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How could they mess up Doom for the 32X?


Ranger03

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the music is ear grating, the graphics are damn near atari 2600 levels and Episode 2 does not exist. Why did Sega not take more time fixing it? it's just sad. Btw, i completed my final speedrun of the game, it's a long one because the controls are terrible and the graphics make it hard to see. at least they kept the chainsaw...which is also terrible sounding. 32X? not likely. The base genesis could run it, why use the add-on? there's nothing even remotely 32X worthy.

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While the 32X version isn't exactly perfection, based on your description, I think your reality is pretty distorted.

 

I tend to agree, the pc version's music is worse with its tin can mod tracker crap and keep in mind you couldnt buy a computer at the same price that ran doom better than a console at the time ... I had a decked out 386DX-40 when it was a big deal and the screen size is smaller and the FPS lower than even the 16 bit consoles

 

and how fast did the 32x drop in price, like a week, I dont remember, I just saw 32X ... then it was like 30 bucks on clearance when I bought mine

 

so from that perspective its not that bad

Edited by Osgeld
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They messed it up because of cost cutting, trying to get it done quickly, AND most significantly, trying to run it on less hardware than its inception platform - the PC.

That pretty much sums it up. It was a rush job, but I've always liked it and thought it played well; providing you have a six button controller to play it with. My only real gripes with the game are the lack of the BFG 9000 weapon and the 8 missing levels that were in the Jaguar port but not the 32X one.

 

Fortunately some industrious Sega fans made a hack of the game called JagDoom 32X that added in the BFG 9000 as well as the 8 missing levels from the Jaguar version, putting all my complaints about Doom for the 32X to rest. If you have an EverDrive to play it on or know someone who can burn a ROM to a 32X PCB then absolutely give JagDoom 32X a try, it's what the game should have been if it wasn't so rushed. :)

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I agree that it's a pretty crappy version of Doom (like the 3DO version), but this statement is just silly and false.

The base genesis could run it, why use the add-on? there's nothing even remotely 32X worthy.

As Osgeld said, most people probably got it at a steep discount, which would have helped a lot.

 

The Atari Jaguar version (also deeply flawed) was way better.

 

Nowadays there's literally zero reason to play bad console ports of Doom. Kudos to you, I guess, for speed running it?

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I tend to agree, the pc version's music is worse with its tin can mod tracker crap and keep in mind you couldnt buy a computer at the same price that ran doom better than a console at the time ... I had a decked out 386DX-40 when it was a big deal and the screen size is smaller and the FPS lower than even the 16 bit consoles

 

The 32x was released in November 1994. At that time, I had a Pentium 1 60mhz, 8Mb ram, and a Soundblaster 16. The more common PC was a 486 DX2-66/100. Add the cost of a Megadrive/Genesis + 32x + TV, and it's not much cheaper than a 486 DX2-66, which would run Doom much better than ANY console of the time.

Edited by 80s_Atari_Guy
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The "charm" of the 32X is how you would add the module to an existing Genesis/TV setup -- I doubt anyone would splash out for this combo just to play Doom, especially st full price.

 

I was just getting into PC games at that time and a nice 486 system (with monitor) was close to $1000 US. Consoles like 3DO and Jaguar were a somewhat attractive alternative despite their relatively high startup cost.

 

32x tanked fast enough it was easy to get it on discount, so I assume most people played it on the cheap.

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Cost is irrelevant. The best way to play Doom in 1994 was on PC.

 

Just as today, the best way to play Xbox One games is on Xbox One X, and PS4 games on PS4 Pro.

If you want the best gaming has to offer, then a state-of-the-art PC is the way to go. Again, cost is irrelevant if you want the best.

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The Base Genesis couldn't run Doom,it took the SFX 2 chip for the SNES to have a passable version.

 

32X Doom simply had to be out at retail for the essential Xmas market, that meant finished product available at retail in November, so it was rushed through development.

 

 

There have been number of prototypes later leaked onto the internet by prototype collecter,called drx on in early 2008.

 

3 of these are dated after the commercial release, indicating Sega was working on the engine some afterword, but what they planned to do with it, i don't know.

 

32X Doom is disappointing, but so were the Saturn (Pal) Saturn and 3DO versions.

 

Rushed games are part and parcel of the games industry.

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I tend to agree, the pc version's music is worse with its tin can mod tracker crap and keep in mind you couldnt buy a computer at the same price that ran doom better than a console at the time ... I had a decked out 386DX-40 when it was a big deal and the screen size is smaller and the FPS lower than even the 16 bit consoles

 

 

Wow, you really had a bad PC....

 

Doom ran best on 486 systems at least. And I agree that the music didn't sound so hot on Sound Blaster 16 cards, but later waveform cards made it much better.

 

Console wise, I say Jag Doom was the best of the cart based versions in spite of lack of music. But the PSX version blows all of them away by remaking the game into a horror based shooter.

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I tend to agree, the pc version's music is worse with its tin can mod tracker crap and keep in mind you couldnt buy a computer at the same price that ran doom better than a console at the time ... I had a decked out 386DX-40 when it was a big deal and the screen size is smaller and the FPS lower than even the 16 bit consoles

 

 

What's amusing about this statement is that Doom's music was MIDI-based. That means that for most people the music was played back on a Sound Blaster Pro or Sound Blaster 16, which had a Yamaha OPL3 FM chip—a close relative of the YM chip in the Genesis. What you really needed to enjoy MIDI-based music on the PC is a Gravis Ultrasound. The sample-based MIDI playback was outstanding, and, as it turns out, Doom sounds great that way.

 

I'm sure that this choice was made to make sure the game would run on as many PCs as possible. Sample-based MOD music would have sucked up precious CPU cycles to mix and route to the audio hardware, and the audio hardware may not have always been up to the task.

 

So, I mean, life is a series of choices and compromises. That's the choice and the compromise that was made with the PC version.

 

I do wonder what was wrong with your PC, though. Maybe it's the difference between a 386 and a 486 (or the difference between the VGA chip in yours vs mine), but my 486 DX33 had no problems running the game at max detail, max window size, and no performance issues. It shipped in 1993. The 386 architecture first launched in 1985. So you were using a pretty ancient PC at that point.

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Wow, you really had a bad PC....

 

Doom ran best on 486 systems at least. And I agree that the music didn't sound so hot on Sound Blaster 16 cards, but later waveform cards made it much better.

 

Console wise, I say Jag Doom was the best of the cart based versions in spite of lack of music. But the PSX version blows all of them away by remaking the game into a horror based shooter.

 

It appears that all console versions of Doom were rushed. 3D0 comes to mind, even the port's developer complained about the time constraints and that the game would've been better had there been more time.

 

I'll say again that Doom was best on the PC. I enjoyed using wads and that was practical only on PC. Additionally I didn't mind SoundBlaster 16 audio quality. It matched the game fine. Later I would get a WaveTable add-on card, and while the quality was a boatload better, Doom "just sounds right" with basic SB16.

 

---

 

For a while the 386DX-40 was a desirable standard in gaming, and while it was naturally not as fast as a 486, there were minimal differences between it and the 486. Most notably the 8K cache, the FPU which Doom did not use, and something like 6 or 8 new instructions.

Edited by Keatah
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I think the best I ever heard Doom's soundtrack was on my old Yamaha DB50XG, the stand-alone soundcard version was the SW60XG. The DB50XG, was a awesome-sounding midi wavetable card that fitted to a soundcard with a wavetable connector.

 

PSX Doom music came a close second, that was awesome.

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Cost is irrelevant. The best way to play Doom in 1994 was on PC.

 

Just as today, the best way to play Xbox One games is on Xbox One X, and PS4 games on PS4 Pro.

If you want the best gaming has to offer, then a state-of-the-art PC is the way to go. Again, cost is irrelevant if you want the best.

I tend to include cost calculations into my assessment of what's best, e.g. "How much can I get for my money? Is this upgrade worth the extra cash, or will I be just as happy with a cheaper alternative?"

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I tend to include cost calculations into my assessment of what's best, e.g. "How much can I get for my money? Is this upgrade worth the extra cash, or will I be just as happy with a cheaper alternative?"

 

True, I agree. What I meant was, to play Doom, the best way in 1994, then cost should be irrelevant since the best way would mean getting the best hardware.

I mean, if you want a Ferrari, you buy a Ferrari. You don't buy a Ford Focus, then expect it to perform like a Ferrari.

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True, I agree. What I meant was, to play Doom, the best way in 1994, then cost should be irrelevant since the best way would mean getting the best hardware.

I mean, if you want a Ferrari, you buy a Ferrari. You don't buy a Ford Focus, then expect it to perform like a Ferrari.

 

Within your means, of course. I introduced DOOM to an older colleague at work, he was the head of IT in a consulting firm. The VERY NEXT DAY he bought a tricked-out Pentium 90 with a huge monitor for thousands of dollars.

 

As a twenty-something trainee, I was making $400 a week and was content to dabble in the versions I could afford. All the console versions were late and compromised, but they were still mostly fun for what they were. We didn't have the myriad of options like we do today, and everything was crazy expensive for what you got.

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