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TheUltimateDoomer666

The music in the console versions of DOOM

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What do you think of the DOOM music in the console versions, mainly those with music based on Robert Prince's soundtrack?

The music in GBA DOOM seems rather primitive. Just a bunch of synthy saws and squares, yet the GBA DOOM 2 music has much better sounding and more "advanced" samples in the music. These soundtracks were okay.

3DO DOOM's remixed-type music is actually pretty good. They softened some of the "harder" tracks like E3M1, but I still like it.

SNES. Not bad, but nothing interesting either. Rather plain.

SEGA 32X. Probably my least favorite. The drums sound like popcorn, and the quality of the FM synthesis is horrible.

The various conversions of Robert Prince's music are interesting, but in my opinion, I still think it sounds best as MIDI on the SC-55 (at the time. WeedsGM3 is very good but wasn't available until 2010, I think).

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You haven't mentioned the fantastically eerie and atmospheric background 'music' of the PSX Doom. That soundtrack took Doom to a whole new level imo, especially PSXMUS02, PSXMUS08, and PSXMUS09.

My only criticism of the PC version is that it doesn't use this soundtrack (Yes I know PC came first and it couldn't be helped, but it still takes some of the awesomeness out of the game.)

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TheUltimateDoomer666 said:

3DO DOOM's remixed-type music is actually pretty good. They softened some of the "harder" tracks like E3M1, but I still like it.

LOL those are awesome and so over the top, much better than any unofficial remix done by various musicians. Gotta love that E1M1 from that revamped WOW.WAD.

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The PSX music will always be my favorite. Turned Doom from an action shooter in to something a lot more atmospheric and unsettling. More so in Final Doom which gives (me, at least) a full on sense of abandonment.

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Eris Falling said:

You haven't mentioned the fantastically eerie and atmospheric background 'music' of the PSX Doom. That soundtrack took Doom to a whole new level imo, especially PSXMUS02, PSXMUS08, and PSXMUS09.

Ah yes, the ambiance of PSX DOOM and DOOM 64. I do get a rather different feel when playing the PSX one due to its difference in soundtrack style. With the original, the speed metal At Doom's Gate creates a more action, energetic mood. On the PSX however, the spooky music creates a creepy, much more "serious" feeling. I still prefer the original music, but I admit that Aubrey Hodges' music seems to sound more "DOOM-y" than Robert Prince's music.

Similar story with Quake 2. The original had almost entirely heavy metal music, but the N64 version had unsettling ambiance.

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TheUltimateDoomer666 said:

Ah yes, the ambiance of PSX DOOM and DOOM 64. I do get a rather different feel when playing the PSX one due to its difference in soundtrack style. With the original, the speed metal At Doom's Gate creates a more action, energetic mood. On the PSX however, the spooky music creates a creepy, much more "serious" feeling. I still prefer the original music, but I admit that Aubrey Hodges' music seems to sound more "DOOM-y" than Robert Prince's music.

Similar story with Quake 2. The original had almost entirely heavy metal music, but the N64 version had unsettling ambiance.


It's thanks to PSX Music that my favourite maps are somewhat different to other peoples. Lunar Mining Project, Nirvana and Deimos Anomaly are examples, and the atmosphere has actually put me off Ballistyx :P

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I think I've expressed my love of Playstation Doom/Final Doom's and Doom 64's music enough that most of you know that I prefer it over the original MIDIs. And no, PSX Doom was NOT my first Doom experience either.

But the 3D0's music comes in a close second (third?). Even if ambient, spooky drones suit Doom much better than anything else imo it's a great soundtrack and reimagining or the original tunes.

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Always loved and preferred the ambient style of hodges tracks, the atmosphere and tension they create is absolutely second to none.
From Deimos Anomaly, Mt Erebus and Geryon, to Dark Citadel and Breakdown they definitely made me more of a doom fan than i'd think i'd ever be if i just heard the MIDI's.

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I got a 4-5 hour train journey later this week. Got 3 tracks from the PSX on an MP3 player, amongst other non-doom stuff. I kinda hope it's raining, or at least heavily overcast, would set the mood perfectly to PSXMUS02

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PSX Doom/Final Doom and Doom 64 music are better, in my opinion (though none overtakes the other two, personally).

As for the other console ports, I like them all except for 32X and Jaguar doesn't count.

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It's amazing how the difference in music changes the mood utterly. In PC Doom, the music makes you feel like an unstoppable killing machine. In Doom PSX you feel like a total pussy...and the level didn't change at all!

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Well, I think the SNES Doom has good muic, even if it is just the PC version's music with different instruments (seriouly, the square lead now doesn't even sound like what it was anymore; It's better than the crappy samples that come with all Windows computers' General MIDI...)

I don't think I've really even heard that much of PSX/N64 Doom's soundtrack. I've heard PC Doom more, and I like some of the songs, but I'm also yet to hear all the songs from that 3DO version either (Hm... I should get on that.)

PS: The original post said "mainly Bobby Prince's", not Hodges', right? Why is everyone talking about P Doom?

Mr. Freeze said:

It's amazing how the difference in music changes the mood utterly. In PC Doom, the music makes you feel like an unstoppable killing machine. In Doom PSX you feel like a total pussy...and the level didn't change at all!

That is interesting. It's odd about music. For example, I was playing my PWAD with "Nobody Told Me About id" playing and it was kinda creepy, while playing it with "Hiding the Secrets" made me feel a bit more rushed.

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Seeing as we're keeping Hodges out of the equation here, I'd go with the SNES version. The timings aren't perfect, but the instrumentation dumps all over the PC's MIDI's.

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scalliano said:

Seeing as we're keeping Hodges out of the equation here, I'd go with the SNES version. The timings aren't perfect...

Yeah. The timing of like, E1M1's fast guitar parts sound like they're going slower for a second.

scalliano said:

...but the instrumentation dumps all over the PC's MIDI's.

Yeah, as I said, the default soundfont with Windows sucks. SNES Doom made some songs sound better, like how Waltz of the Demons doesn't use marimba (or whatever it is), and just uses strings.

Not exactly off-topic/but maybe is: In videogame music, I worry when I hear General MIDI instruments with better instruments. The Imp's Song on SNES Doom sounds like the high-pitched instrument-thing at the beginning was taken from General MIDI. The other instruments sound cool, regardless. (That square lead-replacement I still don't know what it's supposed to be, but it's cool. Even if SNES Doom's graphics weren't the best, the music's good. It's really good for people that prefer the original music over Hodges' ambient music plus sourceports that handle SPC files (SNES music) can play these instead of MIDI and avoid the end-user having to hear the built-in bad samples of their computer. Sorry for going (perhaps) slightly off-topic to talk about that, but it's still Doom music.

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The "PC version" is more like dozens of different versions.

One should at least distinguish between OPL, GUS, and Roland SCC-1 as three different versions; rather than just use the Windows softsynth as being the definitive PC Doom sound.

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Mr. Freeze said:

It's amazing how the difference in music changes the mood utterly. In PC Doom, the music makes you feel like an unstoppable killing machine. In Doom PSX you feel like a total pussy...and the level didn't change at all!

I still felt like a badass in PSX Doom, but I can see what you mean. Some of the tracks are quite unnerving.

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I like the minimalist soundtrack to Jaguar Doom. Although there's obvious John Cage influences right through it.

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purist said:

I like the minimalist soundtrack to Jaguar Doom. Although there's obvious John Cage influences right through it.

Lol.

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I never really found most of SNES Dooms versions of Dooms music that appealing, the only tracks I even liked with the change were the titlescreen music, the intermission music and the first maps music.

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Just found a PSX with Doom for sale on craigslist so I'll be checking it out again this weekend. Been a long time.

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rkdoomguy said:

PSX Doom music is and always will be the best Doom music in my opinion. Aubrey Hodges is a genius.


I still listen to the tracks from PSX Doom, PSX Final Doom, Doom 64, Quake 64 and Quake 2 64 on a regular basis. It's intense stuff. Even after discovering actual dark ambient artists, the music from those games seems to affect me more deeply.

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The 32X soundtrack was so horrendous that I cannot take its existence seriously.

On the other hand, Hodge's work effectively makes Doom feel much more like an atmospheric survival/horror game rather than a shoot-em-up. I didn't know he composed the music for Quake 64. Having never played it before, if its anything like what he did with Doom, I'll have to check it out.

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TheUltimateDoomer666 said:

SNES. Not bad, but nothing interesting either. Rather plain.


VERY MUCH disagree. What exactly didn't you like about it? I understand some of the more fast paced tracks sound better on it's PC counterpart but in no way is it plain.

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Just listened to E1M1 from the 32X Port.

Now I thought I was beyond comparing things to farts...

EDIT: Well I have my list of best music tracks

PSX, PC, 3DO, SNES, GBA, 32X

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Aldaraia said:

The 32X soundtrack was so horrendous that I cannot take its existence seriously.

On the other hand, Hodge's work effectively makes Doom feel much more like an atmospheric survival/horror game rather than a shoot-em-up. I didn't know he composed the music for Quake 64. Having never played it before, if its anything like what he did with Doom, I'll have to check it out.


It's really similar to PSX Doom and Doom 64's music. Some of the samples are even the same. Quake 2's is probably the least terrifying, but is still really engrossing and strange.

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Q264's music wasn't actually by Hodges (Midway were only involved up to Q1), but it's a decent imitation IMO.

Also, if you want to know just how bad the 32X's music was, fire up E1M8 and grab some cotton wool to stem the bleeding.

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I have been listening to a lot of doom music tonight actually. The ambient soundtrack is brilliant but you have to be in the mood for it. The normal midi tracks are great for any mood.

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