Summary
- A high school student has successfully ported the classic 1993 game Doom to a PDF file, creating a surprisingly playable, albeit slow, experience.
- Doom's compact size has consistently fueled its portability, leading to previous ports on unusual devices like the Nintendo Alarmo and even within other games.
- The ongoing creative exploration of Doom's portability underscores its enduring legacy and continued relevance in the gaming world.
One dedicated high school student has achieved the remarkable feat of porting the hugely influential game Doom (1993) to a PDF file. This addition to the ever-growing list of unexpected platforms on which Doom has been played is a testament to the game's enduring appeal.
Developed by id Software, Doom is widely recognized as one of the most influential video games ever created, particularly within the first-person shooter (FPS) genre. In fact, the game's impact is so significant that it essentially coined the term "FPS," with many early games in the genre often referred to as "Doom clones." Recently, a trend has emerged showcasing the ingenuity of programmers and gaming enthusiasts who strive to run Doom on the most unconventional devices imaginable—from refrigerators and alarm clocks to car stereos and beyond. This humorous yet impressive trend has now reached a new pinnacle.
High school student and GitHub user ading2210 has successfully ported the classic Doom into a PDF file. Leveraging the PDF format's support for JavaScript, which allows for 3D rendering, HTTP requests, and monitor detection, ading2210 overcame a significant challenge. While most interactive PDFs use small text boxes as pixels, Doom's 320x200 resolution would require thousands of boxes per frame—an impractical approach. Instead, ading2210 cleverly utilizes one text box per screen row, resulting in a slower but surprisingly playable experience. As demonstrated in a video showcasing the port, the game lacks color, sound, and text, and features an 80ms per-frame response time.
High School Student Ports Doom (1993) to a PDF
Doom's remarkably compact size (2.39 megabytes) is a key factor enabling such feats. Just last November, a programmer successfully made Doom playable on the Nintendo Alarmo, using the device's dials for movement and side buttons for menu navigation. But the creativity doesn't stop at physical devices; another player ingeniously ported Doom to run within the game Balandro, allowing players to experience the classic FPS across Balandro's spread cards, albeit with noticeable performance limitations similar to the PDF version.
These projects aren't solely about achieving smooth gameplay on unconventional platforms. Instead, they highlight the boundless creativity of players and the enduring appeal of Doom. The fact that, over 30 years later, Doom remains a subject of such innovative experimentation is a powerful testament to its lasting legacy. As players continue their creative explorations, it's highly likely that Doom will find its way onto even more unusual devices in the future.
