The Sega 32X port of id Software‘s Doom was developed and published by Sega of America in 1994. While the game doesn’t run in a full window (there’s a permanent border around the screen, probably to keep the frame rate up, which is unfortunate), it is an otherwise very good conversion, with smooth movement and decent controls.

The game is best played with a six-button gamepad, with ‘A’ for run; ‘B’ for shoot; ‘C’ for use and strafe; ‘X’ to scroll forwards through available weapons; ‘Y’ to scroll backwards, and ‘Z’ for the automap. It is still possible to play Doom using a three-button gamepad, in which case you have to hold down ‘A’ and ‘C’, and press Start, to cycle through weapons and use the automap.

You can start 32X Doom from any of the first 15 levels but must complete them all to gain access to the higher levels. The first 15 levels wrap, so if you start at level 7 and play through to level 15, it’ll then wrap around to level one and continue to level six, which is an interesting way of doing things. Note that to see the ending after completing the game you must start from map one and play through all the levels, without using any cheat codes. Failure to do so will just give you the game’s credits at the end.

There are some downsides: the 32X version features the fewest maps of any Doom port (17 in total), and many levels have been simplified; there are no on-screen messages; no crushing ceilings; the “you are here” intermission screens are missing; you can’t save a game in progress; the soundtrack is vastly inferior to most other ports; the BFG isn’t available, unless you use a cheat code; and there’s no multiplayer. Also: there are no Spectres; no Cyberdemons; no Spider Masterminds, and no light-amplification visors.

Par times are also missing from completion screens. That said, this is still a decent version of Doom, and is still fun to play.

Graphically, the 32X port is authentic, although the colours are a little subdued overall. The blood and gore hasn’t been censored, as it has been in some of the other Doom ports, and the lighting effects are good.

What is strange about Doom on the 32X is that a number of unreleased prototypes have been leaked onto the internet, that are dated AFTER the game’s release, which indicates that Sega was working on an improved version of 32X Doom that was eventually scrapped and never released.

More: Doom on Wikipedia
More: Doom 32X on fandom.com
Steam: Ultimate Doom on Steam
GOG: Ultimate Doom on GOG.com