Started trying to play Pool of Radiance, but it is hurting my eyes just try to read the in-game font. It's bad enough it's all caps (I understand why, though, memory limitations and all that). But that they tried to make it all old-timey isn't helping matters.

I usually try to play older games without any anti-aliasing, because I enjoy the pixelated artwork. If I use scaler options in Dosbox, it makes it more legible, but then affects all of the in-game artwork. But with this game, it seems like a trade-off: unreadable text versus anti-aliased graphics.

Are there any hacks for the game to replace the font? Or some other solution?

Use emulator to play the Amiga version?
Play the FRUA version?

Gold Box Companion includes a font hack. It's still all caps.

Screenshot:
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/jhirvonen/gbc/graphics/sh04.jpg

http://personal.inet.fi/koti/jhirvonen/gbc/
The font-hack is included in the GBC package, named FontMod.exe.

If you're using Mac or Linux, you could still try to patch the data file on a Windows OS.

i usually do 1280x800, ddraw, hq2x scaler (aspect unchecked) and it feels pretty decent. you're doing a straight x4 upscale so there's not so much in the way of distortion. if you use dosbox daum you can try xbr scaler which is considered a bit better than hq.

Thanks all.

For now, I've been using the super2xsai scaler. It seems the best trade-off between pixelation and readability.

I'll check out that Gold Box Companion though! I'd still like the idea of replacing the font with something better.

The font modder is a tool which patches the data file which has the font images:
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/jhirvonen/gbc/graphics/sh02.jpg

In game:
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/jhirvonen/gbc/graphics/sh08.jpg
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/jhirvonen/gbc/graphics/sh09.jpg

You don't have to use the Companion if you only want to patch the font. You can't change the original font to a truetype font or anything like that, but you can draw/edit the font with any paint program.