Doom Ported to PDF: A Gaming First

Summary

• A high school student has successfully ported Doom (1993) to a PDF file, creating a slow yet functional gaming experience.
• Doom's small file size enables its operation on various unconventional devices, including the Nintendo Alarmo and within other video games like Balandro.
• The continuous efforts to run Doom on diverse platforms underscore its enduring legacy and relevance in the gaming community.

The iconic video game Doom, developed by id Software in 1993, has been ported to a PDF file by a dedicated high school student. This innovative project adds to the long list of unusual devices on which Doom has been successfully played, showcasing the game's adaptability and the creativity of its fans.

Doom is renowned for revolutionizing the first-person shooter (FPS) genre, so much so that the term "FPS" itself was inspired by the game. For years, similar games were often referred to as "Doom clones." The trend of running Doom on unconventional devices has grown in popularity, with enthusiasts managing to play it on everything from refrigerators and alarm clocks to car stereos.

High School Student Ports Doom (1993) to a PDF

GitHub user and high school student ading2210 achieved this remarkable feat by leveraging the PDF format's support for JavaScript. This allowed for functionalities such as 3D rendering, HTTP requests, and monitor detection. Unlike typical interactive PDFs that use small text boxes as pixels, Doom's 320x200 resolution necessitated a different approach. Ading2210 opted to use one text box per screen row, resulting in a slower but playable version of the game. The PDF version of Doom lacks color, sound, and text, and operates with an 80ms per frame response time, as demonstrated in a video shared by the creator.

The compact size of Doom, at just 2.39 megabytes, facilitates its portability to various platforms. Recently, a programmer made Doom playable on the Nintendo Alarmo, utilizing the device's dials for movement and side buttons for menu navigation. Similarly, another creative endeavor saw Doom integrated into Balandro, allowing players to experience the classic FPS across the game's spread cards, despite noticeable performance limitations akin to the PDF version.

These projects are not primarily about achieving smooth gameplay on unconventional platforms but rather about showcasing the boundless creativity of Doom enthusiasts. Over 30 years since its release, Doom's continued relevance is a testament to its lasting legacy. As fans continue to innovate, it is likely that Doom will be ported to even more unusual devices in the future.