Source code for Lobotomy Software’s FPS game engine for Saturn: Slavedriver, uploaded online as open source code

In a rather unexpected move, the source code of the Slavedriver game engine, developed by Lobotomy Software for use with the games they developed for the Sega Saturn, has been uploaded to Github and the Internet Archive as open source code.

Lobotomy Software first used this engine to create their own original FPS game, Powerslave (Known as Exhumed in Europe), and used a modified version of the same engine to create the Saturn ports of Duke Nukem 3D and Quake, both legendary classic FPS titles for MS-DOS which ended up also being reputable games on Saturn. Lobotomy since closed their doors in 1999, so the group responsible for uploading the code from this engine goes by “Lobotomy Software Open Source Group” and consists of an unknown party. For what it’s worth, they claim to have the blessing of Ezra Dreisbach, who was the main programmer for Lobotomy’s 3 Saturn FPS titles and seems to have left the video game industry behind him after last being credited for the Xbox 360 port of Death Tank, a game he previously designed for Saturn and hid within Saturn copies of Powerslave and Duke Nukem 3D.

It’s important to stress that only the engine code has been uploaded online, and it’s the 1996 version of the engine that was used for Powerslave, not the amended version used on Duke Nukem 3D or Quake, which both came out the next year. None of the assets from any of those three games are included. The engine is available now under GNU General Public License 3.0, which basically allows anyone to look at, share, and modify the code to their heart’s content. You’re also allowed to share any modifications you make to it.

For more info, including the perspective of experienced Saturn homebrew developers whom you would think this engine code would be a huge boon for, check in after the break.

According to some experienced Saturn homebrew developers, the Slavedriver engine is actually not as useful to them as you might think. While Slavedriver is a nicely put together game engine for its time, you won’t be able to make much practical use of it without any of the tools and hardware Lobotomy Software, and most other Saturn developers, had access to back in the day. Much of that hardware is over 30 years old now and is guaranteed to be outdated, hard to come by, and potentially in disrepair. Other tools that Lobotomy Software had that worked in tandem with their engine, such as map and audio editors and 3D modeling programs, are also not included, and the engine may only work with file formats that are not in widespread use anymore, at least in its current form. The modern homebrew software made for the sole purpose of making or aiding in the development of Saturn games today, such as Saturn Ring Library, is designed to run on most readily available modern computers including the ones you and I have at home, and is more compliant with modern file formats and programming languages.

While someone can, in theory, make an all-new original homebrew FPS with this engine, homebrew developers agree that this engine’s use lies in educational purposes. Now that the whole source code is available for all to see, developers are free to observe the code to see how Lobotomy’s programmers made clever use of the Saturn hardware. From this, they can gleam how certain aspects of Powerslave were designed and why. It may even be useful in influencing the development of other homebrew Saturn games or tools. In that respect, we are still better off now that Slavedriver’s code is preserved.

Special thanks goes to our friends at Sega Saturn Shiro! for, not only reporting on this news, but for also getting input from Saturn game developers in their article. Better to hear from them directly than to assume as non-developers ourselves. We also want to extend our thanks to this “Lobotomy Software Open Source Group” for sharing the Slavedriver engine with the world.

What do you think about the release of this historic game engine? Are you, perhaps, a game developer who’d like to give us their two cents about the engine’s release? Were you a fan of either of Lobotomy Software’s games on the Saturn? Let us know in the comments below.

On a related note, if you’re interested in playing Powerslave today, the game is available now on modern platforms in a new, enhanced form called “Powerslave Exhumed”, developed by Nightdive Studios, and I highly recommend it.

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