Doom, the legendary game that has been adapted to run on everything from toasters to fridges, continues to push boundaries. In a remarkable twist, a high school student named ading2210 has successfully ported Doom into a PDF file that can be played directly in your browser.
While this version of Doom lacks traditional elements such as text and sound, it offers the unique thrill of playing the iconic E1M1 level while you procrastinate on those long-overdue taxes. Inspired by the innovative TetrisPDF, ading2210 utilized the Javascript capabilities within PDF readers to create a functional port of Doom.
Leveraging the computational power allowed by Javascript in browser-based PDF readers, ading2210 crafted a version of Doom using a six-color ASCII grid for sprites and graphics. Despite a frame draw time of 80ms, which may not rival modern gaming standards, the result is impressively legible.
While you might not replace your PS5 with this PDF version, the sheer ingenuity of running Doom within a PDF file is awe-inspiring. Thomas Rinsma, the creator of TetrisPDF, acknowledged ading2210's work on Hacker News, praising its neat execution.
Though this PDF version of Doom might not be the ideal introduction to the game, the ongoing trend of porting Doom to unconventional platforms—from files to even living gut bacteria—continues to captivate and entertain fans worldwide.
