I'm too young for teletext! And indeed you might be, but a modder has decided to port the original 1993 classic demonic FPS Doom to Teletext, proving there’s always a new system to run Doom on.
This new port can be used both on old TVs that can process teletext images or also played on PC via a specific application. Either way, it’s a bizarre way to play id Software’s masterpiece.
We have seen Doom running on many strange different devices in the last few months, from the original NES, to a pregnancy test and even a Honeywell thermostat. But this time, we might be looking at what is really one of the ugliest ports to come out of the woodwork lately.
Considering its best years have long since passed, Teletext might be quite an obscure technology for many. It is a standard for displaying (simple mosaic) graphics and text on televisions, originally debuting in 1974 but still in use in several European countries. A single teletext page consists of 25 rows that can hold 40 characters each.
The modder explains that, since teletext is just data transmission, it is not technologically possible to run the game directly in the Teletext graphics format. Instead, you can run Doom on a device that transmits a video signal to a device that can read Teletext pages. Thus, the device generates a page, allowing us to play the original Doom with much uglier, monochrome graphics.
Since this port is clearly made to be displayed on a television, it is actually possible to now play Doom using such alternative control devices as a TV remote. It is worth keeping in mind, though, that the response from a remote might not be really fast enough to dodge that imp's fireball before it hits us in the face.
The mod has been tested only with the original shareware version of Doom, but any other wad files that does not modify levels or difficulty should work as well. The modder is promising quality of life features on the way such as shiny color graphics, auto map support, and even a edges-only render mode.