romdevtools 0.28.0 → 0.29.0

package/examples/atari2600/templates/racing.asm

@@ -1,41 +1,75 @@
-; ── racing.asm — Atari 2600 RACING genre scaffold (top-down) ──────────
+; ── racing.asm — SWERVE STREAK — Atari 2600 road racer (complete game) ───────
 ;
-; The 2600 had a deep racing catalogue — Enduro, Indy 500, Night Driver,
-; Pole Position, Grand Prix. This scaffold is the HONEST 2600 racer: a
-; TOP-DOWN, vertically-scrolling lane racer (the same idiom Enduro uses),
-; NOT a pseudo-3D road — projecting a 3D road needs a per-line table the
-; 4 KB/76-cycle budget can't spare in a starter, and a top-down racer is
-; a fully period-correct, recognizable racing game on its own.
+; A COMPLETE, working game — drawn title screen, a forward-view lane racer
+; (your car weaving up a road as traffic descends toward you), distance
+; score + in-session hi-score, TIA sound effects + a title jingle, a crash
+; → game over with auto-return to the title, and the 2600's signature
+; feature: THE WHOLE MACHINE. There is no framebuffer, no tilemap, no OS —
+; every visible scanline below is composed live by racing the beam, and this
+; file teaches the road-racer's load-bearing TIA tricks while doing it:
 ;
-; TIA object roles:
-;   P0  = the player's car (8-px sprite) near the bottom, steers L/R.
-;   PF  = the road: reflected playfield draws the two ROAD EDGES (left
-;          rail mirrors to the right rail) plus a dashed CENTRE LINE that
-;          scrolls upward every frame to convey forward speed.
-;   P1  = an oncoming/lead car you must avoid (8-px sprite) that drifts
-;          down the road; reused each time it passes the bottom, dropped
-;          back to the top in a (deterministic) new lane.
-;   M0  = a second smaller hazard (a cone / debris) in another lane.
+;   1. THE ROAD IS PLAYFIELD, AND IT ANIMATES (the sense of motion) — the
+;      2600 has NO hardware scroll and NO tilemap, so a road racer cannot
+;      "scroll" anything. The road is drawn from the PLAYFIELD registers
+;      (PF0/PF1/PF2) as two edges; the illusion of forward speed comes from
+;      animating a dashed CENTRE LINE that crawls DOWN the screen every
+;      frame (a per-frame phase offset, SCROLL), plus traffic cars that
+;      descend toward you. This is exactly how the era's forward-view road
+;      games faked motion — honest, period-correct, no scroll hardware.
+;   2. RESP/HMOVE BEAM POSITIONING (the SBC-#15 idiom) — there is no sprite
+;      X register; you strobe RESPx/RESM0 WHERE THE BEAM IS, then nudge ±7px
+;      with HMOVE. Three objects (your car P0, a rival car P1, a hazard M0)
+;      positioned this way each frame, inside the timed VBLANK window.
+;   3. TIA COLLISION LATCHES (the crash detect) — the TIA detects P0/P1 and
+;      M0/P0 pixel overlap in silicon as it draws; we read the latched
+;      result one frame later, free, instead of doing AABB math. Clear it
+;      every frame (CXCLR) or a stale hit crashes a car that isn't there.
+;   4. TIM64T/INTIM FRAME TIMING — set the RIOT timer for VBLANK/overscan and
+;      let it absorb however much the game logic costs, instead of hand-
+;      counting WSYNCs (which rolls the picture the moment logic grows).
 ;
-; Gameplay: hold LEFT/RIGHT on the joystick to weave between the rails;
-; survive the descending traffic. Your SPEED (and the score) ramps up
-; the longer you last — the centre-line dashes scroll faster and the
-; traffic descends faster. A collision (TIA P0-vs-P1 / P0-vs-M0) flashes
-; the screen red and resets your speed. Extend it with M1 as a 3rd
-; hazard, a fuel gauge via a PF bar, or NUSIZ1 for two-abreast traffic.
+; 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) — cycle-counted / footgun-dodging code;
+;     reshape your gameplay around it (see TROUBLESHOOTING before changing).
+;   GAME LOGIC (clay) — movement, scoring, tuning, art: reshape freely.
 ;
-; TIMING DISCIPLINE (learned the hard way in paddle.asm):
-;   * 262 lines EXACTLY = 3 VSYNC + 37 VBLANK + 192 visible + 30 overscan.
-;   * The 3 object-positioning WSYNCs are COUNTED against the 37 VBLANK
-;     lines (so the VBLANK delay loop is #34, not #37).
-;   * The visible region is a TWO-LINE KERNEL: one scanline of render
-;     work (road edges + centre line + one car test) is ~80+ cycles and
-;     does NOT fit in 76; splitting across two WSYNCs doubles the budget.
-;     96 passes x 2 lines = 192 visible lines.
+; GAME_TITLE: on the 2600 a title is DRAWN, not printed — there is no font
+; hardware. The SWERVE/STREAK banner bitmaps near the bottom of this file ARE
+; the title; redraw them for your game (the comment above each table shows
+; the 40-pixel artwork and the PF0/PF1/PF2 bit-order encoding).
+;
+; CONTROLS (documented for players and for the fork README):
+;   Title:  fire on JOYSTICK 0 (or console RESET) starts the game
+;   Play:   joystick 0 LEFT/RIGHT steers your car across the road; survive
+;           the descending traffic. The longer you last the FASTER it gets
+;           (the centre dashes crawl faster, the traffic descends faster);
+;           console RESET returns to the title
+;   A crash flashes the screen and ends the run. Your DISTANCE this run is
+;   your score; your best DISTANCE this session is shown on the title screen.
+;
+; PLAYERS — 1P, honest. The 2600 has two joystick ports, but this genre's
+; kernel is already spending its scanline budget on the road playfield, your
+; car (P0), a rival car (P1) and a hazard (M0). A second human car would
+; need its OWN positioned object competing for the SAME 76-cycle two-line
+; passes the road + traffic already fill — and a split-screen second road has
+; no spare PF registers. So like the era's single-driver road games, SWERVE
+; STREAK is single-player. (To add a 2P "best distance, alternating runs"
+; mode — cheap, no extra kernel objects — keep a second hi-score and swap on
+; crash; left as an exercise.)
+;
+; HI-SCORE HONESTY: real 2600 cartridges had NO battery, NO SRAM, NO
+; persistence of any kind. The hi-score here lives in RIOT RAM ($A4) and
+; survives game → title cycles only WITHIN one power-on session — exactly
+; like the arcade machines of the era. Power off and it is gone. Do not
+; fake an EEPROM; state it honestly in your fork too.
+;
+; NTSC frame: 3 VSYNC + 37 VBLANK + 192 visible + 30 overscan = 262 lines.
 
   processor 6502
   org $F000
 
+; ── TIA write registers ───────────────────────────────────────────────
 VSYNC    = $00
 VBLANK   = $01
 WSYNC    = $02
@@ -60,30 +94,62 @@ HMP1     = $21
 HMM0     = $22
 HMOVE    = $2A
 HMCLR    = $2B
-CXPPMM   = $07          ; READ: bit7 = P0/P1 collided
-CXP0FB   = $02          ; READ: bit6 = P0/missile-or-ball... we use CXM0P
-CXM0P    = $00          ; READ: bit6 = M0/P0 collided
 CXCLR    = $2C
-SWCHA    = $280
-INPT4    = $0C          ; P0 fire (active-low, bit7) — unused here but handy
-; TIA audio
+; ── TIA audio ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 AUDC0    = $15
+AUDC1    = $16
 AUDF0    = $17
+AUDF1    = $18
 AUDV0    = $19
+AUDV1    = $1A
+; ── TIA READ registers (separate read map — the same addresses as some
+; write strobes; e.g. CXPPMM reads $07 while STA $07 writes COLUP1) ─────
+CXM0P    = $00          ; bit6 = missile0 / player0 collision (latched)
+CXPPMM   = $07          ; bit7 = player0 / player1 collision (latched)
+INPT4    = $0C          ; joystick 0 fire (bit7, ACTIVE LOW)
+; ── RIOT ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+SWCHA    = $280         ; joysticks: P0 = high nibble, P1 = LOW nibble
+SWCHB    = $282         ; console: bit0 RESET, bit1 SELECT (ACTIVE LOW)
+INTIM    = $284         ; timer read
+TIM64T   = $296         ; timer set, 64-cycle ticks
 
-; ── Zero-page state ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
-P_X      = $80          ; player car X (visible column 0..159)
-E1_X     = $81          ; enemy car P1 X
-E1_Y     = $82          ; enemy car P1 top scanline (counts with the beam)
-E2_X     = $83          ; hazard M0 X
-E2_Y     = $84          ; hazard M0 top scanline
-SPEED    = $85          ; current speed (1..6) — drives scroll + descent
-SCROLL   = $86          ; centre-line dash phase (0..7)
-FRAME    = $87
-SCORE    = $88          ; distance survived / ramps speed
-SFX_LEFT = $89          ; frames remaining on active sfx
-FLASH    = $8A          ; >0 = crash flash frames remaining
-TMP      = $8B
+; ── Zero-page state (the 2600's ENTIRE RAM is $80-$FF — 128 bytes; in
+; core memory dumps system_ram offset 0 = $80) ────────────────────────
+STATE     = $80         ; 0 = title, 1 = play, 2 = game over
+P_X       = $81         ; player car X column (visible 0..159)
+E1_X      = $82         ; rival car (P1) X column
+E1_Y      = $83         ; rival car TOP scanline (beam counts 192→1, so a
+                        ;   SMALLER value = LOWER on screen = closer to you)
+E2_X      = $84         ; hazard (M0) X column
+E2_Y      = $85         ; hazard TOP scanline
+SPEED     = $86         ; current speed 1..6 — drives scroll + descent rate
+SCROLL    = $87         ; centre-line dash phase 0..7 (the road's "motion")
+DIST      = $88         ; distance score, BCD (digit nibbles fall out free)
+DIST_HI   = $89         ; distance score high byte, BCD (hundreds/thousands)
+FRAME     = $8A
+SFX_LEFT  = $8B         ; frames remaining on the voice-0 sound effect
+TUNE_SEL  = $8C         ; 0 = title jingle, 1 = game-over tune (voice 1)
+TUNE_POS  = $8D
+TUNE_LEFT = $8E         ; frames left on current jingle note (0 = silent)
+OVER_T    = $8F         ; game-over auto-return-to-title countdown
+FLASH     = $90         ; >0 = crash-flash frames remaining
+SWCHB_PRV = $91         ; previous SWCHB for RESET edge detect
+FIRE_PRV  = $92         ; previous fire level (bit7) for fire-edge detect
+EDGEB     = $93         ; this frame's RESET press-edge (bit0)
+FIRE_EDG  = $94         ; this frame's fire press-edge (bit7)
+TMP       = $95
+TICK      = $96         ; distance accumulator: +1 score every N frames
+S0BUF     = $97         ; 6 rows: packed score digits for the kernel
+SCRATCH   = $9D         ; 6 bytes general kernel/packer scratch
+DIST_HSV  = $A4         ; SESSION hi-score (BCD low byte). RAM only — real
+DIST_HSH  = $A5         ;   2600 carts have no battery; honest by design.
+HSBUF     = $A6         ; 6 rows: hi-score, packed
+
+COL_CAR   = $1E         ; yellow player car
+COL_RIVAL = $46         ; red rival car (also colours the M0 hazard)
+COL_ROAD  = $0E         ; white road markings (edges + centre dash)
+COL_TARMAC = $00        ; black tarmac background
+DIST_PERIOD = 8         ; frames per +1 distance at SPEED 1 (faster = more)
 
 START:
   SEI
@@ -92,163 +158,229 @@ START:
   TXS
   LDA #0
 .clr:
-  STA $00,X
-  DEX
-  BNE .clr
+  STA $00,X             ; clears ALL of $00-$FF: zero page RAM AND the TIA
+  DEX                   ; write registers (GRP/ENAxx/HMxx/audio all silenced
+  BNE .clr             ; — the standard 2600 power-on hygiene)
 
-  ; Initial positions
-  LDA #76
-  STA P_X              ; player mid-road, near bottom
-  LDA #50
-  STA E1_X
-  LDA #170
-  STA E1_Y             ; enemy car starts up top
-  LDA #104
-  STA E2_X
-  LDA #150
-  STA E2_Y
-  LDA #1
-  STA SPEED
-
-  ; Colours
-  LDA #$00             ; black "tarmac" background
-  STA COLUBK
-  LDA #$1E             ; yellow player car
+  ; Fixed identity colors (the kernels rewrite COLUPF/COLUBK per band, but
+  ; the car colors are constant all session).
+  LDA #COL_CAR
   STA COLUP0
-  LDA #$36             ; pink/red oncoming car (also colours M0 hazard)
+  LDA #COL_RIVAL
   STA COLUP1
-  LDA #$0E             ; white road markings
-  STA COLUPF
-
-  ; M0 hazard shares P0 colour normally; we want it to read as debris.
-  ; Make it 2px wide.
-  LDA #%00010000       ; NUSIZ0: missile 2x wide (bits 4-5), P0 single
+  ; NUSIZ0: single-width car, but make MISSILE 0 (the hazard) 2px wide so it
+  ; reads as debris, not a hairline. NUSIZ1: single-width rival car.
+  LDA #%00010000       ; M0 width = 2px (bits 4-5 = 01); P0 single
   STA NUSIZ0
+  LDA #%00000000
+  STA NUSIZ1
 
-  ; Playfield: reflected so the left rail mirrors to a right rail, and
-  ; SCORE_COLOR priority not needed. CTRLPF bit0 = reflect.
-  LDA #%00000001
-  STA CTRLPF
-
-  ; Boot chime — confirms TIA audio is wired (engine "rev").
-  LDA #$03
-  STA AUDC0
-  LDA #$0A
-  STA AUDF0
-  LDA #$0C
-  STA AUDV0
-  LDA #18
-  STA SFX_LEFT
+  JSR enter_title
 
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+; ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+; THE FRAME LOOP. 262 scanlines, every frame, forever. VBLANK and overscan
+; are timed with the RIOT timer (TIM64T) instead of counted WSYNCs: set the
+; timer, run however much game logic the state needs, then spin on INTIM.
+; This is how shipped 2600 games did it, and it kills the classic homebrew
+; bug class where adding one branch to the game logic emits a 263rd line
+; and the TV loses vsync (rolling picture). The VISIBLE 192 lines are still
+; counted exactly — every STA WSYNC below is one scanline, and each state's
+; kernel accounts for all 192.
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 MAIN:
-  INC FRAME
-
-  ; ── VSYNC (3 lines) ──
+  ; VSYNC: 3 lines
   LDA #2
+  STA VBLANK
   STA VSYNC
   STA WSYNC
   STA WSYNC
   STA WSYNC
   LDA #0
   STA VSYNC
+  ; 37 lines of VBLANK = 2812 cycles ≈ 43 × 64-cycle timer ticks.
+  LDA #43
+  STA TIM64T
+
+  JSR frame_logic       ; all game thinking happens in the blanked region
+
+  ; burn whatever VBLANK time the logic didn't use
+.vbwait:
+  LDA INTIM
+  BNE .vbwait
+  STA WSYNC
+
+  ; kernel dispatch — title has its own kernel; play and game-over share one
+  LDA STATE
+  BNE .ingame
+  JMP title_kernel
+.ingame:
+  JMP play_kernel
 
-  ; ── VBLANK (37 lines: 34 here + 3 positioning WSYNCs below) ──
+kernel_done:
+  ; overscan: 30 lines, timer-paced like VBLANK
   LDA #2
   STA VBLANK
-  LDX #34
-.vb:
+  LDA #35
+  STA TIM64T
+.oswait:
+  LDA INTIM
+  BNE .oswait
   STA WSYNC
-  DEX
-  BNE .vb
+  JMP MAIN
 
-  ; ── Steering: joystick port A left/right, every 2nd frame ──
-  LDA FRAME
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+; Per-frame logic, dispatched by state. Runs entirely inside the timed
+; VBLANK window (~2800 cycles — an eternity next to the kernel's 76/line).
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+frame_logic:
+  INC FRAME
+  JSR audio_tick
+
+  ; ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+  ; Console RESET + fire button are ACTIVE LOW and not debounced; a held
+  ; RESET would restart every frame. Convert to press-EDGES once per frame:
+  ; edge = was-released-last-frame AND pressed-now.
+  LDA SWCHB
+  TAX                   ; X = current switch levels
+  EOR #$FF              ; A = pressed-now mask (1 = held)
+  AND SWCHB_PRV         ; ...that were RELEASED (1) last frame
+  STA EDGEB             ; bit0 = RESET edge
+  STX SWCHB_PRV
+  ; fire button → same edge treatment in bit7
+  LDA #0
+  BIT INPT4
+  BMI .fup              ; bit7 set = not pressed (active low)
+  ORA #$80
+.fup:
+  TAY                   ; Y = pressed-now (bit7)
+  LDA FIRE_PRV
+  EOR #$FF
+  STA TMP               ; released-last-frame mask
+  TYA
+  AND TMP
+  STA FIRE_EDG          ; bit7 = fire press-edge
+  STY FIRE_PRV
+
+  LDA STATE
+  BEQ logic_title
+  CMP #1
+  BEQ logic_play_jmp
+  JMP logic_over
+logic_play_jmp:
+  JMP logic_play
+
+; ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ── title-screen behavior ────────
+logic_title:
+  ; fire 0 or console RESET starts the game.
+  LDA FIRE_EDG
+  BMI .start            ; bit7 set = fire edge
+  LDA EDGEB
   AND #$01
-  BNE .skipmove
-  ; SWCHA is active-LOW (0 = pressed). RE-LOAD it for each direction —
-  ; the old ASL carry-chain clobbered A with LDA P_X between shifts, so
-  ; the second ASL shifted P_X instead of SWCHA: pressing RIGHT also
-  ; "pressed" LEFT (P_X < $80 -> carry clear) and the moves cancelled.
-  ; That was the "ship/car stuck to the left edge" bug.
+  BNE .start
+  JMP .packtitle
+.start:
+  JMP start_game
+.packtitle:
+  ; Pack the hi-score into the title's display buffer (the kernel just
+  ; streams bytes — all per-frame thinking happens HERE, in VBLANK, never
+  ; inside a kernel). We show the low TWO digits of the best distance.
+  LDA DIST_HSV
+  JSR pack_two_digits
+  LDY #0
+.hst:
+  LDA SCRATCH,Y         ; pack_two_digits left 6 rows in SCRATCH..SCRATCH+5
+  STA HSBUF,Y
+  INY
+  CPY #6
+  BNE .hst
+
+  ; title shows no moving objects
+  LDA #0
+  STA GRP0
+  STA GRP1
+  STA ENAM0
+  RTS
+
+; ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ── one frame of the racer ───────
+logic_play:
+  LDA EDGEB
+  AND #$01              ; console RESET → back to title
+  BEQ .noquit
+  JMP enter_title
+.noquit:
+
+  ; ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+  ; SWCHA is ACTIVE LOW (0 = pressed) and must be RE-LOADED for every
+  ; direction check. The classic bug: caching it in A and chaining ASLs,
+  ; then clobbering A with game state between shifts — "right works once,
+  ; left never steers". Fresh LDA SWCHA + AND #mask per check is immune.
+  ; Joystick 0 lives in the HIGH nibble: bit7 right, bit6 left.
   LDA SWCHA
-  AND #$80             ; bit7 = P0 Right (0 = pressed)
+  AND #$80             ; joy0 right
   BNE .nr
   LDA P_X
-  CMP #128
+  CMP #128             ; right road edge
   BCS .nr
   INC P_X
   INC P_X
 .nr:
-  LDA SWCHA
-  AND #$40             ; bit6 = P0 Left (0 = pressed)
+  LDA SWCHA            ; RE-LOAD — never trust A to still hold SWCHA
+  AND #$40             ; joy0 left
   BNE .nl
   LDA P_X
-  CMP #28
+  CMP #28             ; left road edge
   BCC .nl
   DEC P_X
   DEC P_X
 .nl:
-.skipmove:
-
-  ; ── Crash flash countdown ──
-  LDA FLASH
-  BEQ .noflash
-  DEC FLASH
-.noflash:
 
-  ; ── Scroll the dashed centre line upward at SPEED px/frame ──
-  ; SCROLL is the phase 0..7; subtract SPEED, wrap mod 8.
+  ; ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — road MOTION. No scroll hardware exists, so the
+  ; centre-line dash phase crawls every frame: subtract SPEED from SCROLL
+  ; and wrap mod 8. The kernel reads (Y + SCROLL) & 8 to decide whether a
+  ; dash is lit on each line — so as SCROLL counts down, the lit bands
+  ; appear to march DOWN the screen toward you = forward speed.
   LDA SCROLL
   SEC
   SBC SPEED
   AND #$07
   STA SCROLL
 
-  ; ── Descend traffic at SPEED px/frame (smaller Y = lower on screen,
-  ; because Y counts 192->1 with the beam). So descending = DEC Y. ──
+  ; crash-flash countdown (cosmetic; the crash itself ends the run below)
+  LDA FLASH
+  BEQ .noflash
+  DEC FLASH
+.noflash:
+
+  ; ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — descend the rival car. Beam-Y counts 192→1 going
+  ; DOWN the screen, so "moving down toward the player" = SUBTRACT from Y.
+  ; When it passes the bottom, recycle it to the top in a new (deterministic)
+  ; lane and bump distance — you survived a car.
   LDA E1_Y
   SEC
   SBC SPEED
   STA E1_Y
-  CMP #20              ; passed the bottom?
+  CMP #20              ; passed the bottom of the road?
   BCS .e1ok
-  ; recycle to top, new deterministic lane from FRAME
-  LDA #186
-  STA E1_Y
+  LDA #180
+  STA E1_Y            ; back to the top
   LDA FRAME
   AND #$3F
   CLC
   ADC #40
-  STA E1_X
-  INC SCORE            ; survived a car
-  ; ramp speed every time SCORE crosses a multiple of 4 (cap at 6)
-  LDA SCORE
-  AND #$03
-  BNE .e1ok
-  LDA SPEED
-  CMP #6
-  BCS .e1ok
-  INC SPEED
-  ; speed-up "rev" sfx
-  LDA #$03
-  STA AUDC0
-  LDA #$08
-  STA AUDF0
-  LDA #$0C
-  STA AUDV0
-  LDA #10
-  STA SFX_LEFT
+  STA E1_X            ; new deterministic lane from FRAME
 .e1ok:
 
-  ; Hazard M0 descends a touch faster (SPEED+1).
+  ; hazard M0 descends a touch faster (SPEED + 1) and recycles likewise.
   LDA E2_Y
   SEC
   SBC SPEED
-  SBC #0               ; (placeholder; SPEED already applied)
+  SEC
+  SBC #1
   STA E2_Y
   CMP #18
   BCS .e2ok
-  LDA #182
+  LDA #176
   STA E2_Y
   LDA FRAME
   EOR #$5A
@@ -258,197 +390,478 @@ MAIN:
   STA E2_X
 .e2ok:
 
-  ; ── Collision check (read TIA collision latches from LAST frame) ──
-  ; P0 vs P1 → CXPPMM bit7. M0 vs P0 → CXM0P bit6.
-  BIT CXPPMM
-  BMI .crash           ; bit7 set = P0/P1 overlapped
-  BIT CXM0P
-  BVS .crash           ; bit6 set = M0/P0 overlapped
+  ; ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+  ; CRASH via the TIA's hardware collision LATCHES — the 2600 detects P0/P1
+  ; and M0/P0 pixel overlap in silicon while it draws; we read the latched
+  ; result here, one frame late, for free (no AABB math). Rules:
+  ;   * latches accumulate until CXCLR — clear them EVERY frame, or a stale
+  ;     hit from 10 frames ago crashes a car that isn't there;
+  ;   * P0/P1 = CXPPMM bit7 (N flag after BIT); M0/P0 = CXM0P bit6 (V flag).
+  BIT CXPPMM           ; bit7 (N) = player car overlapped the rival car
+  BMI do_crash
+  BIT CXM0P            ; bit6 (V) = the hazard overlapped the player car
+  BVS do_crash
   JMP .nocrash
-.crash:
-  ; Reset speed, flash the screen, recycle the offending traffic up top,
-  ; play a crash tone.
-  LDA #1
-  STA SPEED
-  LDA #12
-  STA FLASH
-  LDA #186
-  STA E1_Y
-  LDA #182
-  STA E2_Y
-  ; Re-randomize BOTH lanes on crash (FRAME-derived). The old code only
-  ; reset Y, so after a crash the enemy kept its old X — crash into it
-  ; once near the left edge and it respawned in the same column forever
-  ; ("enemy car stuck to the left edge").
+do_crash:
+  STA CXCLR            ; clear the latch BEFORE leaving (next frame is title)
+  JMP do_game_over
+.nocrash:
+  STA CXCLR            ; arm the latches fresh for the frame we're about to draw
+
+  ; ── GAME LOGIC (clay) — distance score. +1 every DIST_PERIOD/SPEED frames
+  ; (faster speed scores faster). When DIST crosses a multiple of $20 in
+  ; BCD, ramp SPEED (cap 6): the longer you survive, the harder it gets.
+  INC TICK
+  LDA SPEED
+  STA TMP
+  LDA #DIST_PERIOD
+  SEC
+  SBC TMP              ; period = 8 - SPEED → faster cars score faster
+  CMP TICK
+  BCS .notick
+  LDA #0
+  STA TICK
+  JSR add_distance
+  ; ramp speed when the tens digit rolls (every 16 distance, capped at 6)
+  LDA DIST
+  AND #$0F
+  BNE .notick
+  LDA SPEED
+  CMP #6
+  BCS .notick
+  INC SPEED
+  LDA #$08            ; "rev" speed-up blip
+  LDX #$03
+  LDY #10
+  JSR sfx_play
+.notick:
+
+  JMP pack_score       ; render DIST into the kernel's row buffer (tail-RTS)
+
+; ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ── game-over freeze-frame ───────
+logic_over:
+  LDA EDGEB
+  AND #$01
+  BNE .toTitle
+  LDA FIRE_EDG
+  BMI .toTitle
+  DEC OVER_T
+  BNE .stay
+.toTitle:
+  JMP enter_title
+.stay:
+  ; freeze: hold the traffic where it crashed; flash the tarmac red/black
   LDA FRAME
-  AND #$3F
+  AND #$08
+  BEQ .flBlack
+  LDA #$42             ; dark red
+  JMP .flSet
+.flBlack:
+  LDA #COL_TARMAC
+.flSet:
+  STA FLASH            ; reuse FLASH as the freeze-flash color carrier
+  RTS
+
+; ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ── helpers ──────────────────────
+
+add_distance:          ; +1 distance, BCD, capped at 9999
+  SED
+  LDA DIST
   CLC
-  ADC #40
+  ADC #$01
+  STA DIST
+  LDA DIST_HI
+  ADC #0               ; carry into the high byte
+  STA DIST_HI
+  CLD
+  ; keep the running session hi-score (best distance)
+  LDA DIST_HI
+  CMP DIST_HSH
+  BCC .nohs
+  BNE .seths
+  LDA DIST
+  CMP DIST_HSV
+  BCC .nohs
+.seths:
+  LDA DIST
+  STA DIST_HSV
+  LDA DIST_HI
+  STA DIST_HSH
+.nohs:
+  RTS
+
+do_game_over:
+  LDA #2
+  STA STATE
+  LDA #200             ; ~3.3 s freeze, then auto-return to title
+  STA OVER_T
+  LDA #12
+  STA FLASH
+  LDA #1
+  STA TUNE_SEL
+  ; crash noise on voice 0 (over the game-over tune on voice 1)
+  LDA #$1F
+  LDX #$08
+  LDY #16
+  JSR sfx_play
+  JMP tune_start       ; game-over tune on voice 1
+
+start_game:
+  LDA #0
+  STA DIST
+  STA DIST_HI
+  STA TICK
+  STA SCROLL
+  STA FLASH
+  STA TUNE_LEFT        ; silence the title jingle
+  STA AUDV1
+  LDA #1
+  STA SPEED
+  LDA #76
+  STA P_X              ; player mid-road, near the bottom
+  LDA #50
   STA E1_X
-  LDA FRAME
-  EOR #$2A
-  AND #$3F
-  CLC
-  ADC #44
+  LDA #150
+  STA E1_Y             ; rival car starts up top
+  LDA #104
   STA E2_X
-  LDA #$08             ; noisy crash
-  STA AUDC0
-  LDA #$1F
-  STA AUDF0
-  LDA #$0F
+  LDA #130
+  STA E2_Y
+  LDA #1
+  STA STATE
+  LDA #$06             ; start blip
+  LDX #$04
+  LDY #10
+  JMP sfx_play
+
+enter_title:
+  LDA #0
+  STA STATE
+  STA GRP0
+  STA GRP1
+  STA ENAM0
   STA AUDV0
-  LDA #14
   STA SFX_LEFT
-.nocrash:
-  STA CXCLR            ; clear collision latches for the next frame
+  STA FLASH
+  STA TUNE_SEL         ; title jingle
+  JMP tune_start
 
-  ; ── sfx countdown ──
+digit_times6:           ; A = digit 0-9 → A = digit*6 (DIGITS row index)
+  STA TMP
+  ASL
+  CLC
+  ADC TMP              ; *3
+  ASL                 ; *6
+  RTS
+
+; pack_two_digits — A = a BCD byte (two digits). Writes 6 rows into SCRATCH,
+; left digit (high nibble) in PF1 high nibble, right digit (low nibble) in
+; PF1 low nibble. In SCORE mode the byte draws twice (two colors) — the
+; classic dual-score look — but here both halves carry the SAME packed pair.
+pack_two_digits:
+  PHA
+  LSR
+  LSR
+  LSR
+  LSR                  ; high (tens) digit
+  JSR digit_times6
+  TAX
+  LDY #0
+.pd0:
+  LDA DIGITS,X
+  STA SCRATCH,Y        ; high nibble of font = left digit
+  INX
+  INY
+  CPY #6
+  BNE .pd0
+  PLA
+  AND #$0F             ; low (ones) digit
+  JSR digit_times6
+  TAX
+  LDY #0
+.pd1:
+  LDA DIGITS,X
+  LSR
+  LSR
+  LSR
+  LSR                  ; ones in the LOW nibble
+  ORA SCRATCH,Y
+  STA SCRATCH,Y
+  INX
+  INY
+  CPY #6
+  BNE .pd1
+  RTS
+
+pack_score:             ; render the low two DIST digits into S0BUF
+  LDA DIST
+  JSR pack_two_digits
+  LDY #0
+.pks:
+  LDA SCRATCH,Y
+  STA S0BUF,Y
+  INY
+  CPY #6
+  BNE .pks
+  RTS
+
+; ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ── TIA sound ────────────────────
+; Voice 0 = one-shot sound effects (engine revs + crash); voice 1 = the
+; jingle player. Separate voices means a rev blip never cuts the tune off.
+sfx_play:               ; A = AUDF pitch, X = AUDC waveform, Y = frames
+  STA AUDF0
+  STX AUDC0
+  STY SFX_LEFT
+  LDA #$0C
+  STA AUDV0
+  RTS
+
+tune_start:             ; TUNE_SEL chosen by caller (0 title, 1 game over)
+  LDA #0
+  STA TUNE_POS
+  JSR tune_note
+  LDA #$04              ; pure square wave
+  STA AUDC1
+  LDA #$06
+  STA AUDV1
+  LDA #10
+  STA TUNE_LEFT
+  RTS
+
+tune_note:              ; load AUDF1 from the selected table at TUNE_POS;
+  LDX TUNE_POS          ; returns Z set (A=0) on the $FF terminator
+  LDA TUNE_SEL
+  BNE .tn1
+  LDA TITLE_TUNE,X
+  JMP .tn2
+.tn1:
+  LDA OVER_TUNE,X
+.tn2:
+  CMP #$FF
+  BEQ .tnEnd
+  STA AUDF1
+  LDA #1
+  RTS
+.tnEnd:
+  LDA #0
+  STA AUDV1
+  RTS
+
+audio_tick:             ; called once per frame, every state
   LDA SFX_LEFT
-  BEQ .sfxdone
+  BEQ .at1
   DEC SFX_LEFT
-  BNE .sfxdone
+  BNE .at1
   LDA #0
-  STA AUDV0
-.sfxdone:
+  STA AUDV0             ; sfx finished → silence voice 0
+.at1:
+  LDA TUNE_LEFT
+  BEQ .at2
+  DEC TUNE_LEFT
+  BNE .at2
+  INC TUNE_POS
+  JSR tune_note
+  BEQ .at2              ; hit the terminator → tune stays off
+  LDA #10
+  STA TUNE_LEFT
+.at2:
+  RTS
 
-  ; ── Position objects (race-the-beam) — 3 WSYNC-bounded lines ──
-  ; Use the divide-by-15 coarse approach (good enough for a starter; the
-  ; cars sit on lane centres). HMCLR first so stale HM values don't drift.
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+; ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+; OBJECT POSITIONING — the canonical SBC-#15 beam-race. There is no "X
+; register" for sprites: you strobe RESPx/RESM0 and the object lands
+; WHEREVER THE BEAM IS. Each SBC/BCS lap is 5 CPU cycles = 15 beam pixels,
+; so when the subtraction underflows the beam has crossed x/15 coarse
+; columns; the remainder, EOR #7 shifted to the high nibble, becomes the
+; ±7px fine offset HMOVE applies on the next line. The naive "divide first,
+; then burn a delay loop" version lands in the WRONG column. Three objects =
+; three WSYNC lines + one shared HMOVE line, all inside timed VBLANK.
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+position_objects:
   STA WSYNC
   STA HMCLR
-  LDX P_X
-  LDA #0
-.p0pos:
-  CPX #15
-  BCC .p0done
+  LDA P_X               ; player car → P0
+  STA WSYNC
   SEC
+.d0:
   SBC #15
-  TAX
-  JMP .p0pos
-.p0done:
+  BCS .d0
+  EOR #7
+  ASL
+  ASL
+  ASL
+  ASL
   STA RESP0
-  ; P1 (enemy car)
+  STA HMP0
+  LDA E1_X              ; rival car → P1
   STA WSYNC
-  LDX E1_X
-  LDA #0
-.p1pos:
-  CPX #15
-  BCC .p1done
   SEC
+.d1:
   SBC #15
-  TAX
-  JMP .p1pos
-.p1done:
+  BCS .d1
+  EOR #7
+  ASL
+  ASL
+  ASL
+  ASL
   STA RESP1
-  ; M0 (hazard)
+  STA HMP1
+  LDA E2_X              ; hazard → M0
   STA WSYNC
-  LDX E2_X
-  LDA #0
-.m0pos:
-  CPX #15
-  BCC .m0done
   SEC
+.d2:
   SBC #15
-  TAX
-  JMP .m0pos
-.m0done:
+  BCS .d2
+  EOR #7
+  ASL
+  ASL
+  ASL
+  ASL
   STA RESM0
-  STA HMOVE
+  STA HMM0
+  STA WSYNC
+  STA HMOVE             ; one HMOVE applies ALL the fine offsets; it must
+  RTS                   ; come fresh after a WSYNC (mid-line HMOVE combs)
 
-  ; Crash flash: paint background dark-red while FLASH active.
-  LDA FLASH
-  BEQ .bgblack
-  LDA #$42             ; dark red
-  STA COLUBK
-  JMP .bgdone
-.bgblack:
-  LDA #$00
-  STA COLUBK
-.bgdone:
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+; ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+; THE PLAY/GAME-OVER KERNEL — 192 visible lines, fully accounted:
+;   24 = score bar  +  168 = road (84 two-line passes)
+;
+; SCORE BAR (SCORE mode): CTRLPF = $02 colors the LEFT playfield half with
+; COLUP0 and the RIGHT half with COLUP1 — a two-color scoreboard with zero
+; sprites. We stream the packed distance digits into PF1, one font row per
+; 4 scanlines.
+;
+; ROAD (two-line kernel): one line of road work — road edges (PF0/PF2) +
+; scrolling centre dash (PF) + ONE car test — is ~80+ cycles, more than a
+; single 76-cycle scanline allows. So each loop pass spans TWO scanlines:
+;   line A draws the road playfield (rails + centre dash) + the player car;
+;   line B draws the rival car (P1) + the hazard (M0).
+; 84 passes × 2 = 168 lines; objects move in 2-px steps (invisible on 1977
+; televisions). The road's MOTION is in the dash phase (SCROLL), updated in
+; VBLANK — the kernel only READS it; never animate inside a kernel.
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+play_kernel:
+  ; positioning runs first, inside the still-blanked region
+  JSR position_objects
 
+  LDA #COL_TARMAC
+  STA COLUBK
   LDA #0
-  STA VBLANK
+  STA PF0
+  STA PF1
+  STA PF2
+  STA GRP0
+  STA GRP1
+  STA ENAM0
+  STA VBLANK            ; beam on
+  LDA #$0E
+  STA COLUPF            ; score digits bright
+  LDA #$02
+  STA CTRLPF           ; SCORE mode for the score bar
+
+  ; ---- score bar: 24 lines (6 font rows × 4) ----
+  ; S0BUF was packed in logic_play (VBLANK); stream it here. Two visible
+  ; digits (tens/ones of DIST), doubled by SCORE mode into two colors.
+  LDX #0
+.sbar:
+  STA WSYNC
+  TXA
+  LSR
+  LSR
+  TAY                   ; row = line/4
+  LDA S0BUF,Y
+  STA PF1
+  INX
+  CPX #24
+  BNE .sbar
+
+  ; transition: clear the bar, switch the TIA to the road. CTRLPF bit0
+  ; (reflect) MIRRORS the 20-pixel playfield so the left rail draws a
+  ; matching right rail for free — the road is symmetric. COLUPF = the
+  ; white road markings; COLUBK = black tarmac.
+  STA WSYNC
+  LDA #$01
+  STA CTRLPF           ; reflect mode: symmetric rails
+  LDA #COL_ROAD
+  STA COLUPF
+  LDA #COL_TARMAC
+  STA COLUBK
 
-  ; ── Visible (192 lines) — TWO-LINE KERNEL ──
-  ; Each pass renders TWO scanlines:
-  ;   line A: road edges (PF) + scrolling centre dash (PF) + player car.
-  ;   line B: enemy car (P1) + hazard (M0).
-  ; Y counts 192 -> 2 in steps of 2.  96 passes = 192 lines.
-  LDY #192
-.draw:
-  ; ---- line A: road + player car ----
+  ; ---- road: Y from 168 down to 1 (84 two-line passes) ----
+  LDY #168
+.road:
+  ; ============ line A: road playfield + player car ============
   STA WSYNC
-  ; Road rails via PF0 (reflected → left+right rails). The rails are the
-  ; OUTER playfield pixels; PF0's high nibble shows on screen pixels
-  ; 4..7 (the leftmost visible chunk after the 4-px PF0 gap), mirrored to
-  ; the right edge by CTRLPF reflect. A constant rail every line.
-  LDA #%00010000       ; one rail bar on each side
+  ; Road EDGES: PF0 high nibble bit4 is the leftmost visible PF pixel; one
+  ; rail bar there, mirrored by reflect to the right edge. Constant rails.
+  LDA #%00010000
   STA PF0
-  ; Centre dash via PF2 — a dash that appears on some scanline groups,
-  ; phased by SCROLL so it crawls upward. (Y+SCROLL)&8 picks dash on/off.
+  ; Centre DASH via PF2 — lit on some line groups, phased by SCROLL so the
+  ; lit bands crawl DOWN the screen (forward motion). (Y + SCROLL) & 8.
   TYA
   CLC
   ADC SCROLL
   AND #%00001000
   BEQ .nodash
-  LDA #%00011000       ; centre pixels of PF2 (maps near screen middle)
+  LDA #%00011000       ; centre-ish PF2 pixels = the lane dash
   STA PF2
   JMP .dashdone
 .nodash:
   LDA #0
   STA PF2
 .dashdone:
-  ; Player car: 8 rows starting at P_Y region near the bottom (~Y 30..22).
-  ; Window: (Y - 22) in [0..7] → index CAR bitmap.
+  ; Player car: 8 rows in the bottom band (Y in [22,30)).
   TYA
   SEC
   SBC #22
   CMP #8
-  BCS .pblank
+  BCS .noPlayer
   TAX
   LDA CAR,X
   STA GRP0
-  JMP .pdone
-.pblank:
+  JMP .playerDone
+.noPlayer:
   LDA #0
   STA GRP0
-.pdone:
-
-  ; ---- line B: enemy car + hazard ----
+.playerDone:
+  ; ============ line B: rival car + hazard ============
   STA WSYNC
-  ; Enemy car P1: 8 rows starting at E1_Y.
+  ; Rival car P1: 8 rows starting at E1_Y.
   TYA
   SEC
   SBC E1_Y
   CMP #8
-  BCS .eblank
+  BCS .noRival
   TAX
   LDA CAR,X
   STA GRP1
-  JMP .edone
-.eblank:
+  JMP .rivalDone
+.noRival:
   LDA #0
   STA GRP1
-.edone:
-  ; Hazard M0: enable for 4 rows around E2_Y.
+.rivalDone:
+  ; Hazard M0: enabled for 4 rows at E2_Y (0..3 from its top).
   TYA
   SEC
   SBC E2_Y
   CMP #4
-  BCS .hblank
+  BCS .noHaz
   LDA #2
   STA ENAM0
-  JMP .hdone
-.hblank:
+  JMP .hazDone
+.noHaz:
   LDA #0
   STA ENAM0
-.hdone:
+.hazDone:
 
   DEY
   DEY
-  BNE .draw
+  BNE .road
 
-  ; ── Overscan (30 lines) — clear the playfield so it doesn't bleed ──
+  ; clear the playfield so it doesn't bleed into overscan
   LDA #0
   STA PF0
   STA PF1
@@ -456,17 +869,180 @@ MAIN:
   STA GRP0
   STA GRP1
   STA ENAM0
-  LDA #2
-  STA VBLANK
-  LDX #30
-.os:
+  JMP kernel_done
+
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+; ── HARDWARE IDIOM (load-bearing — reshape gameplay around this; see TROUBLESHOOTING) ──
+; THE TITLE KERNEL — 192 lines, banded:
+;   24 blank + 28 banner "SWERVE" + 8 gap + 28 banner "STREAK" + 16 gap +
+;   24 hi-score + remainder pad = 192
+;
+; The banner is an ASYMMETRIC PLAYFIELD — the 2600's only way to draw
+; full-width artwork. The playfield registers hold just 20 pixels; the TIA
+; replays them for the right half of the line (CTRLPF bit0 chooses repeat
+; or mirror). For 40 INDEPENDENT pixels you rewrite all three registers
+; mid-line, each inside its window (CPU cycle = 3 color clocks; left copy
+; reads at clocks 68-147, right copy at 148-227):
+;   PF0 again after cycle ~28 (left copy drawn) before ~49 (right copy reads)
+;   PF1 again after cycle ~39                   before ~54
+;   PF2 again after cycle ~50                   before ~65
+; The code below hits those windows by instruction order alone — count
+; cycles before you reorder ANYTHING between the WSYNC and the last STA.
+; REQUIRES: CTRLPF bit0 = 0 (repeat mode). In mirror mode the right half
+; reads the registers in REVERSE order and every window above is wrong.
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+title_kernel:
+  LDA #$94             ; deep slate-blue backdrop (the night road)
+  STA COLUBK
+  LDA #0
+  STA PF0
+  STA PF1
+  STA PF2
+  STA GRP0
+  STA GRP1
+  STA ENAM0
+  STA CTRLPF           ; REPEAT mode — required by the banner (see above)
+  STA VBLANK           ; beam on
+
+  LDX #24              ; band 1: 24 blank lines
+.tb1:
   STA WSYNC
   DEX
-  BNE .os
+  BNE .tb1
 
-  JMP MAIN
+  LDA #$9E             ; word 1 in light blue
+  STA COLUPF
+  LDX #0               ; band 2: 28 banner lines (7 rows × 4)
+.ban1:
+  STA WSYNC
+  TXA                  ; row = line/4
+  LSR
+  LSR
+  TAY
+  LDA R1_PF0L,Y
+  STA PF0
+  LDA R1_PF1L,Y
+  STA PF1
+  LDA R1_PF2L,Y
+  STA PF2
+  LDA R1_PF0R,Y
+  STA PF0
+  LDA R1_PF1R,Y
+  STA PF1
+  NOP
+  NOP
+  LDA R1_PF2R,Y
+  STA PF2
+  INX
+  CPX #28
+  BNE .ban1
+
+  STA WSYNC            ; band 3: clear + 7 gap lines
+  LDA #0
+  STA PF0
+  STA PF1
+  STA PF2
+  LDX #7
+.tb3:
+  STA WSYNC
+  DEX
+  BNE .tb3
 
-; ── 8-row top-down car silhouette (windshield + body) ──
+  LDA #$1E             ; word 2 in yellow (the headlights)
+  STA COLUPF
+  LDX #0               ; band 4: 28 banner lines, word 2
+.ban2:
+  STA WSYNC
+  TXA
+  LSR
+  LSR
+  TAY
+  LDA R2_PF0L,Y
+  STA PF0
+  LDA R2_PF1L,Y
+  STA PF1
+  LDA R2_PF2L,Y
+  STA PF2
+  LDA R2_PF0R,Y
+  STA PF0
+  LDA R2_PF1R,Y
+  STA PF1
+  NOP
+  NOP
+  LDA R2_PF2R,Y
+  STA PF2
+  INX
+  CPX #28
+  BNE .ban2
+
+  STA WSYNC            ; band 5: clear + 15 gap lines
+  LDA #0
+  STA PF0
+  STA PF1
+  STA PF2
+  LDA #$02
+  STA CTRLPF           ; SCORE mode for the hi-score band
+  LDX #15
+.tb5:
+  STA WSYNC
+  DEX
+  BNE .tb5
+
+  ; band 6: hi-score, 24 lines (6 rows × 4). Packed digits stream into PF1;
+  ; SCORE mode draws them twice in the two player colors. In-session best
+  ; DISTANCE; honest: there is no battery — gone at power-off, like the
+  ; arcades.
+  LDX #0
+.hsb:
+  STA WSYNC
+  TXA
+  LSR
+  LSR
+  TAY
+  LDA HSBUF,Y
+  STA PF1
+  INX
+  CPX #24
+  BNE .hsb
+
+  STA WSYNC            ; band 7: clear + pad to exactly 192
+  LDA #0
+  STA PF1
+  LDX #65
+.tb7:
+  STA WSYNC
+  DEX
+  BNE .tb7
+
+  JMP kernel_done
+
+; ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+; ── GAME LOGIC (clay — reshape freely) ── data tables ──────────────────
+; Digit font: 4 pixels wide × 6 rows, stored in the HIGH nibble (PF1 bit7
+; is the LEFTMOST pixel of the left playfield half — high nibble = left).
+DIGITS:
+  .byte $60,$90,$90,$90,$90,$60   ; 0
+  .byte $20,$60,$20,$20,$20,$70   ; 1
+  .byte $60,$90,$10,$20,$40,$F0   ; 2
+  .byte $E0,$10,$60,$10,$10,$E0   ; 3
+  .byte $90,$90,$F0,$10,$10,$10   ; 4
+  .byte $F0,$80,$E0,$10,$10,$E0   ; 5
+  .byte $60,$80,$E0,$90,$90,$60   ; 6
+  .byte $F0,$10,$20,$40,$40,$40   ; 7
+  .byte $60,$90,$60,$90,$90,$60   ; 8
+  .byte $60,$90,$90,$70,$10,$60   ; 9
+
+; Title jingle (voice 1, AUDC $04 square; AUDF divider — LOWER = higher
+; pitch; 10 frames per note; $FF terminates). The table IS the song.
+TITLE_TUNE:
+  .byte $0F,$0C,$09,$0C,$0F,$13,$0F,$0C,$FF
+; Game-over tune: a falling figure.
+OVER_TUNE:
+  .byte $09,$0C,$0F,$13,$17,$1B,$FF
+
+; ── THE CAR SPRITE ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+; 8 rows: a forward-view car silhouette (cabin + body + wheels), drawn for
+; the player via P0 and for the rival via P1 (same bitmap, different color).
 CAR:
   .byte %00111100
   .byte %01111110
@@ -477,7 +1053,62 @@ CAR:
   .byte %01011010
   .byte %01111110
 
-  ; ── Vector table ──
+; ── THE TITLE BANNER ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+; 40-pixel-wide artwork, 7 rows per word, drawn by the asymmetric-playfield
+; kernel above. Each row is six bytes across six tables (left PF0/PF1/PF2,
+; right PF0/PF1/PF2). PF bit order is the 2600's great prank — three
+; registers, three different orders:
+;   PF0: only bits 4-7 used, bit 4 = LEFTMOST pixel   (reversed)
+;   PF1: bit 7 = leftmost                              (normal)
+;   PF2: bit 0 = leftmost                              (reversed again)
+;
+; The 40-px art for each row is the comment ASCII above each table; the
+; bytes are mechanically encoded from it (left half = pixels 0..19 → PF0
+; bits4-7 / PF1 bits7-0 / PF2 bits0-7; right half = pixels 20..39 likewise).
+;
+; SWERVE:
+;   .####..#...#.####.####..#...#.####.......
+;   .#.....#...#.#....#...#.#...#.#...........
+;   .#.....#...#.#....#...#.#...#.#...........
+;   .####..#.#.#.###..####..#.#..####........
+;   ....#..#.#.#.#....#.#...#.#..#............
+;   .#..#..#.#.#.#....#..#...#...#............
+;   .####...#.#..####.#...#..#...####........
+R1_PF0L:
+  .byte %11100000, %00100000, %00100000, %11100000, %00000000, %00100000, %11100000
+R1_PF1L:
+  .byte %10010001, %00010001, %00010001, %10010101, %10010101, %10010101, %10001010
+R1_PF2L:
+  .byte %11011110, %01000010, %01000010, %11001110, %01000010, %01000010, %01011110
+R1_PF0R:
+  .byte %00110000, %01000000, %01000000, %00110000, %00010000, %00100000, %01000000
+R1_PF1R:
+  .byte %10001011, %10001010, %10001010, %10100111, %10100100, %01000100, %01000111
+R1_PF2R:
+  .byte %00000011, %00000000, %00000000, %00000001, %00000000, %00000000, %00000001
+
+; STREAK:
+;   .####..#####.####..####..###..#...#......
+;   .#.......#...#...#.#.....#...#.#..#.......
+;   .#.......#...#...#.#.....#...#.#.#........
+;   .####....#...####..###...#####.##........
+;   ....#....#...#.#...#.....#...#.#.#........
+;   .#..#....#...#..#..#.....#...#.#..#.......
+;   .####....#...#...#.####..#...#.#...#......
+R2_PF0L:
+  .byte %11100000, %00100000, %00100000, %11100000, %00000000, %00100000, %11100000
+R2_PF1L:
+  .byte %10011111, %00000100, %00000100, %10000100, %10000100, %10000100, %10000100
+R2_PF2L:
+  .byte %10011110, %10100010, %10100010, %10011110, %10001010, %10010010, %10100010
+R2_PF0R:
+  .byte %01110000, %00000000, %00000000, %00110000, %00000000, %00000000, %01110000
+R2_PF1R:
+  .byte %01110010, %01000101, %01000101, %01111101, %01000101, %01000101, %01000101
+R2_PF2R:
+  .byte %00000100, %00000100, %00000010, %00000001, %00000010, %00000100, %00001000
+
+; ── Vector table ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
   org $FFFA
   .word START
   .word START