[egypturnash]

So there is a potentiometer on the c64’s board that you can adjust to control the color intensity. The people on the assembly line them were supposed to connect them to a screen and adjust the pot until it matched a particular intensity, but there were runs of c64s where they just said "fuck that" and turned it all the way up without checking. Early 64s were SUPER saturated.

The fact that we are having a conversation about it looking dull and washed out makes it clear that this unauthorized shortcut was cracked down upon. But it also helps to explain why there are so many palettes available in most c64 emulators - people tried to match their memories, or a screen grab, of wherever their particular c64 was adjusted.

I'd adjusted mine; if I recall correctly it came with the intensity all the way up. I turned it down but didn't turn it down to the point most people's seem to have been set at, judging from most modern emulated screenshots.