Welcome to another edition of Retro Corner and its obvious I have gotten into the craze of the Doom series. In this edition, I'll take a look at Doom 64, a system exclusive to the N64 that came out in March 1997. Doom 64, unlike the original Super NES version, wasn't a port of Doom II or Final Doom from the PC but a sequel to those titles instead. It was also among the first FPSs to arrive on the N64 before GoldenEye came out that year. The theme this time is about the UAC Corporation fearing that the spawns of Hell might have risen so they send a satellite to their original bases in space. Taking precautions, the UAC bombs their original bases in hopes that this would end the spawns of Hell. However, a new threat has appeared and resurrected all the demons that were once dead. They, of course, send the lone Space Marine (Doomslayer who a couple of times eradicated these monsters) to the UAC's bases in hopes of ending the terror once and for all. Gameplay Doom 64 plays like its predecessors as you move through each level gunning down demons and collecting items. All 32 maps are originally designed from the ground up and are not taken from any previous entries. There isn't much innovation as it's the Doom formula since the first game. The player collects items like ammo or key cards and activates switches and platforms to progress. Just because the core gameplay didn't improve the genre still doesn't hinder the enjoyment. The weapons saw an improvement as they are much more impactful than they ever were at the time. The Unmaker is presumably the best weapon the series had during the 90's. Of course, to see the weapon's true power, the player will need to find three demon keys for it to become truly devastating. At first, the level design is simple but through your progression, it gets intricate later on as you must avoid traps. These traps are not just enemies appearing as an ambush once triggered but projectiles shooting out of walls and structures. It wasn't the best concept for the level design but this at least added a good layer of challenge. Unfortunately, Doom 64 shows how limited it was when compared to other FPSs that came out that year like Turok. For starters, the player can't move up, down, or in an angled direction. They can only move forward or backward at straight angles. By 1997, Acclaim along with Rare took the FPS genre further by letting the players control the characters at any angle using the Analog Stick. It's the reason Turok, and GoldenEye became critically acclaimed that year. The problem with this game is it was the same gameplay as the original Doom. The level design structure of activating switches and finding keycards to progress is all too similar to the formula. These are also used in Turok and Golden Eye as well but the player also had other objectives that required additional skill to complete the missions. In GoldenEye, if the player picks Double Agent (hard mode) then, they need to complete other objectives based on skill. However, when choosing I Own Doom and Watch Me Die!, the only difference is there are more enemies that move faster. The enemy tactics are the same by either charging at you or throwing projectiles. The FPS genre on PC moved away from this A.I. in 1996 and even more so in the late 90's. The enemy A.I. is no different than it was in 1993 as that is what happens when you play it safe. Rating: 8.3/10 Graphics/Presentation As the industry went into the Fifth Gen, many expectations rose about how they would take the graphics further. Id would use the Doom Engine once again and completely modifying it for this game. The sprites are given an updated art style as their models are more detailed compared to the earlier installments. To make them broader, Id placed the viewpoint at shoulder level and not at the eyes. It was still impressive to see these sprites receive an upgrade considering there was no way the previous art style would've worked. The atmosphere was a step away from the action-packed attitude Doom was always known for. In its place was a horror theme atmosphere filled with dark environments that generated a feeling of isolation. It definitely was an awesome changeup as the horror theme demonstrated a sense of unease. As you went further into the game, the environments become darker, especially when encountering the Satanic Symbolism. It's like you didn't know what was waiting behind any door, a dark corridor, or a corner. Id obviously took notes from Quake a year earlier as the gothic nature with the Lovecraftian style helped bring the levels and demons to life. When getting to the levels of Hell, it truly felt like you were there with the architect of the temple structures being dark. The soundtrack was very different from the rock theme music in the previous games. The OST would combine a Zen style with eerie and dark themes which allowed the environments to have this horror vibe. There wasn't one time I venture through these levels when the song picked up in pitches and would echo. It felt like something was coming towards me and in a moment I was going to get cornered. The sound was fantastic for the enemies as they truly sounded monstrous this time. Their roars even echo through the levels so much that at times I would turn around quickly thinking they were a few feet away from me again. The sound effects are a thing of beauty as they are vivid and continued to add the horror vibe. It's evident that Id would take this horror concept into the later games such as with Doom 3. I honestly find the concept interesting that this entry is where Id had captured the idea from in order to further the series. Of course, despite Id's successful efforts in creating Doom with horror environments. By 1997, the Doom Engine was showing its age as many developers by the late 90's didn't have to digitize live actors and 3D models anymore. The reason Rare and Acclaim use this style is that the 3D technology was expensive for these studios even during the mid 90's. In retrospect, think of digitizing software as a middle ground between 2D and 3D graphics. The problem is how does Doom 64 stack up to the later FPS titles that year. The answer is it doesn't and Turok and Golden Eye had 3D graphics to render the environments and characters. You can't expect to use 2D sprites with digitized models and environments on a powerful next-gen console. What I don't understand is why Midway Games didn't use the Quake Engine which was an actual 3D program. I can only assume they were trying to avoid the issues of the original Doom on Super NES. Regardless if Id played it safe using the Doom Engine, the graphics are brilliantly designed. Rating: 8.8/10 Features/Content Unlike the previous Doom experience from the Super NES port, N64 owners now have the luxury of 32 maps in their entirety. The content wasn't cut from development unless you count the Revenants, Commandos, and Arch-Viles not getting added. There are 25 regular levels, four secret stages, and three fun maps to mess around. It feels like we finally got the full content this time that was missing on the Super NES. Now, what is a Doom experience without secrets as they return once again. The challenge of finding them is about the same as the original Doom. The player will need to observe nearly everything even when it's not out of place to find hidden rooms, items, and secret exits. The player also needs to time getting to these secrets and couldn't waste a single second or miss it completely. Another plus comes from the password as you can use the feature to unlock the cheat menu. That was something the Super NES port of the first entry completely missed and it's amazing to have this available. The cheat code was a perfect nod to the Fourth Generation games, making this the last generation to have such features as the rule. The only thing I had issues with were either using the dreaded 16 letter password system or there wasn't a battery pack. By the Fifth Gen, game cartridges on the N64 should have this as a standard and there is no excuse. Of course, the game does support an N64 memory card but how many exactly had one? It's not like the PS1 where you're required to have one to save data from 90% of the library. Most of the N64 titles used that save feature especially from the bigger titles like Super Mario 64 and GoldenEye. Its obvious Midway could have afforded a battery pack especially when they were pretty big at the time. There is no excuse for this because the game wasn't on PS1 where the players needed a memory card. It also doesn't help that by 1997 a developer was still using a 16 letter password system. It wouldn't have killed Midway to include such a feature that many of the bigger titles had in their carts. Rating: 8.5/10 Final Rating Doom 64 is diffidently an underrated gem for both the console and the series as it tried something new. The gameplay was about the same with nothing added aside a new trap system of shooting projectiles. The controls are the same with no improved or tweaked features (you can't aim or look at an angle) but gunning down enemies and collecting items. The gameplay was still fun because it's a true and tried formula for Id to use when the series is known for its gun and run attitude. The lovecraftian style for the graphics provided a brand new atmosphere for Doom. The environments are the darkest they have ever been for Doom in the 90's. The character models even though are still rendered as 2D sprites saw an upgrade in their artstyle. They are much broader and have more detail depicting gruesome monsters from Hell. The issues with this entry are from using the Doom Engine that was showing its age by 1997. Id should have used some aspects of the Quake Engine as I'm sure the N64 could handle downgraded detail. There was more content to go around this time with 32 maps and a cheat code system unlocked by imputing a unique password. Nevertheless, that was a double edge sword as Id thought it was a brilliant idea to use the dreaded 16 letter password. It was either use the awful save system or shell out money for a $30 memory card. The fourth game had its issues, but it definitely was a unique experience, an obvious prelude to Doom 3. Gameplay: 8.3/10 Graphics/Presentation: 8.8/10 Features/Content: 8.5/10 Final Rating: 8.6/10 Great
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Retro Gamer has over 25 years of gaming experience and played many classics since the Golden Age. She has been an avid fan since the day the NES graced her life and changed it forever.
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