Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...
DustFalcon85

20 Years of Doom 64.

Recommended Posts

Tomorrow. March 31 marks 20 years of Doom 64. Got any memories of Doom 64? I was scared of Dark Citadel w/ it's creepy music and layout. Breakdown w/ it's infamous The Rotted Foul song. And Pitfalls' Perfect Hatred w/ it's warbled insect sounds. That said. I loved Final Outpost's The Damned. 

 

Share your memories of Doom 64 on it's 20th birthday!

Share this post


Link to post

I have one. I was playing a map (forgot which slot) and suddenly I fall into this inescapable pit. The walls were textured with the words "I SUCK AT MAKING MAPS". After that I went into a fit of rage because the immersion was broken.

 

It's a memory I remember like yesterday.

Share this post


Link to post

I remember getting my copy of Doom 64 on March 31 1997 at the local video game store, can't believe twenty years have gone by already. I'll just quote an old post I made on the subject from most emotional parts of Doom 64. It's sums up my feelings on the game.

 

I like to play Doom 64 with only the keyboard to make things a bit more difficult. Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I feel like sharing some thoughts about Doom 64.

Seeing this thread pop up, I've been reminiscing about Doom 64 a lot lately, despite the flak this title gets, I find something special about it. I can easily say these day it is my favorite of all the Doom games, and that's coming from someone who has been playing the original Doom since 1993. To me it stands out from the rest, it has a kind of charm that appeals to me.

1997 was the year we watched Leonardo Dicaprio drown in the North Atlantic Ocean while Celine Dion sang about how her heart will go on forever. Spawn also came out that year with Michael Jai White and John Leguizamo. Also I think the Spice Girls were pretty big at the time. But none of that interested me, instead, I was occupied with creeping through the dark corridors of an abandoned installation located on the red planet Mars. You see, many years ago the UAC opened the gates to hell and unleashed hordes of demons who slaughtered everyone in their path. The character I was controlling, the Doom Marine, stood against this ancient demon scourge, a one man army. However, the demons made their way to Earth and nearly had their way with it, the Marine was able to stop them once again. Time went on, and a orbital relay station picked up a strange energy signal unique to the demonic presence. Once again, Doom was upon us.

Something about Doom 64 calls to me, there is an obvious Quake influence, which ultimately leads back to H.P. Lovecraft, one of my favorite writers of all time. My favorites things have seemingly merged. I see the monsters in Doom as demons from beyond the stars, their origins abstract and unclear but their will, their commitment to decimating all who oppose them in the most horrible ways. The first portion of Doom 64 takes place in said abandoned space station. The corridors of the station sat quiet for immemorial years until the events of D64. Soon it becomes clear, the only way to close the portal that has opened to hell is to go through it and shut it from the other side. This is where the game really shines, the majority of the game takes place in the hell dimension. A place of pure chaos.

The moody lighting, the atmospheric score and sounds composed by Aubrey Hodges and the level design all coalesce into a unique experience, especially for a game on the Nintendo 64 where the bulk of the games were Mario and Zelda. I've posted in this thread before, and I have nothing but good things to say about Doom 64. As far the controls and lighting, the controls were something that I quickly got used to and was able to swiftly move about the maps. The lighting, while dark, really enforced the atmosphere. I played in a room with the curtains drawn, and worked out well for me. Hearing the hiss of an angry imp, or the grunt of an blood thirsty pinky put me on edge, perhaps they were going to leap out of the television and attack me for real! lol. Anyways, sorry for this lengthy post but I know there are other Doom 64/PSX fans out there and I think you understand where I'm coming from.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
2 hours ago, Piper Maru said:
On 4/6/2016 at 6:09 PM, Piper Maru said:

I see the monsters in Doom as demons from beyond the stars, their origins abstract and unclear but their will, their commitment to decimating all who oppose them in the most horrible ways. 

To me, they are demons from Hell and from beyond the starts as well. I know I'm not the only one, now.

Share this post


Link to post

Doom 64, when I heard about you (you know the way how it happened, very stupid nine years ago ) I was wondering how could you be! If you were like Snes Doom, if you had new levels and monsters and so on. Years later when I found you, I realized that you were dark, mysterious, terrifying, with all new redrawn sprites to make me feel new in some weird way. I wonder if those veteran marines felt the same thing when you first came out back in 1997. 

There is nothing else to say now, but Happy 20th birthday! Some dreams hinted me that I was going to see you and it happened.

Share this post


Link to post

I never played the game back when it was new (PC user), but I was introduced to it some years ago through DooM64EX. Its horrifying atmosphere of hopelessness and doom sure is something special and unique to the 64 and PSX editions. A couple of months ago I bought the real deal for the N64, and I'll be sure to play some today!

Share this post


Link to post

Rented the game several times but for some reason never got around to asking it for Christmas or birthdays, probably because there was always some other game I wanted at the time, and couldn't have it both ways.

 

I remember thinking it might have actually been 3D, even the sprites. The engine was immediately impressive and I adored the transformational effects such as the hammer in The Terraformer. There were so many interesting little touches to the layouts, particularly in regards to lighting.

 

Some of the best maps in the series can be found in this game. They're more often than not a bit small, but well designed and highly atmospheric. Secrets such as the pentagram keys and Hectic were worth seeking out. Multiplayer should have been included, but the room-over-room effects would have been compromised.

Share this post


Link to post

Doom 64 was pretty much my first time playing a Doom game. When I was 10 around 1997 I went over to my friends place and he had a N64 with a copy of Doom 64, I ended up borrowing it so I could play it on my brothers N64. My absolute favorite map was Dark Citadel.

 

I recall I had a false memory where shooting an enemy such as a Former Human or Imp with the Unmaker while they were next to a wall would splatter them onto it into some gory decal.

Edited by Avoozl

Share this post


Link to post

I came across Doom 64 when i played Doom Snes via an emulator, it felt weird the first time i played it, but then i started to really enjoy the game.

And there was a moment where i got hurt, when i looked behind, a spectre was bitting me, i shot it and then i stared at the screen for a second.

I also like the atmosphere, it's dark and macabre, it reminds me of Quake, except more creepier.

Share this post


Link to post

Doom 64 introduced me to the music and sounds of Aubrey Hodges. It was my fist time hearing his music. Dark Citadel, Breakdown and Pitfalls music scared me when I was a kid at first but as time went on, I knew I want the music in my CD player, iPod and iPhone. Now I got all of his Doom and Quake albums. Glad to have it in my collection nowadays.

Share this post


Link to post

Ah yes, Doom 64!

I love this game for several reasons, the first of which is that I really wanted to play it back in the day but couldn't. I'd visit Blockbuster with my dad to rent a film every once in a while, and while searching for a movie, I'd go to the video game shelves, to look at the back of the Doom 64 cartridge box. I'd get excited about those graphics; such modern-looking monsters and weapons when compared with Doom '93! Unfortunately I didn't own a Nintendo 64 and didn't know someone who did, so I couldn't play it.

Years later I finally played it on an emulator, and it was a blast. The fact I couldn't handle the controls very well (I didn't have a gamepad, d'oh!) didn't matter much. Aesthetically, the game was exquisite. the graphics (that redesigned Pinky!), the color palette (with those dark purples, browns, greens and reds), the sinister ambient music and sound effects (especially those of the guns). Together, it all worked wonderfully. The levels themselves were splendid, as well. They were of a smaller scale than Doom 93's, and more rectangular, but they were just as good. The new weapon was so exciting to use, and the final boss exciting to fight!

The next time I played the game it was the Absolution version. I remember it was a bit of a chore to set up, but once I did, it was great! The differences with the N64 version weren't noticeable to me, at the time. Now I could control the game properly. Great fun! And then the Doom 64 EX version... a great achievement, no doubt.

The game still holds up after 20 years, just like Doom '93. Today I can appreciate its level design even more. For me, 64 is, alongside the original Doom, the best commercially-released single-player campaign. As I said, I enjoy its relatively small scale when compared with, say, Doom II. The maps aren't too big, and the monsters aren't too many, so there's always the opportunity to look at each level and visually take it in. In the Void, in particular, has a terrific concept and just to be in that place is gratifying. And the early maps prove square rooms can be interesting! The traps, the changing environment all add to the fun.

So, Happy 20th, Doom 64!

Edited by mattjoes

Share this post


Link to post

Found it on an emulator on my original Xbox. I was familiar with SNES and 32X Doom, so I gave it a try. Didn't like it; too different. Gave it some more tries and found it better than initially thought. Some say it is the true Doom 3, though I never played that game. I recently played Brutal Doom 64 and liked it quite a lot.

Share this post


Link to post

Doom 64 is a unique title in the series for many reasons, one of my favorites being that you spend about 2/3 of the game in hell, whereas most of them save hell for the last third or so. Its particular vision of the underworld is highly memorable (especially previously mentioned maps like In the Void) and is largely unequaled. I really like that there are a lot of ancient/occult motifs used throughout that simultaneously convey both an archaic and futuristic aesthetic.

Share this post


Link to post
4 hours ago, GoatLord said:

Doom 64 is a unique title in the series for many reasons, one of my favorites being that you spend about 2/3 of the game in hell, whereas most of them save hell for the last third or so. Its particular vision of the underworld is highly memorable (especially previously mentioned maps like In the Void) and is largely unequaled. I really like that there are a lot of ancient/occult motifs used throughout that simultaneously convey both an archaic and futuristic aesthetic.

Definitely agreed, The hell levels in Doom 64 are easily some of the most creative Hell levels in Doom history and the fact that its in Hell for most of the game is a huge plus (On top of Hodges soundtrack of course)

I remember getting it not long after my 8th Birthday in 1998 since thats when i got the N64, i did have problems with the brightness and controller at the time but even then i still loved it thanks to the Level Design, Atmosphere and Soundtrack.

Edited by vinnie245

Share this post


Link to post

Also, the UAC maps are not to be ignored. They're very high quality and MAP01 is a really great introduction, immediately showing off some neat sector tricks (the floating light fixtures), beautiful colored lighting and a strong art direction.

Share this post


Link to post

I really can't help but feel that Doom 64 has pretty much been vindicated by history, that many more people are starting to appreciate it more for what it really is.

Not only that, it's also a game that's aged extremely well in terms of visuals, especially for the N64. The decision to have sprites instead of fully 3D objects may have baffled many reviewers and fans back in the day, especially when you have games like Ocarina of Time or Goldeneye, but looking back, it's quite possibly the best looking game for the Nintendo 64, bar none. Whereas the games on the N64 today look blocky and quite silly as many developers were struggling with the polygon ceiling, Doom 64 still has monsters which still look very menacing, environments which still look desolate and barren, and weapons that feel both used and powerful.

 

I should also note that this incarnation of Doom also has my favorite depiction of Hell, and it helps that two-thirds of the game take place in Hell. Namely, that Hell isn't just depicted as just fire and brimstone, you also have rolling thunderclouds over mountains resembling gravestones, you have killing fields marred by rivers of blood and the cries of the forgotten, you have an empty void lit only by a distant fire.
To me, Doom 64 depicts Hell for what it truly is: an inescapable dimension of infinite chaos.

Edited by Man of Doom

Share this post


Link to post

and I never played it in my life... It never was interesting for me for some reason (am I dumb?)

Share this post


Link to post

I really hope the Doom 64 modding community grows. Over the last few years, only a handful of mods have been released, many of them with YouTube videos that don't look particularly impressive. With time, I suspect we'll see some major progress. Doom 64 has some peculiar features and it makes modding a very different sort of affair from Classic Doom.

Share this post


Link to post

It's good to see that Doom 64 is getting some attention after all this time. It really is a good Doom game. Can't wait to see what comes of it.

Share this post


Link to post

I wish Kaiser had the time to further work on D64EX, it still has some issues which need addressing such as the save system crash.

Share this post


Link to post

Looking back, I wished I appreciated the game more. 20 years ago, Final Doom for the Playstation was my guilty pleasure and to me, Doom 64 was just another port of Doom for a different console so I never gave a second thought about it. Having played it, I can say I prefer it now over Quake. 

Share this post


Link to post
Guest Unregistered account

When I have the opportunity, I'd LOVE to try my hand at Doom 64 mapping - the textures, art style, atmosphere and lighting are the perfect combination!

Share this post


Link to post

I wonder sometimes how would next sequel looked like. Instead of Doom 2016, we would have an upgraded version of Doom 64 - something like Doom64 was to Doom 1/2. This video inspires me a lot:

The setting would be as dark and desolating as in D64, not to mention a very eerie music played in the background - maybe something like Crawling or Dead of Night by Attrition.

Share this post


Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×