Final Doom on PS3 - controller issues

[jamesj711]

Hi Guys, I recently got a PS3 just so I could play Final Doom, as I love the old version and couldn't get it on Xbox. 

 

So I'm finding it hard to play, as only the d-pad works for movement and the controller sticks don't do anything. Am so used to just going in any direction with the sticks! The d-pad won't let me go left or right without using strafe and it sucks big time.

 

Is that just the way the game is, or can I get the controller sticks working?

[Boaby Kenobi]

Is it that actual PlayStation version you're using or the PSN port of PC Doom? If you can only use the d-pad then it sounds like it's the PS version of Final Doom which doesn't support using the analogue sticks. You can use the official PS mouse though if you have one.

[Dark Pulse]

9 hours ago, jamesj711 said:

Hi Guys, I recently got a PS3 just so I could play Final Doom, as I love the old version and couldn't get it on Xbox. 

 

So I'm finding it hard to play, as only the d-pad works for movement and the controller sticks don't do anything. Am so used to just going in any direction with the sticks! The d-pad won't let me go left or right without using strafe and it sucks big time.

 

Is that just the way the game is, or can I get the controller sticks working?

Final Doom on PS1 came out before the Dual Analog Controller, much less the DualShock, existed. You'll simply have to get used to using the D-Pad.

 

That said, a common control scheme in that era was to use Up/Down to move forward/back, and L1/R1 for strafing left/right, with left/right on the D-Pad being for turning.

 

It does, however, support the PlayStation Mouse, on the 0.0000000001% chance you have one, and that you could get the PS3 to recognize it somehow.

Edited June 18, 2021 by Dark Pulse

[OldDoomer]

Yeah the PS1 ports can be a bit of a shock for people that didn't play them or remember how they played. There never was analog support, so it's down to D-pad and the top buttons. A few things:

 

I use what Dark Pulse mentioned, but I also change Run to X, Attack to Square, Open/Use to O, and the "Strafe" button to Triangle (You do not have to press Strafe to strafe). I used this setup since the day I got PS1 Doom back in '95. What this allows you to do is rest your thumb mid-ways on X to run, then press it to attack, while slightly rolling it to the right to activate doors or switches. To effectively strafe, you're holding X anyways, so if you need to circle-strafe right you hold R1 and press Left on the D-pad, and vise versa for the other direction (go left, hold L1 and press Right). It might take you a bit to get it down, but when you do you can strafe quite decently even on the larger levels that may exhibit some slow down on the PS1 hardware

 

Another key circumstance to point out that you may not know or didn't read is that you can cycle weapons with the game paused - a "feature" of sorts on the PS1 as you historically weren't able to effectively cycle weapons on Doom console ports. So don't focus on a button scheme that's heavy on weapon manipulation. When paused, you can cycle weapons forward or backwards for whatever weapons you have on hand. When you resume, you'll still get the lower/raise animations but you'll jump to whichever weapon you selected. Really effective if you enter a room and need to quickly cycle to a more appropriate firearm that isn't the shotgun or SS that you've likely been using for most of the game. Due to this, I leave weapons cycling default L2/R2.

 

I wouldn't try doing anything adventurous such as using all four of the top buttons to Strafe and turn Left/Right as that leaves the D-pad's Left/Right open for something like weapons cycling, and you don't want that when you're left thumb is going forward and back.

[Dark Pulse]

2 hours ago, OldDoomer said:

I use what Dark Pulse mentioned, but I also change Run to X, Attack to Square, Open/Use to O, and the "Strafe" button to Triangle (You do not have to press Strafe to strafe). I used this setup since the day I got PS1 Doom back in '95. What this allows you to do is rest your thumb mid-ways on X to run, then press it to attack, while slightly rolling it to the right to activate doors or switches. To effectively strafe, you're holding X anyways, so if you need to circle-strafe right you hold R1 and press Left on the D-pad, and vise versa for the other direction (go left, hold L1 and press Right). It might take you a bit to get it down, but when you do you can strafe quite decently even on the larger levels that may exhibit some slow down on the PS1 hardware

This is actually exactly how I set up my controls as well.

[jamesj711]

Curses, I guessed as much (that sticks weren't supported), but just wanted to confirm.

 

Thanks guys for your responses.

 

@OldDoomer - I will give your suggestions a go, thanks. 

 

And if I can't get on with that, I guess I just have to cross my fingers and wait for the FD Xbox port to come out - https://www.xboxachievements.com/news/news-34521-doom-doom-ii-on-xbox-one-to-get-final-doom-and-sigil-for-free.html

[Eurisko]

I played the PSX version of Final Doom a few years back and maaaaan, yeah those controlls are a shocker. You can re-map the buttons but there is no way to save them so you have to do it every time.

 

I know that Doom classic complete was on PS3, is that not available anymore? or did they scrap it after the Unity ports were released like they did with the original XBLA ports of Doom 1+2?

[Alexo]

2 hours ago, Eurisko said:

I played the PSX version of Final Doom a few years back and maaaaan, yeah those controlls are a shocker. You can re-map the buttons but there is no way to save them so you have to do it every time.

 

I know that Doom classic complete was on PS3, is that not available anymore? or did they scrap it after the Unity ports were released like they did with the original XBLA ports of Doom 1+2?

 

Yes unfortunately classic complete was delisted. You can still get Doom 1 and Doom 2 on the BFG edition for PS3. These run the same as classic complete, and offer the same in game leaderboard also. But Final Doom is now considered a "Lost port", unless you have a PS3 that installed in before it was delisted.

Edited June 19, 2021 by Alexo

[Dark Pulse]

9 hours ago, Alexo said:

But Final Doom is now considered a "Lost port", unless you have a PS3 that installed in before it was delisted.

Or a jailbroken PS3, then you can find it on some torrent sites. But at that point we're getting into very shady legality.

[Muusi]

To be clear you can still download Classic Complete if you bought it back then.

[Boyes1989]

I actually really like the PSX D-pad/Shoulder button combo. Mind you, I played that version way back in the day. I get why some players might not enjoy it, if they're used to dual analogue, but it's second nature to me.