#doom 1995

We have reached the last WAD from Doomworld’s 1995 roster of the best WADs. Now, prepare yourself… FOR CONFUSION!

#8: The Enigma Episode

Main author(s): Jim Flynn

Release date: Around 1995

Version(s) played: 2.0

Levels: 9

The Enigma Episode is a pack of levels that were released earlier for Doom 1 by Jim Flynn, ported and remastered for Doom 2. The author would later create the series of Titan maps (two of which ended up as Master Levels) and co-create the Boom source port. Now, before I’ll start, I’m letting you know that I didn’t play the original versions of these maps (duh), so I’m reviewing the ones from the WAD as if they were their own thing. Now without any further to do, let’s talk about The Enigma Episode.

Look, guys, I’m not gonna deny… This WAD looks fucking bonkers. Each level looks better than the last. I wouldn’t believe most of these maps were from 1994 if someone told me. I also like how Jim utilized textures with the Mandelbrot sets on them. Just look at some of these:

While the WAD looks gorgeous, its structure is… hmm… how to put it?

From what I’ve seen, that is this WAD and the Master Levels he created (in the latter’s case I watched it on YouTube), Jim had a tendency to make the levels… very complicated to say the least. Half-a-time the challenge was not from the monsters themselves but from figuring out how to pass to the next area. And sometimes, unfortunately, it was kinda’ bullshit. There were cases where you have to press the unmarked wall to progress further, something that nobody casually playing for the first time would think about it. The worst case is in Triplet, where to get out of the red key section you have to press a switch that is placed beyond the unmarked wall.

Because of this switch alone, I spent over half an hour (at least, that’s how I remember) to finally finish this map. There are also other ones like that, like the corridor to a dungeon in The Citadel that is placed next to its entrance but I would be here forever. Just take a note that it happened around once per map so it wasn’t all horrible.

As for the stuff I liked: I like how the previously mentioned Triplet was like three smaller maps and a hub level in one, I like how you start somewhere else before you see the titular Citadel, I find the layout for The Wheel interesting for its minimalism. There are definitely stuff to like about these levels. You just have to go through some of the more annoying puzzles.

What about fighting monsters? Is it as hard as Jim’s puzzles?

No, it’s not that bad. While it’s harder than the vanilla Doom in that department (I think I actually died during my latest playthrough), fighting demons was an easier experience than the puzzles Mr. Flynn created.

So, to summarize The Enigma Episode, it’s a mixed bag with more positives than negatives. Sure, there are puzzles that can go fuck themselves but the balanced fights (I didn’t really mind hitscanners this time) and the fact how amazing this WAD looks by ’95 standards are worth going through the rougher parts just to get to the good stuff.

Well folks, we did it. We have finished the year 1995 of the best Doom WADs. I’m still pissed that I couldn’t properly play Obituary on GZDoom but still, in spite of their cons, I had a great time playing almost all of the WADs.

But before we will move one to ‘96, we still have three things to discuss related to Doom. The first thing - award ceremony.

Thank you all for reading, and see you next time.

Nostromo’s Run is the first WAD that was created by the titular Nostromo. It took him a year to finish this level. Considering that this WAD ended on the Doomworld’s list of ten best WADs of 1995, it was a jackpot for him. Time to find out if I’ll like it.

#7: Nostromo’s Run

Main author(s): Rich Johnston (Nostromo)

Release date: November 13th, 1995

Version(s) played: updated

Levels: 1

Story – there are demons (or rather, mutants) in some station, on some planet. You go there to kill them all.

…

Huh…

I suddenly have some vibes about the first Doom movie, where the demons were replaced by mutated zombies or something.

For the first WAD created by Nostromo, it looks very good. I can see it tries to be visually distinct since it’s the one-map WAD. Some of the locations look astonishing.

I wish I could say more but my skull is empty.

In terms of structure, there wasn’t anything actually annoying in this WAD. Sure, some of the elevators could be faster and one door opened by the switch could be placed closer, but let me remind you – this is Nostromo’s first WAD, so I can forgive that. By the way, that time when in a pink-fleshed room you encounter some Pinkies? That’s kind of clever and funny.

As for difficulty, this WAD is kind of easy. On HMP I was able to clear this WAD without saving. Just keep an eye on hitscanners and you will be fine.

I was lucky to not encounter any bugs except for a very nasty one at the end. In the area with the Y shape for an upper floor, you have to press two switches to move up two halves of the platform to the exit. For some reason, when I was playtesting it to see where the keys are and where to go, the further part of it didn’t move completely, leaving the platform too low to pass through without jumping. But other than that, as I said earlier, there was nothing else in terms of bugs.

In conclusion, Nostromo’s Run is a very good single-map WAD by the standards of the author’s first WAD. I am convinced now, that this WAD earned its place on the Doomworld’s list.

Next time we will look at the last WAD on the list. And let me tell you something: If you thought that The Artifact was confusing, then you aren’t ready for what Jim Flynn has to offer.

See you next time.

Since this WAD takes place in Wild West, I believe it is a good idea to start the review with some of this:

I’m so sorry.

#3: A Fistful of Doom

Main author(s): Gali/Soutec (Bob Soutar) & A-Ware (Azeraaron)

Release date: Around 1995 (couldn’t find the exact date and the archives only show ’96 and ‘97)

Version(s) played: Original with bug fixes

Levels: 2.5

A Fistful of Doom is, according to its creators, the UK's answer to “Boothill”.  As you can see from this WAD’s name, it takes the Spaghetti Western genre (particularly the movies with Clint Eastwood) and outright mixes it with Doom. Unlike Boothill, which was a package of deathmatch maps only, A Fistful of Doom gives you two and a half map of a singleplayer experience.

There is no denying that this WAD looks and feels amazing. It’s not just the locations, however, even other things have changed to make you feel like you are living in the late 19th century, in the south of Wild West America (at least, I hope it’s the south). Buckle up Cowboys and Cowgirls, ‘cause the list is pretty dang long:

In terms of weapons, your pistol and rocket launcher are replaced with the revolver and the dynamite detonator,

Energy cells are replaced with Bags of Money (they don’t have any other usage though),

Your health is restored with beer (+1) and chicken/turkey (+25),

Horseshoes are your armor (which is now called luck),

Keys look like literal keys,

Berserk is replaced with Cow skull (I guess you crack it to drink… whatever was left inside of it),

And The backpack looks closer to the WADs time period.

Let’s not forget the changed layout of difficulty levels,

and how Doomguy has a beard and a cigar now.

Enemies are replaced with, as I like to call them myself, Cowboys (Zombiemen), Sheriffs (Shotgunners), El Mariachis (Chaingunners), and Outlaws (Pinkies and Spectres) (they are just reskins though).

Each map gives a different feeling, with the first map giving you the feeling of a previously mentioned Clint Eastwood’s movies and the second one giving you the vibe of a town somewhere in Mexico.

Many sound effects were also replaced with something that was probably from the previously mentioned movies to make the felling of Wild West better, although the death sound effect of zombies (which are from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, I think) might get annoying after a while. What really makes me astonished is that one monster per map was buried under a building with a special sound cue to make it all feel even better. The cases are:

An Imp buried under the saloon and playing the sound of this place when it was populated in El Passo,

And a Revenant buried under the church to play the sound of a bell in A Faceful of Tacos.

While I enjoyed the design of the levels, their structure is staler. Just get all the keys and get to the exit. From what I’ve understood, you rob a bank in the first map, and in the second you go to the church to… pray, I guess?

There is one thing though that really pisses me off, and that is the keys. Or rather the fact that the keys and the colored doors don’t have any color indicators. This is annoying since you eventually have to constantly move back and forth to find the particular door to the particular key. It’s much less annoying with GZDoom, since the map indicates where are the colored doors… at least when the map works but about it later.

Now you may wonder why I was talking about 2.5 maps? Well, it’s because there is a third map that replaces MAP31 is actually the same as A Faceful of Tacos but at night.

In terms of difficulty, it was pretty challenging. Mostly due to fighting hitscanners for like 90-95% of this WAD but I might forgive this since we are in Wild West and there isn’t really much of a weapon choice in that period.

The first level is somewhat a buggy mess:

Buildings that are shorter make parts of other buildings invisible (I read that it’s supposedly the GZDoom’s fault but I don’t know),

One small part of railing texture looked off,

The background goes cuckoo in particular places,

Also from what I’ve seen on YouTube, enemies can shoot you through the floor/ceiling/wall. I don’t think I’ve noticed it in my playthrough because I can’t see where I get shot by these hitscanners but the video from ICARUSLIV3S shows that it’s true.

Also, the map in El Passo didn’t work for me for an unknown reason. Seriously, it didn’t show anything except a rectangular and some line.

Thankfully the second map only has the problem with background, so it’s just a minor problem there.

Overall, A Fistful of Doom is an amazing WAD that delivers what it promises, in spite of its bugs and the overreliance on hitscanners.

If you want to hear more about it, there is the previously mentioned ICARUSLIV3S’s video about it. I don’t think he says anything than I already said about this WAD but here, you can have it:

Next time, we will have some community-made, Christmas feeling… way too late...

Oh well, see you next time.

We have our first recurring creators from the previous year, with Björn Hermans and Holger Nathrath duo returning to conclude the Serenity Trilogy with the final installment: Infinity. It’s time to find out if this WAD is better than its predecessors.

#2: Infinity AKA Serenity III

Main author(s): Björn Hermans and Holger Nathrath

Release date: May 11th, 1995 (according to Database)

Version(s) played: 1.2

Levels: 8

The design of Infinity takes yet another step up in the quality since the Eternity. It was already pretty good back then, and now, it looks even better. I mean, take a look at this sick shit:

Also, there are new textures but asides from the glass panels (that appear in every final level of the trilogy), I didn’t notice anything new. Then again, even the authors said that only people who excessively play WADs will notice the new textures.

It wouldn’t be the last installment of the Serenity Trilogy without the replaced music. And I think it’s at least slightly better than in Eternity. Now, the new MIDIs themselves sound very good (except Donna Lee cover which sounds like a drunk Bongo Cat on acid, smashing the MIDI keyboard (no idea if it’s the fault of a cover or the song itself)) but some of them feel out of place if you remember that this is Doom we are talking about. But thankfully, some of them like Beat It and Blade Runner (End Titles) were a complete spot-on. And hey, the only original new MIDI (from Dungeons of Doom) doesn’t sound like a track ripped out of detective game/platformer anymore.

The levels in terms of a structure start pretty rough. Say Jazz to Another Excess is especially a big shitshow with its fucking slow-ass elevators on the way to the blue key. I have no idea what Holger was smoking while doing this level but it didn’t help him at all. After that though, it gets much better later on. The last two levels are probably the best ones that Infinity can offer. Although I don’t like how some of the secrets stack themselves right next to each other, with Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue? being the worst in offer. I don’t mind secrets within secrets, and I don’t really mind if there are like a few of them doing that but here (and in the rest of the trilogy if you think about it) it gets way too far in many cases. Nevertheless, it’s funny how the only time the crushers appear is in the secret in Dungeons of Doom only to crush some Pinkies.

Infinity in terms of difficulty is much harder than the vanilla Doom. There is no more holding back. Enemies are everywhere and there is a restricted amount of health pickups. Although I don’t know if I should call the level of difficulty fair due to the huge amount of hitscanners because, as we all know, hitscanners are bullshit in Doom. Also, putting hitscanners behind glass panels in StarGate into Infinity? Oh yeah, this doesn’t make that last map section dumb and unfair. Not at all.

As for the bugs – standard secret not registering types. Nothing else to add.

Overall, Infinity is a very good sendoff to the Serenity Trilogy. It once again sets the quality bar higher than its predecessors and it shows. There was also supposed to be the fourth installment from what I’ve read but it didn’t happen.

Next time we will return to Doom, we will travel back in time, to the world of Wild West.

See you next time.