Learning Ikemen GO by Documenting It – Invitation for Collaborators

[Unk404j]

Hey everyone,
Since Ikemen GO's code had very few comments, I created a fork where I passed the entire codebase through an AI-assisted process, reviewed every output, and added inline documentation.

The goal is to make the engine easier to understand for newcomers, and I’d like to invite the community to improve this documentation collaboratively.

If this is of interest, we could make this fork a shared space for Ikemen GO onboarding and documentation, so that future contributors don’t have to start from zero.

https://github.com/Unk404j/Ikemen-GO-full-commentary

[potsmugen]

How much overlap is there between newcomers and people who'd mess with the source code?

[Unk404j]

Actually, I think there is some overlap even if it’s rare. I’m a good example: I’m fairly new to both Go and Ikemen GO’s internals, but I still dove into the codebase to experiment with controller rumble and a more modern UI. So yeah, not every newcomer will mess with the source, but the few who do? Good documentation makes all the difference.

And that’s actually part of the bigger problem: the lack of comments and docs can be a real barrier. MUGEN might be seen as “dead” by some, but poor documentation only makes it harder to revive interest. I grew up loving MUGEN, so nostalgia fuels me but I’ve got to admit, as a beginner, it was intimidating at first.

What would really help is more clarity around how .go, .lua, and .def files interact. That kind of documentation would make it easier to experiment and bring in modern features like rumble support or controller-friendly UI things that match today’s fighting game standards.

I even got a rough proof of concept working: controller vibrated on launch (though the screenpack broke), and I got some random haptic feedback in the menus. I didn’t go further maybe I should’ve checked more in the Lua docs but it showed me what’s possible.

Also, I’ve got a background in marketing, so I think a lot about community onboarding. If we want people to contribute, the entry point has to be less overwhelming. Good docs aren’t just about developer QoL they’re a long-term growth strategy.

That’s my take. I’m not trying to push anyone to use my fork it’s just a starting point. If it helps even one person stay motivated instead of giving up, that’s already a win. …even one improved comment is better than none. Every bit helps