romdevtools 0.27.0 → 0.29.0

package/examples/pce/puzzle/main.c

@@ -1,304 +1,885 @@
-/*
- * PC Engine "puzzle" — a match-3 falling-block scaffold.
+/* ── main.c — PC Engine falling-trio versus puzzle (complete example game) ─────
  *
- * A 1x3 column of coloured blocks falls into a 6-wide x 12-tall well drawn with
- * background tiles. LEFT/RIGHT slide the piece, button I rotates the three
- * colours, DOWN soft-drops, button II hard-drops. When a piece locks, any
- * horizontal run of three same-colour cells clears and scores. Mirrors the
- * NES/Genesis/SNES/GB/SMS puzzle scaffolds, translated to the PCE helper API.
+ * TUMBLE TIDE — a COMPLETE, working game: title screen, 1P MARATHON mode
+ * (levels speed the fall as you clear) and 2P SIMULTANEOUS VERSUS mode — two
+ * 6x12 wells side by side, P1 on the stock pad, P2 on the TurboTap's second
+ * pad, both falling at once, where every cascade chain you score sends a TIDE
+ * of garbage rows rising from the bottom of your rival's well. Score +
+ * in-session hi-score (a bare HuCard can't save — see the hi-score note
+ * below), PSG music + SFX.
  *
- * The whole field is drawn from BG tiles (no sprites needed) — a grey wall
- * frame around a dim field interior, with R/G/B block tiles for the cells, so
- * the screen is clearly a populated playfield (clears the verify gate).
+ * The game: a falling-trio match-3. A vertical trio of pieces drops into a
+ * well; LEFT/RIGHT move it, I/II cycle its three colours, DOWN soft-drops,
+ * RUN hard-drops. When it lands, any straight run of 3+ same-coloured cells
+ * (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) clears; survivors fall and cascades
+ * chain for multiplied score. First stack to reach the rim loses.
  *
- * PCE notes (see pce_hw.h / MENTAL_MODEL.md):
- *   - bg_enable() turns on the BG plane + the VBlank IRQ (waitvsync needs it).
- *   - .bss must be non-empty (pce_video.c's _pce_keep[] covers it).
+ * THIS FILE IS MEANT TO BE FORKED AND MODIFIED into your own game — even a
+ * very different one. The markers tell you what's what:
+ *   HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing) — dodges a documented PCE footgun; reshape
+ *     your gameplay around it (see TROUBLESHOOTING before changing).
+ *   GAME LOGIC (clay) — match rules, garbage, tuning, art: reshape freely.
  *
- * cc65 is C89 — declare locals at the top of a block.
+ * What depends on what:
+ *   pce_hw.h / pce_video.c / pce_input.c / pce_sound.c — the helper lib
+ *     (VDC/VCE/PSG register dances + joypad). The HARDWARE IDIOM markers in
+ *     pce_video.c say which parts are load-bearing.
+ *   cc65's pce crt0 + pce.lib are auto-linked; the 'rom32k' linker preset
+ *     (applied automatically to example projects) gives a 32KB HuCard.
+ *
+ * 2P, honestly: the stock PC Engine has ONE controller port; 2P needs a
+ * TurboTap. The geargrafx core implements the TurboTap and the romdev host
+ * now force-ENABLES it (PLATFORM_CORE_OPTIONS pce: geargrafx_turbotap), so a
+ * second pad's input reaches the game on pad slot 2 — verified by driving
+ * port-1 input and seeing P2 move. So this game ships REAL simultaneous 2P
+ * versus. (On real hardware the player plugs a TurboTap and a second pad.)
+ *
+ * Frame budget (NTSC, 60fps) — and a TEACHING POINT vs the NES version of
+ * this game (examples/nes/templates/puzzle.c): on the NES, board repaints
+ * squeeze through a ~16-entry vblank queue, so a full-board repaint is
+ * BUDGETED across ~12 frames of dirty-row bitmask tricks. The PC Engine has
+ * no such famine: the VDC's VRAM write port streams words back-to-back, and a
+ * whole well is 24 tile rows x 12 tile cols = 288 BAT words. Two wells + the
+ * 6-entry SATB + the HUD all stream inside one vblank with budget to spare —
+ * so this version just REPAINTS THE WHOLE DIRTY WELL each time it changes (no
+ * dirty-row machinery at all). Same genre, two bandwidth worlds — fork
+ * accordingly.
  */
 #include <pce.h>
-#include <stdint.h>   /* int8_t for signed grid coordinates                   */
+#include <joystick.h>   /* JOY_2 + joy_read for the 2nd pad (TurboTap port 1) */
 #include "pce_hw.h"
 
-/* ---- VRAM layout (word addresses) --------------------------------------- */
-#define BAT_VRAM     0x0000
-#define BG_VRAM      0x1000   /* cabinet background (dotted, colour 6/7)     */
-#define RED_VRAM     0x1010   /* block colour 1                             */
-#define GRN_VRAM     0x1020   /* block colour 2                             */
-#define BLU_VRAM     0x1030   /* block colour 3                             */
-#define WALL_VRAM    0x1040   /* well border (colour 4)                     */
-#define FIELD_VRAM   0x1050   /* dim empty field (colour 5)                 */
+/* pce_hw.h gives us u8/u16; the match-scan + piece coords need signed types
+ * (cells can sit above the rim at negative rows). cc65's int is 16-bit. */
+typedef signed char s8;
+typedef int         s16;
+
+/* The title screen renders this — examples({op:'fork'}) stamps your game's
+ * name here automatically. Keep it ≤16 chars of A-Z 0-9 space dash. */
+#define GAME_TITLE "TUMBLE TIDE"
+
+/* ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+ * VRAM map (WORD addresses — the VDC is a 16-bit-word machine; an 8x8 tile is
+ * 16 words, a 16x16 sprite cell is 64). Sprites and BG tiles share one 64KB
+ * VRAM, so lay it out ONCE and keep the SATB out of pattern space:
+ *   $0000  BAT (32x32 background map — matches vdc_init's VDC_MWR setting)
+ *   $1000  font glyphs (38 tiles: blank, 0-9, A-Z, dash)
+ *   $1400  board furniture tiles (backdrop, HUD band, frame, empty cell)
+ *   $1500  CELL tiles: 3 colours, each its own 8x8 tile (a 16x16 cell is 2x2)
+ *   $1800  16x16 trio SPRITE cells: 3 colours
+ *   $7F00  shadow SATB destination (satb_dma copies it here, VDC reads it) */
+#define BAT_VRAM      0x0000
+#define FONT_VRAM     0x1000
+#define BACK_VRAM     0x1400   /* solid colour 1 — cabinet backdrop          */
+#define BAND_VRAM     0x1410   /* solid colour 2 — band behind the HUD text  */
+#define FRAME_VRAM    0x1420   /* solid colour 3 — well border               */
+#define INNER_VRAM    0x1430   /* near-black well interior + faint speck     */
+#define CELL0_VRAM    0x1500   /* locked-cell BG tile, colour A (8x8)        */
+#define CELL1_VRAM    0x1510   /* locked-cell BG tile, colour B              */
+#define CELL2_VRAM    0x1520   /* locked-cell BG tile, colour C              */
+#define SPR0_VRAM     0x1800   /* 16x16 falling-trio sprite, colour A        */
+#define SPR1_VRAM     0x1840   /* 16x16 falling-trio sprite, colour B        */
+#define SPR2_VRAM     0x1880   /* 16x16 falling-trio sprite, colour C        */
 
 #define BAT_ENTRY(pal, vram)  ((u16)(((pal) << 12) | ((vram) >> 4)))
 
-#define COLS 6
-#define ROWS 12
-#define GRID_COL0 13   /* well's left BAT column (centres the 6-wide field)  */
-#define GRID_ROW0 4    /* well's top BAT row                                 */
-
-/* ---- state -------------------------------------------------------------- */
-static u8  grid[ROWS][COLS];   /* 0 = empty, 1..3 = colour                   */
-static u8  piece[3];           /* three stacked colours                      */
-static int8_t piece_x;         /* column 0..COLS-1                           */
-static int8_t piece_y;         /* row of top cell (can be negative)          */
-static u8  fall_timer;
-static u16 score;
-static u16 rng;
-static u8  pad, prev_pad;
-static u16 tile_buf[16];
+/* Sprite pattern codes = VRAM >> 6 (the 16x16 cell index). */
+#define SPR_PAT(c)   ((u16)((SPR0_VRAM >> 6) + (c)))   /* colour 0..2 */
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ──────────────────────────────────────
+ * Board geometry. Cells are 16x16 px (2x2 BAT tiles) — the PCE 256x224 screen
+ * has room to spare; chunky cells read better than 8-px ones. The BAT is
+ * 32 tiles wide; a 12-wide well (6 cells x 2 tiles) fits twice for the split
+ * board. Tile rows 0-1 sit under the HUD band; well interiors start at row 3. */
+#define GRID_W   6
+#define GRID_H   12
+#define WELL_TR  3             /* top TILE row of the well interior          */
+#define WELL_1P_TC 10          /* 1P: single centered well (tiles 10-21)     */
+#define WELL_VS_P1  2          /* 2P: P1 interior tiles 2-13 ...             */
+#define WELL_VS_P2 18          /*     P2 interior tiles 18-29 (split board)  */
+#define HUD_ROWS    2          /* BAT rows reserved for the HUD band         */
+
+#define EMPTY 0                /* cell colours 1..3 = amber/teal/magenta     */
+
+/* SATB slot plan: 3 trio sprites per player (slot order = priority). */
+#define SLOT_TRIO(p, i)  (u8)((p) * 3 + (i))
+#define OFFSCREEN_Y  0x1F0     /* park hidden sprites below the display       */
+/* Each trio colour gets its OWN sprite sub-palette (1/2/3) so the falling
+ * pieces show their three distinct hues, matching the locked-board cells. */
+#define PAL_TRIO(col)  (u8)(col)   /* colour 1..3 -> sprite sub-palette 1..3 */
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ── game state ── */
+static u8  grid[2][GRID_H][GRID_W];   /* the two wells (P2's unused in 1P)  */
+static s16 piece_x[2];                /* falling trio: column 0..5          */
+static s16 piece_y[2];                /* row of its TOP cell (<0 above rim) */
+static u8  piece_col[2][3];           /* trio colours, top to bottom        */
+static u16 score[2];
+static u16 hiscore;
+static u8  level;                     /* 1P: 1..9, speeds up the fall       */
+static u8  state;                     /* ST_TITLE / ST_PLAY / ST_OVER       */
+static u8  two_player;
+
+static u8  matched[GRID_H][GRID_W];
+static u8  well_tc[2];                 /* left interior TILE column per well */
+static u8  fall_t[2];                  /* frames until next gravity step     */
+static u8  prev_pad[2];                /* for edge-triggered input           */
+static u16 cleared_total;              /* 1P: cells cleared, drives the level */
+static u8  board_dirty[2];             /* well needs a repaint this frame    */
+static u8  loser;                      /* who topped out (2P result text)    */
+static u16 rng = 0xACE1;
+static u8  sfx_timer;
+static u8  hud_dirty;
+
+/* Game states — the shell every example shares: title → play → game over. */
+#define ST_TITLE 0
+#define ST_PLAY  1
+#define ST_OVER  2
+
+#define VS_FALL_DELAY 24           /* 2P: fixed gravity (frames per row)   */
+#define GARBAGE_CAP   4            /* max garbage rows per attack          */
+
+static u16 tile_buf[16];           /* scratch for one 8x8 tile             */
+static u16 spr_buf[64];            /* scratch for one 16x16 sprite cell    */
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — 5x7 glyph font: blank, 0-9, A-Z, dash ──────────────
+ * Each glyph is 7 rows of 5 bits (bit4 = leftmost). upload_font() expands
+ * them into 8x8 1-plane tiles; drawn with BG sub-palette 1 (white). */
+#define G_BLANK 0
+#define G_DIGIT 1          /* '0'..'9' -> glyphs 1..10                       */
+#define G_ALPHA 11         /* 'A'..'Z' -> glyphs 11..36                      */
+#define G_DASH  37
+#define NUM_GLYPHS 38
+
+static const u8 FONT5x7[NUM_GLYPHS][7] = {
+    {0,0,0,0,0,0,0},
+    {0x0E,0x11,0x13,0x15,0x19,0x11,0x0E}, {0x04,0x0C,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x0E},
+    {0x0E,0x11,0x01,0x02,0x04,0x08,0x1F}, {0x1F,0x02,0x04,0x02,0x01,0x11,0x0E},
+    {0x02,0x06,0x0A,0x12,0x1F,0x02,0x02}, {0x1F,0x10,0x1E,0x01,0x01,0x11,0x0E},
+    {0x06,0x08,0x10,0x1E,0x11,0x11,0x0E}, {0x1F,0x01,0x02,0x04,0x08,0x08,0x08},
+    {0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x0E}, {0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x0F,0x01,0x02,0x0C},
+    {0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x1F,0x11,0x11,0x11}, {0x1E,0x11,0x11,0x1E,0x11,0x11,0x1E},
+    {0x0E,0x11,0x10,0x10,0x10,0x11,0x0E}, {0x1E,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x1E},
+    {0x1F,0x10,0x10,0x1E,0x10,0x10,0x1F}, {0x1F,0x10,0x10,0x1E,0x10,0x10,0x10},
+    {0x0E,0x11,0x10,0x17,0x11,0x11,0x0F}, {0x11,0x11,0x11,0x1F,0x11,0x11,0x11},
+    {0x0E,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x0E}, {0x07,0x02,0x02,0x02,0x02,0x12,0x0C},
+    {0x11,0x12,0x14,0x18,0x14,0x12,0x11}, {0x10,0x10,0x10,0x10,0x10,0x10,0x1F},
+    {0x11,0x1B,0x15,0x15,0x11,0x11,0x11}, {0x11,0x19,0x15,0x13,0x11,0x11,0x11},
+    {0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x0E}, {0x1E,0x11,0x11,0x1E,0x10,0x10,0x10},
+    {0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x15,0x12,0x0D}, {0x1E,0x11,0x11,0x1E,0x14,0x12,0x11},
+    {0x0F,0x10,0x10,0x0E,0x01,0x01,0x1E}, {0x1F,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x04},
+    {0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x0E}, {0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x0A,0x04},
+    {0x11,0x11,0x11,0x15,0x15,0x15,0x0A}, {0x11,0x11,0x0A,0x04,0x0A,0x11,0x11},
+    {0x11,0x11,0x0A,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x04}, {0x1F,0x01,0x02,0x04,0x08,0x10,0x1F},
+    {0x00,0x00,0x00,0x1F,0x00,0x00,0x00},
+};
 
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — a 16x16 round-cell mask (16 rows × 16 bits, bit15
+ * leftmost). The falling-trio sprites use this whole; one piece of art, three
+ * colours (the colour is the PALETTE, not the bits). */
+static const u16 cell_mask[16] = {
+    0x07E0, 0x1FF8, 0x3FFC, 0x7E7E, 0x7C3E, 0xFC3F, 0xFFFF, 0xFFFF,
+    0xFFFF, 0xFFFF, 0xFC3F, 0x7C3E, 0x7E7E, 0x3FFC, 0x1FF8, 0x07E0
+};
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — tile/sprite builders ────────────────────────────── */
 static void make_solid_tile(u16 *t, u8 ci) {
     u8 r;
     u8 p0 = (ci & 1) ? 0xFF : 0x00;
     u8 p1 = (ci & 2) ? 0xFF : 0x00;
-    u8 p2 = (ci & 4) ? 0xFF : 0x00;
-    u8 p3 = (ci & 8) ? 0xFF : 0x00;
     for (r = 0; r < 8; ++r) {
         t[r]     = (u16)(p0 | (p1 << 8));
-        t[r + 8] = (u16)(p2 | (p3 << 8));
+        t[r + 8] = 0;
     }
 }
 
-/* A block tile: a solid `ci`-colour body with a 1px `frame`-colour border on
- * all four edges, so adjacent same-colour blocks still read as distinct cells.
- * For each of the 8 rows we pick a per-plane mask: border rows (0,7) are all
- * `frame`; interior rows are `ci` body with the left/right edge pixels framed. */
-static void make_block_tile(u16 *t, u8 ci, u8 frame) {
+/* one-colour 16x16 sprite cell from a 16-row mask (colour = plane0 → index 1) */
+static void make_sprite16(u16 vram, const u16 *mask) {
     u8 r;
-    for (r = 0; r < 8; ++r) {
-        u8 edge_row = (r == 0 || r == 7);
-        /* body colour planes (fill the whole row) */
-        u8 b0 = (ci & 1) ? 0xFF : 0x00, b1 = (ci & 2) ? 0xFF : 0x00;
-        u8 b2 = (ci & 4) ? 0xFF : 0x00, b3 = (ci & 8) ? 0xFF : 0x00;
-        /* frame colour planes */
-        u8 f0 = (frame & 1) ? 0xFF : 0x00, f1 = (frame & 2) ? 0xFF : 0x00;
-        u8 f2 = (frame & 4) ? 0xFF : 0x00, f3 = (frame & 8) ? 0xFF : 0x00;
-        u8 p0, p1, p2, p3;
-        if (edge_row) {
-            p0 = f0; p1 = f1; p2 = f2; p3 = f3;             /* whole row framed */
-        } else {
-            /* body fill, but pixels 0 and 7 (mask 0x81) use the frame colour */
-            p0 = (u8)((b0 & 0x7E) | (f0 & 0x81));
-            p1 = (u8)((b1 & 0x7E) | (f1 & 0x81));
-            p2 = (u8)((b2 & 0x7E) | (f2 & 0x81));
-            p3 = (u8)((b3 & 0x7E) | (f3 & 0x81));
-        }
-        t[r]     = (u16)(p0 | (p1 << 8));
-        t[r + 8] = (u16)(p2 | (p3 << 8));
-    }
+    for (r = 0; r < 64; ++r) spr_buf[r] = 0;
+    for (r = 0; r < 16; ++r) spr_buf[r] = mask[r];   /* plane 0 → colour 1 */
+    load_tiles(vram, spr_buf, 64);
 }
 
-/* Cabinet background tile: every pixel is colour 6, with a colour-7 dot on a
- * sparse lattice, so the whole screen reads as an intentional textured backdrop
- * rather than the flat hardware backdrop. Colour 6 = planes 1+2; colour 7 adds
- * plane 0 (so dots = planes 0+1+2). Build per-plane row bytes:
- *   plane0 (low byte words 0..7)  = dot mask (only dot pixels)
- *   plane1 (high byte words 0..7) = 0xFF (colour 6 base, all pixels)
- *   plane2 (low byte words 8..15) = 0xFF (colour 6 base, all pixels)
- *   plane3 (high byte words 8..15)= 0 */
-static void make_dots_tile(u16 *t) {
+/* A locked-board cell is a chunky 8x8 "pip" tile (a 16x16 cell is 2x2 of it):
+ * a filled colour-1 square with a dark 1-px rim on every edge so adjacent
+ * cells read as separate pieces. The colour is the PALETTE, not the bits. */
+static void make_cell_tile(u16 *t) {
     u8 r;
     for (r = 0; r < 8; ++r) {
-        u8 dot = ((r & 3) == 0) ? 0x22 : 0x00;   /* dot columns every 4 px      */
-        t[r]     = (u16)(dot | 0xFF00u);          /* plane0=dots, plane1=base    */
-        t[r + 8] = (u16)0x00FFu;                  /* plane2=base,  plane3=0      */
+        u16 fill = 0x00FF;                 /* plane0 all set → colour 1       */
+        if (r == 0 || r == 7) fill = 0;    /* clear top/bottom rim rows       */
+        else fill &= 0x007E;               /* clear left+right edge columns    */
+        t[r]     = fill;
+        t[r + 8] = 0;
+    }
+}
+
+static void upload_font(void) {
+    u8 g, row, bits, px;
+    for (g = 0; g < NUM_GLYPHS; ++g) {
+        for (row = 0; row < 16; ++row) tile_buf[row] = 0;
+        for (row = 0; row < 7; ++row) {
+            bits = FONT5x7[g][row];
+            px = 0;
+            if (bits & 0x10) px |= 0x40;
+            if (bits & 0x08) px |= 0x20;
+            if (bits & 0x04) px |= 0x10;
+            if (bits & 0x02) px |= 0x08;
+            if (bits & 0x01) px |= 0x04;
+            tile_buf[row] = (u16)px;
+        }
+        load_tiles((u16)(FONT_VRAM + g * 16), tile_buf, 16);
     }
 }
 
 static void upload_art(void) {
-    make_dots_tile(tile_buf); load_tiles(BG_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
-    make_block_tile(tile_buf, 1, 6); load_tiles(RED_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
-    make_block_tile(tile_buf, 2, 6); load_tiles(GRN_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
-    make_block_tile(tile_buf, 3, 6); load_tiles(BLU_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
-    make_solid_tile(tile_buf, 4); load_tiles(WALL_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
-    make_solid_tile(tile_buf, 5); load_tiles(FIELD_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
+    upload_font();
+    make_solid_tile(tile_buf, 1); load_tiles(BACK_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
+    make_solid_tile(tile_buf, 2); load_tiles(BAND_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
+    make_solid_tile(tile_buf, 3); load_tiles(FRAME_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
+    /* well interior: near-black colour-1 with one faint colour-3 speck */
+    make_solid_tile(tile_buf, 1); tile_buf[4] |= 0x1000; tile_buf[4 + 8] = 0x1000;
+    load_tiles(INNER_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
+    /* one cell tile shape, reused for all three colours (palette gives hue) */
+    make_cell_tile(tile_buf);
+    load_tiles(CELL0_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
+    load_tiles(CELL1_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
+    load_tiles(CELL2_VRAM, tile_buf, 16);
+    make_sprite16(SPR0_VRAM, cell_mask);
+    make_sprite16(SPR1_VRAM, cell_mask);
+    make_sprite16(SPR2_VRAM, cell_mask);
+}
+
+/* cell colour 1..3 → its locked-board BG tile VRAM */
+static u16 cell_vram(u8 col) {
+    return (col == 1) ? CELL0_VRAM : (col == 2) ? CELL1_VRAM : CELL2_VRAM;
 }
 
-static u16 vram_for(u8 cell) {
-    if (cell == 1) return RED_VRAM;
-    if (cell == 2) return GRN_VRAM;
-    if (cell == 3) return BLU_VRAM;
-    return FIELD_VRAM;   /* empty -> dim field interior */
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — BAT text + board paint ──────────────────────────── */
+static void put_glyph(u8 col, u8 row, u8 glyph) {
+    u16 e = BAT_ENTRY(1, (u16)(FONT_VRAM + glyph * 16));  /* pal 1 = white   */
+    vram_set_write_addr((u16)(BAT_VRAM + row * 32 + col));
+    VDC_DATA_LO = (u8)(e & 0xFF);
+    VDC_DATA_HI = (u8)(e >> 8);
 }
 
-static void put_cell(u8 batCol, u8 batRow, u16 vram) {
-    u16 e = BAT_ENTRY(0, vram);
-    vram_set_write_addr((u16)(BAT_VRAM + batRow * 32 + batCol));
+static void put_tile(u8 col, u8 row, u16 e) {
+    vram_set_write_addr((u16)(BAT_VRAM + row * 32 + col));
     VDC_DATA_LO = (u8)(e & 0xFF);
     VDC_DATA_HI = (u8)(e >> 8);
 }
 
-/* fill the whole BAT with the cabinet background tile */
-static void clear_bat(void) {
+static void draw_text(u8 col, u8 row, const char *s) {
+    u8 c;
+    while ((c = (u8)*s++) != 0) {
+        u8 g = G_BLANK;
+        if (c >= '0' && c <= '9') g = (u8)(G_DIGIT + c - '0');
+        else if (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') g = (u8)(G_ALPHA + c - 'A');
+        else if (c == '-') g = G_DASH;
+        put_glyph(col++, row, g);
+    }
+}
+
+static void draw_num5(u8 col, u8 row, u16 v) {
+    u8 i, d[5];
+    for (i = 0; i < 5; ++i) { d[i] = (u8)(v % 10); v /= 10; }
+    for (i = 0; i < 5; ++i) put_glyph((u8)(col + i), row, (u8)(G_DIGIT + d[4 - i]));
+}
+
+/* ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+ * WHOLE-BOARD BAT REPAINT — the PCE's puzzle bandwidth, the inverse of the
+ * NES famine. A locked cell is two-by-two of one BG tile (on its own colour
+ * sub-palette); an empty cell is two-by-two of the INNER tile. When a board
+ * changes we simply rewrite ALL 24x12 of its BAT entries — 288 word writes
+ * straight at the VDC's VWR port (vram_set_write_addr arms the auto-
+ * incrementing address, then we stream). The whole well streams in well under
+ * a vblank; both wells + the SATB + HUD fit one frame. The NES version of THIS
+ * GAME budgets the same repaint across ~12 frames through a 16-entry queue —
+ * the PCE just blasts it. Two rules:
+ *   - do the streaming inside the vblank window (we repaint just after
+ *     waitvsync()), so the VDC isn't fetching the BAT for display mid-write;
+ *   - keep the SATB-DMA after the BAT writes — both share the VDC and the DMA
+ *     wants the address latch left where it expects it.
+ *
+ * requires: BAT 32x32 (vdc_init's MWR); well within the 32-wide BAT (it is:
+ *   the split board uses tiles 2-13 and 18-29). */
+static void paint_board(u8 p) {
+    u8 r, c, tr, tc;
+    u16 e_inner = BAT_ENTRY(0, INNER_VRAM);
+    u8 left = well_tc[p];
+    for (r = 0; r < GRID_H; r++) {
+        for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++) {
+            u8 col = grid[p][r][c];
+            /* each locked colour gets its own BG sub-palette (3/4/5) so the
+             * one cell-tile shape (all pixels colour index 1) renders three
+             * distinct hues; empty interior uses sub-palette 0 (backdrop). */
+            u16 e = col ? BAT_ENTRY(2 + col, cell_vram(col)) : e_inner;
+            tr = (u8)(WELL_TR + r * 2);
+            tc = (u8)(left + c * 2);
+            put_tile(tc,            tr,            e);   /* 2x2 of the cell tile */
+            put_tile((u8)(tc + 1),  tr,            e);
+            put_tile(tc,            (u8)(tr + 1),  e);
+            put_tile((u8)(tc + 1),  (u8)(tr + 1),  e);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+static void paint_frame(u8 p) {
+    u8 r, tr, c;
+    u16 e = BAT_ENTRY(0, FRAME_VRAM);
+    u8 x0 = (u8)(well_tc[p] - 1);
+    u8 w  = (u8)(GRID_W * 2 + 2);
+    /* top + bottom rails */
+    for (c = 0; c < w; c++) {
+        put_tile((u8)(x0 + c), (u8)(WELL_TR - 1), e);
+        put_tile((u8)(x0 + c), (u8)(WELL_TR + GRID_H * 2), e);
+    }
+    /* side rails */
+    for (r = 0; r < GRID_H * 2; r++) {
+        tr = (u8)(WELL_TR + r);
+        put_tile(x0, tr, e);
+        put_tile((u8)(x0 + GRID_W * 2 + 1), tr, e);
+    }
+}
+
+/* Fill the whole 32x32 BAT: HUD band on the top rows, backdrop below. */
+static void paint_backdrop(void) {
     u8 r, c;
-    u16 e = BAT_ENTRY(0, BG_VRAM);
-    for (r = 0; r < 32; ++r) {
+    u16 band = BAT_ENTRY(0, BAND_VRAM);
+    u16 back = BAT_ENTRY(0, BACK_VRAM);
+    for (r = 0; r < 32; r++) {
         vram_set_write_addr((u16)(BAT_VRAM + r * 32));
-        for (c = 0; c < 32; ++c) {
+        for (c = 0; c < 32; c++) {
+            u16 e = (r < HUD_ROWS) ? band : back;
             VDC_DATA_LO = (u8)(e & 0xFF);
             VDC_DATA_HI = (u8)(e >> 8);
         }
     }
 }
 
-/* draw the well frame + dim interior */
-static void draw_well(void) {
-    int8_t r, c;
-    for (r = -1; r <= ROWS; ++r) {
-        for (c = -1; c <= COLS; ++c) {
-            u16 vram = (r == -1 || r == ROWS || c == -1 || c == COLS)
-                       ? WALL_VRAM : FIELD_VRAM;
-            put_cell((u8)(GRID_COL0 + c), (u8)(GRID_ROW0 + r), vram);
+/* HUD: row 0 = "SC 00000  HI 00000  LV 1" (1P) or "P1 .. HI .. P2 .." (2P). */
+static void draw_hud(void) {
+    u8 i;
+    /* clear the HUD text row before repainting (band tile under the glyphs) */
+    for (i = 0; i < 32; i++) put_tile(i, 0, BAT_ENTRY(0, BAND_VRAM));
+    if (state == ST_TITLE) {
+        draw_text(13, 0, "HI");
+        draw_num5(16, 0, hiscore);
+        return;
+    }
+    if (two_player) {
+        draw_text(1, 0, "P1");
+        draw_num5(4, 0, score[0]);
+        draw_text(12, 0, "HI");
+        draw_num5(15, 0, hiscore);
+        draw_text(24, 0, "P2");
+        draw_num5(27, 0, score[1]);
+    } else {
+        draw_text(1, 0, "SC");
+        draw_num5(4, 0, score[0]);
+        draw_text(12, 0, "HI");
+        draw_num5(15, 0, hiscore);
+        draw_text(24, 0, "LV");
+        put_glyph(27, 0, (u8)(G_DIGIT + level));
+    }
+}
+
+/* ── HARDWARE TRUTH: a bare HuCard CANNOT save a hi-score (in-session only) ──
+ * This was researched and corrected: earlier versions wrote the hi-score to
+ * BRAM ("backup RAM", bank $F7) and claimed it persisted across power cycles.
+ * That is NOT honest for a HuCard game. On REAL hardware a plain HuCard plugged
+ * into a base PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 has NO backup RAM at all — BRAM exists
+ * ONLY when a peripheral is attached: the CD-ROM² System (2KB kept by a
+ * supercapacitor), the Tennokoe Bank HuCard, or the Memory Base 128. No
+ * commercial HuCard self-saved; they used PASSWORDS. (The often-cited Populous
+ * "ROMRAM" SRAM was the game's own working RAM, not a battery save.) An
+ * emulator like geargrafx exposes BRAM unconditionally, so the old code
+ * "worked" in emulation in a way the real machine never would.
+ *
+ * So this game keeps an IN-SESSION hi-score only (like the honest 2600/Lynx
+ * examples) — it survives game-overs within a power-on, resets to 0 on a cold
+ * boot. To make it ACTUALLY persist on real hardware you would target a
+ * peripheral: write to BRAM only after detecting one (and go through the System
+ * Card BIOS's 'HUBM' directory for CD saves), or move the game to a CD-ROM²
+ * build. Either is a real-hardware feature, not a property of the cartridge.  */
+static u16 hiscore_load(void) {
+    return 0;          /* cold boot: no persistence on a bare HuCard */
+}
+
+static void hiscore_save(u16 v) {
+    (void)v;           /* in-session only — nowhere to persist on real HW */
+}
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — music: a 2-channel tune ticked once per frame ──────
+ * PSG channel plan: 5 = melody, 4 = bass, 2/3 = SFX (tones cut by sfx_timer).
+ * PCE frequency regs are DIVIDERS: pitch ≈ 3.58MHz / (32 × value), so a
+ * BIGGER number is a LOWER note. Note indices into NOTE_DIV below. */
+enum { R = 0, A2N, C3, F3, G3, A3, B3, C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, A4, B4, C5, D5, E5 };
+static const u16 NOTE_DIV[17] = {
+    0, 1017, 854, 641, 571, 508, 453, 427, 381, 339, 320, 285, 254, 226, 214, 190, 170
+};
+/* 16 melody steps + 8 bass steps (one bass note per 2 melody steps) */
+static const u8 MEL_TITLE[16] = { A3,C4,E4,A4, G4,E4,C4,E4, F4,A4,C5,A4, G4,E4,D4,C4 };
+static const u8 BAS_TITLE[8]  = { A2N,A2N, F3,F3, C3,C3, G3,G3 };
+static const u8 MEL_PLAY[16]  = { C4,E4,G4,E4, D4,F4,A4,F4, E4,G4,C5,G4, A4,G4,E4,R  };
+static const u8 BAS_PLAY[8]   = { C3,C3, F3,F3, A2N,A2N, G3,G3 };
+static const u8 MEL_OVER[16]  = { C5,R,A4,R, F4,R,E4,R, D4,R,C4,R, A2N,R,R,R };
+
+static u8 music_song;          /* reuses the ST_* ids                        */
+static u8 music_step, music_timer, music_done;
+
+static void music_set(u8 song) {
+    music_song = song;
+    music_step = 0;
+    music_timer = 0;
+    music_done = 0;
+    psg_off(4);
+    psg_off(5);
+}
+
+static void music_tick(void) {
+    const u8 *mel;
+    u8 n;
+    if (music_done) return;
+    if (music_timer == 0) {
+        mel = (music_song == ST_PLAY) ? MEL_PLAY
+            : (music_song == ST_OVER) ? MEL_OVER : MEL_TITLE;
+        n = mel[music_step & 15];
+        if (n != R) psg_tone(5, NOTE_DIV[n], 26);
+        else psg_off(5);
+        if (music_song != ST_OVER) {       /* the game-over jingle has no bass */
+            n = ((music_step & 1) == 0)
+                ? ((music_song == ST_PLAY) ? BAS_PLAY[(music_step >> 1) & 7]
+                                           : BAS_TITLE[(music_step >> 1) & 7])
+                : R;
+            if (n != R) psg_tone(4, NOTE_DIV[n], 20);
+        }
+        ++music_step;
+        if (music_song == ST_OVER && music_step >= 16) {  /* play once, stop */
+            music_done = 1;
+            psg_off(4);
+            psg_off(5);
+        }
+    }
+    ++music_timer;
+    if (music_timer >= 9) music_timer = 0;
+}
+
+/* short SFX on channels 2/3, auto-cut by sfx_timer */
+static void sfx(u8 chan, u16 freq, u8 frames) {
+    psg_tone(chan, freq, 31);
+    if (frames > sfx_timer) sfx_timer = frames;
+}
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — xorshift16 PRNG ── */
+static u8 random8(void) {
+    u16 r = rng;
+    r ^= r << 7;
+    r ^= r >> 9;
+    r ^= r << 8;
+    rng = r;
+    return (u8)r;
+}
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ──────────────────────────────────────
+ * Match scan: mark every straight run of 3+ same-coloured cells in all 4
+ * directions (a cell can belong to several runs — the mask de-dupes), and
+ * return how many cells matched. Runs flat-out on the HuC6280 — no need to
+ * smear it across frames like the cc65 NES version's queue dance. */
+static const s8 DIRS4[4][2] = { {0,1}, {1,0}, {1,1}, {1,-1} };
+
+static u8 mark_and_count(u8 p) {
+    u8 r, c, d, len, k, cnt, col;
+    s8 dr, dc;
+    s16 sr, sc;
+    cnt = 0;
+    for (r = 0; r < GRID_H; r++)
+        for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++) matched[r][c] = 0;
+    for (r = 0; r < GRID_H; r++) {
+        for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++) {
+            col = grid[p][r][c];
+            if (col == EMPTY) continue;
+            for (d = 0; d < 4; d++) {
+                dr = DIRS4[d][0]; dc = DIRS4[d][1];
+                sr = (s16)r - dr; sc = (s16)c - dc;
+                if (sr >= 0 && sr < GRID_H && sc >= 0 && sc < GRID_W
+                    && grid[p][sr][sc] == col) continue;   /* not the run's start */
+                len = 1;
+                sr = (s16)r + dr; sc = (s16)c + dc;
+                while (sr >= 0 && sr < GRID_H && sc >= 0 && sc < GRID_W
+                       && grid[p][sr][sc] == col) { len++; sr += dr; sc += dc; }
+                if (len >= 3) {
+                    sr = r; sc = c;
+                    for (k = 0; k < len; k++) {
+                        if (!matched[sr][sc]) { matched[sr][sc] = 1; cnt++; }
+                        sr += dr; sc += dc;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
+    return cnt;
 }
 
-static void draw_grid(void) {
-    u8 r, c;
-    for (r = 0; r < ROWS; ++r)
-        for (c = 0; c < COLS; ++c)
-            put_cell((u8)(GRID_COL0 + c), (u8)(GRID_ROW0 + r), vram_for(grid[r][c]));
+/* Collapse each column so survivors rest on the floor. */
+static void apply_gravity(u8 p) {
+    u8 c;
+    s16 r, w;
+    for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++) {
+        w = GRID_H - 1;
+        for (r = GRID_H - 1; r >= 0; r--) {
+            if (grid[p][r][c] != EMPTY) { grid[p][w][c] = grid[p][r][c]; w--; }
+        }
+        for (; w >= 0; w--) grid[p][w][c] = EMPTY;
+    }
 }
 
-static u16 next_rand(void) {
-    rng = (u16)(rng * 25173u + 13849u);
-    return rng;
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — end of game (top-out). `who` topped out. ── */
+static void game_end(u8 who) {
+    u16 best = score[0];
+    if (two_player && score[1] > best) best = score[1];
+    if (best > hiscore) {
+        hiscore = best;
+        hiscore_save(hiscore);   /* in-session only (no save on a bare HuCard) */
+    }
+    loser = who;
+    sfx(3, 0x500, 24);                              /* game-over rumble */
+    state = ST_OVER;
+    board_dirty[0] = board_dirty[1] = 0;
+    prev_pad[0] = prev_pad[1] = 0xFF;               /* require a fresh press */
+    /* paint the result screen onto the BAT */
+    paint_backdrop();
+    if (two_player)
+        draw_text(13, 8, loser ? "P1 WINS" : "P2 WINS");
+    else
+        draw_text(12, 8, "GAME OVER");
+    draw_text(11, 12, "P1");
+    draw_num5(15, 12, score[0]);
+    if (two_player) {
+        draw_text(11, 14, "P2");
+        draw_num5(15, 14, score[1]);
+    }
+    draw_text(11, 17, "HI");
+    draw_num5(15, 17, hiscore);
+    draw_text(9, 21, "RUN - TITLE");
+    music_set(ST_OVER);
 }
-static u8 rand_color(void) { return (u8)(1 + (next_rand() >> 8) % 3); }
 
-static void new_piece(void) {
-    piece[0] = rand_color();
-    piece[1] = rand_color();
-    piece[2] = rand_color();
-    piece_x = COLS / 2 - 1;
-    piece_y = -3;
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — clear matches, drop survivors, chain cascades.
+ * Returns the chain depth (0 = the lock matched nothing). */
+static u8 resolve_board(u8 p) {
+    u8 n, r, c, chain;
+    u16 amt;
+    chain = 0;
+    for (;;) {
+        n = mark_and_count(p);
+        if (n == 0) break;
+        ++chain;
+        for (r = 0; r < GRID_H; r++)
+            for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++)
+                if (matched[r][c]) grid[p][r][c] = EMPTY;
+        amt = (u16)n * 10;
+        if (chain > 1) amt *= chain;             /* cascades pay multiplied */
+        if (score[p] < 65000u) score[p] += amt;
+        /* clear chime — pitch rises with chain depth (smaller divider) */
+        sfx(2, (u16)(0x140 - ((u16)chain << 4)), 8);
+        apply_gravity(p);
+        board_dirty[p] = 1;
+        if (!two_player) {
+            cleared_total += n;
+            while (level < 9 && cleared_total >= (u16)level * 10) ++level;
+        }
+        hud_dirty = 1;
+    }
+    return chain;
 }
 
-static u8 collides(int8_t col, int8_t row) {
-    u8 i;
-    int8_t r;
-    if (col < 0 || col >= COLS) return 1;
-    for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
-        r = (int8_t)(row + i);
-        if (r >= ROWS) return 1;
-        if (r >= 0 && grid[r][col] != 0) return 1;
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — VERSUS attack: garbage rows rise from the bottom of
+ * the victim's well (random cells with one gap — matchable, so a skilled
+ * victim digs out). The victim's stack rising means the falling trio shifts
+ * up one to stay board-aligned; if the top row is already occupied, the
+ * victim tops out and loses. ── */
+static void garbage_insert(u8 v, u8 nrows) {
+    u8 k, c, gap;
+    s16 r;
+    sfx(3, 0x300, 8);                            /* incoming-garbage thud */
+    for (k = 0; k < nrows; k++) {
+        for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++) {
+            if (grid[v][0][c] != EMPTY) { game_end(v); return; }
+        }
+        for (r = 0; r < GRID_H - 1; r++)
+            for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++)
+                grid[v][r][c] = grid[v][r + 1][c];
+        gap = random8() % GRID_W;
+        for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++)
+            grid[v][GRID_H - 1][c] = (c == gap) ? EMPTY : (u8)(1 + random8() % 3);
+        if (piece_y[v] > -3) --piece_y[v];       /* keep the trio aligned */
     }
-    return 0;
+    board_dirty[v] = 1;
 }
 
-static void draw_piece(u8 clear) {
-    u8 i;
-    for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
-        int8_t r = (int8_t)(piece_y + i);
-        u8 v;
-        if (r < 0 || r >= ROWS) continue;
-        v = clear ? grid[r][piece_x] : piece[i];
-        put_cell((u8)(GRID_COL0 + piece_x), (u8)(GRID_ROW0 + r), vram_for(v));
+/* Can the trio occupy column x, rows y..y+2? Cells above the rim are fine. */
+static u8 can_place(u8 p, s16 x, s16 y) {
+    s16 i, cy;
+    if (x < 0 || x >= GRID_W) return 0;
+    for (i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+        cy = y + i;
+        if (cy < 0) continue;
+        if (cy >= GRID_H) return 0;
+        if (grid[p][cy][x] != EMPTY) return 0;
     }
+    return 1;
 }
 
-static void clear_triples(void) {
-    u8 r;
-    int8_t c;
-    u8 a, b, d;
-    for (r = 0; r < ROWS; ++r) {
-        for (c = 0; c <= COLS - 3; ++c) {
-            a = grid[r][c]; b = grid[r][c + 1]; d = grid[r][c + 2];
-            if (a != 0 && a == b && b == d) {
-                grid[r][c] = 0; grid[r][c + 1] = 0; grid[r][c + 2] = 0;
-                if (score < 9999) score += 30;
-                psg_tone(0, 0x180, 24);
+static void spawn_piece(u8 p) {
+    piece_x[p] = GRID_W / 2;
+    piece_y[p] = -2;
+    piece_col[p][0] = (u8)(1 + random8() % 3);
+    piece_col[p][1] = (u8)(1 + random8() % 3);
+    piece_col[p][2] = (u8)(1 + random8() % 3);
+    if (!can_place(p, piece_x[p], piece_y[p])) game_end(p);
+}
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — land the trio, resolve, attack, respawn. ── */
+static void lock_piece(u8 p) {
+    s16 i, y;
+    u8 chain;
+    for (i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+        y = piece_y[p] + i;
+        if (y >= 0) grid[p][y][piece_x[p]] = piece_col[p][i];
+    }
+    board_dirty[p] = 1;
+    sfx(2, 0x300, 4);                            /* lock thunk            */
+    if (piece_y[p] < 0) { game_end(p); return; } /* locked above the rim  */
+    chain = resolve_board(p);
+    if (state != ST_PLAY) return;
+    if (chain && two_player) {
+        garbage_insert((u8)(p ^ 1), chain > GARBAGE_CAP ? GARBAGE_CAP : chain);
+        if (state != ST_PLAY) return;            /* garbage topped them out */
+    }
+    spawn_piece(p);
+}
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — per-player input + gravity. Edge-triggered moves
+ * (one cell per press), held DOWN soft-drops, I/II cycle the trio's colours
+ * (the classic trio "rotate"), RUN hard-drops. ── */
+static void update_player(u8 p, u8 pad) {
+    u8 fresh, fd, t;
+    fresh = (u8)(pad & ~prev_pad[p]);
+    prev_pad[p] = pad;
+    if ((fresh & PCE_JOY_LEFT) && can_place(p, piece_x[p] - 1, piece_y[p]))
+        --piece_x[p];
+    if ((fresh & PCE_JOY_RIGHT) && can_place(p, piece_x[p] + 1, piece_y[p]))
+        ++piece_x[p];
+    if (fresh & PCE_JOY_I) {                      /* cycle colours downward */
+        t = piece_col[p][2];
+        piece_col[p][2] = piece_col[p][1];
+        piece_col[p][1] = piece_col[p][0];
+        piece_col[p][0] = t;
+        sfx(2, 0x140, 3);
+    }
+    if (fresh & PCE_JOY_II) {                     /* cycle colours upward   */
+        t = piece_col[p][0];
+        piece_col[p][0] = piece_col[p][1];
+        piece_col[p][1] = piece_col[p][2];
+        piece_col[p][2] = t;
+        sfx(2, 0x120, 3);
+    }
+    if (fresh & PCE_JOY_RUN) {                    /* hard drop              */
+        while (can_place(p, piece_x[p], piece_y[p] + 1)) ++piece_y[p];
+        lock_piece(p);                           /* may end the game       */
+        return;
+    }
+    if (pad & PCE_JOY_DOWN) fall_t[p] += 4;       /* soft drop              */
+    ++fall_t[p];
+    fd = two_player ? VS_FALL_DELAY
+                    : (u8)(32 - ((level << 1) + level));      /* 29..5    */
+    if (fall_t[p] >= fd) {
+        fall_t[p] = 0;
+        if (can_place(p, piece_x[p], piece_y[p] + 1))
+            ++piece_y[p];
+        else
+            lock_piece(p);                       /* may end the game       */
+    }
+}
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — stage this frame's sprites ─────────────────────────
+ * Only the falling trios are sprites (locked cells are BAT tiles): 3 SATB
+ * slots per player, 16x16 each. Cells above the rim aren't drawn — they'd
+ * poke out from under the HUD band. */
+static void push_sprites(void) {
+    u8 p, i;
+    for (p = 0; p < 2; p++) {
+        u8 active = (state == ST_PLAY) && (p == 0 || two_player);
+        for (i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+            s16 r = piece_y[p] + (s16)i;
+            u8 col = piece_col[p][i] ? piece_col[p][i] : 1;
+            u8 slot = SLOT_TRIO(p, i);
+            if (active && r >= 0) {
+                u16 x = (u16)((well_tc[p] + piece_x[p] * 2) * 8);
+                u16 y = (u16)((WELL_TR + r * 2) * 8);
+                set_sprite(slot, x, y, SPR_PAT((u16)(col - 1)), PAL_TRIO(col));
+            } else {
+                set_sprite(slot, 0, OFFSCREEN_Y, SPR_PAT(0), PAL_TRIO(1));
             }
         }
     }
 }
 
-static void lock_piece(void) {
-    u8 i;
-    int8_t r;
-    for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
-        r = (int8_t)(piece_y + i);
-        if (r >= 0 && r < ROWS) grid[r][piece_x] = piece[i];
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — screen painters (full BAT repaint per state change) ── */
+static void paint_title(void) {
+    paint_backdrop();
+    draw_text((u8)((32 - (sizeof(GAME_TITLE) - 1)) / 2), 8, GAME_TITLE);
+    draw_text(10, 13, "1P RUN - I");
+    draw_text(10, 15, "2P VS - II");
+    draw_text(8, 19, "I II ROTATE RUN DROP");
+    draw_text(6, 22, "CHAINS FLOOD YOUR RIVAL");
+    draw_hud();
+}
+
+static void paint_play(void) {
+    paint_backdrop();
+    paint_frame(0);
+    paint_board(0);
+    if (two_player) {
+        paint_frame(1);
+        paint_board(1);
+        draw_text(15, 14, "VS");
     }
-    clear_triples();
-    draw_grid();
+    draw_hud();
+}
+
+/* ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — start a run ── */
+static void start_game(u8 versus) {
+    u8 p, r, c;
+    two_player = versus;
+    well_tc[0] = versus ? WELL_VS_P1 : WELL_1P_TC;
+    well_tc[1] = WELL_VS_P2;
+    if (rng == 0) rng = 0xACE1;
+    for (p = 0; p < 2; p++) {
+        for (r = 0; r < GRID_H; r++)
+            for (c = 0; c < GRID_W; c++) grid[p][r][c] = EMPTY;
+        fall_t[p] = 0;
+        score[p] = 0;
+        prev_pad[p] = 0xFF;          /* the button that started the game
+                                      * shouldn't also rotate the first trio */
+    }
+    cleared_total = 0;
+    level = 1;
+    state = ST_PLAY;
+    board_dirty[0] = 1;
+    board_dirty[1] = versus;
+    paint_play();
+    music_set(ST_PLAY);
+    sfx(2, 0x180, 6);                            /* start blip            */
+    spawn_piece(0);
+    if (versus) spawn_piece(1);
+}
+
+/* ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+ * 2P INPUT via the TurboTap. pce_joy_read() reads pad 1 (slot 0). For pad 2 we
+ * read cc65's JOY_2 directly and translate it to the same clean PCE bitmask
+ * pce_input.c builds for pad 1. The host force-enables the TurboTap core
+ * option, so JOY_2 carries real port-1 input; without that override port 1 is
+ * dead and this would silently fall back to 1P. ── */
+static u8 read_pad2(void) {
+    u8 raw = joy_read(JOY_2);
+    u8 m = 0;
+    if (JOY_UP(raw))    m |= PCE_JOY_UP;
+    if (JOY_DOWN(raw))  m |= PCE_JOY_DOWN;
+    if (JOY_LEFT(raw))  m |= PCE_JOY_LEFT;
+    if (JOY_RIGHT(raw)) m |= PCE_JOY_RIGHT;
+    if (JOY_BTN_1(raw)) m |= PCE_JOY_I;
+    if (JOY_BTN_2(raw)) m |= PCE_JOY_II;
+    if (JOY_BTN_3(raw)) m |= PCE_JOY_SELECT;
+    if (JOY_BTN_4(raw)) m |= PCE_JOY_RUN;
+    return m;
 }
 
 void main(void) {
-    u8 r, c;
-    u8 sfx_timer;
-
-    _pce_keep[0] = 0;
-
-    /* palette: BG sub-pal 0 holds field/wall + R/G/B blocks + frame */
-    vce_set_color(0, PCE_RGB(0, 0, 1));   /* backdrop navy            */
-    vce_set_color(1, PCE_RGB(7, 1, 1));   /* c1 red block             */
-    vce_set_color(2, PCE_RGB(1, 6, 1));   /* c2 green block           */
-    vce_set_color(3, PCE_RGB(2, 3, 7));   /* c3 blue block            */
-    vce_set_color(4, PCE_RGB(5, 5, 5));   /* c4 wall grey             */
-    vce_set_color(5, PCE_RGB(1, 2, 4));   /* c5 field blue (clearly   *
-                                           * distinct from backdrop)  */
-    vce_set_color(6, PCE_RGB(1, 0, 2));   /* c6 cabinet purple base + *
-                                           *    block frame           */
-    vce_set_color(7, PCE_RGB(2, 1, 4));   /* c7 cabinet dot           */
+    u8 pad1, pad2, newpad;
+
+    _pce_keep[0] = 0;   /* see the EMPTY-BSS TRAP note in pce_hw.h */
+
+    /* ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+     * Init order: palette → VRAM uploads → BAT paint → joypad → display ON.
+     * disp_enable() also sets the VBlank IRQ bit — without it waitvsync()
+     * never returns and the game freezes on its first frame. */
+    /* BG sub-pal 0: backdrop/frame/interior + text-on-band. BG sub-pal 1:
+     * HUD/text (white). BG sub-pal 3: the three locked-cell hues. */
+    vce_set_color(0,   PCE_RGB(0, 0, 1));   /* backdrop: near-black blue     */
+    vce_set_color(1,   PCE_RGB(1, 1, 2));   /* cabinet block                 */
+    vce_set_color(2,   PCE_RGB(1, 1, 1));   /* HUD band: dark grey           */
+    vce_set_color(3,   PCE_RGB(4, 4, 5));   /* well frame: steel             */
+    vce_set_color(17,  PCE_RGB(7, 7, 7));   /* pal1 text: white              */
+    /* locked cells: one tile shape (colour index 1) on three BG sub-palettes
+     * (3/4/5) → three hues. Entry = sub-palette*16 + 1. */
+    vce_set_color(3 * 16 + 1, PCE_RGB(7, 5, 0));  /* pal3 c1: amber          */
+    vce_set_color(4 * 16 + 1, PCE_RGB(0, 6, 5));  /* pal4 c1: teal           */
+    vce_set_color(5 * 16 + 1, PCE_RGB(7, 1, 6));  /* pal5 c1: magenta        */
+    /* sprite sub-palettes (256 + pal*16 + index) — the falling trio mirrors
+     * the locked-cell hues, one sub-palette per colour so all three trio
+     * colours are visible (push_sprites selects PAL_TRIO(col) per cell). */
+    vce_set_color(256 + 1 * 16 + 1, PCE_RGB(7, 5, 0));  /* spr pal1 c1: amber   */
+    vce_set_color(256 + 2 * 16 + 1, PCE_RGB(0, 6, 5));  /* spr pal2 c1: teal    */
+    vce_set_color(256 + 3 * 16 + 1, PCE_RGB(7, 1, 6));  /* spr pal3 c1: magenta */
 
     upload_art();
-    clear_bat();
-    draw_well();
-
-    for (r = 0; r < ROWS; ++r) for (c = 0; c < COLS; ++c) grid[r][c] = 0;
-    score = 0;
-    fall_timer = 0;
-    rng = 0x1357;
-    prev_pad = 0;
-    sfx_timer = 0;
-    new_piece();
-    draw_grid();
+
+    hiscore = hiscore_load();   /* always 0 — no persistence on a bare HuCard */
+    state = ST_TITLE;
+    paint_title();
+    music_set(ST_TITLE);
 
     pce_joy_init();
-    bg_enable();
+    disp_enable();
 
     for (;;) {
-        u8 fall_rate;
         waitvsync();
 
-        draw_piece(1);   /* erase old piece footprint                    */
+        /* ── vblank work first: BAT repaints + sprites + SATB DMA ──
+         * Whole-board BAT repaint (see the WHOLE-BOARD REPAINT idiom) — both
+         * dirty wells stream in this one vblank, then the SATB DMA. */
+        if (board_dirty[0]) { paint_board(0); board_dirty[0] = 0; }
+        if (two_player && board_dirty[1]) { paint_board(1); board_dirty[1] = 0; }
+        if (hud_dirty) { draw_hud(); hud_dirty = 0; }
+        push_sprites();
+        satb_dma();
 
-        pad = pce_joy_read();
-        if ((pad & PCE_JOY_LEFT)  && !(prev_pad & PCE_JOY_LEFT)
-            && !collides((int8_t)(piece_x - 1), piece_y)) piece_x--;
-        if ((pad & PCE_JOY_RIGHT) && !(prev_pad & PCE_JOY_RIGHT)
-            && !collides((int8_t)(piece_x + 1), piece_y)) piece_x++;
-        if ((pad & PCE_JOY_I) && !(prev_pad & PCE_JOY_I)) {
-            u8 t = piece[0]; piece[0] = piece[1]; piece[1] = piece[2]; piece[2] = t;
-            psg_tone(1, 0x300, 18); sfx_timer = 3;
+        music_tick();
+        if (sfx_timer) {
+            --sfx_timer;
+            if (sfx_timer == 0) { psg_off(2); psg_off(3); }
         }
-        if ((pad & PCE_JOY_II) && !(prev_pad & PCE_JOY_II)) {
-            while (!collides(piece_x, (int8_t)(piece_y + 1))) piece_y++;
-            lock_piece();
-            new_piece();
-            psg_tone(1, 0x140, 22); sfx_timer = 4;
-            prev_pad = pad;
-            if (sfx_timer) { --sfx_timer; }
+
+        /* ── 2P input via the TurboTap (see read_pad2's idiom note). In 2P
+         * versus BOTH play simultaneously, so we read BOTH pads every frame;
+         * on the menus only pad 1 matters. ── */
+        pad1 = pce_joy_read();
+        pad2 = (state == ST_PLAY && two_player) ? read_pad2() : 0;
+
+        if (state == ST_TITLE) {
+            newpad = (u8)(pad1 & ~prev_pad[0]);
+            prev_pad[0] = pad1;
+            if (newpad & (PCE_JOY_RUN | PCE_JOY_I)) start_game(0);
+            else if (newpad & PCE_JOY_II) start_game(1);
             continue;
         }
-        prev_pad = pad;
-
-        fall_rate = (pad & PCE_JOY_DOWN) ? 4 : 30;
-        fall_timer++;
-        if (fall_timer >= fall_rate) {
-            fall_timer = 0;
-            if (collides(piece_x, (int8_t)(piece_y + 1))) {
-                lock_piece();
-                new_piece();
-            } else {
-                piece_y++;
+        if (state == ST_OVER) {
+            newpad = (u8)(pad1 & ~prev_pad[0]);
+            prev_pad[0] = pad1;
+            if (newpad & (PCE_JOY_RUN | PCE_JOY_I)) {
+                state = ST_TITLE;
+                paint_title();
+                music_set(ST_TITLE);
             }
+            continue;
         }
 
-        draw_piece(0);   /* draw piece at new position                   */
-
-        if (sfx_timer) { --sfx_timer; if (sfx_timer == 0) { psg_off(0); psg_off(1); } }
+        /* ── ST_PLAY — both players update every frame (simultaneous versus,
+         * not alternating turns). Any update can end the game, so re-check
+         * state between them. ── */
+        update_player(0, pad1);
+        if (two_player && state == ST_PLAY) update_player(1, pad2);
     }
 }