Some say Wolfenstein 3D was the original first-person shooter (FPS), but I consider DOOM the best. Wolfenstein was great fun, and shooting Nazi zombies has rarely been so satisfying, but DOOM was a landmark event. It was a pop-culture phenomenon that seemed to have burst from the ether with its demon-infested world. It helped generate mouse and keyboard controls and gave PC gamers a reason to rejoice.
Of course, I was a child when DOOM first appeared, and that had its disadvantages. When my brothers and I finally got it, I had to pine and whine for even the barest glimpse of its beauty. I would sit idly in the corner, eyes wide and staring, just watching and keeping my distance. If I got too close, I would no doubt be blamed every time my older brothers died. I waited for them to get bored. They never did.
Hold me.
Just viewing the game was intense, but playing it for the first time (my brothers were at a friend’s house) showed me what DOOM was all about. The first-person perspective was still fresh and new. The impression of "being there," looking with your own eyes and from your own perspective at the horrors that awaited you, made it an intense experience.
Technologically speaking, DOOM and its successors have always been amazing. Despite not using a 3-D engine (Quake was the first to pull that off), the original DOOM felt 3-D. Sprites or not, it got the vibe across perfectly. Every character (especially those fire imps) looked frightening, real, and ready to jump out of the screen and gnaw on you.
That brings up another point. Aside from technological excellence, DOOM was just plain frightening. Its pacing alone was enough to scare the wits out of most people. DOOM was the scariest game I'd ever played … and now DOOM 3® tops it.
Um, what kind of "research" is going on here?
Beyond the impending release of DOOM 3 on Xbox®, there is an even better reason to remember the original DOOM. Both Ultimate DOOM™ (the original DOOM along with tons of bonus levels and content) and DOOM II® will be included with DOOM 3™ Limited Edition. Whether you're a DOOM fan or just a nostalgic gamer, DOOM 3: Limited Edition is for you.
My fear when looking back at games I've loved is that I'll realize I've outgrown them. Luckily, there are games that stand the test of time, and Ultimate DOOM and DOOM II are among them.
