make with LowRes NX Coder? You can create a variety of retro games, from simple text-based adventures to games with sprites and tile maps. The platform is designed to simulate 8- and 16-bit hardware, enabling authentic retro effects and gameplay. ### Is LowRes NX Coder suitable for beginners? Yes, the app is designed to be accessible for beginners. You can quickly learn to create simple text games or display your first sprite. Experienced programmers can explore advanced retro hardware tricks. ### What are the creative tools included in the app? The app includes a Gfx Designer for editing sprites, tiles, fonts, and maps, as well as a Sound Composer for creating music and sound effects. These tools are themselves written in BASIC, allowing for customization. ### How can I share my creations? You can share your games directly with other users or via the application's website. All programs are open source, allowing others to play, learn from, and edit them. You can also share assets like art and music. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.13 โ€” 2021-03-13 - New tool Gfx Designer 2.0 - iCloud conflict handling - Improved support for physical keyboards - Bugfixes ### 1.12 โ€” 2020-10-13 - Added "Program of the Day" widget for iOS 14 - Fixed menu ### 1.11 โ€” 2020-09-06 - Added "Go to Error" option to runtime error alerts - Added option to use small on-screen gamepad - Added token and ROM statistics to editor - Added functions: UBOUND, CURSOR.X/Y - Added command: EXIT - Increased maximum number of variables and symbols - Improved error handling - Optimized background rendering - Bugfixes ### 1.10 โ€” 2020-04-08 - Bigger gamepad buttons (except for 2-player games on small devices) - Remembers debug mode - Little bug fixes ### 1.9 โ€” 2019-10-12 Finally contains LowRes NX core version 1.0: Several commands were simplified and lots of code examples were added to the included manual. ## More apps by Timo Kloss - [LowRes Collection](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowres-collection/id6443878760) All apps by Timo Kloss: https://appshunter.io/developer/899138816 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*