Greetings Doomworld denizens! 'Tis I, Use, sending you on your Newstuff adventure. This week is really a letdown though, complete with many 94 wads most of you won't play. Since of the lack of fresh meat, I reviewed them anyway, and found a few to be worth playing! I also skipped over a Skulltag wad, which has a nice txt file, but I don't play or use Skulltag, so every one who uses Skulltag download it! Another was some Robocop wad that uses a weird engine I can't be bothered with. (Editor's note: Besides, it's been reviewed two or three times already.)
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OMG!!! NOT Another Map By PuMpKiNsMaShEr - Pumpkin Smasher
Boom Compatible - Solo Play - 160 KB -
Pretty much the only new map I played was this one, and it's spicey! I died a few times trying to find some weapons, but once you know where things are it's not too difficult to get a foothold. When you've got some firepower the gameplay consists of medium sized groups, and several single encounters with the nastier critters. For a brick and metal map, this wad is attractive. The detail level is low, clearly desgined as a functional gameplay layout, and it achieves that. I found the lighting to be lacking in a few areas, oppressive darkness where torches/skylights are present but aren't doing anything. I also ran into two oddly placed voo-doo dolls, and wondered if they were left in (hopefully) by mistake. The texturing works well, I would have liked to see the strict theme broken up a little bit more but it's still good. Eventually you'll find yourself in a hellish pit, where a fun battle awaits with some Knights and hostile Barons. Download for a fun challenge!
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GLADIATR - Tim J. Ash
doom.exe - Deathmatch - 16 KB -
This is a very small deathmatch arena from 1994, clothed in gstone and some metal. There's also a HOM for good measure. I think it's meant to be played with monsters, only the chainsaw is available for pickup. This makes an otherwise okay 1-on-1 map pretty crappy.
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Fragville, USA - Michael C. Davis
doom2.exe - Deathmatch - 41 KB -
A small 1994 Citadel-like deathmatch arena for Doom2. This map looks like it would be a good time with a few skilled players, all the bots did was fall into the moat and stand there. Fullbright strikes again, and the theme is pretty monotonous.
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DMLAMOU2 - Francios Lamoureux
doom.exe - Solo Play - 58 KB -
Here is an interesting wad for Doom, there's no release date in the txt file but it judging from the random themes and odd layout it's from the 95-96 era. This level is fun at the beginning, with small critters and plenty of ammo. Things soon become more cramped and you'll have to face off with some big dudes with a meek arsenal. After the fighting cools down prepare for some mild switchhitting, then back to close combat. Ammo then becomes tight, and eventually a Spidermind shows his ugly face, initially it appears the fight is lost, but with a little observation you can beat him without unloading all your ammo. Overall I liked this map, anyone who doesn't mind older maps will appreciate this one.
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Demon's Lair - Kyle Pero
doom2.exe - SP/DM - 501 KB -
Ever wonder what a Demon's Lair looks like? Well, in 1995 a lair comprised of large, squarish rooms and very wide doors. Oh, there's a huge tech-like crushing ceiling in the middle. This wad has a few surprises, some new sounds, textures yanked from Heretic, and some other textures that I can't place. Combat in this map is spread out, and small ambushes can get the best of you if you're not careful. Save your plasma ammo, and always look before you leap. ^-^
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Five Really Insane Environments - Michael C. Davis
doom.exe - Solo Play - 28 KB -
The concept for this 94 wad is kinda neat, you're supposedly fighting in five unqiue environments each with it's own slew of monsters. However the execution isn't so neat, all the places look big and ugly, with bad texture choices and doors disguised as walls. The battles are easy, and the ample movement space should be enough for anyone. Play if you want, but you're not missing anything.
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Frogger3 - Francois Bertrand
doom.exe - Solo Play - 70 KB -
The txt files claims this wad to be funny, it does include some quite unfunny new textures, and it's chock full of 94 ugliness. Textures are never aligned on either axis, the rooms are big and bright and bare, and the gameplay isn't even that good. Overall totally skippable.
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The Gallery - Mike Seltenright
doom2.exe - SP/DM - 11 KB -
A large 1994 symmetrical Doom2 level. Obviously designed more for deathmatch than single player, although both modes of play are pretty boring in this map. Z?
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The Final Gathering - Daniel 'Stormin' Norman
doom2.exe - Solo Play - 738 KB -
Here is a fun, older 5 level set for Doom2. The first 2 maps are sketchy but things get interesting around map3. The themes are well defined and the gameplay is fast and quite good. Combat varies between cramped/base style shooting to large scale arena battles with the forces of hell. Map4 and map5 stand out, map5 having a complex yet effective layout and creepy music. I'm glad this set came along, there's some fine design and gameplay ideas here I would like to see in new wads. A worthy download.
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