Doom (Saturn)

For the Sega 32X game, see Doom (32X).

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Doom
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: GT Interactive Software (US, Europe), SoftBank (Japan)
Developer: Rage Software
Original system(s): PC
Developer(s) of original games: id Software
Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (17 tracks)
Peripherals supported: Taisen Cable, Shuttle Mouse
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1997-07-11 ¥5,800 (6,090)5,800e T-18610G US 1997-03-26 T-25405H EU 1997 T-25406H-50 EU (IT/ES) 1997 T-25406H-51 DE 1997 T-25406H-50 PT 199x UK 1997 £44.9944.99 T-25406H-50 PL 1997 229zł229 AU 199x FDOO02SSC BR 1997-05 191x35
Non-Sega versions PlayStation

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Doom (ドゥーム) for the Sega Saturn is a set of first person shooters originally released for IBM PC compatibles running DOS in the early 1990s. Despite its name, the package consists of two games; The Ultimate Doom (a 1995 update of the 1993 game, Doom) and its sequel Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994), alongside a few extra levels seen in a previous PlayStation version of this package.

Gameplay

Levels

The Ultimate Doom

	Hangar
	Plant
	Toxin Refinery
	Command Control
	Phobos Lab
	Central Processing
	Computer Station
	Phobos Anomaly
	Deimos Anomaly
	Containment Area
	Refinery
	Deimos Lab
	Command Center
	Halls of the Damned
	Spawning Vats
	Hell Gate
	Hell Keep
	Pandemonium
	House of Pain
	Unholy Cathedral
	Mt. Erebus
	Limbo
	Tower of Babel
	Hell Beneath
	Perfect Hatred
	Sever the Wicked
	Unruly Evil
	Unto the Cruel
	Twilight Descends
	Threshold of Pain
	Fortress of Mystery
	The Military Base
	The Marshes

Doom II

	Entryway
	Underhalls
	The Gantlet
	The Focus
	The Waste Tunnels
	The Crusher
	Dead Simple
	Tricks and Traps
	The Pit
	Refueling Base
	O of Destruction!
	The Factory
	The Inmost Dens
	Suburbs
	Tenements
	The Courtyard
	The Citadel
	Nirvana
	The Catacombs
	Barrels of Fun
	Bloodfalls
	The Abandoned Mines
	Monster Condo
	Redemption Denied
	The Mansion
	Club Doom

Versions

The Sega Saturn version of Doom derives from the 1995 PlayStation version, which itself derives from the Atari Jaguar port of the game (as do most home versions of the era). On the Jaguar, several levels from the original Doom were visibly altered for performance reasons - this, and several minor changes carry through to the Saturn.

For the PlayStation version, significant changes were made to create a more "atmospheric" tone, including a different lighting system and the omission of the original MIDI soundtrack. Intermission scenes were dropped and some secret levels (notably the Wolfenstein 3D-inspired levels of Doom II) were dropped and replaced with new maps. Enemy placement is at times very different, and Doom II's super shotgun can be used in The Ultimate Doom levels.

The Saturn port(s) builds on this, however it is thought to have been rushed, originally hitting North America in March 1997. A combination of poor frame rates, slower enemies (yet curiously player has faster firing speed) and numerous missing visual and audio effects led it to be panned by critics, as did a missing multiplayer mode, despite being advertised on the box (along with 60 levels, when in reality there are 59). Also notable is the use of Final Doom screenshots from a completely different release not included here. This is despite intervention from id Software and John Carmack himself.

Saturn programmer Jim Bagley had originally written an engine more suited to the Saturn, allowing VDP1 to handle the textured walls, floors and ceilings. Carmack reportedly veteoed the idea on behalf of id Software, as he did not like the affine texture warping inherent with 3D renderers which do not support texture perspective correction (like the VDP1). This means that walls rendering is done column by column by VDP1. Floor and ceiling rendering is handled by the dual SH-2 CPUs and transferred to VDP1 to be drawn line by line, sector by sector. Only the HUD and background sky texture are updated separately by VDP2.

Performance is an issue for the Saturn version of the game, averaging around 12FPS during the original (optimised) Doom levels, but frequently dropping below 10FPS when dealing with the more complex geometry of Doom II. The firing rate of the weapons is thought to have been increased to compensate for this.

Early versions of the game were also reportedly compatible with the 3D Control Pad, but the feature was removed for unknown reasons.

Data from the PlayStation version of the game carries through the Saturn but is not used in-game, such as coloured lighting. True alpha transparency between elements draw by VDP1 is also not present due to hardware restrictions (owed in part to the decreasing light effects being produced by a blending with a black VDP2 layer using per pixel transparency ratios set by VDP1 , a mode where VDP1 doesn't know the actual colors of the elements it draws), and audio is also incorrectly panned left when the stereo option is enabled.

When brought to Europe, support for the Taisen Cable was added (despite the accessory not being officially released in the region), and when released in Japan in July, the speed was increased to help it try and match the PlayStation version (though it is still slower in comparison). The Japanese version also adjusts the soundtrack to bring it more in-line with Sony's version, though performance is identical to the original North American release.

Production credits

• Programmers: John Carmack, John Romero, David Taylor, Michael John Cash
• Artist: Adrian Carmack, Kevin Cloud
• Level Designers: John Romero, Sandy Peterson, American McGee, Shawn Green
• Development Support: Shawn Green
• Biz: Jay Wilbur, Mike Wilson
• Biz Assistant: Donna Jackson
• Developed By: Rage Software
• Programming: Jim Bagley, Alan Webb
• Graphics: Simon Street, Ian Rickard
• Sound: Steve Lord, Kev Bruce
• Producer: John Heap

Magazine articles

Main article: Doom (Saturn)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-01: "1997-01 (1997-01-17)" (1996-12-27)
also published in:

• Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-02: "1997-02 (1997-01-31)" (1997-01-17)
• Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-03: "1997-03 (1997-02-14)" (1997-01-31)
• Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-04: "1997-04 (1997-02-21)" (1997-02-07)

Artwork

• 

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source GamesMaster (UK) 77

	77
Based on 1 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Computer & Video Games (UK) 0 Gambler (PL) 70 GameFan (US) NTSC-U 41 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 65 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 83 Hobby Consolas (ES) 89 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 39 Player One (FR) 85 Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J 61 Secret Service (PL) 0 Sega Power (UK) PAL 85 Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL 56 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 57 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 70 Super Juegos (ES) 79 Total Saturn (UK) PAL 49

	58
Based on 16 reviews

Doom (Saturn)

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc

Saturn, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc Manual

Saturn, IT/ES
Cover

Saturn, PT
Cover

Saturn, AU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, BR
Cover

Saturn, PL (Lanser)
Cover

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	671,051,472		CD-ROM (EU)	T-25406H-50 V1.004
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	636,740,496	1997-03-25	CD-ROM (JP)	T-18610G V1.300
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	671,053,824		CD-ROM (US)	T-25405H V1.000
?	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1		1996-04-10	CD-R				Page
?	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1		1996-11-29	CD-R				Page

References

NEC Retro has more information related to Doom II