Doom Gets Ported To The Hand Cranked Playdate Handheld

[Uskompuf]

The Playdate is being developed by Panic Inc., an American company developed web and mobile applications alongside publishing Untitled Goose Game and Firewatch. The 2.7" Playdate comes with a 400x200 monochromatic LCD, hand crank, 16 MB ram, 2 GB Storage, ESP32, USB Type-C, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The device is currently in a developer preview before going on sale later this year for 149 USD, one developer to receive the device is Nic Manger a UI/UX Designer at Keen Games.

Nic Manger has ported Doom to the device, even taking advantage of the hand crank to fire the chaingun. The game appears to run smoothly in monochrome on the device. This is just one of the many devices Doom has been ported to which include cash registers, cars, printers, ATMs, fridges, and even crypto-wallets.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[cryohellinc]

Good. Doom should exist on everything.

 

[Vayra86]

This is about 3 turns too nerdy for me. I mean, cool yes, but also forgotten in all of two seconds.

 

[lemonadesoda]

Wind up mobile phone sounds good, so you can make calls when the battery is flat. So, if internet connected, might be useful as an emergency caller, browser etc. If no wifi/mobile data, then pretty useless. That screen output of doom looks awful.

 

[Vayra86]

Wind up mobile phone sounds good, so you can make calls when the battery is flat. So, if internet connected, might be useful as an emergency caller, browser etc. If no wifi/mobile data, then pretty useless. That screen output of doom looks awful.

That'd be hilarious. People literally walking around like

 

[Valantar]

I remember seeing this device at some point in the past. Looks pretty cool in a way, but also mostly as a novelty. Guess it has its function as an enthusiast toy, and at least it looks like a well made and designed one!

 

[dorsetknob]

This is about 3 turns too nerdy for me. I mean, cool yes, but also forgotten in all of two seconds.

ya gotta crank it for more than 3 turns...............

 

[Vayra86]

ya gotta crank it for more than 3 turns...............

Believe it or not that pun was not even intended. LOL

 

[Basard]

The crank doesn't power it....... well that's kinda lame.

 

[danbert2000]

The crank doesn't power it....... well that's kinda lame.

The crank is more like an analog stick replacement/alternative. It's to give the developers for this weird system a gimmick that extends the gameplay possibilities past the original Game Boy.

 

[Valantar]

The crank doesn't power it....... well that's kinda lame.

I would say there's more potential for fun and creative use as an input than as a charger. Besides, the coils needed for a meaningfully powerful crank charger would necessitate a much thicker device.

 

[Basard]

The crank is more like an analog stick replacement/alternative. It's to give the developers for this weird system a gimmick that extends the gameplay possibilities past the original Game Boy.

I would say there's more potential for fun and creative use as an input than as a charger. Besides, the coils needed for a meaningfully powerful crank charger would necessitate a much thicker device.

I demand that it does ALL of these things! And it should sound like one of them crazy horns that old cars used to have while doing it!

 

[Valantar]

I demand that it does ALL of these things! And it should sound like one of them crazy horns that old cars used to have while doing it!

Why not go all the way back, make it a start crank for a two-stroke petrol engine, and a hand-cranked siren too? And add a grindstone, maybe? The possibilities are endless!

 

[trom89]

$149... yeah right

 

[thesmokingman]

They should make one that is powered by just the hand crank. I can see the faces of kids already, waaaaahh?

 

[watzupken]

I don't know man, I think its something interesting. But usefulness, not very certain.

 

[Caring1]

The hand cranked Playdate sounds like a high tech version of a blow up doll.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Good. Doom should exist on everything.

Very nearly does. But on this little device? Sorry, I need more buttons. At least the SNES had 6..

 

[R-T-B]

This is about 3 turns too nerdy for me. I mean, cool yes, but also forgotten in all of two seconds.

Fortunately for them, you aren't the target audience at all.

This is designed for nerds from a certain era, who revel in nostalgia above all else, me thinks.

 

[lexluthermiester]

This is designed for nerds from a certain era, who revel in nostalgia above all else, me thinks.

Nostalgia only goes so far before a lack of functionality Dooms a device like this.
(Pun intended)

 

[R-T-B]

Nostalgia only goes so far before a lack of functionality Dooms a device like this.
(Pun intended)

I dunno. How many owned a OG gameboy? It was about as functional. I loved mine.

Not convinced either way. Let's see what the market says (if it's a kickstarter, it may already have spoken).

 

[lexluthermiester]

I dunno. How many owned a OG gameboy? It was about as functional. I loved mine.

True, but playing Doom on a GB would be equally frustrating. I would never do that when there are much better alternatives out there...

 

[Valantar]

Pretty sure this device is aimed squarely at the "relatively affluent tinkerer(-gamer) with programming skills" market - a tiny niche, but one that might nonetheless be able to keep a device like this alive. The point seems to be development within strict constraints after all - what are you able to do if all you have is a low-res monochrome screen, two buttons, a d-pad, a crank and a low-spec SoC? Can you still make something cool or fun? Given that this premise has kept the demoscene alive for decades I would think it has some merit.

 

[R-T-B]

Pretty sure this device is aimed squarely at the "relatively affluent tinkerer(-gamer) with programming skills" market - a tiny niche, but one that might nonetheless be able to keep a device like this alive. The point seems to be development within strict constraints after all - what are you able to do if all you have is a low-res monochrome screen, two buttons, a d-pad, a crank and a low-spec SoC? Can you still make something cool or fun? Given that this premise has kept the demoscene alive for decades I would think it has some merit.

I wrote a program for my NES a few years back and wrote it to a cannabilized cart with transplanted eeproms. I still have it somewhere...

Was fun, a good tinker, and cost a hell of a lot more in labor and parts than this would... so maybe you are right.

What was the game? Not much, a maze game. If you touched the walls of the maze, it would scream in the worst pitch I could synth at you until you reset the nes.

My brother to this day says in regards to that project "yes, you did it... but why?"

 

[Vayra86]

True, but playing Doom on a GB would be equally frustrating. I would never do that when there are much better alternatives out there...

That was the initial point yes. I mean, cool POC. Beyond that, utterly worthless. I kinda think that is also the whole idea behind it. 'Look, we did it, challenge complete'. Free marketing.

So yeah I'm sure there is a niche, somewhere deep down in mysteryland on some forgotten attic. You can just smell this isn't viable as a 'device that plays Doom'.