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The "Microsoft-less" edition continues

Last year during this time I missed out in playing Doom 3: BFG Edition. That was mostly because I ended up using that money to buy physical copies of Fatal Frame and Fatal Frame II for PS2. Though I did make up for it by putting the original Xbox versions of Doom 3 and Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil on my list last year, I still felt a little bad that I didn’t put Doom 3: BFG Edition on the list instead. So I figured I’d give the Doom series another go this year and choose a title that is most unique to the situation. But which one I thought? Doom has seen releases on various consoles over the years so the list of which game to choose was daunting. I originally thought perhaps I should try a ROM version of Doom on PSP or the actual Doom II release on GBA.  Then I held back and thought why not choose a digital release than a physical copy? At first I thought that was a good idea, thus weeding out possible candidates that have been chosen before in past lists. But then I noticed that there was one Doom game that hasn’t received an official digital release. And given that I chose another game in this particular format for this list I figured I’d give this version of Doom its moment this year. So with that said here’s game choice for 2013, game #8: Doom 64 on the Nintendo 64.

I remember playing this game on my cousin’s N64 right after I got done trying to play the SNES version of the first Doom. During that time all I had known about Doom was on that SNES cart. But when I saw this version of Doom, reworked for the N64, I wasn’t prepared for what it had in store for me.  For those not in the know, Doom 64 (actually titled Doom in-game) was originally intended as the continuation of Doom II back on the PC. The story goes that after all the events that transpired in Doom II it was believed that the demonic threat had been destroyed after Mars’ moons had been bombarded. At first people thought the demons were finished but then the military noticed that something survived the bombardment. That something was then also resurrecting all the demons originally defeated, thus raising an even more powerful army of demonic proportions. The military once again decides to send in the marines and just like before in the original doom all but one survived. You can guess who you play as…

 So what’s good about this game, besides it being the only Doom game not to see an “official” digital release (Really? Why has this not been on XBLA/PSN/VC?) , it was the first Doom title to get a major overhaul for the system it was based on. Practically every single item saw an upgrade in this release. Weapons, demons, levels, lighting, sound, all of it saw changes to make the most out of the N64 hardware. Though there were some limitations (like the omission of certain enemies) the Doom engine saw changes to help make these changes possible. The funny thing is that despite this game coming out on the N64 most of the features from this game actually carried over to Doom 3 itself. Features like tripwires, enemies spawning in midair and specific lighting effects could be traced back to Doom 64. Even the weapon reworking’s could be chalked up to that change, though I don’t recall if each weapon from both games had specific feels of recoil. But what made this game the best was the atmosphere it generated. Unlike other titles before it Doom 64 makes the most of the N64 hardware by creating more advanced atmospheric colored lighting and special effects like actual sky animation, fog and lightening. It even went one step further by having a unique, ambient/horror soundtrack unlike the usual music found in prior Doom games along with higher-quality sound effects, sound effects that were used in the PlayStation release of Doom. Though I’m sure many of us out there used our own personal soundtracks when we played Doom (like Slayer) it was a nice change of pace to play a Doom title that fit the horror mood.

 

So what’s the downside to this title since it’s at #8? Well surprising not that much. This game is still pretty solid despite its age. It plays well; it keeps with the old Doom formula with no jumping, side strafing, and standard level affair with 32 new levels. What makes this game different to get a handle on is the small things. The camera angle instead of being at eye view is now at the waist, which gives enemies a bigger look. I found the controls hard to get use to after playing the new versions of Doom, along with the XBLA/PSN re-releases of Doom/Doom II, with newer game controllers. The lack of force feedback due to the N64’s controller requiring a rumble pak was also disappointing. I also found it very hard to determine what a door was and what a wall was. This made trying to find the next area in any stage harder to find, let alone secret areas. The levels were better detailed but at the same time it just made it harder to figure out what was actually a door. None of these small changes really hurt or help the game exactly, but it does give this version of Doom a different feel that is something that someone should experience.

 It’s not exactly like the original Doom or even Final Doom, but at the same time this game isn’t exactly like Doom 3 after it. It plays similar to the Doom we’ve all come to love yet at the same time it feels different enough for it to almost be its own game (Doom 64 original title was “The Absolution”). What makes this game special is the mood it sets for any Halloween gaming night. It puts enough into the game to give it a survival horror feel and at the same time keeps you worried about rounding that next corner. You can still run and gun like you use to with any Doom title but at the same time you have to watch yourself or else you’ll be knee deep in the dead. It may not be enough to rate this game any higher on the list but it doesn’t lower it either. Plus Nintendo finally gets rid of it's squeemishness and finally allows the satanic imagery.

 

Though it might be hard for some to play this game, with the lack of N64 hardware, the game itself isn’t hard to find. I found my copy of this game, cart only, for only $14. With smart shopping finding an N64 shouldn’t run over $20. Doom 64 was cheap enough that I was able to get two more titles in a “buy 2 get one 1 free” sale. And yes you will be seeing one of those titles on this list this year soon…

 Perhaps one day we might see a “official” release of Doom 64. But for now I can make due with the original this Octoberween. It may be hard to get into given the advances in technology, yet it is still able to deliver on the scares like prior games in the series.

My Top 11 Halloween Games for 2013

#11) Resistance Retribution – PSP: $8 used.

#10) The X-Files Video Game – PSOne: $10 used.

#09) Corpse Killer – Sega CD 32X: $14 used.

#08) Doom 64 – Nintendo 64: $14 used.