Doom II (Tapwave Zodiac review)

Developer: MachineWorks Northwest
Publisher: id Software
Released: 2004

Doom II is a first-person shooter and a handheld port of the 1994 MS-DOS game.

There's 32 levels (broken down into three episodes) and you must descend into the depths of Hell in order to save Earth from the forces of the netherworld. As per the original Doom (1993, MS-DOS), the premise is usually to locate coloured keys to open locked doors and eventually reach the exit. The game does a terrific job of creating ridiculously intense sequences, and while some of this is built on jump scares (e.g enemies appearing directly behind an opening door) it also comes from the creepy sound design where you can hear ominous creatures lurking around the environment before you actually see them. The action is furiously paced with no slowdown and the button layout on the Tapwave Zodiac works well, particularly the shoulder buttons for quick strafing. However, attempting to turn 180° is occasionally tricky, as the console's analog stick tends to overcompensate by over-steering on the horizontal axis. Also, the scenery can be incredibly dark at times with walls and textures becoming very pixelated, leaving you with no choice but to blindly walk into perilous territory. The level design is top-notch though and while you're usually on fetch quests for coloured keys it never feels like a chore due to the intriguing layouts, clever enemy placement and multitude of secret passages for you to locate. The puzzles are great fun too and help to slow down the pace to rebuild the tension and anticipation of the next battle. There's not much innovation though when compared to the original Doom and it's a shame that there's only one new weapon, that being the Super Shotgun; it's extremely powerful though and comes in handy for dispatching multiple monsters in quick succession.

Doom II doesn't do a great deal to advance the series, but its sublime level design, huge maps and wealth of content offer plenty of reasons to jump in. This Zodiac version is an impressive port that includes all of the levels from the MS-DOS original and despite some minor issues with the controls it runs almost flawlessly.

Random trivia: An in-game keyboard can be accessed for cheat codes by pressing a certain button combination.

Doom (32X review)

Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1994

Doom is a first-person shooter and one of the launch titles for Sega's 32X add-on (alongside Star Wars Arcade).

The object in most levels to locate coloured keys to open locked doors and eventually reach the exit. Unlike other home console ports that have 22+ levels this 32X version only has a measly 17. To make things worse the last two are only accessible if you play through the whole game in one sitting without using any cheats or the level select feature on the Main Menu. The action moves along at a snappy pace but the play area doesn't take up the full screen, likely due to performance issues. Instead the window is cropped and a horrible stone border covers the edges. All the usual weapons are available including a shotgun, a rocket launcher, a chain gun and a chainsaw. For some bizarre reason the shotgun has a ridiculous range and firing from a distance is akin to using a highly effective sniper rifle! Unless you have a 6 button Mega Drive controller you'll need to hold both Start and C to switch weapons which is a bit cumbersome and not conducive to split-second strategy. You can definitely tell that development time was rushed as I encountered major bugs including the game locking up twice and displaying a 'Bus Error'. There's also a fair bit of slowdown, a frame-rate that ranges from useable to almost unplayable and textures that sometimes fail to load entirely! The graphics are very pixelated and at times it's difficult to see whether the object in the distance is an enemy or part of the scenery.  The music isn't as good as the SNES version but it's much punchier than the puny tunes featured in the Atari Jaguar port.

Doom on the 32X comes across as a rushed port that was released early just so it could be part of the launch line-up. It's possible to forgive the small gameplay window but the number of serious bugs make it hard to recommend over the more polished and feature-rich Atari Jaguar and PS1 versions.

Random trivia: If you use the level select feature or input a cheat it's impossible to see the real ending. Instead the credits roll after Level 15 and the game hangs at a DOS prompt with the word DOOM!

Doom (Atari Jaguar review)

Developer: id Software
Publisher: Atari
Released: 1994

Doom is a first-person shooter that was released on MS-DOS a year after id Software's ground-breaking Wolfenstein 3D.

This Jaguar port consists of 24 levels and the premise is usually to locate coloured keys to open locked doors and eventually reach the exit. Unlike some other versions (3DO, 32X, SNES) this one features a full screen mode meaning the play area isn't cropped. While the Jaguar controller isn't particularly comfortable it does have one advantage. Instead of having to slowly cycle through weapons using a single button you can use the numbered keys on the bottom of the controller; each has an assigned weapon and if you have the overlay you can quickly tap the one you require. This is great as it allows you to make split second decisions against some of the tougher enemies. Each level is expertly designed (not to mention creepy!) and the further you advance the maps get more maze-like. Like Wolfenstein 3D there are tons of secret areas to locate that house extra weapons, armor and health. There are also a few boss battles that take place in large arenas; they're a nice change of pace and due to the amount of bullets required to kill them you'll have to use strategy instead of firing at will. The range of weapons is excellent and includes rocket launchers, shotguns and a chainsaw. Although the game is perfectly playable, the frame-rate is choppy and as a result you'll sometimes have to wrestle with the controls to line up with an enemy or a switch. There's no music during the gameplay and it leaves the experience feeling rather lifeless. There are some tracks once you finish a level but they sound awful and worse than the 32X version!

The definitive version of Doom is probably on the PS1 (1995) but this port is still very respectable. It does have some minor issues with the frame-rate and lack of music but the gameplay is still just as gripping and the lengthy campaign will have you playing for a while.

Random trivia: The reason for the lack of in-game music is that the Jaguar's DSP chip had to be used for a number of things such as collision detection. Attempting to play tracks during gameplay would have interfered with these other functions.

Wolfenstein 3D (3DO review)

Developer: MacPlay
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment
Released: 1995

Wolfenstein 3D is the Granddaddy of First Person Shooters and was originally released on the PC operating system DOS in 1992.

Unlike the SNES port there's no censorship here; you'll see swastikas everywhere as well as accurate representations of Adolf Hitler on the walls. Similar to Doom, your task is to locate the exit to each level; this involves tracking down the right coloured key to gain access to particular doors. The game can get very maze-like and it's easy to get disorientated if you don't keep track of your surroundings. You can access a map but I felt it wasn't detailed enough for backtracking. There's a good range of weapons on offer including a Pistol, Chain Gun and Rocket Launcher; the latter can take out several enemies in a row but the only problem is that it sometimes hits an open door instead of the person you're firing at! The game has a lengthy campaign and the addition of a save game feature is handy, especially as it saves your weapons and ammo. The shoulder buttons on the 3DO controller are fantastic for strafing and work much better than other ports where you need to hold down a separate button and use the d-pad. My main criticism is that the game can get quite repetitive and although there are end of episode bosses there's nothing to really break up the action. Even the stealth elements from the DOS version were removed (meaning enemies always face your direction) and there's not as much strategy involved. Still, the final battle with Hitler is genuinely tense and nerve-wracking! The music (which is exclusive to the 3DO) has a cinematic feel which ramps up the intensity and the voice samples give real personality to the action.

Despite its age Wolfenstein 3D still plays remarkably well and it has tons of secrets for those who want to explore. The controls are perfect and this 3DO version is definitely one of the best ports of id Software's classic FPS.

Random trivia: Early development versions of the original Wolfenstein 3D featured more stealth mechanics such as allowing you to wear enemy outfits and dragging dead bodies. Sadly, they were removed from the final game as the developers felt they slowed down the pace too much.