Doom SNES source code now available for download
Another gift for Doom modders is that the Doom source code for the Super Nintendo console has been released and is now available for download on Github. Thus, everyone can download and experiment with it.
Sculptured Software’s 1995 Doom SNES is one of the few official Doom games in the game that doesn’t use the original game engine. Instead, the port has its own engine, known as Reality, which was created by programmer Randy Linden.
Doom SNES was also distributed on a special cartridge equipped with a Super FX2 chip. The latter was used for complex 2D graphical effects such as sprite scaling and, more simply, allowed such an advanced game to be run on a relatively simple 16-bit console. However, even the use of additional equipment did not allow to fully bring the port closer to the original in terms of graphics.
Among the features of Doom SNES are:
- no texturing of the floor and ceiling – a uniform fill is used instead;
- extremely low drawing range – at large distances, monsters can be confused with a blinking light;
- low resolution;
- the lack of monsters side and rear sprites;
- Significantly lower frame rate than in the original Doom;
- lack of suspended bodies – due to Nintendo’s tough policies regarding violence in games for their consoles;
- support for network play through the XBAND modem.
The shooter version for Super Nintendo was the most complete compared to other console versions of the time. It contained 22 levels, including an episode of Inferno. The game involved all the monsters from the original, including Cyberdemon and the Spider Leader. All original difficulty levels were present. But the Nightmare mode in this version is easier, due to the lack of spawning monsters.