kanto-gear/README.md

Kanto Gear

Kanto Gear turns a supported dual-screen Android handheld into a Gen 1 companion: the game stays on the main display while maps, party information, battles, menus and contextual touch controls move to the second display.

Important

This is an unofficial Android public test build, not an official Gen1Recomp release. It is verified on an AYN Thor running Android 13 and community-tested on a Retroid Pocket 5 with the Retroid Dual Screen Add-on. Other handhelds, docks and HDMI setups still need community testing.

What it does

• Shows a touchable Kanto map, party, step counter, field tools, area data and an optional guide on the second display.
• Moves battle choices, move learning, dialogue choices and PC lists to the second display when those screens are active.
• Can hide duplicated battle UI on the main display. On the tested Thor, the main UI returns immediately when the second display is switched off.
• Offers AUTO, HANDHELD and EXTERNAL display targeting for handheld, docked and TV-style layouts.
• Swaps the game and Kanto Gear between connected screens live with Y and returns the game to the remaining display if one screen is switched off or disconnected.
• Uses the host's detailed map tiles for clearer local maps, adapts zoom for long or narrow routes, warns below 20% battery, shows when the device is charging, and lets players hide Kanto Gear's own caught marker independently of other mods.
• Works without the Voxel Mod. The matching Voxel performance fork is an optional visual upgrade.

Which downloads do I need?

Use this matched release set:

Download	Required?	What it provides
gen1recomp-android-0.1.75-kanto.6.apk	Required	Clean upstream-based Android host with the dual-display bridge, live screen swap and detailed-map interface
Kanto-Gear-Mod-1.7.0.zip	Required	Kanto Gear itself
DRAMATIC_SHAPE-1.7.0-android.1.zip	Optional	Tested Android 3D renderer and Stadium compatibility fixes

The official Gen1Recomp Android release does not yet contain the complete host support used by Kanto Gear, so the APK fork is currently required. Kanto Gear works without Dramatic Shape. If you already use or want Dramatic Shape on Android, use the matching Voxel fork above: it contains companion-screen battle HUD fixes that prevent empty gray or translucent panels from remaining on the main display when Kanto Gear moves that HUD to the second screen.

Install on Android

You need your own supported Pokemon Red, Blue or Yellow ROM. No ROM or ROM-extracted game data is included here.

Important

Use the matched versions above. The host APK and Kanto Gear are required. The Voxel component is optional because Kanto Gear works without Dramatic Shape. If you use Dramatic Shape with Kanto Gear on Android, use the matching fork rather than another Voxel build. Do not substitute the official host or mix versions from different release sets.

1. Download gen1recomp-android-0.1.75-kanto.6.apk from the matching Gen1Recomp Android test release and install it.
2. Download Kanto-Gear-Mod-1.7.0.zip from the matching Kanto Gear release.
3. Start Gen1Recomp Android Test, import your ROM, open the MODS tab, tap Import mod .zip, and choose Kanto-Gear-Mod-1.7.0.zip.
4. Make sure Kanto Gear is enabled, then start the game. The companion appears automatically when Android reports a suitable second display.

The Android test host is published by the Gen1Recomp fork, not by Kanto Gear. It contains no bundled mods. Its own Android package installs beside the official Gen1Recomp app and does not automatically reuse that app's ROM cache or saves. Use Gen1Recomp's normal save export/import if you want to move a playthrough.

Future APK updates from this fork keep the same package ID and signing key. Install a newer APK over the existing Gen1Recomp Android Test app to retain its app data, ROM cache, saves and settings. Do not uninstall the app when updating, and keep an exported save backup while this remains test software.

Android may ask which app may install the downloaded APK. Grant that permission only to the browser or file manager you used; disabling device-wide security features is not required.

Optional: Voxel performance fork (Android only)

Kanto Gear does not require the Voxel Mod. However, if you use Dramatic Shape together with Kanto Gear on Android, use this matching fork so the moved battle HUD is handled correctly. We love the original mod and recommend its official release on PC. This fork belongs to the Android Kanto Gear package because handhelds need additional frame-pacing and companion-screen compatibility work. For the tested Android 3D setup:

1. Download the latest .zip from the Kanto Gear Voxel performance fork.
2. If the original Dramatic Shape Voxel Mod is already installed, remove it from the MODS tab first. Both versions intentionally use the same mod ID.
3. Import the performance-fork .zip through MODS → Import mod .zip. Confirm the experimental-mod warning and enable it.

A fresh setup starts at the tested Thor profile: VOXEL 35, BALANCED, T-SHIFT 3 and V-CURVE OFF. Existing saved choices are never replaced.

The fork is based on Dramatic Shape Voxel Mod 1.7.0. Its performance changes are promising on the Thor, but they are not claimed to improve every GPU or handheld and the fork is not distributed as a PC replacement.

Using the lower screen

• Swipe left or right across the lower screen to move between the map, party, Trainer Card, field tools, area information and guide pages. The Trainer Card combines badges, money, play time, Pokédex progress and steps.
• Tap the arrows in the header for the same navigation without swiping. Horizontal swipes and arrows also move through multi-page Guide and Area views before continuing to the next section.
• AREA MAP defaults to OFF. MAP adds a swipe page showing the complete current map or floor and your live position; ENHANCED also marks exits plus visible and hidden items that have not been collected. The regular region map remains the Fly screen, so tapping its unlocked destinations still works as before. Tap + / - on the local map to toggle a player-centred zoom.
• Tap the visible buttons and list entries to use touch controls.
• On PARTY, each Pokémon shows a thin EXP bar below its HP bar. Tap a card for STATS or SWAP. Stats opened there stay on the lower screen while the paused game remains visible above; swapping stays locked whenever the overworld is busy.
• Battles, menus, dialogue choices and other prompts automatically replace the normal page when they need input, then return to it afterward.
• Categorized battle bags such as Useful Bag update their pocket and items live. Header arrows show when pockets can be changed by controller or touch; ordinary bags keep their normal layout.

Settings worth knowing

• GEAR SCREEN → AUTO is the recommended default.
• HANDHELD prefers the other built-in display.
• EXTERNAL prefers an external presentation display for TV-style use.
• Press Y while the companion is connected to swap the game and Kanto Gear between the two displays without restarting.
• BATTLE VIEW → STANDARD keeps the normal game HUD. GEAR moves duplicated battle controls to Kanto Gear, while FULL GEAR also moves the HP/status panels. The standard split layout remains the default.
• INFO → PURIST hides gameplay-assistance pages; ENHANCED enables them.
• TRIGGER TABS lets L2/R2 cycle Kanto Gear pages. It is off by default so other mods remain free to use those controls.
• With Modern UI installed, open MOD MENUS → KANTO GEAR for the same settings without adding another entry to the global options list.

Tested release set

Component	Version	Role
Kanto Gear	1.7.0 public test	Required second-screen mod
Gen1Recomp Android test fork	0.1.75-kanto.6	Required Android host APK
Dramatic Shape performance fork	1.7.0-android.1	Optional Android 3D renderer

Do not mix arbitrary releases from the three repositories. Each Kanto Gear release links the exact set that was tested together.

Automatic updates are disabled for the forked host and both package mods so an upstream release cannot silently replace one component. Install future Kanto Gear release sets manually as a matched group.

Known limits

• The AYN Thor is the confirmed reference device. Retroid Pocket 5 support was tested with Retroid's USB-C Dual Screen Add-on. Other Android dual-display hardware, including GammaOS devices, still needs community testing.
• Desktop and ordinary single-screen builds have no companion display; the mod stays inactive rather than opening another desktop window.
• External-monitor rotation, unusual three-display layouts and manufacturer Android changes need real-device reports.
• Fancy water with V-CURVE can fall back to ordinary animated water tiles on the Thor's Adreno GPU. That is in the upstream Voxel water path, not Kanto Gear.
• This is active playtest software. Keep a normal exported save backup.

Reporting a problem

Open an issue in the repository that owns the problem:

• second display, touch or Kanto Gear UI → Kanto Gear issues
• app startup or host integration → Gen1Recomp fork issues
• 3D rendering or performance → Voxel performance fork issues

Please include the device, Android version, display setup, installed versions, what you expected, what happened, and a screenshot if possible. Do not report fork-only problems to the upstream projects unless they reproduce there.

Project family and credits

The repositories stay separate because they have different owners and release cycles:

• Kanto Gear contains the second-screen mod, screenshots and main guide.
• The Gen1Recomp fork publishes the separate Android test host APK.
• The Dramatic Shape fork publishes the optional Android renderer mod.

Kanto Gear is built on Gen1Recomp. The optional renderer is built on Dramatic Shape Voxel Mod. Their progress, code and project direction remain theirs. These forks exist to test additional work without presenting it as official or asking upstream users to debug our changes.

Special thanks to @Rocky5150 for patiently testing the Retroid Pocket 5 dual-screen support, collecting detailed diagnostics, and working with us for more than 24 hours to identify and verify the Android display-routing fixes.

The optional Modern Light and Modern Dark themes adapt the angular panels, dark surfaces, and red-and-blue accents shared by CustCast's Thor UI work. Thanks to CustCast for making the original artwork available and inviting its use in Kanto Gear.

Kanto Gear's own code is available under the MIT License. That license does not replace or extend the licenses, rights or ownership of Gen1Recomp, Dramatic Shape Voxel Mod, Pokemon or their respective assets.

Pokemon and related names are trademarks of their respective owners. This project is not affiliated with Nintendo, Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, Gen1Recomp or DramaticShape.