Doom delivers five minutes of terminal violence on an IBM mainframe
Browser demo renders the classic shooter in ASCII, with no login required and considerable squinting encouraged
IBM's Z mainframe can run the classic first-person shooter game Doom in a text-based format, according to WND Software's browser demo. The game is played on the mainframe through SSH using a terminal emulator called DOOM-ASCII. The ASCII-based version replaces conventional graphics with colored characters, and while it lacks sound, it is still completely playable.
Players are limited to five-minute sessions and can connect to the game through up to 50 simultaneous users. Running Doom on an IBM Z mainframe is technically impressive, but playing it through a text terminal is the more entertaining achievement. This text-based version of Doom is reminiscent of the original shareware release the reporter played on an Amstrad ALT386SX portable.
The game's code has been adapted for various systems, including databases, PCB designers, and even the Pi Pico. While using a terminal emulator to play Doom on IBM Z and LinuxONE is an innovative demonstration of software capabilities, it may be an example of masochistic entertainment.
Written by urgent.news from The Register Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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