PS3 gets native Doom, Heretic, Hexen and Strife ports

The PlayStation 3 now has a native source port covering four big names from id Software’s Doom technology. CrispyCell comes with Doom, Heretic, Hexen and Strife as separate PS3 applications, complete with DualShock 3 controls, widescreen display modes, automatic WAD detection, mod loading and independent save files. Version 1.1 adds Strife to the line-up, giving CrispyCell a wider selection of games built from the technology id Software introduced with Doom in 1993. Anyone running a PS3 with homebrew support can install the relevant package, add the required game data and let CrispyCell handle much of the setup. It’s a native PS3 release too. No DOS emulator sits in the middle.

Crispy Doom makes the move to PS3

CrispyCell comes from the Crispy Doom family of source ports, itself developed from Chocolate Doom and its close compatibility with the original games. On PlayStation 3, each supported title receives a separate package and application ID. Doom, Heretic, Hexen and Strife appear individually on the XMB, keeping saves and configuration files attached to the correct game rather than mixing everything together.

A PS3 running HEN or custom firmware is required. Paid game data isn’t included, so players need to supply their own WAD files. Doom gets one exception: the package includes the freely distributable DOOM1.WAD shareware release.

Once recognised WAD files sit in the appropriate directory, CrispyCell scans them and presents available games and expansions. It cuts out much of the manual configuration involved in switching between releases such as Doom II, TNT: Evilution or The Plutonia Experiment.

DualShock 3 controls replace the keyboard setup

Bringing Doom-engine games to a DualShock 3 requires more than assigning fire to a trigger. CrispyCell maps movement and aiming across the two analogue sticks, with sensitivity adjustment and configurable actions available for players who prefer a different layout. It gives the games a more natural console setup without changing their basic mechanics.

Strife needs extra treatment. Rogue Entertainment’s shooter uses conversations, character naming and save-game text alongside traditional first-person combat. CrispyCell uses the PS3 software keyboard for text entry, avoiding any requirement for a physical keyboard during normal play. Video starts from a 640 x 400 internal image before scaling through the PS3’s RSX graphics hardware. Aspect-ratio correction prevents original artwork from stretching across modern televisions.

Wider display modes include 16:10, 16:9 and 21:9. These modes extend the visible field rather than pulling the original image sideways. Screen-size adjustment from 70 to 100 per cent is available for TVs affected by overscan. Audio runs at 48 kHz with OPL3 music emulation and a dedicated effects mixer. Strife’s spoken dialogue works when the required voice data is installed.

Doom WADs and mods get their own launcher support

CrispyCell supports major Doom IWADs including The Ultimate Doom, Doom II, TNT: Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment. Compatible replacements such as Freedoom can run through the same setup.

The launcher recognises expansions and links them with their required base game. Mods can live inside separate directories, with individual save files keeping modified campaigns away from standard playthroughs. Multi-file mods and total conversions can run where compatibility with the relevant Crispy engine permits it. DeHackEd-style patches receive support too.

So this isn’t limited to loading four original games and stopping there. A sizeable collection of classic Doom content can run through the PS3 port, subject to the features each mod expects from its source engine.

Four very different Doom-engine games

Doom arrived in 1993 and defined the core formula: fast first-person combat, keys, switches, interconnected maps, large groups of enemies and WAD-based game data. Doom II followed in 1994 with larger maps, extra enemies and the Super Shotgun. TNT: Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment formed Final Doom in 1996, extending the format with two full campaigns built around Doom II.

Raven Software took the technology somewhere different with Heretic in 1994. The fantasy shooter introduced inventory items, vertical aiming and interactive environmental features, swapping Doom’s demons and shotguns for monsters, magical weapons and medieval locations. Hexen followed in 1995. Character classes changed how combat worked, hub areas connected multiple maps and progression relied more heavily on exploration and multi-stage switch puzzles.

Strife pushed further away from the standard Doom structure in 1996. Developed by Rogue Entertainment, it mixed shooting with conversations, missions, inventory management and role-playing systems. Those extra systems explain why its arrival in CrispyCell 1.1 requires more controller and interface work than a straightforward Doom port.

CrispyCell 1.1 completes the current PS3 set

Strife brings CrispyCell’s current line-up to four Doom-engine families, each delivered through its own PS3 package. The project combines native PS3 video output, DualShock 3 controls, audio support, XMB integration, automatic WAD scanning and mod handling in a consistent setup.

For a PlayStation 3 already configured to run homebrew software, it provides a direct route to Doom, Heretic, Hexen and Strife without running the original DOS executables through emulation.  Doom remains the obvious starting point. Heretic, Hexen and Strife make CrispyCell a much broader package.