Doom Now Playable in PDF Format

Summary

• A high school student has successfully ported Doom (1993) to a PDF file, demonstrating a slow yet playable version of the game.
• Doom's small file size has enabled its operation on unconventional devices, such as the Nintendo Alarmo and within other video games like Balandro.
• The ongoing efforts to run Doom on various platforms underscore its enduring legacy and continued relevance in the gaming community.

A dedicated high school student has achieved an impressive feat by porting the iconic game Doom (1993) to a PDF file. This creative endeavor adds to the game's long history of being played on a variety of unexpected devices.

Developed by id Software, Doom is recognized as one of the most influential video games in history, particularly within the first-person shooter (FPS) genre. The game's impact was so significant that it inspired the term "FPS," and for years, similar games were simply referred to as "Doom clones." In recent years, a trend has emerged where programmers and gaming enthusiasts have strived to run Doom on unconventional devices, from fridges and alarm clocks to car stereos and beyond. This playful yet remarkable trend has now reached a new milestone.

GitHub user and high school student ading2210 has successfully ported Doom into a PDF file. The PDF format's support for JavaScript allows for functionalities such as 3D rendering, making HTTP requests, and detecting users' monitors. While most interactive PDFs use small text boxes as pixels, Doom's 320x200 resolution requires thousands of text boxes per frame, which is impractical. To overcome this, ading2210 uses one text box per screen row, resulting in a slow but playable game. A video shared by the creator shows the game running without color, sound, or text, and with a response time of 80ms per frame.

High School Student Ports Doom (1993) to a PDF

The compact size of Doom, at just 2.39 megabytes, makes such innovative ports possible. Recently, in November, a programmer managed to make Doom playable on the Nintendo Alarmo, using the device's dials to move the character and side buttons to navigate the menu. Additionally, another creative player has integrated Doom into Balandro, allowing players to experience the classic FPS across the game's spread cards, albeit with noticeable performance issues similar to the PDF version.

These projects are not primarily about playing Doom smoothly on these unconventional platforms. Instead, they highlight the boundless creativity of players in finding new ways to run the game. More than 30 years after its release, Doom's continued relevance is a testament to its enduring legacy. As enthusiasts continue to experiment, it's likely that Doom will be ported to even more unusual devices in the future.