Doom

By: The J Man

Doom got ported to so many systems after its initial release that it started becoming something of an industry joke. In fact, it's still being ported to this day (now appearing on XBox Live and your cellular phone). I bring it up because, on initial review, a Jaguar port of Doom seems a bit like a waste of time. However, it's important to remember that not everyone had access to a PC at the time. Those that did frequently had but one "family computer" with such exciting software as WordPerfect, Lotus Notes, and some absolutely revolting educational titles for the kids. If you were allowed to play something like Doom on the same computer as your family's tax records, then your parents were far more chill than mine.

So a console port of possibly the most famous computer game of all time actually does make sense, especially when an ass-ripping computer (the kind with a Turbo button!) cost an ass-ripping amount of money, while a game console hovered in the $200 range. I'm telling you, it makes sense. I'm not even mad about the SNES port, or feel any need to "forgive them" for it. A console that could play Doom just as well as a PC could was a big thing in 1994. I know because wanting to play Doom was yet another reason I wanted to buy a Jaguar back then. I would have settled for the 32X port. I wanted that damn game.

If I had succeeded, I can safely say that I would not have been disappointed. Jaguar Doom certainly holds its own against the competition, and would really be trumped only by the Playstation release (which featured all monsters, all levels, and Doom II as well) a year and some change later. That's a fair run to be at the top. It's still a port, so it can't stand up to the PC original. But if you have to play the game on a console, this is a perfectly suitable method.

What you get here are 24 levels (one of which is hidden) from the original Doom episodes. Ultimate Doom levels or anything from Doom II are not included. The architecture of the ported levels has changed somewhat, toward what I would generally call a more simplistic design. The changes are small, and must have been introduced if that level was having trouble running properly, or to cut down on the total size of each map - at least that's all I can think of to explain these seemingly insignificant alterations. A door and pillars have been removed in one map. A sunken area around the exit switch is now just a flat room in another. A translucent grate texture has been replaced with a windowed wall in yet another. These kinds of changes are noticeable if you're familiar with the levels, and probably impossible to detect if you're not. What you will notice is a sort of blandness in many areas. With the decorative architecture removed, you'll get awkward open areas or empty corners of rooms. Textures are reduced as well, so many levels share rooms upon rooms of identical tiled textures in places where the PC attempted some variety. (Click for comparison).

Classic levels made it over, but not without some minor changes.

I can't really say that anything is missing, because none of these issues affect the gameplay or the coherency of the levels. Even the fact that you're missing five levels from the PC version isn't a big deal. I would consider myself a fan of the original, and I'm not feeling particularly uppity about these differences and minor cuts. It's all just typical game port compromise.

There are two console-exclusive levels. They used to be Jaguar-exclusive, but other console ports would use the same edited levels from this one and the two new maps as well. These are new Hell levels at spots 16 and 17, and steal names from the PC despite having different layouts. Tower of Babel is the first exclusive, and no longer has you chasing the Cyberdemon. Instead, this version a short arena-style level where doors open in sequence around a central point, and enemies of increasing difficulty swarm. Hell Keep follows immediately, and this version is a fairly basic keycard hunt in a level overusing the stone and brick textures. Nothing particularly memorable, and I wouldn't have recognized it as a new level if I hadn't looked it up.

You have all the weapons from the first Doom, with no modifications and nothing new to add to the arsenal. The enemy list cuts out the stronger foes like the Cyberdemon and the Arachnatrons. I do miss these epic battles, but I assume they were axed because they took up a lot of room for only appearing once or twice. Here, you won't see anything tougher than a Baron of Hell. The Spectres have also been removed, I assume because the Jaguar wouldn't do the blur effect, or likely because space was an issue and the Spectre was just a rehash of the pink Demons. Everyone else is present and accounted for, with weapons, abilities, and gore intact. No censorship cuts of any kind have been made, and the demonic and torture textures exist in all their vileness.

The major gameplay change is to the saving process. Levels no longer come in episodes. Instead, you select the number of the level you wish to play from the title screen. Only the levels you have passed are selectable (provided you haven't cheated) making it easy to pick up where you left off. The game will automatically save your progress after you hit the exit switch, and requires no thought on your part. Cleared levels are then automatically added to the level list and are available henceforth. However, this also means that you cannot save anywhere you like, or in the middle of a level. It also means that you're going to have to think more about playing each level from the beginning. If you die within a level, you'll return with the equipment you had at the start of that level for as long as the power stays on. If you turn the console off and pick your last level from the start menu, you'll start that level with only the pistol. Now, all levels are designed to be playable with the standard pistol/50 bullets starting kit, it's just that this limitation was frequently ignored in the PC version.

If you died, to hell with coming back with 50 bullets; you simply had to reload a save and gain back all the weapons and ammo you'd earned up to that point. Here, they go bye-bye when the console is turned off. It means that you're frequently forced to face with the level as it was designed. This means a lot of hunting around for weapons, and a lot of picking your shots. I love the challenge, and I know I would never do it if I wasn't forced into it. But I also know there are those who will not appreciate this limitation. You never really realized how good you had it in the PC until you hit Mt. Erebus and have to find your plasma rifle again with only a shotgun and 4 shells to keep you company.

Doom sounds pretty good - I would say comparable to the PC version. Howls and gunshots sound just like I remember them, right down to the eerie chirp of nearby Imps. I did notice that the variety of sounds has been reduced. Zombies in particular had about three different versions of a death groan, where here they reuse the same one every time. There's also no music in-game. The reason for this is unclear, because the music has been converted and is on the cart; you can hear full versions at the score tally screens between levels. They don't sound great, but they're perfectly useable. I take this to mean there was some issue with playing music and effects simultaneously out of the Jag processor, or that there was no easy way for them to control their volume independently. Denying you this option could have been an intentional choice I suppose, but I don't see why. As it is, the levels work fine without music and afford you a sharper ear to listen for awaiting monsters.

The Jaguar pad handles control quite well. I prefer the PC's keyboard for sharp, precise movements, but you can easily make your way through the entire game with the controller. Turning and movement are mapped to the D-Pad, and turning becomes strafing with the C button held down. B shoots, A runs, and C opens. The number keys select the various weapons, which actually turns the Jaguar's cumbersome numpad into a tremendous benefit. You can now switch weapons as quickly and accurately as you could on the PC, without having to cycle through them as on other consoles. The 9 key activates the minimap. The colors can be a bit hard to understand, and you are just looking at a design view of the level, but your ability to zoom and move your character around can be invaluable for navigating mazes.

The major reason to have sought out the Jaguar version is its ability to play the game fullscreen, at a resolution that could hold its own against the PC. If you hooked a computer up to your TV through composite, this is probably what the game would look like. Other ports, even for years to come, couldn't make that same claim. Blockiness exists, but is comparable to the original. Some framerate stuttering occurs in high-traffic, high-action areas, but this was present in the original as well. Textures haven't received an overhaul, but look clear and comparably sharp. Dynamic lighting effects are present, with flickering, fading, and variable levels of brightness; all key to creating the mood of the levels. There are no visual controls to increase contrast or the visibility of dark areas, and this is quite a dark game, so some adjustment of your TV may be required. Monsters look identical to their originals and just as menacing. They still explode into meaty red pulp when hit with the appropriate weapons.

On a minor note, but still worth bringing up, Jag Doom was the only console version at the time of its release to include multiplayer. 2-player deathmatch and co-op were available if you met the hefty requirements of having two Jaguars, two copies of Doom, and two functioning Jaglink boxes. Having not played either multiplayer option, I can't really comment on them - except to note that the manual itself tells you to expect occasional network errors, and blows them off as "the interference caused by playing a game in Hell." That's probably not a good sign. It would again be trumped by the Playstation version, which also had this linking ability along with much more content. Regardless, the fact that the Jag was the only console in 1994 that was able to include a functioning multiplayer mode (with promised modem networking that never materialized) is deserving of a thumbs-up for technical achievement and forward thinking.

It's also worth mentioning that the game did crash twice around the same point in level 3. It freezes, puts up a bit of code, and forces you to restart the console. I was able to finally finish the level and never encountered a crash again, but it should be noted that they do exist and are possible. You probably won't ever run into one, but don't assume the cartridge format somehow makes you immune to software errors.

It's only recently that console ports have been expected to have some form of unique content or a reimagining of its computer-based original to make them worth purchasing. In 1994, it was enough of an accomplishment simply to have a cheap(er) console accurately play a game designed for the PC. That's what you get with the Jaguar port; nothing more, nothing less. The PC original still feels more polished since it was the intended and designed system, but if this was your only option, it was and still is a great way to play Doom.

-reviewed 6/10/07 - game copyright 1994 Atari

Looks about as good as a PC; fullscreen on a console and everything. Weapons, monsters, and gore all transferred unscathed.

Most levels have been slightly redesigned and simplified. Noticeably fewer textures. Level music is no longer an option. Five levels didn't make the cut.

	8
	8
	8
	7
	83%

Doom (Jaguar) on MobyGames
Manual at AtariAge
Gameplay video on YouTube

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