Engineer and programmer Steve McCrea has achieved a remarkable feat, successfully porting the seminal 1993 first-person shooter Doom to the Commodore 64. This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given that the Commodore 64 was discontinued just a year after Doom's original release and was not typically suited for complex 3D-style games.
McCrea's project is not a direct 3D port. Instead, it leverages ray casting within a tile grid, drawing inspiration from his earlier work on 'The Keep,' a first-person dungeon crawler developed for the Commodore VIC-20, a less powerful predecessor to the C64. Unlike 'The Keep,' which featured a gameplay style more akin to Wolfenstein 3D with its grid-locked mazes, McCrea's Doom C64 build incorporates advancements such as variable floor and ceiling heights, elevators, opening doors, and visible player weapons.
The latest work-in-progress videos showcase impressive features for the platform, including dynamic lighting and a skybox. McCrea has reportedly completed levels E1M1 through E1M8 and is currently seeking a musician to compose the game's score. The technical director for the Resident Evil 4 VR port and a veteran of several Metroid games, McCrea's ability to bring Doom to the aging hardware highlights the enduring legacy and adaptability of the game's engine.
Apogee Software founder Scott Miller, who published Wolfenstein 3D, expressed astonishment at the development, recalling his own past attempts to convince id Software to create a C64 version of Doom. The port demonstrates the continued innovation and dedication within the retro-computing community, proving that even older, less powerful hardware can be pushed to run some of gaming's most iconic titles.