Versions and ports of Doom

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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.

Contents

Personal computer versions

DOS

Initial release on December 10, 1993 was DOS only.

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 on the Internet
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. The next version after that has cross-compatibility with both Shareware, Registered and Doom II.
1.9 final version
The Ultimate Doom: Contained an additional episode, "Thy Flesh Consumed", in addition to the original three episodes (with very slight modifications to some levels).

Windows

Doom 95 released on August 20, 1996.

Doom Collector's Edition released in 2001. Contains Ultimate Doom, Doom 2: Hell On Earth, and Final Doom as well as preview content for Doom 3. Some early versions of Doom 3 also included the Collector's Edition as a bonus.

QNX

Irix

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.

Linux

Used under the DOOMSDAY kickstart engine.

Apple Macintosh

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 his- or herself.

Console versions

All console ports are developed by id software unless specified.

Published by Atari in 1994, and features most of the levels in the PC version, though most of them were modified or even completely redone to have simpler textures, less lighting effects and less variation in floor depth and ceiling height. It lacked the Cyberdemon, the Spider Mastermind and the Spectre. Also featured an online multiplayer. The Jaguar version did not have music.

Screenshot of 32X version

Published by Sega in 1994. Features the first two episodes, and lacks the famed BFG9000, however a cheat code can give the player the weapon. Single player only. The game disappointed many fans in that it was not full screen, did not have as many levels as other versions of the game, only had a front side for the monsters and, if you entered any of the cheat codes, the game would display a DOS prompt (C:\>) after you finished the final level, rather than the ending. The levels are edited like the Atari Jaguar version and it also does not feature the Cyberdemon, the Spider Mastermind or the Spectre. The game also doesn't feature a save mode (athough there is a level select option where you can start on any of the first fifteen levels).

The Sony Playstation version was published by Williams Entertainment in 1995, and ported to the Sega Saturn by GT Interactive two years later. Features levels from both games and a few levels not featured in the PC version, as well as a small selection of new graphics and visual effects. 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. 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 until they were flawlessly ported to the Xbox as part of the "Collector's Edition" release of Doom 3. 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.

The Super Nintendo version was published by Williams Entertainment in 1996, near the end of the system's lifecycle. The cartridge contained a Super FX 2 chip.
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 SNES port are actually more intricate and detailed 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 has a unique difficulty system where you can only access later episodes on harder difficulties, but you can reach them on a lower difficulty setting by going through a whole episode.

Published by Logicware and Art Data Interactive in 1995. Features a similar level set to the Atari Jaguar version. However, many fans consider this one of, if not, the worst port of DOOM to a console. Low frame rates, a small screen size and limited effects plague the 3DO version. Its one redeeming value is the updated soundtrack, which features remixed and original music. This version is singleplayer only.

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 graphics were completely redrawn in 'pseudo 3D' (two images drawn at right-angles producing a 'pretend 3D'), and entirely new maps were created for this version, as well as a new weapon, a powerful laser cannon. Singleplayer only.

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

An official version of Doom II was released in 2004, as well as a source port [link] which requires the original Doom WADs.

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.

Source ports

Main article: Doom source port

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.

A version of Doom is available for the iRiver H300 using ROCKbox.

There is a current independent project underway to create an all-new Doom adventure for the Nintendo DS. [DoomDS] will be built from the ground up for the DS. The creator is looking for as much help as the public can offer him. Donations are accepted as well as video game creation experience.

A homebrew source port to the PSP has been produced.

A modified version of prBoom has allowed DOOM to be ported to the GP2X.

Several versions of Doom have been created for PDA's running Windows CE

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.

Doom Has recently been ported to the ipod using the orginal 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)

References

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