Doom

Description

Doom is a FPS, originally released for DOS PCs in 1993, is one of the foundations of the entire genre and a substantial of modern gaming. The 32X was the first console port of the game, although it was based on the Jaguar port, which released a few days later. These ports included 17 maps from the first two episodes (Knee‑Deep in the Dead and The Shores of Hell). The third episode (Inferno) was omitted, and with it the BFG9000 weapon, though it remained referenced in the manual and accessible via cheat codes. Several enemies were also missing, including the Cyberdemon, Spider Mastermind, and Spectre.

Gameplay retained the core Doom mechanics of fast‑paced shooting, key‑based progression, and maze‑like level design. Yet despite all the extra processing power of the 32X hardware the game was technically constrained. Levels were simplified, textures reduced, and the screen window shrunk to maintain performance. The port ran fundamentally better than the later SNES version, particularly its frame rate, but with fewer features than the PC original.

The soundtrack was notably downgraded due to the 32X’s reliance on the Mega Drive’s YM2612 FM chip, producing a harsher, less atmospheric sound compared to the PC’s MIDI or other console ports. Several sound effects were also missing. Unlike the Jaguar version, the 32X port offered no multiplayer mode, and there was no save system, though a level select option was included.

It was one of the stronger early 32X titles and a technical showcase compared for consoles at the time. But it rightfully must be criticised for its missing content and audio compromises. Today is more a curious look the early history of porting PC shooters to consoles. Doom on the 32X is mostly forgotten, being overshadowed by the original and more complete versions on PlayStation, Saturn, and later consoles.