Saturn Doom Experience for GZDoom

[ludicrous_peridot]

A mod to recreate the experience of playing Doom on Sega Saturn console (minus bugs and stutter) in GZDoom 4.8.

 

 

 

Quick start
Download saturn.zip
Unzip it into GZDoom directory
Run saturn.bat

In the "terminal" command window that pops up press 1 to 4 to select the map pack to run
Press Enter on title screen to go into console-style menu
Use up/down to navigate console-style menu, left/right to change episode/skill
Press Enter in console-style menu to start playing

 

Load order and dependencies

For those who would like to avoid using batch script or prefer to configure their GZDoom on their own, load order is in the spoiler below.

Spoiler

Saturn Doom

-file PSX2STRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3

 

Final Doom

 -file PSX2STRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3 FINLSTRN.pk3

 

Master Levels 

-file PSX2STRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3 MSTRSTRN.pk3

 

Lost Levels

 -file PSX2STRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3 LOSTSTRN.pk3

 

Or more generally

-file PSX2STRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3 [<mission pack>.pk3] [<addon1>.pk3] [<addon2>.pk3]

 

 

In case of issues

If you encounter any issues with console style menu that prevent you from playing, you could press Esc on the title screen to go into GZDoom menu and Start/Load game from there.

 

Acknowledgements
Scripts and shaders have been written by @ludicrous_peridot. Some are based on those bundled with GZDoom and authored by GZDoom contributors
Saturn assets come from, well, Saturn Doom developed by ID and Rage Software
Sounds, some graphics and certain sprites were taken from "classic" PSX TC 
Titlemap is heavily modified "classic" PSX TC original TITLEMAP
Map pack is comprised of maps, textures by PSX TC and Lost Levels authors
Music is a mix of rips from Sega Saturn and MIDI tracks ripped from Doom PSX by @I.C.H.I. Znot with soundfont updtaed by @Impboy4

Mod also bundles some sprites from PC version of Doom 2, both original and those retouched by @Revenant100 for the Minor Sprite Fixing project

lTitlepic placeholders for map packs are based on widescreen assets from Bethesda Unity Doom port

 

Known issues

After credits are shown console style main menu ceases to function. Use Esc to bring up built-in GZDoom menu to proceed.

"Hexen-style" start game screen has been removed

Edited September 19, 2023 by ludicrous_peridot

[ludicrous_peridot]

 

Spoiler

On 11/20/2020 at 11:05 PM, ludicrous_peridot said:

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by ludicrous_peridot : Redacted

[Doom1980]

Excellent Work , this was the hardest remaster to find but its well worth it , it gives that version new life and also i think gives us an idea of what the saturn port could have been under different circumstances 

[kalensar]

Very neat indeed. I just played the Doom 2 version on this on UV and the aesthetic choices on the maps were quite surprising all around! No Pain Elementals? WOW. And they beefed the maps by replacing many enemies with better enemy choice. That isn't including the gunfire speed either. This is a very neat port of the game for sure, and they put a lot of effort into surprising the soured Doomer who may have bought this!

 

AS an Aside, the consolux.pk3 run alone is a really neat aesthetic touch to run on other mods. =)

Edited November 12, 2021 by kalensar : needed to add info

[ludicrous_peridot]

19 hours ago, kalensar said:

AS an Aside, the consolux.pk3 run alone is a really neat aesthetic touch to run on other mods. =)

 

Thanks @kalensar for taking your time to explore the package. Indeed the purpose of consolux (which is an abbrev from Console UX) was to add some console fleur to other map packs, and even some mods (although I've not tested extensively for compatibility) when playing them with gzdoom. At the moment it has 2 modes

- saturnish, which changes some fonts, backgrounds and adds a title screen scroller 

- and classic "PC-doomish" which mostly reuses graphical assets from other loaded wads

 

[DuckReconMajor]

This is incredible. I played through all the first 3 doom episodes (then cheated when the insanity started).

I'm not seeing the dithering gray checkerboard stuff though. Is there a setting I need to enable?

[Rudolph]

Spotted a small typo in your posts: "acknoledgement" ;)

 

Nitpicking aside, I am not entirely sure I understand the difference between the Saturn port and the Playstation one. The Doom wiki page of the former seems to suggest that it is almost worse in every way. So is this project's aim to bring the Saturn port more in line with the Playstation one?

Edited November 13, 2021 by Rudolph

[kalensar]

5 hours ago, Rudolph said:

Spotted a small typo in the second post: "acknoledgement" ;)

 

Nitpicking aside, I am not entirely sure I understand the difference between the Saturn port and the Playstation one. The Doom wiki page of the former seems to suggest that it is almost worse in every way. So is this project's aim to bring the Saturn port more in line with the Playstation one?

Edit- I'm a dumbass but I'll leave my comment below for comedy cake value.

 

 

"Actually no it is not anything of the short. This port conversion is a literal rip of the Saturn game and made playable on GZDOOM. It has 168 Maps and is changed in ways that made it compatible with Sega Saturn specifically. Many maps are "updated" for Saturn and this includes elevation changes, monster spawn changes. E2m8 was wholly different than the PC cyberdemon fight. I can't even call this an Atari Jaguar ripoff because so much was changed. It is it's own experience and it's actually really fun."

 

Just to add more confusion to the mix of Comedy.

 

Here's the beginng of what would be E4m1 looks on Sega Saturn Doom on HMP 

Edited November 13, 2021 by kalensar

[Rudolph]

168 maps?!? :o

 

Anyway, Lost Levels' "Hell Keep" appears as "LHUSTR 1" on the automap and the tally screen.

 

Also, sometimes, when I switch between episodes, I get the following error message:

 

VM execution aborted: array access out of bounds. Negative current index = -1

Called from BaseSaturnSkillMenu.MenuEvent at consolux.pk3:zscript/menus/saturnmenu.zsc, line 173.

 

I am using GZDoom 4.7.1.

Edited November 13, 2021 by Rudolph

[ludicrous_peridot]

@Rudolph thanks for teporting the bugs! I'll take a note and aim to fix them before doing a refresh of the version uploaded.

 

Quote

I am not entirely sure I understand the difference between the Saturn port and the Playstation one.

 

Quote

This port conversion is a literal rip of the Saturn game and made playable on GZDOOM.

 

@Rudolph, @kalensar appreciate this may be confusing, so did a short write-up with an explanation in the spoiler below.

 

Spoiler

The story behind this mod it's a bit like this: once upon a time there was a happy PSX Doom port which included some but not all of maps from Ultimate Doom and Doom II reworked and simplified to fit the platform limitations (so not all the monsters from the PC got through, e.g. ArchVile did not). It had some features that iriginals did not have, however - colored lighting, environmental sound and a completely rewritten soundtrack, being the most prominent ones. PSX Doom was followed by PSX Ultimate Doom that used the same engine, but had some (but not all) maps from Master Levels for Doom II, Plutonia Experiment and TNT Revilution.

 

As PC source ports became more powerful and feature rich, especially with ZDoom getting more and more popular, modders have created PSX Doom TC that brought the games to PC with carefully recreated maps that also had colored lighting. The mod was met with a lot of enthusiasm, and soon an addon to the TC called Lost Levels was released by another team of modders. This addon included the maps from Doom, Doom II, Master Levels, TNT and Plutonia that didn't make it into the official PSX games "re-envisioned" to fit the theme of PSX originals. I.e. levels were simplified, monster encounters changed and colored lighting added. Lost Levels also included quite a few bonus maps reworked (actually too numerous to mention here) and a soundtrack of their own!

 

Going back in time now to after PSX Doom has been released. A different and much much less happier console port was developed - Sega Saturn Doom. Doomwiki has a excellent summary of the misfortunes it went through, so I will not be going through the negatives. On the positive side it had a rather unusual looking new status bar, slick UI font. Oh and even higher resolution sky textures :). Levels, sounds, sprites and music were all recycled from PSX, with colored lightning removed however. This may have also contributed to the "same as PSX but worth" fame the port got.

 

As I liked the new assets Saturn had, I wanted a mod that would allow status bar and fonts from the game to be applied in GZDoom when playing arbitrary maps, and that's how consolux came to be. For it I extracted original Saturn assets, and also took PSX sound and music that were extracted before by other authors. 

 

I then thought that playing with the console maps would make it closer to a TC mod, so slightly reworked original PSX TC maps by other authors to create a map pack (from both PSX Doom and PSX Final Doom games, the latter never released for Saturn actually). I then did the same with Lost Levels as I though that would be a good idea (like adding even more "what if" extras). Then finally I added what I felt was necessary to make package feel closer to a complete TC (rip of actual Saturn music,  override for most GZDoom fonts, faster weapons, SSG on 4 and not 3, and other minor things).

 

Quote

168 maps?!? :o

So going back to the maps:

 

1. PSX Doom and Saturn Doom maps are the same and come from PSX TC for this mod.

2. PSX Final Doom maps also come from PSX TC mod (and thus should match PSX Final Doom)

3. All other maps come from Lost Levels mod for PSX TC mod.

4. In the spoiler below are changes to PSX TC and Lost Levels maps for this mod:

 

Spoiler

* Colored lighting has been removed

* GZDoom was complaining about some of the maps (via the "tilde" console), so I save altered them slighly to take care of that

* Map progression has been rearranged so that bonus maps are available as a separate episode rather than secrets (so some secret exits have been removed - more details to follow).

* PSX TC version of Club Doom had too much Archies for a PSX level, so I've removed them.

* Maps that had burning hell sky now have the red-orange static abstract sky originally from Ultimate Doom Episode 4

* Maps actually found on Sega Saturn have their music match Saturn versions, not PSX versions. 

 

The total number should be number of PSX TC maps plus Lost Levels number minus one Titlemap and minus one for Fear (only one version is used by this mod). On mobile now, so cant give an exact figure.

 

Before the the next version of the mod I intend to split the single map pack into 4 separate ones:

1. Saturn Doom maps for "original" experience

2. Master Levels 

3. Final Doom (including those from Lost Levels with PC map progression)

4. Lost Levels (with a separate episode for bonus maps)

Edited November 14, 2021 by ludicrous_peridot : Typos

[ludicrous_peridot]

On 11/13/2021 at 5:28 AM, DuckReconMajor said:

I'm not seeing the dithering gray checkerboard stuff though. Is there a setting I need to enable?

 

Thanks for your feeeback, @DuckReconMajor!

 

I'll PM you for details a bit later if you don't mind, as this was supposed to be the default as per bundled configuration.

 

One thing to note however, is that it will no longer be in the next version, and plain translucency will be used instead as a default. The "checkered" effect was a result of a lack of research ahead of implementation on my part. So I've unintentionally given transparent objects the look they have on a PC running an emulator, not on a real TV with a Saturn attached.

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by ludicrous_peridot

[Rudolph]

@ludicrous_peridot Sweet! Thank you so much!

 

Save for the couple of issues I have mentioned, the TC seems to run like a charm. I am truly grateful that the Lost Levels are included from the get-go: this will allow me to experience them without having to go through the hassle of Playstation emulation and piracy.

 

I will keep playing and reporting other issues if there is any.

[Rudolph]

When accessing E1M9 through E1M3, I get the second interlude text screen that usually plays after Doom II's MAP11:

Quote

You have won!

Your victory enabled

humankind to evacuate

Earth and escape the

nightmare.

But then Earth Control pinpoints the source

of the alien invasion.

You are their only hope.

You painfully get up

and return to the fray.

And when I beat E1M9, I get the Doom II ending screen with the picture of the Icon of Sin.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Rudolph

[ludicrous_peridot]

On 11/13/2021 at 5:28 AM, DuckReconMajor said:

I'm not seeing the dithering gray checkerboard stuff though.

 

Ok, no need to PM about this. It was a deliberate choice by GZDoom authors to disallow lazy configurations like the on in my mod where I replace one of the "core" shaders. Will look for a workaround for the next Beta version. This indeed used to work in 4.6 and 4.7pre I was using for testing.

[ludicrous_peridot]

@Rudolph, @kalensar, @DuckReconMajor thanks again for your observations and feedback.

 

A new version of beta is available where transition between levels has been cleaned out, "faux translucency" effect was restored for Specters, teleporter fog and the walls (not for the player unfortunately :( ), and nasty thingtype error related to Archie unwelcome appearances was fixed. 

 

I'm including couple of screenshots from the new version:

 

If you are interested in trying it out already, please use this link https://mega.nz/folder/UskFhI5a#6Uk579ERDIXEScwmbIa1-A 

OP will soon be updated.

Edited November 29, 2021 by ludicrous_peridot : formatting

[Rudolph]

I do not know what you did, but I can no longer select all the episodes from the main menu. I have to load the xSTRN.PK3 files separately, or else one of them is going to overwrite the whole lot, e.g. if PSX2STRN.PK3 is loaded, then I cannot select Final Doom, Master Levels and Lost Levels. This feels like a regression from the previous version.

 

Also, I still randomly get an error message from browsing through the available episodes:

 

TITLEMAP - TITLEMAP

VM execution aborted: array access out of bound. Negative current index = -1

Called from BaseSaturnSkillMenu.Meny Event at consolux.pk3:zscript/menus/saturnmenu.zsc, line 189

 

Here is my launch parameters: 

 

-file PSX2STRN.PK3 FINLSTRN.PK3 MSTRSTRN.PK3 LOSTSTRN.PK3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3

 

Also, am I supposed to be encountering Arch-Viles in this TC? Levels like Hell Beneath are basically impossible on Pistol Start now.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Rudolph

[ludicrous_peridot]

7 hours ago, Rudolph said:

Here is my launch parameters: 

 

-file PSX2STRN.PK3 FINLSTRN.PK3 MSTRSTRN.PK3 LOSTSTRN.PK3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3

 

Thanks for your feedback, @Rudolph. I've PM-ed you on this, but in interest of others facing a similar problem, let me mention that with the new Beta, the levels have been split into "core" pk3 and 3 additional mission packs. "Core" is supposed to play like the console version, while the 3 packs include things that were never on Saturn originally (with some creative liberties around order, etc). For those preferring to set things up by hand, the load order is:

 

-file PSX2STRN.pk3 [<mission pack>.pk3] consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3

 

So that's -file PSX2STRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3 for "core" contents, -file PSX2STRN.pk3 FINLSTRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3 for Final Doom, -file PSX2STRN.pk3 MSTRSTRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3 for Master Levels and -file PSX2STRN.pk3 LOSTSTRN.pk3 consolux.pk3 strnxtra.pk3 for Lost Levels.

 

Edit:

 

The reason for breaking the maps into smaller packs was threefold. Firstly the desire to have a mod the would have "just what the original had", without any addons. Secondly, the feeling of progression and acomplishment for finishing a "megawad", vs an endless string of levels as in the previous package. And lastly, urge to test the idea of putting console style menus to a good use for selection of a Master Level to start palythrough with. Including a video demonstrating that last piece, made with mod running in Delta Touch.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by ludicrous_peridot

[ludicrous_peridot]

As the issues reported for the new beta preview have been taken care of and zip with updated version has been uploaded, I've edited opening post to reflect this.

[Rudolph]

Excellent! I did notice that the Lost Levels incorporated to the other map rotations still have the "LOST" designation at the beginning of their level names. Do you plan on changing it or leaving it that way?

[ludicrous_peridot]

Hi, @Rudolph. Do you feel changing the names to something more uniform (like MAPXX) would bring benefit? I did not think about that to be honest, and after all, I am reusing other pack's levels here with purely cosmetic changes done, so why not leave that as it were to clearly point to the source...

[Rudolph]

Fair enough. The only inconvenient I see is that I have do some research before using the changemap map command to warp to the lost levels that have been incorporated to the map rotations they were originally from. Otherwise, I guess it is not worth the hassle.

[Rudolph]

Bug report: when I use the ZDoom menu for Master Levels, I see "SAT_EP_STUB" at the bottom of the map selection screen.

[ludicrous_peridot]

@Rudolph, thanks for reporting this. I've fixed the bug in the most recent version of ConsolUX, but that fix is only available in stand alone version until the next update of beta.

[ludicrous_peridot]

The mod has been updated to bring it in sync with ConsolUX stand-alone.

[ludicrous_peridot]

Been testing planned monster changes for the mod. I've recently published the version with increased damage done by some of the monsters, but have overlooked the speed differences between PC and PlayStation Doom. PlayStation Doom, because Saturn port is based on that, and reverse engineered source code for PlayStation is available to have a look at. So for the next patch release of the mod, I'm slowing down the monsters slightly, but some (the Revenant most noticeably) I'm slowing down significantly as per what PlayStation Doom did. Also missile speeds are going to change for Revenant tracer missile (again a very noticeable change), Mancubus rocket and plasma balls of Arachnotron and player's BFG weapon. Recorded some videos of the changes.

 

 

 

Update. Also did Factory - another one rich in Mancubi, Arachnotrons

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by ludicrous_peridot

[ludicrous_peridot]

Pushed out an update that finally restores custom translucency effect for player weapon sprites in GZDoom 4.7 and above and gives option to start the game without "fast" weapons.

 

Considering this to be the final set of changes, so the updated version is the final beta version as well. Guess, the previously released update was the "ultimate Beta", as I've gone trough beta and beta 2 before :) 

[ludicrous_peridot]

The inb4 Apocalypse update, where invi sphere is opaque, and gun puffs are transparent, among other things.

[ludicrous_peridot]

An update to mark what I consider completion of this mod and also to make it GZDoom 4.8 compatible.

[taufan99]

Great! As a Sega fan, I understand well why the Saturn port is lambasted so much by everyone, but I applaud you for wanting to aim for an experience that captures the port with less hassle and actually releasing it for us.

[ludicrous_peridot]

1.5.1p1 has been uploaded which cleans up some error and omissions in both Saturn and ConsolUX mods versions from last week. All download links stay the same. 
I am also sharing a "beta" of my experiment in making a "map pack" for Saturn Experience out of someone else's release mod. I have been making changes to Threshold of Pain by @scalliano for a more lo-fi-ish look and feel but (almost) without touching level geometry or converting to the base set of PSX/Saturn flats and wall textures. To try it out download sc_topsat.pk3 and drag it onto saturn.bat. 

 

Details on what has changed and some screens grabs from earlier levels. 

Spoiler

 

 

Notes on what's been changed:

1. WAD converted to pk3 format with some assets reorganized and cleaned up and some DECORATE actors converted to ZScript

2. Music, flats and textres from PSX removed so that those in the base TC are used instead

3. Burning sky animation removed and skyboxes "dumbed down" to remove scrolling animations; "stock" skies used in all maps

4. Saturn-style translucency applied to Nightmare monsters and new player weapons

5. Color lightning removed in the maps, and dynamic lighting effects removed too

6. Alpha translucency effects removed from monsters and trap monsters just appear instead of gradually fading in 

7. Nightmare specters are Saturn Nightmare specters

8. Nightmare imps and cacodemons retain the speed and other behavior from the mod and their new projectiles but look like translucent versions of their ordinary counterparts

9. Archvile is replaced by a more unfair version of another Doom monster. Archibald is not welcome on Saturn.

10. All new monsters retain the looks and behavior from the mod, except one - guardian satellites the final boss summons have been replaced by an existing Doom monster, and boss itself has been made tad smaller in height.

11. There are no changes to levels apart from the ones listed above, except that Praetorium geometry has been condensed slightly. 

12. Final battle boss health meter has been replaced by a series of conventional messages a-la pick up log

13. For new weapons both normal and fast variants are available depending on the Game mode chosen.
In Saturn mode Chaingun and Minigun are in slot 5, BFG and Unmaker are in slot 8.
In Classic mode Chaingun and Minigun are in slot 4, Unmaker is in slot 8. 

14. Unmaker had Alternative fire removed and had it's ray attack visuals changed to not use use particle effects.

15. Final scroller is widescreen friendlier and fades into credits sequence after a brief delay.