DOOM

Absolutely brilliant!! Written by Team Eternal who have since gone on to join the Doom über-collective, Team TNT.

Eternal III is a complete 32-level episode of Doom II, and even includes a good idea for the story line (I always like to know why I'm chain-sawing the demons). Well worth the download time (it's a big archive) so visit the Team TNT site and find those FTP mirrors.

Hmmm... This is going to start sounding like an advert for Team TNT now but these are the Final Doom levels. I first played them on the PlayStation, where it was shockingly watered down (a real shame considering how good Doom I and II were), and then when I played them on the PC in their full 32-level glory I was close to tears... But then again it was the first time I'd run across the Arch-Vile!

By Mattias Berggren, Ola Bjorling, Pedro A. Gomez Blanco, Jonas Feragen, Martin Friberg, Yashar Garibzadeh, Grave, Eugene Kapustin, Derek MacDonald, Andy Olivera, Michael Reid, Eric James Roberts, Mike Watson, Sam Woodman.

The most fantastic slab of megawad DOOM I've played in many a year, and the closest I've come shrieking like a wuss since Resident Evil 2. Extremely vicious though... I had to, cough, play it on Not too rough... You will struggle until you get some decent heavy weaponry.

I must make special mention of the castle level -- lovely level design. And on the Dis remake. Well, all of them really. Like to know which bugger came up with the Siege level though.

Nice consistent feel to it too -- really feels likes you have travelled through Hell and kicked the demon's bottom with your comfortable and functional Marine footwear.

Written by Keith Phipps.

And this is what a WAD file should be like -- big, reasonably challenging without being stupid and a consistent feel and story-line. Also deserves a mention for the best designed city level I've ever seen done so far with the Doom engine.

...which doesn't think that the idea of fun in Doom is to be confronted by 20 Cacodaemons as soon as you start the game with your pistol, completely ruining any tension.

Well, unless there's some nice puzzle around such viciousness. Or of course its purposefully vicious, but in a nice way like half way through when you're properly tooled up -- like the 2nd secret levels in The Plutonia Experiment. Perhaps just about my favourite Doom level on Ultra Violence.

It's always been my ambition to come up with my own decent-ish Doom II episode... And it'll remain so at this rate.

Anyway, I have finally started on a full Doom II episode for ZDoom, now I've got hold of Doom Builder.

Still won't be any good, mind!

My first foray into the world of the Doomed. Considering the restrictions of it being a cartridge game and that it was the first console version, it was very well done, though the lighting effects were missing and some of the monsters made none appearances. Least it left a few surprises for later on...

Still one of my favourite versions, and the first CD I bought for my new grey box.

It added new lighting and transparency effects, and the sound effects and music were absolutely awesome! One of the soundtracks had long drawn out string chords and people crying, until suddenly you hear a baby crying too -- very spooky. Oh, and extra special credit must go to the animated backdrop for the Hell levels in Doom I -- you really felt as if the TV was getting hotter the deeper into Hell you fought.

Also after playing the Jaguar version the Cyberdemon was a terrifying surprise. Especially the way it introduced itself by you hearing the heavy mechanical footsteps and wondering what in Hell it was.

Another feather in it's cap was that it is Doom I -- Thy Flesh Consumed along with Doom II (minus a few monsters). Plus if you played on Ultra Violence you got Doom II monsters in Doom, which was nice.

Loved it at the time, but on reflection was weak compared to the PC version (at which time I'd still never played). Especially when the back of the box said "two new 32-level episodes", when in fact there was only 25 levels in the PlayStation version.

That was probably sensible though -- on the PlayStation you could only save at the end of levels and some of the Plutonia levels would have frankly had you kicking the TV in. Also some of the earlier levels were actually from the Master Levels rather than Plutonia or Evilution.

My first foray into the world of PC Doom, and the first CD I bought for my brand spanking new PC. This was the first time I met an Arch-Vile too and it didn't half confuse me (at the time I didn't know that the PlayStation Doom was slightly incomplete).

Not to mention getting the proper Doom II style 'Demon Head' ending that isn't on the PlayStation and came as a surprise. Even if I still can't defeat any of those Demon Heads without cheating (aside from Eternal III's -- thanks lads!)

I must be in one of the minority as I really liked this. Some of the new levels were very good (the game was all new levels). The redesigned monsters apart from the Demons and Spectres were pants, though, frankly. Shame really, as using the N64 smoothing hardware actually made the sprites look pretty good close up too.

I thought I may as well get this for old times sake. Wasn't half a surprise to find how the episodes worked though -- all the console versions just run the levels as one long episode, like Doom II.

It is remarkable how bare Doom I looks next to Doom II now though -- all those extra monster types don't half make a huge difference.

Again, another 'for old times sake' purchase on budget. I also mainly got it as Doom II WADs don't work with the Final Doom master WAD files (though I have since found they do with one of them -- trust me to try the wrong one).

Though I did also play through it, "just to make sure it works".

I managed to buy Doom II cheap again just so I could get the Master Levels CD (along with 3000 other levels). What was partially disappointing was that they didn't take the chance to merge the Master Levels into a big WAD, rather than having to play individual levels at a time... Shame really, and considering the quality of levels a missed opportunity.

And bizarrely, late into 2002 I come back full circle and end up with a cartridge version of Doom. This is basically the Jaguar version, but on a very small screen (try playing on the Gamecube GBA Player to get real eye-ache).

The only annoyance (and a bloody big one) was the control. I always preferred using a button for strafe, rather than shoulder buttons. And as the buttons were dual use, it was hard to get a combination I was happy with. I mean, not being able to strafe through doors without closing the bloody things!

Still, apparently there are high hopes for GBA Doom II...

Bugger, that was a disappointment...

Well, it was very good while I was playing but once I finished I felt no urge to go back. Which probably explains why I'm playing Plutonia on UV (MAP32 -- I want your children) instead.

Yes, I know I shouldn't have done after being disappointed with the PC version, but it was looking very slinky in the metal box they use for the special edition...

And by crikey -- am I glad I did!

I found it so much more enjoyable on the Xbox it's silly. The frame rate is really good and they've trimmed some of the levels a bit (to their improvement in my humble opinion). Missed a couple of sections from the PC, but nothing worth sacrificing the rest of the improvements on a bloodied altar for.

And just that slight touch of auto-aim made it so much better.

The only fly in the ointment is the versions of Doom I and II supplied with it. Totally authentic, but the weapon selection stinks and even worse there's no way of switching off the damned music. It's just not on saving the world to an awful choice of music.