diff --git a/vacation.p8 b/vacation.p8
index 8800db4..46a3108 100644
--- a/vacation.p8
+++ b/vacation.p8
@@ -372,6 +372,50 @@ end
 -->8
 -- arcade mode
 
+-- palette use:
+-- 0: shallow sea blue (1)
+-- 1: black (for sprites)
+-- 2: dolphin shading
+-- 3: azure water, maybe score display? (140)
+-- 4, 5, 6: unassigned, layer-specific
+-- 7: dolphin highlights
+-- 8, 9: unassigned, layer specific
+-- 10: word primary (yellow 10?)
+-- 11: word shadow (wood 132?)
+-- 12: dolphin eye
+-- 13: light splashy water (12), maybe sky?
+-- 14: dolphin primary color
+-- 15: highlight white (all layers)
+--
+-- dolphin colors are different
+-- between zones; correlated.
+-- wave, text, and black colors
+-- are the same between zones.
+-- other colors are for
+-- elements that only ever
+-- appear in one zone.
+--
+-- TODO: consider changing sky
+-- colors in different stages;
+-- document what colors those
+-- are (nrm_pal) if so.
+game_nrm_pal = {
+ [0] = 1, 0, 2, 140, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 132, 12, 12, 14, 7
+}
+game_uw_pal = {
+ [0]=1, 0, 130, 140, 4, 5, 6, 13, 8, 9, 10, 132, 131, 12, 141, 7
+}
+
+function setup_arcade_pal()
+ -- per-line color mode
+ poke(0x5f5f, 0x10)
+ -- rows 72 and lower: sea
+ memset(0x5f79,0xff,7)
+ pal()
+ pal(game_nrm_pal, 1)
+ pal(game_uw_pal, 2)
+end
+
 -- global wave amplitude clock
 -- wave per 2 seconds
 -- optional toff: offset. at
@@ -386,8 +430,11 @@ sea = {}
 mknew(sea)
 
 function sea:draw()
- rectfill(0, 72+wave(), 128, 84, 1)
-
+ rectfill(0, 72+wave(), 128, 84, 0)
+ local pokeme = 0xFC00 + ((0x3E0 << flr(wave()+3)) & 0x3E0)
+ poke2(0x5f78, pokeme)
+ print(tostr(pokeme, true), 0, 0, 15)
+ rectfill(64, 0, 80, 128, 7)
 end
 
 arcade_level = {
@@ -397,7 +444,7 @@ arcade_level = {
 mknew(arcade_level, function(x)
  x.phin = toyphin.new{splasher=x}
  -- TODO: decent looking sky and sea
- x.sky = bg.new{c=12}
+ x.sky = bg.new{c=13}
  x.sea = sea.new()
  -- event list includes words
  x.e = event_list.new()
@@ -446,53 +493,7 @@ function arcade_level:landing_splash(x, force, harder)
  -- TODO: sfx, vfx for landing from a jump
 end
 
--- palette use:
--- 0: shallow sea blue (1)
--- 1: black (for sprites)
--- 2: dolphin shading
--- 3: azure water, maybe score display? (140)
--- 4, 5, 6: unassigned, layer-specific
--- 7: dolphin highlights
--- 8, 9: unassigned, layer specific
--- 10: word primary (yellow 10?)
--- 11: word shadow (wood 132?)
--- 12: dolphin eye
--- 13: light splashy water (12), maybe sky?
--- 14: dolphin primary color
--- 15: highlight white (all layers)
---
--- dolphin colors are different
--- between zones; correlated.
--- wave, text, and black colors
--- are the same between zones.
--- other colors are for
--- elements that only ever
--- appear in one zone.
---
--- TODO: consider changing sky
--- colors in different stages;
--- document what colors those
--- are (nrm_pal) if so.
-game_nrm_pal = {
- [0] = 1, 0, 2, 140, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 132, 12, 12, 14, 7
-}
-game_uw_pal = {
- [0]=1, 0, 130, 140, 4, 5, 6, 13, 8, 9, 10, 132, 131, 12, 141, 7
-}
-identity = {
- [0]=0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15
-}
 
-function setup_arcade_pal()
- -- per-line color mode
- poke(0x5f5f, 0x10)
- -- rows 72 and lower: sea
- memset(0x5f79,0xff,7)
- pal()
- pal(identity, 2)
- pal(game_nrm_pal, 1)
- pal(game_uw_pal, 2)
-end
 
 phinstate_nrm = {
  s={4, 36, 4, 9},