diff --git a/apps/wolf_3d_cli/bin/main.dart b/apps/wolf_3d_cli/bin/main.dart
index b9f568f..4d8be46 100644
--- a/apps/wolf_3d_cli/bin/main.dart
+++ b/apps/wolf_3d_cli/bin/main.dart
@@ -41,10 +41,7 @@ void main() async {
   final input = CliInput();
   final cliAudio = CliSilentAudio();
 
-  final rasterizer = AsciiRasterizer(
-    aspectMultiplier: 1.0,
-    verticalStretch: 2.0,
-  );
+  final rasterizer = AsciiRasterizer();
 
   FrameBuffer buffer = FrameBuffer(
     stdout.terminalColumns,
diff --git a/packages/wolf_3d_engine/lib/src/ascii_rasterizer.dart b/packages/wolf_3d_engine/lib/src/ascii_rasterizer.dart
index a29d6bc..d28cf67 100644
--- a/packages/wolf_3d_engine/lib/src/ascii_rasterizer.dart
+++ b/packages/wolf_3d_engine/lib/src/ascii_rasterizer.dart
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import 'dart:math' as math;
 
+import 'package:arcane_helper_utils/arcane_helper_utils.dart';
 import 'package:wolf_3d_data_types/wolf_3d_data_types.dart';
 import 'package:wolf_3d_engine/wolf_3d_engine.dart';
 
@@ -222,53 +223,97 @@ class AsciiRasterizer extends Rasterizer {
   }
 
   void _drawSimpleHud(WolfEngine engine) {
-    // 1. Clear the HUD area so stray wall characters don't bleed in
-    for (int y = viewHeight; y < height; y++) {
-      for (int x = 0; x < width; x++) {
-        _screen[y][x] = ColoredChar(' ', 0xFF000000);
+    // 1. Pull Retro Colors
+    final int vgaStatusBarBlue = ColorPalette.vga32Bit[153];
+    final int vgaPanelDark = ColorPalette.vga32Bit[0];
+    final int white = ColorPalette.vga32Bit[15];
+    final int yellow = ColorPalette.vga32Bit[11];
+    final int red = ColorPalette.vga32Bit[4];
+
+    // 2. Setup Centered Layout
+    // The total width of our standard HUD elements is roughly 120 chars
+    const int hudContentWidth = 120;
+    final int offsetX = ((width - hudContentWidth) ~/ 2).clamp(0, width);
+
+    // 3. Clear HUD Base
+    _fillRect(0, viewHeight, width, height - viewHeight, ' ', vgaStatusBarBlue);
+    _writeString(0, viewHeight, "═" * width, white);
+
+    // 4. Panel Drawing Helper
+    void drawBorderedPanel(int startX, int startY, int w, int h) {
+      _fillRect(startX, startY, w, h, ' ', vgaPanelDark);
+      // Horizontal lines
+      _writeString(startX, startY, "┌${"─" * (w - 2)}┐", white);
+      _writeString(startX, startY + h - 1, "└${"─" * (w - 2)}┘", white);
+      // Vertical sides
+      for (int i = 1; i < h - 1; i++) {
+        _writeString(startX, startY + i, "│", white);
+        _writeString(startX + w - 1, startY + i, "│", white);
       }
     }
 
-    // 2. Draw a decorative border to separate the 3D view from the HUD
-    int borderColor = 0xFF555555; // Dark Gray
-    for (int x = 0; x < width; x++) {
-      _screen[viewHeight][x] = ColoredChar('=', borderColor);
-    }
+    // 5. Draw the Panels
+    // FLOOR
+    drawBorderedPanel(offsetX + 4, viewHeight + 2, 12, 5);
+    _writeString(offsetX + 7, viewHeight + 3, "FLOOR", white);
+    _writeString(
+      offsetX + 9,
+      viewHeight + 5,
+      engine.activeLevel.name.split(' ').last,
+      white,
+    );
 
-    // 3. Define some clean terminal colors
-    int white = 0xFFFFFFFF;
-    int yellow = 0xFFFFFF55;
-    int red = 0xFFFF5555;
+    // SCORE
+    drawBorderedPanel(offsetX + 18, viewHeight + 2, 24, 5);
+    _writeString(offsetX + 27, viewHeight + 3, "SCORE", white);
+    _writeString(
+      offsetX + 27,
+      viewHeight + 5,
+      engine.player.score.toString().padLeft(6, '0'),
+      white,
+    );
 
-    // Turn health text red if dying
-    int healthColor = engine.player.health > 25 ? white : red;
+    // LIVES
+    drawBorderedPanel(offsetX + 44, viewHeight + 2, 12, 5);
+    _writeString(offsetX + 47, viewHeight + 3, "LIVES", white);
+    _writeString(offsetX + 49, viewHeight + 5, "3", white);
 
-    // Format the strings nicely
-    String score = "SCORE: ${engine.player.score.toString().padLeft(6, '0')}";
-    String health = "HEALTH: ${engine.player.health}%";
-    String ammo = "AMMO: ${engine.player.ammo}";
-
-    int textY = viewHeight + 4; // Center it vertically in the HUD area
-
-    // 4. Print the stats evenly spaced across the bottom
-    _writeString(6, textY, "FLOOR 1", white);
-    _writeString(22, textY, score, white);
-    _writeString(44, textY, "LIVES: 3", white);
-
-    // 5. Reactive ASCII Face
-    String face = " :-) ";
+    // FACE (With Reactive BJ Logic)
+    drawBorderedPanel(offsetX + 58, viewHeight + 1, 14, 7);
+    String face = " :-)";
     if (engine.player.health <= 0) {
-      face = " X-x ";
+      face = " X-x";
+    } else if (engine.player.damageFlash > 0.1) {
+      face = " :-O"; // Mouth open in pain!
     } else if (engine.player.health <= 25) {
-      face = " :-( ";
+      face = " :-(";
     } else if (engine.player.health <= 60) {
-      face = " :-| ";
+      face = " :-|";
     }
+    _writeString(offsetX + 63, viewHeight + 4, face, yellow);
 
-    _writeString(62, textY, "[$face]", yellow);
+    // HEALTH
+    int healthColor = engine.player.health > 25 ? white : red;
+    drawBorderedPanel(offsetX + 74, viewHeight + 2, 16, 5);
+    _writeString(offsetX + 78, viewHeight + 3, "HEALTH", white);
+    _writeString(
+      offsetX + 79,
+      viewHeight + 5,
+      "${engine.player.health}%",
+      healthColor,
+    );
 
-    _writeString(78, textY, health, healthColor);
-    _writeString(100, textY, ammo, white);
+    // AMMO
+    drawBorderedPanel(offsetX + 92, viewHeight + 2, 12, 5);
+    _writeString(offsetX + 95, viewHeight + 3, "AMMO", white);
+    _writeString(offsetX + 97, viewHeight + 5, "${engine.player.ammo}", white);
+
+    // WEAPON
+    drawBorderedPanel(offsetX + 106, viewHeight + 2, 14, 5);
+    String weapon = engine.player.currentWeapon.type.name.spacePascalCase!
+        .toUpperCase();
+    if (weapon.length > 12) weapon = weapon.substring(0, 12);
+    _writeString(offsetX + 107, viewHeight + 4, weapon, white);
   }
 
   void _drawFullVgaHud(WolfEngine engine) {
@@ -355,6 +400,19 @@ class AsciiRasterizer extends Rasterizer {
     }
   }
 
+  /// Helper to fill a rectangular area with a specific char and background color
+  void _fillRect(int startX, int startY, int w, int h, String char, int color) {
+    for (int dy = 0; dy < h; dy++) {
+      for (int dx = 0; dx < w; dx++) {
+        int x = startX + dx;
+        int y = startY + dy;
+        if (x >= 0 && x < width && y >= 0 && y < height) {
+          _screen[y][x] = ColoredChar(char, color);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   @override
   dynamic finalizeFrame() {
     if (_engine.player.damageFlash > 0.0) {
diff --git a/packages/wolf_3d_engine/pubspec.yaml b/packages/wolf_3d_engine/pubspec.yaml
index d3a2d64..55889ba 100644
--- a/packages/wolf_3d_engine/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/packages/wolf_3d_engine/pubspec.yaml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ dependencies:
   wolf_3d_entities: any
   wolf_3d_data: any
   wolf_3d_input: any
+  arcane_helper_utils: ^1.4.7
 
 dev_dependencies:
   lints: ^6.0.0