Official versions of Doom

Doom is one of the most widely ported video games in the first-person shooter genre. Starting with the original MS-DOS PC version (released as shareware on December 10, 1993), it has been released officially for a number of computer operating systems, video game consoles, handheld game consoles, and other devices. Some of the ports are replications of the MS-DOS version, while others differ considerably, including modifications to the level designs and monsters, with some ports offering content not included in the original MS-DOS version.

After Doom's source code was released to the public under the terms of the GNU General Public License on December 23, 1997, several source ports were created by fans to allow the original PC version to run on modern operating systems.

Personal computers

MS-DOS

Original version

Doom's initial release on December 10, 1993 was only for MS-DOS and had 320x200 pixel resolution. The releases include:

The Ultimate Doom

On April 30, 1995, an upgraded version of the game, The Ultimate Doom, was released, which contained an additional fourth episode, "Thy Flesh Consumed", in addition to the original three episodes.

NEXTSTEP

This was actually the version that the MS-DOS product emerged from, since at the time id Software was using a NeXTcube for its graphic-engine development. This version is sluggish on anything below an 040 NeXTstation/cube (the more memory the better), and is missing sound, which was added on the PC side. With NeXT-Step based on i486 architecture, it ran smoothly under all conditions up to screen sizes of 400% with newer hardware. The version running on NeXT is 1.2, programmed by John Carmack, John Romero, and Dave Taylor.

OS/2

Doom was ported to OS/2 by an independent contractor, Jim Thomas, who was hired by IBM to port it and SimCity.[2] A successful version was demoed in 1994 running in an OS/2 PM window, and the last version, 2.19 beta, was released in 1997.[3]

IRIX

Doom was ported to IRIX during the summer of 1994 by Dave D. Taylor. It was designed to run on IRIX 5.2 and later. IRIX Doom was originally based on the unreleased MS-DOS version 1.5, though later updates were based on versions 1.6 and 1.8. No effort was made to take advantage of SGI's advanced graphics hardware, and like many other ports the game was rendered entirely in software.

Solaris

Doom was ported to Solaris in late 1994, and was designed to run with game files from Doom 1.8. In the readme, the port is credited to "Dave Taylor and the rest of the folks at id Software." It runs on Solaris 2.4 and later. The distribution contained two versions: one for regular X11, and another for Sun DGA.

Mac OS

The Ultimate Doom, Doom II and Final Doom were ported by Lion Entertainment and released by GT Interactive using a Mac OS launcher application to run original PC WADs. The Mac version officially only runs on System 7 through Mac OS 9 and requires a 68040 or PowerPC processor; although it can run in Classic under Mac OS X on Power Macs, Panther and Tiger cause graphic artifacts due to the later version of Classic having a double-buffered screen. In addition to an adjustable viewport, it supports rendering at low or high resolutions, and allows network play over AppleTalk as well as IPX.

Linux

Doom was ported to Linux by id Software programmer Dave 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 MS-DOS and Windows versions of the game was not released. This was due to copyright issues concerning the sound library used by original MS-DOS version and id Software having no access to the source code of the Windows port by Microsoft.[4]

Microsoft Windows

The first official version of Doom for Windows was released by the name Doom 95, on August 20, 1996. It was compatible with Windows 95 and up, and was able to use WADs from the MS-DOS versions. It also allowed users to set up multiplayer games much easier than in DOS. It was included with Final Doom.

On September 26, 2001, Doom Collector's Edition was released, containing The Ultimate Doom, Doom II and Final Doom. It was re-released on January 1, 2004[5] with added 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 BFG Edition of Doom 3, released on October 15, 2012 includes The Ultimate Doom as well as Doom II.

Acorn RISC OS

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.[6] It was made available including Doom, Doom II, The Ultimate Doom, Master Levels for Doom II, and approximately 3000 user levels released into the Public Domain.

Consoles

Atari Jaguar

The Jaguar version was published by Atari and was released on November 28, 1994.[7] This version has more levels than the SNES and 32X versions, and as many levels as the 3DO and GBA versions. It features 22 of the PC version's 27 levels, though many of them are simplified, plus 2 new levels (the levels titled "Tower of Babel" and "Hell Keep" are not the same as the PC levels of the same names).[8] Unlike the SNES, 32X, and 3DO versions, the game display occupies the full screen. The levels use more complex lighting effects but have less variation in floor depth and ceiling height. It lacks the Cyberdemon, the Spider Mastermind and the Spectre. It is compatible with the JagLink 2-console networking device for 2 players to play a deathmatch.[9] The Jaguar version does not have any music during gameplay, but plays the familiar title theme and intermission music with new instruments. Game settings and progress through the levels are saved automatically, and the player can start a new game anywhere up to the last level reached. Instead of having to cycle through the weapons selection, the player can select a weapon by pressing its corresponding button on the controller's number pad.[9]

Sega 32X

The 32X version of Doom was published and developed by Sega and was released on November 21, 1994.[10] Features 17 of the 18 levels from the first two episodes, but none of the levels from episode 3. This version lacks the multiplayer modes, does not play in a full screen, and only has the front sprites for the monsters. 10 levels are missing from the original version (twice as many missing levels as any other version of the game). Oddly, a DOS prompt shows up after the credits roll if the player finishes the game either using cheats or starting from any level other than level 1, locking up the game. Similarly, the secret level can't be accessed if said conditions aren't met. Because there is no episode 3, the BFG 9000 can only be obtained through the use of cheats. Due to extremely poor use of the Mega Drive/Genesis YM2612 sound chip, this version's soundtrack is noticeably inferior to that of other versions and many sound effects are also missing. As with most mid-90s console ports, the levels come from the Atari Jaguar version. The game does not feature the Cyberdemon, the Spider Mastermind or the Spectre. There is a level select option that allows the player to start on any of the first fifteen levels, although there is no way to save games or settings.

In 1995, the 32X version of the game scored a 30 out of 40 by Famicom Tsūshin.[11]

PlayStation

The PlayStation version of Doom was published and developed by Williams Entertainment and released on November 16, 1995. It is almost certainly the best selling version of the game after the original PC version. It was re-released 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.

Changes from the PC original include the removal of the "Nightmare" difficulty level, and the fact that progress is saved via passwords (given at the end of each level). The passwords also save ammo and health stats, but the numbers for them are rounded. This version does not have support for memory card saves. This version features 59 levels in total; 23 levels are from the PC version of Doom, though edited much like the Jaguar and 32X versions, plus both of the levels designed for the Jaguar version, six new levels designed by the Midway team, five levels from The Ultimate Doom's fourth episode, and 23 levels from Doom II. Unlike the other 1990s Doom ports, all of the enemies from the PC version of Doom are included. However, the Arch-vile monster from Doom II is not present; according to one of the game's designers, Harry Teasley, this was because he had twice as many frames as any other monster, and the team felt that they "just couldn't do him justice" on the PlayStation.[12] There is, however, one new monster, the Nightmare Spectre. According to Teasley, this was included to add variety, and to take advantage of the PlayStation's capabilities. Two-player deathmatch and co-operative multiplayer modes are 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 disc inserted.

Many textures were reduced in size due to technical limitations. As a result, the mug shot appears to be different from the original one found in the PC version; in fact, it is the same animated sprite, but squashed in from the sides. A small selection of new graphics and visual effects were introduced. These include sector-based coloured lighting, an animated, flame-filled sky, and a new animation for the player's mug shot, which shows the Doomguy's head exploding if the player is gibbed. For the first time, translucent Spectres are drawn without the cascade effect (including the darker-shaded Nightmare Spectres). The original music by Bobby Prince was replaced by a new score by Aubrey Hodges. The sound effects and voice-overs were also completely redone by Hodges, and, in parts of certain levels, echo effects were added. All story text is cut, save the ending and second intermission from Doom II, the latter of which appears at the end of Ultimate Doom instead.

On October 1, 1996, a port containing levels from Master Levels for Doom II and Final Doom would be released for the PlayStation under the name Final Doom. The PlayStation version of Final Doom has thirteen levels from Master Levels for Doom II, eleven levels from TNT: Evilution, and six levels from The Plutonia Experiment, whereas the PC versions of Master Levels for Doom II and Final Doom contain 21 and 64 levels (32 levels each in TNT: Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment), respectively. Like the PlayStation version of Doom, Final Doom does not have support for the memory card to save game data, and passwords are used instead. Unlike the PlayStation version of Doom, support for the PlayStation Mouse peripheral was available for Final Doom.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

The Super Nintendo version of Doom was published by Williams Entertainment and developed by Sculptured Software and released on September 1, 1995. Randy Linden, the head programmer for the Super Nintendo version of the game, created a new game engine called the Reality engine for the port. The game makes use of the Super FX powered GSU-2 chip (often referred to as the Super FX 2 chip), and was one of the few SNES games to feature a colored cartridge: Doom came in a red cartridge in the USA, a black or standard gray cartridge in Europe, and a red, black, or gray cartridge in Australia.

The SNES version of Doom features all five PC version levels that were missing from the Atari Jaguar version, but is missing a different set of five levels instead, and like the Sega 32X version, does not have any console exclusive levels. The levels included resemble the PC levels more so than other ports. This was also the only home console port of Doom released in the 1990s to feature all three of the original secret levels and boss levels from the PC version. Like the Sega 32X version, the player's heads-up display doesn't utilize the whole screen, and enemies are only animated from the front, which means that they always face the player. This renders monster infighting impossible, although it is possible for monsters of the same type to damage each other with projectiles. The floors and ceilings are not texture mapped, and this version of the game also lacks both battery back-up saves and a password system, meaning that each episode must be finished from the beginning. Multiplayer was only available if an XBAND modem was used, which included support for a 2 player deathmatch. This version lacks the Spectre enemy (replaced with regular Demon monsters), though it does feature the Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind boss monsters that the Atari Jaguar and Sega 32X versions lack. In the North American and PAL versions, episode two cannot be played on the "I'm Too Young to Die" and "Hey, Not Too Rough" difficulties, and episode three can only be played on "Ultra-Violence" and "Nightmare" difficulties if one is selected from the game's episode select menu, though it is possible to play episode three on the "Hurt Me Plenty" difficulty if the player beats episode two on that difficulty setting. In the Japanese version, however, all three episodes can be played on any difficulty level.

The automap display takes advantage of the rotating and scaling abilities of the Super FX 2 chip, with the entire map spinning around the player's position rather than the player being portrayed with an arrow. Due to hardware limitations, no particles such as blood impacts, smoke, or bullet sparks are present. The chaingun is now capable of single fire (although emptying one bullet still produces a doubled sound effect). Moreover, the shotgun does not fire seven individual shots as it does in the PC version, but rather functions like a hunting rifle. This allows the player to shoot (and be shot) from a distance using the shotgun with no decrease in power. This version of Doom features support for the SNES Mouse peripheral.

3DO Interactive Multiplayer

The 3DO version was published by 3DO and developed by Art Data Interactive, with assistance from Logicware, and was released in 1996.[13] It features the same level set as the Atari Jaguar version, as well as the same auto-save feature, but lacks multiplayer modes. This version runs in a small screen at a low frame rate, though it includes the option to shrink the screen size further, which allows the game to run faster and smoother. It lacks some effects found in other versions but has an updated soundtrack that features remixed and original music. The Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind are missing, though the Spectre Demon (which is absent from the Jaguar, SNES, and 32X versions) is included. The 3DO version was originally a more ambitious project, intended to surpass the PC version, but after it was mired in development hell for two years, the programmer was contracted to create a basic port in ten weeks.[14] In December 2014, the source code for the 3DO version was released to the public.[15]

Sega Saturn

Based on the PlayStation version, Doom was ported to the Sega Saturn by Rage Software and published by GT Interactive in 1997.[16] Though containing the same levels, enemies, structures, and most of the sounds effects and music from the PlayStation version, this port suffers a number of differences and setbacks; the frame rate is significantly lower, the animation is slower, the echoed sound effects and sector-based lighting are missing, the Spectre and Nightmare Spectre monsters do not have the translucent textures and instead are drawn in see-through sprites of regular Demon enemies, and the animated fiery skyline in certain levels is gone, usually replaced with Doom II's city skyline.

This version is compatible with the Saturn mouse. However, the mouse cannot be used to strafe, access the automap, or manually change weapons (though as in all versions of Doom, the player character automatically equips a weapon when he first acquires it and switches to a different weapon if the current one is depleted of ammunition).

The packaging for the US release contains a few errors, such as the game screen shots on the back actually being from the PC version of Final Doom, and it claims to be "deathmatch ready", when it is in fact only one player (the deathmatch and cooperative multiplayer modes are only in the Japanese and PAL releases).

The Japanese release of the game has a slightly smoother frame rate compared to the North American and European versions, though still considerably lower than that of the PlayStation version.

Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy Advance version of Doom was developed by David A. Palmer Productions and was released on November 5, 2001,[17] and featured a level set identical to the Jaguar version, as the engine is actually a port of it.[18]

The Game Boy Advance version of Doom II was developed by Torus Games and was released on November 8, 2002.[19] It featured all the levels in Doom II, with the Industrial Zone and The Chasm levels actually being split into two separate levels.

Both GBA ports feature the same multiplayer functionality as the PC version. These were the first ports of Doom on a handheld device. Both Doom and Doom II received a much larger amount of censoring than other ports (monsters bleed green instead of red, and monster corpses disappear a few seconds after initial death; in both secret levels for Doom II, swastika flags and walls were replaced by stylized double-headed eagles reminiscent of Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Adolf Hitler's picture art was replaced by Wilhelm Strasse's picture art; no bleeding of the status bar face), and, because of this, received a Teen rating by the ESRB.

Xbox

The collector's edition of Doom 3, released in 2005, features ports of The Ultimate Doom and Doom II, including two new levels, "Sewers" and "Betray". They feature the same multiplayer as the PC version, however not through Xbox Live. All the PC levels for both games are included; however, the 8 console-only levels which appeared on the Jaguar, PlayStation, Saturn, and 3DO versions are omitted. 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.

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 from The Ultimate Doom plus online cooperative and deathmatch modes through Xbox Live. Like the Xbox version, it does not include any of the console-only levels which appeared in earlier ports. Supports 11 screen sizes, and has higher graphics resolution than any earlier console port. Due to a bug, the music plays at a slower speed. This port, programmed by Nerve Software, also credits Vicarious Visions and likely shares code with the Xbox version. There are no cheats in this version of the game.

In 2010, the game was pulled from the Xbox Live Marketplace because Activision, the game's publisher, no longer has the rights to maintain the game on the Marketplace, but as of January 20, 2012, it has now been republished by Bethesda Softworks,[20][21] the same company that published the Xbox Live Arcade version of Doom II: Hell on Earth.

PlayStation 3

Doom 3 BFG Edition contains all four episodes of The Ultimate Doom, as well as Doom II: Hell on Earth. Later, Doom Classic Complete was released on the Playstation Network which includes The Ultimate Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth, Master Levels for Doom II, and Final Doom, the last two appearing for the first time in their entirety on a console.

Other devices

Tapwave Zodiac

An official version of Doom II was released in 2004 for the Tapwave Zodiac, as well as a source port [22] that requires the original Doom WADs. The official version includes all 32 levels from the original PC version, along with all the original enemies, music, weapons, etc. It also retains the option of switching between nine different screen sizes, including one which expands the first person view to fill the entire screen, and is the first console version of Doom to include respawning monsters in "Nightmare" difficulty mode.[23] It does not support multiplayer.

iPhone and iPod Touch

In addition to the source ports available for "jailbroken" iPhone OS devices, an official id Software port has been made and is available in App Store. It was programmed with oversight from Doom creator John Carmack, who had previous experience from an earlier port of Wolfenstein 3D to the iPhone. It featured Wi-Fi and Bluetooth multiplayer, which was removed in a later update, and is planned to support DLC. This port features all the levels, weapons, enemies, and sounds from the original game, and Carmack claims it to be one of the few ports of Doom that was designed to be completely functional in its new hardware environment. It is based on PrBoom.[24] [25]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Photos at John Romero's website.
  2. ↑ http://stuff.mit.edu/activities/os2/diverepo.html
  3. ↑ http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/h-viewer.php?dir=/pub/os2/games/action/doom&file=dmos219s.zip
  4. ↑ John Carmack. Doom source code release notes (DOOMSRC.TXT). December 23, 1997
  5. ↑ IGN: Doom (Collector's Edition)
  6. ↑ Justin Fletcher, author of Doom+. December 20, 2012
  7. ↑ "Atari unleashes an array of Jaguar game titles; the 64-bit Jaguar boasts the release of four new titles". Business Wire. November 28, 1994. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  8. ↑ Doom Comparison Guide, ClassicDOOM.com. Refer to "PC Doom/Ultimate Doom and Atari Jaguar Doom map level comparison".
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Doom". Electronic Gaming Monthly (65) (EGM Media, LLC). December 1994. p. 348.
  10. ↑ "Sega unleashes arcade power for the home; Genesis 32X delivers 40 times the power of 16-bit systems". Business Wire. November 21, 1994. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  11. ↑ おオススメ!! ソフト カタログ!!: DOOM ~ドゥーム~. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.335. Pg.116. 12–19 May 1995.
  12. ↑ http://5years.doomworld.com/interviews/harryteasley/page3.shtml Harry Teasley interview
  13. ↑ 3DO version release data, GameFAQs.com.
  14. ↑ Matthews, Will (December 2013). "Ahead of its Time: A 3DO Retrospective". Retro Gamer (122) (Imagine Publishing). pp. 26–29.
  15. ↑ Heineman, Rebecca Ann (December 2014). "The complete archive for DOOM for the 3DO". GitHub. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  16. ↑ Saturn version release data, GameFAQs.com.
  17. ↑ "id Software's DOOM for Game Boy(R) Advance Ships to Retail.". PR Newswire. November 5, 2001. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  18. ↑ Hacking GBA Doom, created by Kaiser.
  19. ↑ "id Software Unleashes DOOM(R) II for Game Boy(R) Advance Onto Retail Shelves Nationwide.". PR Newswire. November 8, 2002. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  20. ↑ Doom Relisted on XBLA
  21. ↑ Doom Removed From Xbox Live Arcade, Back Up Soon - Joystick Division
  22. ↑
  23. ↑ Doom Comparison Guide, ClassicDOOM.com. Refer to "Tapwave Zodiac Doom II".
  24. ↑ iPhone Doom Classic Progress Report
  25. ↑ The iPhone Now Officially Runs Doom

External links