diff --git a/mandel-core.s b/mandel-core.s
index 6ebb089..34dff8b 100644
--- a/mandel-core.s
+++ b/mandel-core.s
@@ -1,44 +1,44 @@
-; Our zero-page vars
-ox              = $80 ; fixed6.26: center point x
-oy              = $84 ; fixed6.26: center point y
-cx              = $88 ; fixed6.26: c_x
-cy              = $8c ; fixed6.26: c_y
+.zeropage
 
-zx              = $90 ; fixed6.26: z_x
-zy              = $94 ; fixed6.26: z_y
-zx_2            = $98 ; fixed6.26: z_x^2
-zy_2            = $9c ; fixed6.26: z_y^2
+ox:              .res 4 ; fixed6.26: center point x
+oy:              .res 4 ; fixed6.26: center point y
+cx:              .res 4 ; fixed6.26: c_x
+cy:              .res 4 ; fixed6.26: c_y
 
-zx_zy           = $a0 ; fixed6.26: z_x * z_y
-dist            = $a4 ; fixed6.26: z_x^2 + z_y^2
-sx              = $a8 ; i16: screen pixel x
-sy              = $aa ; i16: screen pixel y
-z_buffer_active = $ac ; boolean: 1 if we triggered the lake, 0 if not
-z_buffer_start  = $ad ; u8: index into z_buffer
-z_buffer_end    = $ae ; u8: index into z_buffer
-iter            = $af ; u8: iteration count
+zx:              .res 4 ; fixed6.26: z_x
+zy:              .res 4 ; fixed6.26: z_y
+zx_2:            .res 4 ; fixed6.26: z_x^2
+zy_2:            .res 4 ; fixed6.26: z_y^2
 
-ptr             = $b0 ; u16
-pixel_ptr       = $b2 ; u16
-zoom            = $b4 ; u8: zoom shift level
-fill_level      = $b5 ; u8
-pixel_color     = $b6 ; u8
-pixel_mask      = $b7 ; u8
-pixel_shift     = $b8 ; u8
-pixel_offset    = $b9 ; u8
-palette_offset  = $ba ; u8
-chroma_offset   = $bb ; u8
-palette_ticks   = $bc ; u8
-chroma_ticks    = $bd ; u8
-count_frames    = $be ; u8
-; free space $bf
+zx_zy:           .res 4 ; fixed6.26: z_x * z_y
+dist:            .res 4 ; fixed6.26: z_x^2 + z_y^2
 
-count_iters     = $c0 ; u16
-text_col        = $c2 ; u8
-text_row        = $c3 ; u8
-; free space c4-cb
-temp            = $cc ; u16
-temp2           = $ce ; u16
+z_buffer_active: .res 1 ; boolean: 1 if we triggered the lake, 0 if not
+z_buffer_start:  .res 1 ; u8: index into z_buffer
+z_buffer_end:    .res 1 ; u8: index into z_buffer
+iter:            .res 1 ; u8: iteration count
+ptr:             .res 2 ; u16
+temp:            .res 2 ; u16
+temp2:           .res 2 ; u16
+
+.data
+; can move to .data
+sx:              .res 2 ; i16: screen pixel x
+sy:              .res 2 ; i16: screen pixel y
+zoom:            .res 1 ; u8: zoom shift level
+fill_level:      .res 1 ; u8
+pixel_color:     .res 1 ; u8
+pixel_mask:      .res 1 ; u8
+pixel_shift:     .res 1 ; u8
+pixel_offset:    .res 1 ; u8
+palette_offset:  .res 1 ; u8
+chroma_offset:   .res 1 ; u8
+palette_ticks:   .res 1 ; u8
+chroma_ticks:    .res 1 ; u8
+count_frames:    .res 1 ; u8
+count_iters:     .res 2 ; u16
+text_col:        .res 1 ; u8
+text_row:        .res 1 ; u8
 
 palette_delay = 23
 chroma_delay = 137
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ KEY_E     = 42
 KEY_X     = 22
 KEY_Y     = 43
 
+.data
+
 .struct float48
     exponent .byte
     mantissa .byte 5
@@ -142,7 +144,6 @@ KEY_Y     = 43
 .import sqr_lobyte
 .import sqr_hibyte
 
-.data
 
 strings:
 str_self:
@@ -1253,21 +1254,21 @@ enough:
 negative:
     ; temp1 = top half
     lda #.lobyte(framebuffer_top + stride * half_height)
-    sta pixel_ptr
+    sta ptr
     lda #.hibyte(framebuffer_top + stride * half_height)
-    sta pixel_ptr + 1
+    sta ptr + 1
     jmp point
 
 positive:
 
     lda #.lobyte(framebuffer_bottom)
-    sta pixel_ptr
+    sta ptr
     lda #.hibyte(framebuffer_bottom)
-    sta pixel_ptr + 1
+    sta ptr + 1
 
 point:
 
-    ; pixel_ptr += sy * stride
+    ; ptr += sy * stride
     ;    temp * 40
     ; =  temp * 32  +  temp * 8
     ; = (temp << 5) + (temp << 3)
@@ -1275,10 +1276,10 @@ point:
     shl16 temp
     shl16 temp
     shl16 temp
-    add16 pixel_ptr, pixel_ptr, temp
+    add16 ptr, ptr, temp
     shl16 temp
     shl16 temp
-    add16 pixel_ptr, pixel_ptr, temp
+    add16 ptr, ptr, temp
 
     ; Ok so temp1 points to the start of the line, which is 40 bytes.
     ; Get the byte and bit offsets
@@ -1318,20 +1319,20 @@ shift_done:
 
 draw_pixel:
     ; read, mask, or, write
-    lda (pixel_ptr),y
+    lda (ptr),y
     and pixel_mask
     ora pixel_color
-    sta (pixel_ptr),y
+    sta (ptr),y
 
     dex
     beq done
     clc
     lda #40
-    adc pixel_ptr
-    sta pixel_ptr
+    adc ptr
+    sta ptr
     lda #0
-    adc pixel_ptr + 1
-    sta pixel_ptr + 1
+    adc ptr + 1
+    sta ptr + 1
     jmp draw_pixel
 
 done: