Was Doom possible on Atari 2600?!

[Richter Belmount]

Discuss

[Gavica]

yes .

[Enigmus]

Yes, and "God" is really a supercomputer and/or dead.

[skaar]

Richter, seriously man.

WTF.

[PapaStu]

We've gotten Halo 2600 so why not.

Seriously? Come on.

[Kitsune Sniper]

http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Atari_2600

Stop spreadin' the lies!

[buzz_n64]

We've gotten Halo 2600 so why not.

Seriously? Come on.

Maybe a game in the spirit of Doom, like Halo for the 2600 was for Halo. Not at all the same game, and you could only know that it was Halo if someone straight out said, hey this is Halo. A still FPS hand or gun and simple status bar could be done with no problem. One or two blocky enemies who are the same character coming at you is doable. Now, the background and environment would be the tricky part.

[Ryaan1234]

Maybe a game in the spirit of Doom, like Halo for the 2600 was for Halo. Not at all the same game, and you could only know that it was Halo if someone straight out said, hey this is Halo. A still FPS hand or gun and simple status bar could be done with no problem. One or two blocky enemies who are the same character coming at you is doable. Now, the background and environment would be the tricky part.
http://www.atariage.com/2600/screenshots/s_Battlezone_2.png
The background and enviroment look pretty good here, considering it was on the 2600. If this (Battlezone, btw) was possible I can't see how a rough version of Doom wouldn't be possible...

I think the real question is, CAN THE ATARI 7800 DO SUPER MARIO BROS 3?!!!?!?!!11!/!

[TheDomesticInstitution]

no but duke nukem shuld be becuase of the sprite s

[NayusDante]

Doom, no. Wolf3D, maybe.

Everyone mistakes Doom as being the first true FPS, but it actually was the first remotely modern FPS. Wolfenstein 3D is as basic as I would go and still call it an FPS, and thus a prime target for 2600. Basically, put walls in Battlezone, and change the tanks to Nazis, and you have Wolf3D on 2600.

Doom had (primitive) lighting, variable height geometry, and (relatively) large levels. Something like Wolf3D actually has a chance of fitting on a 2600 cart, albeit incredibly simplified.

[Dr. Dib]

Yes Doom was possible on Atari 2600, but they never made a Fantastic Four video game or Who Framed Roger Rabbit? video game for the console. If they could make an nice picture of Mr. T on the 2600, I don't see why they couldn't make a nice picture of Dr. Doom or Judge Doom.

[Ze_ro]

There is a homebrew first person maze game called Merlin's Walls that is about as close to Doom as you're ever likely to get, but it's probably not what you would expect. Check out this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk-QhYE4jxw).

Alternatively, you could just take Tunnel Runner and turn the enemies into Imps.

--Zero

[Berserker]

Everyone mistakes Doom as being the first true FPS, but it actually was the first remotely modern FPS. Wolfenstein 3D is as basic as I would go and still call it an FPS, and thus a prime target for 2600. Basically, put walls in Battlezone, and change the tanks to Nazis, and you have Wolf3D on 2600.

Actually, I would call Catacomb 3-D (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacomb_3-D) the first recognizable FPS. It was also made by id, and although it has EGA graphics, it uses an earlier incarnation of the same raycasting engine that Wolfenstein 3D would later be based on. It also has the same characteristics from Wolf3D of the character's hand/weapon being visible on the screen, as well as a graphical representation of the character's face in the HUD that changes as your health gets lower.

Of course, Wolfenstein definitely took things to a more modern level in terms of guns and gore.

And I agree - if you're going to make an FPS on the 2600, it'd almost certainly have to use raycasting. I wouldn't believe a more Doom-like engine would be possible until I see it.

[tom]

let's see what we got:
Escape from the Mindmaster (Starpath)
Tunnel Runner (Coleco)
Crypts of Chaos (20th Century Fox)

The groundwork had already been done, so no prob.

[jb143]

I had a Doom demo on my graphing calculator. It looked like a simplistic version of Wolf3D but was a playable FPS.

[todesengel]

I had a Doom demo on my graphing calculator. It looked like a simplistic version of Wolf3D but was a playable FPS.
There's actually a full blown Wolf3D for graphing calculators.

[Insaneclown]

I miss playing Doom online and multiplayer. It was soooo fun back in the 90's.

[todesengel]

You still can play Doom online with a source port like skulltag.

[tom]

Forgot Survival Run (Milton Bradley for VCS), and with this you even shoot.

[Rob2600]

Battlezone


There is a homebrew first person maze game called Merlin's Walls that is about as close to Doom as you're ever likely to get, but it's probably not what you would expect. Check out this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk-QhYE4jxw).


Escape from the Mindmaster (Starpath)
Tunnel Runner (Coleco)
Crypts of Chaos (20th Century Fox)

The groundwork had already been done, so no prob.

There's also the homebrew 2600 game Skeleton by Eric Ball (video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZyba9msQX4)) and the improved version Skeleton+ (video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-eCaDACxkM)).

[NayusDante]

There's also the homebrew 2600 game Skeleton by Eric Ball (video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZyba9msQX4)) and the improved version Skeleton+ (video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-eCaDACxkM)).

This is more like Ultima than an FPS. Ultima on 2600 is another discussion entirely...

[Rob2600]

This is more like Ultima than an FPS. Ultima on 2600 is another discussion entirely...

Are you sure? This is the Skeleton+ description:

"In order to escape this labyrinth you need to hunt down and eliminate 80 skeletons lurking about without being killed yourself! There are eight mazes, with each maze containing 10 skeletons. Complete all eight mazes and you'll gain your freedom!

Skeleton+ contains several improvements over the original release of Skeleton. The major differences are: Life and Kill Counters, New Undead Locator to help track Skeletons"

Sounds like a first-person shooter to me. :)

[NayusDante]

Yeah, but it's node-based. It's essentially a real-time variation of Ultima's dungeons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMYIBfK2cQ).

[Ryaan1234]

I find it hilarious that Richter Belmount started this as a joke thread and it's turning into a serious discussion about whether the Atari 2600 *could* do Doom.

[Rob2600]

it's turning into a serious discussion about whether the Atari 2600 *could* do Doom.

Not a faithful recreation, but certainly a decent adaptation, keeping in mind the limitations of the console.


Yeah, but it's node-based. It's essentially a real-time variation of Ultima's dungeons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMYIBfK2cQ).

To me, Skeleton+ is the 2600 equivalent of Doom. Again, I'm keeping the limitations of the 2600 in mind and am not expecting a literal port. An extreme downgrade like this requires some imagination. :)

[Ryaan1234]

Not a faithful recreation, but certainly a decent adaptation, keeping in mind the limitations of the console.

Of course not, you knew what I meant when I said that. I'm not sure why you corrected me.

[jammajup]

lol
not in the sense we know it,it would be above view and a cross between `Haunted House` (Atari) and `Venture`(Coleco/Exidy)

[Richter Belmount]

We've gotten Halo 2600 so why not.

Seriously? Come on.

Yeah but it sucks that it doenst have online or slayer mode

[Enigmus]

Yeah but it sucks that it doenst have online or slayer mode

Yeah, and there's no NAZ1 ZOMBIEZ UR NUKEZZ!!!!11!1!