If some of you don't know but this is how PS1 games got packaged like in its first year. Its interesting how Sony used a similar jewel box design from Sega who used a rectangle casing for the Sega CD and Saturn titles. Even though the box art depicts the Doom Slayer wrong the cover still looks badass. Welcome to Monday’s Retro Corner Reviews and we check out a unique version of the original Doom games on PS1. It wasn’t often to find FPSs on PS1 considering that the Fighting and RPG genres dominated the console. It was usually for the Nintendo 64 to have these as FPSs dominated that system next to the platformer and adventure genres. I find this surprising how the PS1 version saw its development and they choose a horror theme instead. It’s no secret that the other versions (except on Sega Saturn) always had the run and gun attitude as seen even in its soundtrack. However, the series in general reflects the horror concept better which we all know lead to Doom 64 and Doom 3. The PS1 port is in fact the first two releases on PC and includes two games of Ultimate Doom (that has Thy Flesh Consumed) and Doom II. Gameplay The PS1 port didn’t see any changes to its core gameplay and level design compared to other consoles and PC versions. Through each map has the player mowed down undead and demonic beings while collecting armor and weapons. The key goal is to reach the end of the level and in your way are several locked doors and finding colored keys to unlocking them. It’s hard to play the early 90s FPSs due to how spoiled we have gotten ever since Metroid Prime and Halo saw their releases in the 2000s. There are no jumping mechanics, nor do you have the function of moving the viewpoint or aiming a gun in any direction. It's simply shooting at a single height regardless how low the player stands when firing at an enemy. All episodes from the first title are all here while only Doom 2’s levels got included as well. I haven’t noticed any changes in the level design and basically, it’s the PC version on PS1. It’s one thing to note that the frame rate runs decently thanks to the PS1’s 32-bit hardware. The biggest issue with these ports has always been the frame rate as seen by Super NES and worse with the 3DO. It’s great to come across a port of these titles that runs smooth without any second delays in doing anything. After playing Brutal Doom that had modern FPS mechanics and updated features not found on the vanilla game, it’s hard to go back to simpler controls. Probably the best feature is playing on the Ultra-Violent difficulty as this mode enables Doom II monsters to appear in the first game’s stages. The level in the image is one of the secret stages that's found later on. As you can tell the level design is basically corridors with some larger closed areas. It clear that the genre would evolve from this basic format later through the generation with Turok and Rare's Golden Eye and Perfect Dark. I also love the lighting use in these levels as the torches and dark colored lighted rooms gave that perfect horror vibe. For an early PS1 FPS title its surprising how it also had two-player co-op and deathmatch modes. Before FPSs like Turok or Golden Eye became the revolutionary games for console shooters, this is still a shocking feature to have. Not many shooter releases ever had a multiplayer feature in the PlayStation's lifetime. Even though the console got ports like The World is Not Enough from the 007 license (that lacked multiplayer) it does give Doom a unique element. However, there is a downside to this, and you need two TVs, separate copies and a couple of PS1s with a wired connection. That’s right, there is no split screen as that’s something the N64 had its games made for. Even Twisted Metal a launch title managed to have a split screen mode, so I don’t know what Id’s excuse is. Don’t tell me they had limited console experience especially when they had four player death matches on the PC version through the internet. It's hard to believe that Id pulled a NEC and had PS1 owners need two copes, TVs and PS1s to enable multiplayer. I can’t reiterate how hard this is to go back to either the PC or PS1 releases when there are better online modes in Brutal Doom. On a side note, the arch-vile, a creature that summons fire and resurrects killed enemies got removed. It's stated that the sprite had too many frames to rendered compared to all the demons on the list. I really have no problem with this since the arch-viles are very annoying and I couldn’t stand their challenges. Rating: 8.0/10 Graphics/Presentation When the PS1 debuted in 1995 a year before the Nintendo 64 came out, nothing really pushed the console’s visuals. Sure, you had Kileak (Doom Clone) and Twisted Metal, but those titles never pushed the system but still looked decent for launch titles. Unfortunately, Doom isn’t one of those games as it still uses pixel art to render the sprites and environments. It’s going be hard to gage any standards for this port since at the time Kileak was the only FPS to compare. The sprites are as memorable as before and this looks like one of the few areas to aged decently. The environments look bland and uninspiring today with nothing standing out. Most of the halls and opened areas within the maps are nearly empty. Any props that appear are mostly part of the background and when you see one it’s a flat sprite with little detail. The Hell levels still reflect that appearance, and they are the only areas that don’t look bland. They are nothing like the visuals that Doom 64 had as those stages reflected Hell better. A much-improved special effect is the way the sky got rendered as a black starless sky with fire blazing as seen in the Tower of Babel. I can’t think of a better way to make the player feel like they entered Hell then to place such special effects. That’s where Id got this idea for Doom 64 which had a similar concept of its own within the Hell stages. I can't get enough of the way Id used the lighting and the Tower of Babel stage highlights this the best. What a perfect way to setup a boss fight with surrounding the level with a fire blazing wall and a pitch black sky all while the lighting gives a crisp orange glow. Its like the Doom Slayer entered a true hellish place. Now, the biggest change that made these levels vastly different from the other versions is the horror theme soundtrack. The original PC soundtrack had the run and gun action theme for its songs since this is that kind of game. However, after listening to these songs really made me appreciate the vast change and feels perfect for Doom. Between each track helped set up a great atmosphere for horror and created that feeling you were being watched. Id even went as far as to change the lightning in the environments to add to the suspense of the unknown. I honestly prefer this style as it captures that isolated emotion as if you are the only marine left in these places. I also love the heavy machinery noises the doors make upon opening them especially when they echo. It was also a great idea to change the other sound effects as seen from the grunts and growls from the demons. The environments thanks to this created an Alien like experience when the player explored the corridors of these areas. For the small details, it’s hilarious how they created a club for an exclusive map with dance music included. Then there’s another exclusive map about exploring a mansion as you can’t have a horror style game without the typical haunted manor. Rating: 8.3/10 Features/Content The image shows another secret level titled Club Doom. I love the use of comedy here by Id as the level is basically Revenants attempting to dance with their limited animation. The music playing is a dance style song which only adds to the hilarity of the theme. Compared to the 16-bit console ports, the PS1 edition clearly has more content. With the completion of Ultimate Doom and Doom II is why this version has stacked content. The game starts out in Ultimate Doom then once you get passed Thy Flesh Consumed, the player begins the campaign in Doom II. The idea of combining both titles gave this game replay value over the other versions. There is a total of 56 regular stages packed with your demon slaying needs. Id even added three exclusive levels not found in the others called The Marshes, The Mansion and Club Doom. I must admit removing 17 stages from the PC games seems odd. CDs weren’t limited in memory like the Super NES’s 4 MB cartridge and the PlayStation One supported up to 70 MB. Yes, the maps are quite big for their time, but I find this hard to believe they couldn’t fit two games on a 70 MB disk. The total package does almost have 60 maps which is more than enough to satisfy owners and keep them busy. Of course, we already mentioned the multiplayer features but good luck finding another gamer who owns the original PS1 copy and the system. The next thing that again annoys me is how a PS1 game is using a password system. It was one thing for Doom 64 to have one however, Id has no excuse this time when the PlayStation One uses memory cards. The port has more levels then the N64’s own so that is literally cutting corners not to have a save function. Rating: 8.5/10 Final Rating Doom on PS1 was probably one of the best releases in the launch window right next Twisted Metal. I found this the best port Id had designed for its time without limited tech or lousy programming getting in the way. There’s nothing different about the gameplay and level design from what is on the PC editions already. The simpler mechanics and linear levels can make this hard to play through after being spoiled by modern FPSs. The biggest feature that really stands out is the atmosphere with changing the lighting. The overall environments are still the same designs as the PC editions, but changing the lighting created a horror style theme. Of course, the visuals also got updated in terms of special effects as the sky textures got animated along with a fiery effect looming over the Hell stages. Id even went a step further and hired a new composer to produce a horror-esque soundtrack to match the port. The content combines two titles and even though they removed several levels, there are still nearly 60 stages that will keep the average gamer busy. The issues here come from the ridiculous multiplayer system of needed two of everything to make this work. It's hard to get excited for the two-player modes when the requirements don’t justify the experience. Then we look over to Twisted Metal that supported split screen makes us wonder why didn’t Id use that as an example. Amazing how a studio with little experience got this right yet Id couldn't when they had the knowledge to create a proper multiplayer. Taking the series in this direction was a massive change from the run and gun attitude that the original releases had. Gameplay: 8.0/10 Graphics/Presentation: 8.3/10 Features/Content: 8.5/10 Final Rating: 8.2/10 Very Good
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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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