Versions and ports of Doom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doom is one of the most widely ported computer games in the first-person shooter genre: starting with the original MS-DOS version (released as shareware on December 10, 1993), it has been released officially for 7 computer operating systems and 9 different video game consoles. Unofficial Doom source ports — based on the GPL-released source code for the Doom engine and made by fans — have been created for many others still.
Some of the ports are replications of the DOS version, while others differ considerably. Differences include modifications to creature design and game levels, while a number of ports offer levels that are not included in the original version.
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[edit] Personal computer versions
Note: some of these versions are the so-called Vanilla Doom.
[edit] DOS
Initial release on December 10, 1993 was DOS only. Had a QVGA resolution
[edit] Upgrades
- 1.0 release (December 10 1993) (internal program number reads v0.99)
- 1.1 (December 16): fixed some bugs in the 1.0 release
- 1.2 (February 17, 1994): added support for modem play and new difficulty level called Nightmare!
- 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6 were minor upgrades, available only to testers
- 1.666 (September 1994): contained improved network code and a new deathmatch version, "Deathmatch 2.0"
- 1.7a: adds more monsters and Super Shotgun in favor of Doom II. Subsequent versions after that have cross-compatibility with both Shareware, Registered and Doom II.
- 1.9 final version
- The Ultimate Doom (April 30, 1995): Contained an additional episode, "Thy Flesh Consumed", in addition to the original three episodes (with very slight modifications to some levels).
- Executables beyond have been compatible with all versions of Doom prior to Doom 3.
[edit] Windows
Doom 95 released on August 20, 1996. It was compatible with Windows 95 and up, and was able to use WADs from the DOS versions.
Doom Collector's Edition released in 2001 and contains Ultimate Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth and Final Doom, as well as preview content for Doom 3. Some early versions of Doom 3 included the Collector's Edition and a small demon figurine as a bonus.
The native Doom 95 executables do work in Windows XP, but many users have complained that mouse control under WinXP is broken. This is due to the use of a virtual device driver for mouse control that is incompatible with newer versions of Windows. Most players recommend using a source port instead to play the game in XP.
[edit] QNX
[edit] Irix
[edit] NEXTSTEP
This was actually the version that the DOS product emerged from, since at the time Id software was using a NeXT cube for its graphic-engine development. This version is sluggish on anything other than an 040 NeXTstation/cube (the more memory the better), and is missing sound that was added on the PC side.
[edit] Linux
Doom was ported to Linux by id Software programmer Dave D. Taylor in 1994. The last Linux Doom binaries were provided by id Software on October 13, 1996 through the company's ftp-server.
The source code to the Linux version of Doom was released by id Software on December 23, 1997 under a non-profit End user license agreement, it was re-released on October 2, 1999 under the terms of the GNU General Public License. The source code to the DOS and Windows versions of the game was not released. This was due to copyright issues concerning the sound library used by original DOS version and id Software having no access to the source code of the Windows port by Microsoft.[1]
Since the game had to be ported back to other operating systems the term "Source Port" is often given to software projects based upon the Doom source code release.
[edit] Apple Macintosh
Ultimate Doom and Doom II were released in 1995 by GT Interactive using a Mac OS launcher application to run original PC WADs. The Mac version only runs on Mac OS System 7 though 9.
Now playable on Mac OS X using Doomsday, prBoom or DooMLegacy in Hi-Res and with optional 3D models.
Doom 3 available for Mac OS X.
[edit] Acorn RISC OS versions
Doom was officially released for the Acorn Risc PC by R-Comp Interactive in 1998. Within a few months, a significantly enhanced version was delivered as an update called Doom+. That version also runs on the older Acorn Archimedes computers and, apart from speed improvements, adds several features not present in the original DOS release. It was made available including Doom, Doom II, The Ultimate Doom, the Master Levels and approximately 3000 user levels released in the Public Domain.
An unrelated version of the Doom engine is freely available, also significantly enhanced over the original version, though it requires compiling before it can be used to play the game. In addition the player needs to acquire the game's IWAD files him- or herself.
[edit] ZX Spectrum
A demo version of Doom was released on 1996 by Digital Reality. Looks like Wolfenstein 3D with Doom graphics, but nevertheless impressive - considering machine's limitations.
[edit] Console versions
All console ports are developed by id software unless specified.
[edit] Atari Jaguar
Published by Atari in 1994. This version features most of the PC version's levels, though the majority of them were modified, or even completely remade. The levels use simpler textures, less complex lighting effects and have less variation in floor depth and ceiling height. It lacks the Cyberdemon, the Spider Mastermind and the Spectre. An online multiplayer mode is included. The Jaguar version did not have any music during gameplay, but played the familiar MIDI score with new instruments between levels. It also saves your progress through the levels automatically, and allows you to start a new game anywhere up to the last level reached.
[edit] Sega 32X
Published by Sega in 1994. Features the first two episodes but lacks the famed BFG9000, although a cheat code can give the weapon to the player. This version lacks a multiplayer mode. The game disappointed many fans since it did not play in a full screen, was missing many levels from other versions of the game, only had the front sprite for the monsters and if any cheat codes were entered the game would display a DOS prompt (C:\>) at the end of the game, rather than the usual ending screen. Due to the 32X's infamous sound chip, this version's soundtrack is noticeably inferior to that of other versions. Many sound effects are also missing. The levels have been edited like the Atari Jaguar version's and the game does not feature the Cyberdemon, the Spider Mastermind or the Spectre. There is also no way to save games, although there is a level select option that allows the player to start on any of the first fifteen levels. However, this level select option still doesn't allow players to see the true ending.
[edit] Sony PlayStation/Sega Saturn
The Sony PlayStation version was published by Williams Entertainment in 1995, and is almost certainly the best selling version of the game after the PC original. This is evident in the fact that it was rereleased several times, first on the Greatest_Hits range in the US, which requires that games have sold at least 150,000 copies there, and on the Platinum range in PAL regions, which indicates that it sold over 600,000 copies in those territories. It was ported to the Sega Saturn by GT Interactive two years later.
The PlayStation version features almost all the levels from the final releases of the PC version, though edited much like the Jaguar and 32X versions, with a few brand new levels designed by the Midway team. A small selection of new graphics and visual effects were available, while many textures were reduced in size due to technical limitations. As a result, the mug shot appears to be different to the original one found in the PC version; in fact, it is the same animated sprite, but squashed in from the sides. The PlayStation version featuring for the first time, translucent Specters without the cascade effect which includes the darker-shaded nightmare specters, and most notably the inclusion of colored sector lighting in level design. An animated, flame-filled sky was also introduced. Two-player deathmatch is available on the PlayStation if two consoles are linked using the original 'Serial I/O' port, and each console has its own controller and Doom CD inserted. Also, the original music by Bobby Prince was replaced by a new score by Aubrey Hodges, who brought a darker and more ambient soundscape to the game. The sound effects and voice-overs were completely redone by Hodges, and in certain parts of the level, echo effects were added to give the game that much more of a realistic feel.
Later, a port containing levels from Master Levels and Final Doom would be released for the PlayStation as well, under the name Final Doom.
Many gamers considered the PlayStation ports to be the best console versions of the original games. The Saturn version, on the other hand, is held with disregard by many fans, due to the fact that the port was rushed onto the system with no optimizations or tweaks to the game, making the port appear to run very jerky, with severe jumps in frame-rates and other technical issues. It is rumored that the later Japanese edition of Saturn Doom ran more smoothly than the original Western release.
[edit] Super Nintendo
The Super Nintendo version was published by Williams Entertainment in 1996, near the end of the system's lifecycle. The cartridge features a Super FX 2 chip, and was one of few SNES games to feature a colored cartridge; Doom came in a red cartridge.
SNES Doom features almost every level from the PC version, but the player's heads-up display doesn't take up the whole screen. The floors and ceilings were also not texture mapped. This game also lacked a back-up system, meaning that each episode must be finished from the beginning. Multiplayer only available if a player bought an XBAND modem. Due to memory limitations, the enemies were only animated from the front, which meant that they always faced the player. This rendered monster infighting impossible, although it was made possible for monsters of the same type to damage each other with projectiles in this version of the game. Perhaps as a concession to this limitation, circle-strafing was also removed from this version, since it would be pointless. Interestingly, some of the maps used in the Super Nintendo port are actually more intricate and detailed, the closest to the PC version, than their counterparts on the more powerful consoles and it features the Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind monsters that the Atari Jaguar and Sega 32X versions lack. It also managed to retain the soundtrack that the Jaguar version lacked, and sounds closer to the original soundtrack than the 32X version. It has a unique difficulty system where you can only access later episodes on harder difficulties. According to concerns from Nintendo, the Super Nintendo version was modified to not include any hell references (this proved to be false, as the "Inferno" chapter is still taking place in Hell); furthermore, blood drawn from gunfire was removed to make the game seem less violent (though the graphic death sequences still remained), though it could have possibly been due to the lack of memory in a 16-bit cartridge. Many believe that this led to very mixed reviews.
[edit] 3DO Interactive Multiplayer
Published by Logicware and Art Data Interactive in 1995. Features a similar level set to the Atari Jaguar version. Many fans consider this one of, if not the worst console port of DOOM. It runs in a small screen at a low frame rate, and lacks effects found in other versions. Its updated soundtrack, which features remixed and original music, is considered its one redeeming feature. This version is single player only.
[edit] Nintendo 64
Doom 64, published by Midway Games and released in 1997, was a drastic departure from other Doom ports. The plot concerned itself with the space marine from the original games returning to Mars to stem the tide of a Demon invasion. The sprite graphics were redrawn using higher resolution 3D renders, and entirely new maps were created for this version, as well as a new weapon, a powerful laser cannon. Aubrey Hodges, who had rescored the PlayStation ports of Doom and Final Doom, returned once more to provide the game with an all-new creepy, ambient soundtrack (refer to the stages "Even Simpler" and "Alter of Pain"). The general feel of the levels, soundtrack, and all new demon designs made for a very horrific and frightening experience, scarier than the original Doom port and wouldn't be seen until the release of Doom 3; lack of natural and artificial light, demons that appeared out of thin air, and usage of booby-traps that sprung at a moments notice. Around this time, Nintendo had started to seriously wean back their censorship (after disappointing sales of the Super NES port of Mortal Kombat) and, in contrast to the Super NES' port of Doom's lacking of demonic references, Doom 64 was chock full of Satanic imagery and connotations (pentagrams, inverted crosses, depictions of sacrifice); plus, this version of Doom is also one of the most violent, with multitudes of demons and newly redesigned weapons that were much more destructive.
[edit] Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy Advance version of Doom was developed by David A. Palmer Productions and released in 2001, and featured a levelset similar to the 3DO and Jaguar games. The Game Boy Advance version of Doom II was developed by Torus Games released in 2002 featured all the levels in Doom II. Both GBA ports feature the same multiplayer functionality as the PC version. This was the first port of Doom on a handheld device. Doom was only minorly censored (monsters bleed green instead of red), but Doom II was more or less uncensored.
[edit] Tapwave Zodiac
An official version of Doom II was released in 2004, as well as a source port [2] which requires the original Doom WADs.
[edit] Xbox
The collector's edition of Doom 3, released in 2005 features near-flawless ports of The Ultimate Doom and Doom II, including two new levels, "Sewers" and "Betray". Featured same multiplayer as the PC version, however not through Xbox Live. This port was programmed by Vicarious Visions. The expansion pack "Resurrection of Evil" also contained the Ultimate Doom and Doom II, as well as Master Levels for Doom II.
[edit] Xbox 360
On September 27, 2006 Doom was released for download on the Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360. The game has all 4 Episodes plus online Deathmatch and Co-op through Xbox Live. It costs 800 Microsoft Points, about US$10. This port, programmed by Nerve Software, also credits Vicarious Visions and likely shares code with the Xbox version. A large amount of cheats are available for the Xbox Live Arcade version found here
[edit] Source ports
Main article: Doom source port
[edit] Sega Dreamcast
Various homebrew applications designed for the Dreamcast play Doom and its sequel at full speed, as well as later games built on the same engine, such as Heretic.
[edit] iRiver
A version of Doom is available for the iriver H300 series and the H10 using Rockbox.
[edit] Nintendo DS
DSDoom, a homebrew Doom port to Nintendo DS, is based on the PrBoom source code.
[edit] Sony PSP
A homebrew source port to the PSP has been produced. There are several modifications to this port, including DPAD DOOM, which does not require the player to use the PSP's sensitive analog stick for movement.
[edit] GP2X
A modified version of prBoom has allowed DOOM to be ported to the GP2X.
[edit] Pocket PC
Several versions of Doom have been created for PDA's running Windows CE and Windows Mobile.
[edit] Mobile Phone
An emulator has been made for mobile phones running Symbian OS to enable them to run WADs, thus making DOOM and other games made on its engine to be played.
[edit] Apple iPod
Doom has recently been ported to the iPod using the original Doom source and porting it to iPod Linux. Currently iDoom works on the following iPods:
- iPod 1G (scroll wheel)
- iPod 2G (touch wheel)
- iPod 3G (disoriented keys)
- iPod 4G (click wheel)
- iPod Photo
- iPod Color
- iPod Mini (both versions)
- iPod nano
- iPod 5g (video)
Doom is also playable using Rockbox and a compatible iPod model.
[edit] Xbox
Doom has been ported to the Xbox in the form of DoomX, a modified prBoom executable. This unauthorized software will not run on unmodified Xbox consoles. DoomLegacy, a Xbox port based on the PC version of DoomLegacy has also been ported to the Xbox and will also not run on an unmodified Xbox console.
[edit] Hoax and Fictional Doom Ports
[edit] Atari 2600
In Issue #102 of Electronic Gaming Monthly ads and screenshots appeared for a port of Doom playable on the Atari 2600 game console. The images were created by a student named James Catalano as part of a computer graphics class and were published by EGM as an April Fool's Day Prank.
[edit] Arcade Game
In the 1997 movie Grosse Pointe Blank a character is seen playing a stand-up arcade version of Doom in a convenience store. This game was a mockup created for the movie and no arcade version of Doom was ever produced.
[edit] See also
- Duke Nukem 3D - another one of the most ported first-person shooter games.
[edit] References
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Doom computer games
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Doom • Doom II • Master Levels for Doom II • Final Doom • Doom 64 • Doom 3 • Resurrection of Evil • Doom RPG |
