Doom Wadarcheology - To dig, rediscover and enjoy the classics.

[Walter confetti]

Sentinels of Damnation by Gary Atkinson (Doom 2, 1995 but uploaded in 2006 by Graham Burges, MAP01, played with Eternity 4.0.2 "forseti")

 

DOWNLOAD LINK

 

Spoiler

 

 

A cool map from the late 1995 (i remember to have played this map long time ago in one of those Demo CDs that are been sell with videogame magazines in the "Doom" folder where the mods for the games was stocked, but i can't find it anymore) that have all the signs for being a good map for my standards: use of green rock textures for the buildings, non toxic nukage and a epic music track, taken from Heretic E1M9. Also contains that wild wackiness like scrolling COMPBLUE for emulating a waterfall effect, but this is actually a neat map, as i wrote before.

The layout is pretty well done, with some detailing like arches and lighting in the marble room, with lots of interconnections between the map areas, good map structure with canyons, small keeps and a pretty cool exit room. The "lower" point is that this map is pretty linear, but doesn't matter when the level despite this feels so adventurous and overall fun to play. The level shows a little challenging points but overall is a pretty straightforward map with a good mixing of action and adventure parts.

[Endless]

The Revenge of Avind

By @Chris Hansen

1998

 

 

There are a handful of veteran level designers who started in the 90s, and are still active today, more than twenty years later. Some stay on the sidelines with their own projects and others go with the flow of time. Chris Hansen is an author who has managed to find his place in the community, and, playing his first map, I can see that he is one who started out with a solid quality and even a discernible style.

 

The Revenge of Avind is a single level WAD, themed around marble/gothic hell, with a sweet natural touch that appeals to me. The map has enough simplicity to offer a quick game, but it's not so simple that it's boring either, on the contrary, it has a certain level of depth that is felt with its detailed design and well done layout. In this sense, the map manages to hit right where it needs to. The visuals don't lag behind at all. For 1998, this map looks good, feels good and plays well, especially thanks to the different details that Chris adds to give it a certain level of life, like the bloodfall near the end of the map, made with sprites! Something I had never seen before and it appealed to me.

 

The gameplay is simple enough to offer a decent experience, rubbing elbows with a ala Doom 1 style, making use of low amounts of enemies but placed in a way that makes each one feel like an assured encounter, of course, without depriving the player of a fighting experience.

This is one of those maps that reminds us that we don't need to have a 32-map megawad, nor 10,000 sectors, to create something that succeeds in its goal: to entertain!

 

I also gotta mention that I love Chris E4-inspired style. Both this map and the Mean Green remind me of it.

 

The fact that it's from 1998 just makes it cooler ;)

[Roofi]

EtptTrio by Dave Johnson (1996)

 

 

 

Quote

Trilogy containing Makuswet.wad, Comeplay.wad, Bestshot.wad. Wads will be released individually at later date. Wads designed and named for their MUSIC files! Three (3) very playable wads built in the classic Doom style with attention to detail and design. Comments welcomed to Email address.

 

Three maps of a fairly reasonable size, each providing approximately 10 minutes of gameplay. They don't have many particularities. We find most of the gimmicks of the 90's such as the lack of a specific theme, hidden walls or some new sounds that add an illusion of innovation.

 

The whole is however quite solid. The author has managed to create some interesting locations, especially where the keys are located. Most of it is made up of corridors that are connected in a rather inconsistent way, but you can explore large areas which helps a bit to make the maps more memorable. Also, some details add more individuality to the levels. I'm thinking for example of the stalagmites placed on green supports that look like plants, or the slime that flows through a broken ceiling.

 

If I take the maps one by one:

- Map 01 has a lot of barrels outside that are fun to blow up.

- Map 02 was my favorite because it offered the most variety. The last few battles tended to be light slaughter with groups of monsters coming out of closets.

- Map 03 didn't really convince me. There are a lot of dark and narrow corridors with monsters attacking from small windows. At the end, there is a lot of ammunition and notably cell packs, but few enemies.

 

At the end, I found it was a pretty good minisode with a rather amusing gameplay.

 

Grade : B

[Arrowhead]

5 hours ago, Roofi said:

EtptTrio by Dave Johnson (1996)

I've played / reviewed the fourth WAD in this series - I really enjoyed it. Looking into Johnson's history, it appears like there are a ton of other 'ETPT' levels...

 

Maybe someone will review the rest eventually? I do quite like his work. :)

[Wadmodder Shalton]

On 2/13/2022 at 7:08 PM, Endless said:

Base

By Brandon Davids "TALON"

1994

 

 

Found this one thanks to the glorious Doomwiki!

 

At first glance, the beginning of the map may seem a bit simplistic, however, this is one of those rare, almost mythological maps from 1994 that manage to maintain a solid quality that surpasses the year by far. This map is a fairly honorable replica of the classic Knee-deep in the Dead, making use of Romero-esque tactics for its design, giving it a nice touch of detail that manages to establish an attractive setting without drowning under its own weight.

 

It offers a good and sweet variety of rooms, different and varied areas, which manage to combine under a solid level progression that is as sweet as it is entertaining, giving the player a good journey through excellent design.

 

On the other hand, I could say that this is ''peak'' 1994, at least when it comes to traditional single level WADs. It offers everything we need to enjoy, and, despite its short length, it's entertaining and varied enough to offer good playability value.

 

Add to that a solid and fun gameplay and the result is the kind of WAD I'd like to see expanded into a full-fledged megawad. Interesting that this was the only map released by the author. It has great potential!

That Base map also appeared as MAP02 in Doom 2 Xtreme Gold, which I've completed the map sources for that PWAD a while back. Could you also provide a link to my Collected Single Level Sources for several Compilation PWADs to the list of places as well?

[Arrowhead]

5 minutes ago, Wadmodder Shalton said:

Could you also provide a link to my Collected Single Level Sources for several Compilation PWADs to the list of places as well?

That's a great idea - your list is a great source. I'm sure once @Endless sees this, he'll add it at the start of the thread.

 

I've used your list for a couple reviews, can't remember which right now, though, I've done 135 at this point, lol. :)

Edited March 15, 2022 by Arrowhead

[Arrowhead]

Vengeance: SkyBase Sirius IV - 07/07/1999 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

Sirius 4 is a great boom-compatible level by talented TeamTNT member Paul Fleschute. Fleschute  is arguably best known for his two somewhat obscure megaWADs, The Invasion, and Invasion 2, although he did make some standalone levels as well, this being one of them.

 

I like the start of this level. For some reason, I'm a big fan of maps that start you off on a descending elevator - I think it adds a cool element to the level, and feels more natural to me, than the classic 'start, turn around, see white door' that so many 90s maps start w/. This is basically a big 'floating' techbase - you'll occasionally see windows - these are used to decent effect to make you feel more like you're on some kind of flying structure.

 

This level has a really unique crate maze section that has a perimeter chute that runs around the entirety of the room - this chute has silent teleporters in it - and will teleport you to a different room, in an effort to appear contiguous. This is of course very hard to explain over text, but it is one of the better 'silent teleporter' tricks I've seen in a while. The SSG also makes its appearance very early in this map, which I've always been a fan of - I believe that a map's difficulty should be based more around enemy selection and placement than needless restrictions of weapons or ammunition - I don't as much like  playing levels where the SSG is introduced 2/3rds of the way through, or hidden in a secret, etc., but that could just be me.

 

Being a techbase, most of your enemies are hitscanners - this isn't an E1 style techbase, though - many larger medium-class monsters make their appearance, like the mancubus, cacos, and the occasional hellknight. This diverse mix of available monsters really helps to keep the action in this map fresh, and fun, as opposed to a more traditional E1 techbase motif, where you only deal w/ pinkies, hitscanners, and imps.

 

This is a large sprawling techbase level that any fan of techbase maps will like. My only complaint is that the level ends very abruptly - see the video - as you approach some kind of escape craft, the map simply ends once you walk over a trigger. I would have liked to be able to take a closer look at the escape craft, as it looks like Fleschute did model the entire exterior of the ship - this exit trigger line also allows you to skip the last couple cacos and arachnotrons, making the last fight have no teeth. Still, other than that one small nitpick, this map is technically sound, and it looks really attractive; texturing and architecture are great in this map, I have no concerns there!

 

Check it out, it's a great map. This takes about 15 minutes to complete! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3wag1dE

Edited March 15, 2022 by Arrowhead

[Endless]

The Fall of the Bastille

1998

By Konrad Bresin

 

 

Found this one thanks to the ER/iWA

 

A short single-level WAD based on the Fall of Bastille, so, you know there's going to be a lot of heads rolling. For one, I actually had low expectations, but it ultimately proved to be way better! It's a very short and simple map, yet if effectively uses its own strengths by creating a semi-realistic layout that works well, feels niche and has quite the charismatic vibe to it. It's not really groundbreaking, but it still manages to be quite fun and the visuals are very enjoyable, especially for those doomers out there that enjoy real-life-inspired WADs, like me.

 

There is a certain sense of appreciation and respect for this type of WADs. They are simple maps but they manage to create a great atmosphere thanks to their real life inspirations. The general structure of the level, as well as its progression and sense of narrative evolution, evoke a mood of gritty realism, which I love. Sure, the engine is limited in terms of what it can achieve, but that itself makes some creative potential to be exploited in a great way, without having to jump into the super crazy or poorly executed. This is a simple map that sets its goal with clear bases, and achieves it.

 

And who doesn't like dungeons? :P

[Arrowhead]

Sacrifices - 02/01/1995 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

Sacrifices is an ambitious early level w/ some creative traps by Mark Hibbert. This appears to be the only level on /idgames published by Hibbert. This map has some very unique architecture - many of the rooms are large in size, w/ very interesting designs.

 

The very first room you enter is full of imps - the rooms in this map tend to have more enemies than many levels did of this era - but the enemy count in this map isn't huge - it is only around 140 demons. There are many devious traps to be found in this mission, w/ the 'descending wall / cyberdemon' trap being my absolute favorite. You essentially teleport onto a platform w/ 4 raised walls around you - pressing the wall behind you will lower all four walls - this reveals a cluster of cacos and an invuln sphere! I recommend inching toward the yellow key and 100 cell pack, and snagging them before you lower the walls, as it might be too hectic to grab them once the cyber and cacos start engaging you - besides, inching next to a cyberdemon is quite fun - you never know if you'll accidentally clip his hitbox - this trap made for a very nerve-wracking surprise!

 

The combat in this WAD is pretty damn good. Areas are sufficiently populated, and traps are plentiful. My second favorite trap being a particularly nasty hitscanner ambush - you'll know it when you see it. Navigation is a cinch, w/ areas and objectives being clearly defined for the player - you'll never wander around confused on where to go next.

 

Once you defeat the cyberdemon and his cronies, head through the yellow door, and make your way to the end of the level. When I finally reached and slayed the Romero Head at the end of this map, I had only killed 61% of the enemies! That means that there is far more to explore in this level, that I must have missed. Oh well, I can always play it again in the future, and I likely will, as this is one of the more fun 1995 maps I've played in a while.

 

Take a look if you're in the mood for some abstract architecture, or some clever early traps! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3Jq9uiG

Edited March 19, 2022 by Arrowhead

[Roofi]

 Flashback: demo by Torn (Team Leader), Espi, Erik Alm (2003) 

 

 

 

Informations about the wad + comments about each map :

 

Spoiler

Filename : fbdemo.wad

IWAD : Ultimate Doom

Author : Espi, Erik Alm, Torn

Release Date : 10th December 2003

Number of maps : 6

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items)

Engine used : DOSBOX

 

Description : "Here it is; the demo of the Flashback megawad. Designed in the spirit of the original levels, with doom.exe compatibility. Hope you'll enjoy playing the levels as much as we enjoyed making them. There are six maps; one from E1, two from E2 and E3 and one from E4." The whole megawad has never been completed.

 

Bugs : - 0% secret in E2M4 because there is no secret. 

 

Comments about each map :

E2M1 : A remake of E1M1 which has the advantage of offering more verticality compared to the original level. Nevertheless, I regret the monotexturing outside of the buildings and the large outdoor landscapes that don't contain any items.

 

E2M2 : I really don't like Refinery in Ultimate Doom. However, I love the remake proposed by Torn and Espi. I find the layout much morespacious and messy. Also, you can see and hear real working machinery. It adds to the immersion. The secrets are also quite cleverly interwoven. One of my favorite levels of Flashback Demo.

 

E2M3: Deimos Lab, one of my favorite Ultimate Doom levels and the best one in my opinion in Fbdemo.wad too. Definitely, the collaboration between Torn and Espi is producing good things. I don't know if I prefer the remake to the original though. It lacks the iconic crusher and some strange secrets. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is still very strong.

 

E2M4: A really crappy map in Ultimate Doom. Really glad that Espi could do something better than 64 pixels wide corridors and a real fortress worthy of the name instead. Nevertheless, the gameplay is not very outstanding. We kill shotgunners, caco and imps mainly. The blue key trap with the imps teleporting around the player is a particularly striking and sadistic moment at the same time.

 

E2M5 : Argh Slough of Despair, I always hated this map. Espi's version is much better for my taste, but it's still my least favorite map. I remember running out of ammo when I played it in pistol start, it's quite frustrating. Funny detail, the layout doesn't look like a hand anymore but a foot, I forgot to show it in the video ! The map is much more spacious and detailed than the original one.

 

E2M6: I never understood the craze for episode 4, it's really my least favorite episode in UD. Sorry Erik Alm, your new version of E4M1 did not convince me. I have to say though that the blood pool that drops down to reveal the passage underneath is pretty neat. Apart from that, this map feature the most dangerous traps in the wad.

 

My review written during my session on ERi/wa.

 

Among these 6 maps that were supposed to be included in a hypothetical megawad we find E1M1, E2M3, E2M4, E3M1, E3M2 and E4M1.

 

Concerning E1M1, I was not particularly convinced. Certainly the level is bigger but the monotexturing generates a certain monotony. Moreover I preferred the textures used in the original level.

 

For E2M3, very pleasant surprise because I never liked Refinery in Ultimate Doom. In Espi's version, the rooms imbricate together much better and I liked the noisy machines (crusher noise) outside.

 

Concerning E2M4, I was a fan of the original version, but Espi managed to offer even better with a more lmaze layout and more height variations. I don't mind mazes when the level has a gloomy atmosphere.

 

I didn't like E3M1 too much, but this version will always be 100 times better than the iwad, especially architecturally speaking.

 

Espi had the ingenious idea to make a foot-shaped layout for E3M2. The volcanic rocky scenery is extremely well done. Nevertheless, I almost died several times because of the frequent lack of ammunition and medkits.  A real difficulty spike.

 

E4M1 was not too memorable but I liked the way the level evolves. The blood pools in particular drop down to reveal more passages. The monsters are well used and the difficulty does not rely on lack of supplies.

 

In short, an excellent hommage to Ultimate DOOM. We can only regret that the megawad was never released. Nevertheless, I didn't like the Inferno maps as much because the difficulty was mainly based on ammo starvation.

 

Grade : A

[Endless]

Shadowy Forest

By Ken Phipps

2000

 

 

WADs designed for Heretic are few and far between and usually don't reach the same quality as those for Doom, but oh boy, when you find one that is not only old, but also of super quality, then good luck! Here's a sort of forgotten gift that checks all my desires.

 

This is a single-level WAD, quite long and expansive. Themed around forests, it has a considerable amount of areas that are as diverse as they are entertaining. Linked by a palpable quality of progression, the map constantly evolves in a logical and attractive way, offering views and scenery that make you want to get inside. The overall quality is high, but it also manages to create a quite ambient and dark scenery, which gives it a great touch of pure mood. The forest, the caverns, the village and the fort; all work under a single unit that sweats inspiration and fantasy in a great way. With even ambient sounds, this WAD manages to create an epic sense of adventure.

 

The gameplay can be challenging at times, but it's always entertaining and fluid, delivering great combat that's varied enough to give it a certain coolness. The ammo can be a bit short at times, and sometimes the combat gets a bit claustrophobic, but I don't think that's a major deterrent.

 

On the other hand, my biggest complaint is the use of hidden switches in the form of puzzles, which can be a bit irritating and prolongs the length of the WAD unnecessarily.

 

Still, Shadowy Forest is a great map that immerses the player in its environment, creating a great battlefield that is as inspiring as it is fun. A WAD for Heretic that is worth reviving.

[Arrowhead]

Some Old Level - 07/25/2001 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

SoL is an attractive map that's short in length. This is a brief little hiccup of a techbase map. Expect to spend no longer than 3-5 minutes in this map - that's not to say it's too brief, the map's pace is very good, and makes you feel like you've spent more time in it than you actually have. This appears to be the only level released to /idgames by this author - which is a shame, as the detailing is really nice and clean. The author mentions that they've "made (literally) hundreds of thousands of unreleased levels since 1994". This is apparently one of those unreleased levels, originally created when the author was 12 back in 1996 - so this is quite a bit older than the actual release date.

 

The map is laid-out in the same fashion that any other introductory level typically is. There are few monsters, (there are less than 40 on UV) and generally straightforward navigation, much like any other level of this type. The map can be a little dark, (bordering on too dark) in some areas, but you never spend enough time in these places for you to feel too oppressed by it.

 

The secrets in this map are really cool - one of them is reminiscent of E1M2 of Doom1, where you have to exit the buildings of the map and end up in an exterior yard, except, instead of snagging a supercharge, you snag instead a chaingun and 100 ammo rounds. There is actually a supercharge secret in this map, (a little unnecessary in my view) I only ended up finding it quite a ways into the level, there were only 6 enemies left when I found this secret, so it felt kind of overpowered to me. I bet if you picked it up earlier, it wouldn't feel as OP, but even then, a supercharge in a sub-40 monster count map is quite a powerful item... Other than that small nitpick about the supercharge secret, I don't have much to complain about!

 

Fun little map! Quite impressive detailing for an author who was 12 years old at the time! Give it a spin if you've got 5 minutes to spare; you can UV'MAX it in that amount of time! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3L1AXr9

[FEDEX]

Hi Colton! I've saw you playthrough in YT, very nice map. Do you know if the author (Nuno Correia) released other levels? I was able to find only this one.

[Andromeda]

1 hour ago, FEDEX said:

Hi Colton! I've saw you playthrough in YT, very nice map. Do you know if the author (Nuno Correia) released other levels? I was able to find only this one.

Looks like this is his only standalone level, but he took part in some speedmapping competitions.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Andromeda

[Arrowhead]

1 hour ago, FEDEX said:

Hi Colton! I've saw you playthrough in YT, very nice map. Do you know if the author (Nuno Correia) released other levels? I was able to find only this one.

Good question - I noticed in the readme that they say "hundreds of thousands of unreleased levels since 1994" - but I also cannot find any other maps by this author.

 

You would think they'd have uploaded something else, having created so many WADs.

 

I bet there are others out there somewhere, perhaps under a username or different spelling of the name?

[Arrowhead]

Thanks, @Andromeda for pointing me towards these! I was not aware he did anything further!

 

Gonna have to check those out too, I was quite pleased by this author's work. :)

 

 

[FEDEX]

@Andromeda is always here... often stealth mode, but he's always around :)

[Arrowhead]

axe4.wad - 01/15/97 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

This is a WAD by Anthony Connor, it is a part of his 'AXE' series. The AXE series is a series of levels made and released between mid-1996, and early 1997. I don't believe Connor made any other levels outside of his AXE series, at least I haven't been able to find any. The AXE series were released in an odd fashion - it seems like the levels were released not in order, but in a random fashion. The final released level chronologically is 'axe1', w/ the first level released being 'axe8'. I actually reviewed a map of Connor's earlier in this review cycle - this map was 'Ephesians 6;12' - I only just learned today, that that level's file name is 'axe1' - so I guess this is the second of Connor's WADs I've played.

 

The map starts you off in a massive cistern style elevator. Think back to The Plutonia Experiment, MAP02, this elevator is very reminiscent in function. I've always liked these hub-style elevators - they add a lot for a map's movement. The combat in this map is frenetic, and fast-paced - there are just over 300 enemies in this map, and they are used to great effect. By the time that I was 5 minutes into my run, I had already killed 120 enemies! This map goes at quite the brisk pace for something this old!

 

I felt that the yellow key that was given right after the first courtyard encounter was too well hidden. Amazingly, I found it right away in my first run, (this can be seen around 7:00 of the video) even though it was hidden deep in a monster cubby - I think this key could have been given to you more conventionally, rather than sequestering it away in a little nook somewhere. The super-shotgun is available shortly after attaining this key - you'll need to do a basic little fight against a mancubus and his accompanying cronies to retrieve it. It can be easy to miss this room, as it is small, and set off to the side of the normal path the player will take through the level.

 

You will learn to distrust teleporters in the AXE missions, as often times, Connor will drop you off blind into fairly unpleasant scenarios. These teleporter 'surprises' are a lot of fun, especially the first one where you get dropped into a tower full of zombiemen - it is fun to tear them to shreds, before jumping off into the courtyard proper. One negative thing about the many teleporters in this map, is that it often can feel like the map is a series of disparate parts, rather than an entire whole. As much of the progression in this map is via teleportation, you may feel as if the 'flow' of this level is a bit disjointed - thankfully, this never gets too confusing - I found my way around this map fairly simply, which is surprising, as I have a major knack for getting lost...

 

The texturing, while serviceable, has some slight issues. Occasionally, flats will be cut off awkwardly - and often times, it is hard to discern exactly what type of location you're in - the architecture, while not extremely abstract, is abstract enough that the map is confusing as a 'real place'. Even w/ this in mind, the map does have some nice areas - I like the tall towers that overlook the shorter walls in the first courtyard you encounter, as well as the room that has the six descending platforms trap, I thought that looked nice as well.

 

This map is an absolute slaughter - it was fun playing an older map w/ a higher monster count like this - it was a nice change from the shorter levels I've reviewed recently. Highly recommend this 'finale' to the AXE series - it is a blast from start to finish! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3JBKuot

[Roofi]

On 9/18/2021 at 6:10 PM, Roofi said:

Some 1994 favs from me  (Reviews are copy-pasted from Endless Random Adventure).

 

Wad 1) REoL TOUGH: TOTAL WAR III: Land of Weirdness by  George Fiffy

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

This is the prehistory of slaughtermaps. Forget Go2it, forget HR2, forget Sunder, Georges Fiffy delivered in 1994 an Ultimate Doom map with more than 600 monsters in a compact map.

 

This level replaces E3M7 and takes up some of the gimmick of "Limbo" with the teleporters surrounded by dangerous liquid and the numerous switches to activate to unlock them.

 

This map is nothing but a concentrate of fun and combat. The mapper literally floods you with ammunition and health in order to defeat all those little teleporting monsters.  You have no bfg or plasmagun but only a shotgun and a RL obtained later.

 

Aesthetically, it's obviously very rudimentary. However, I appreciate this particular style, especially the doors strangely embedded in the sky or the mix of blue and grey textures. It is not very beautiful, but it is not uninteresting.

 

 

A simple UV playthrough on a level I already reviewed.

 

It is also a test to record doom in the original format (4:3) instead of my desktop's one (16:10), Nikku made me notice that the aspect=false on Dosbox gave a distorted resolution. Otherwise, I love this map, so much shotgun spam and constantly disappearing things due to overabundance. I want to see more George Fiffy's vanilla slaughtermaps !

 

My playthrough was quite improvised because I partially forgot the progression. Also, I didn't know how to get the blue key and I had to IDSPISPODS once because I softlocked after doing a "speedrunning" trick.

 

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by Roofi

[Doomkid]

Friends, I just want to thank you all so much for these reviews. They're helping me fill out the big vanilla wad pack even more..!

 

Over the last few days I've been pretty sick, and it isn't helping that it has been cold and rainy for the most part this last week. Since I've pretty much just been huddled up in my bunker feeling too shitty to properly play/record any Doom, socialize much, or continue on my judging session for my 20 years mapping contest, I've instead been sifting through shovelware to find everything that was at least kinda decent from 1994.

 

No joke, I looked through at least 1,500 wads by hand - and I ended up putting about 330 in the "save" folder, that weren't previously in the vanilla wad pack. 330 new wads, even if theyre just small and basic 1994 maps (but well made ones!) is a great score for the pack.

 

Now I'm going through this thread.. So far, I've gotten through page 2 out of 18 (lol..) but have already found about a dozen more wads for the collection. So, to me that says by the time I'm done looking through this thread, there maybe be somewhere upwards of 80 more wads to add to the collection. (Just a ballpark guess - after all, the only qualifier is "when I play the map, I don't think it sucks", basically.)

 

Since I'm not actually providing any reviews - just trying to express my appreciation, and document somewhere all the damn hours I'm sinking into the big vanilla wad pack :) - I want to end this post with a revelation I've had that over the last 10 years, I unwittingly ended up writing 60 pages worth of wad reviews. I never really considered myself a wad reviewer, and some of these are just 1 small sentence, but a few are larger and more well thought-out.

 

Most of these were written on the old /idgames frontend, and on the old forum software, you couldn't see a person's wad reviews from their account. This is why I never really realized til today just how many I'd written - losing the "random file" button on the same frontend as where you can actually leave wad reviews kinda reduced my interest in it, as the reviews served as "breadcrumbs" so you could make sure you weren't downloading a wad you've already tried for the 2nd time.

 

Anyway.. Hope some of you find all those old reviews helpful to some degree in discovering decent lesser-known wads (most of which I've also forgotten about since reviewing them, heh.)

[Arrowhead]

27 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

Most of these were written on the old /idgames frontend, and on the old forum software, you couldn't see a person's wad reviews from their account. This is why I never really realized til today just how many I'd written...

I definitely consider you a WAD reviewer.

 

Gotta be honest, I often use your old /idgames reviews to 'check' if old deathmatch WADs are good or not before I download them.

 

Your post made me realize how much I've written since I started reviewing WADs in August. According to Microsoft Word, it is 188 pages - combining my deathmatch reviews for the Wadazine, and these WADarcheology reviews. Not bragging, your post just made me realize all the reviews I've done.

 

Absolutely awesome that you went through 1500+ for your collection, that's dedication right there! :)

 

Edited March 25, 2022 by Arrowhead

[Arrowhead]

shadow.wad - 01/31/1995 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

Shadow.wad is a compact city-type map by a currently unknown author. This map was uploaded to /idgames more than a decade after it was created. This map is somewhat reminiscent of Doom2 MAP13, as they are both open-ended town levels w/ a lot of height variation. This level is far easier than Downtown, though, as there are sub-50 enemies in the entire map on UV - this may sound like a cakewalk, but due to the large open areas and many corridors of this map, enemies have a tendency to corner you in dead-ends, or they may come up dangerously behind you.

 

There is a single cybie that roams around the entirety of the map - unless you take him out, he will be pestering / ambushing you every chance he has. It is not a good idea to ascend to the top towers without killing him first - there's a chance that his infinite height will prevent you from descending safely, if you do this. The map isn't the most aesthetically pleasing - there are a lot of misalignments, but I kind of like it's low-detail look - I also dig the weird stairways w/ the glowing / flashing lights - that's probably the best looking area in my opinion. There are also the occasional SS Trooper, and occasional Wolf3D textures, although these never really detract from the experience. The only thing I wasn't a fan of, is that the exit is a bit of a secret. I found it by accident in my playthrough - see the last minute of the video - it is hidden in an alcove w/ a brightly flashing light - this is the only hint to its existence. This is the only substantial complaint I have about this level.

 

Overall, this is a very brief excursion - it takes about 5-8 minutes to complete. Do give it a shot, though! It is a lot of fun having to micromanage the cyberdemon while trying to go about your business otherwise - it made for a very harrowing experience. I wish we knew the identity of the author, it would be cool to find other maps by them, but that information seems unfortunately lost to time...

 

:)                                                                                                                                              

Spoiler

 

 

Download link:https://bit.ly/3uBGrSR                                                            

PS: Video is stuck in processing again :P Should be done sooner than later.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Arrowhead

[Arrowhead]

Battle Royale - 06/04/1995 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

BR is a fairly large sports-themed WAD - this is a map created by Greg Hagedorn, an author who created a handful of levels in '95-'96. All of Hagedorn's works were published to the /idgames archive many years after their initial creation. Why is this map sports-themed? Well, there is a massive boxing ring type structure in the middle of the map. Most of the combat and engagements of this map take place in, or around this room. Other than the initial exploration around the exterior of the boxing stadium building, you really don't spend much time outside - most of the level is spent in the relatively dark interior of the boxing stadium proper.

 

At the entrance to the building, there is a megasphere. This is given to you pretty much for free, as the surrounding combat / fights aren't nearly difficult enough to warrant a megasphere. I think a supercharge, or a simple green armor would have possibly been a better choice here. The sphere doesn't make you feel particularly over-powered, as there are some mean and nasty encounters later on. As you explore around the exterior of the main building, you will encounter two 'caged' cyberdemons. These fellows become a major pain in the behind later in the map - ignore them for now. Once you make your way entirely around the perimeter of the main building, you will find a switch - this switch opens the door that was right in front of the megasphere - you can now access the inside of the structure.

 

This map has a lot of Doomcute going on - the men's washroom w/ urinals, the women's washroom w/ toilets, the bleachers and actual boxing ring, all of it comes together to make a believable environment - details like these are an 'extra effort' in a WAD this old, and are something I really appreciated. At around 8:15 of the video, you'll encounter an odd trapezoidal waist-high wall. This is actually an integral elevator - I only found this out by accident, as there is no use of a conventional elevator texture here - there is also another elevator in this room that looks like a mere stack of boxes - this is another integral elevator, and the method of which you use to access the yellow key in the room - there is another 'box elevator' right after this area, (once you open the yellow key door) but at this point, an observant doomer is likely pressing all the stacks of boxes they see anyway - these areas are the only 'cryptic' parts of the map - the rest is very easy to navigate.

 

There is a very fun trap behind the red key door, as this is the area of the map where monsters start teleporting directly into the boxing ring. A pack of barons, and a gaggle of revenants make themselves known here - although bigger beasts are soon to follow... Once you complete that cramped concrete corridor area behind the red key door, the cybies will teleport into the boxing ring. Next comes one of the meanest traps I've encountered in an old map. Basically, a hellknight and a revenant spawn in on differing sides of a very narrow 'U'-shaped hallway. They attempt to pinch / sandwich you in between them - I barely survived this - I was down to sub-10% health after this encounter, and I still had to face two cyberdemons! Thankfully, there was a (much more necessary than the last) megasphere that opens up right after surviving this trap.

 

When you return to the large room that overlooks the boxing ring, you'll see that a wall has lowered, and you can access a blue key, and invuln sphere, and a lovely BFG - this'll help you make short work of the cybies. Is this last encounter a bit too easy? Sure - fighting two cybers w/ an invuln and a BFG isn't too tough. I don't think this is a bad thing, however, as most players are probably going to be relieved to kill the cybers, as they have been tormenting you in some fashion since the very beginning of the map!

 

The map ends once you use the blue key on the blue door - an arch-vile will appear here; waste him, and charge into the exit cubby. This is a great map, marred only slightly by its somewhat obtuse navigation in places, and its tendency to be too generous on occasion w/ its power-ups. Give it a shot, if you're just looking for some intense mindless fun - I found it quite difficult to complete this map on a 'UV saveless' run - namely because of the cruelty of a couple traps.

 

Still, give this one a chance - it's one thing to make a 'believable' location in 1995, it's another thing entirely to make that 'believable' space work well as a Doom level. :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3tXH6yT

PS: I think that imp at the end of the video was resurrected on the last possible frame - it looked odd to me.

[Roofi]

Operation: Biowar by Chris Harbin, John Bishop and Paul Corfiatis (1999)

 

Yep,  it's not extremly obscure but I want to post here anyware since it's still released before 2004 and has great quality. :)

 

 

 

Quote

Biowar is a doom2 megawad in the spirit of ICARUS and others. It consists of 18 regular levels and 1 secret level. The levels range from moderate to hard and are all very well done. Enjoy!

 

Biowar is a 19 level megawad released in 1999, directed by Chris Harbin with John Bishop and Paul Corfiatis as guest mappers. Chris added new textures and music, coming from wads released earlier such as Memento Mori or Requiem. Nevertheless, Biowar stands out for its new statbar and especially the new character that reminds me directly of "The Thing" from the 4 Fantastics.

 

The 19 levels offer different themes such as tech-bases, a volcano, ice or hell temples. Nevertheless, you should count on a bit less than 2 hours to finish this wad because most of the levels are characterized by their short length and their directional progression. Sometimes, the player has to explore longer and more complex levels, especially in the last maps, but these do not represent the majority.

 

In any case, for a wad from the 1990s, the wad moves away from the usual weirdness in its structure. The locations have been thoughtfully designed to create real places that allow the player to be taken on an adventure. Of course, some levels contain their share of unnecessary and time-consuming switches and backtracks. Nevertheless, I found the whole thing neat and balanced.

 

Moreover, Chris Harbin was careful to make his wad accessible to everyone. If I could suggest to a beginner to play a wad, Biowar would be ideal. Even Doom 2 has much more difficulty because of the strict balancing on some of its maps. In Biowar, you often face small bestiary while bosses and arch-viles can be numbered on the fingers of one hand. However, John Bishop's two maps (06 and 13) show more violence because of their slaughterish cramped gameplay. Paul Corfiatis' map (map 10) abusively rewards any player curious enough to find the secrets.

 

Also, as I mentioned before, the enclosed aspect of the maps prevents the player from getting lost for too long trying to figure out where to go.

The wad also excels in the field of "Doomcute". You can see a flying ship in the sky at the beginning of the first map, or you can admire the lively machinery in map 06. The author has also incorporated some cool thunder noises.

 

Map 01: The End

A basic introduction exclusively focused on the pistol if you haven't found a way to access the shotgunner compartment. This map is not very exciting. A shotgun given at the beginning would have reduced the grind.

 

Map 02: Terror Core

Typical map where the "3 keys, 3 paths" trope is applied by using teleporters. Confusing when played for the first time. Brief and fun once you get the hang of teleporters. Each small section contains micro fights involving imps , shotgunners and chaingunners.

 

Map 03: Onslaught

A map I don't like but I respect the atmosphere. The thunder sound is great on this level in particular. I blame Chris Harbin for relying too much on darkness. The outdoor fights can get annoying at times, especially with some of the chaingunners.

 

Map 04: The Arrival

Probably one of my favorite maps. The ship that serves as a spawn is charming. Although short and linear, it was relaxing. The trap where 5 cacodemons teleport successively requires more patience than dodging skills.

 

Map 05: Skybase

The first long map of Biowar which feature many backtracks to get each key. Between the crate maze at the very beginning, the fascinating blue lab near the exit or the big elevator leading to a small cold room, Sky Base offers more content than its predecessors.

 

Map 06: Last Call

John Bishop's first map that stands out with a much higher density of monsters. While fun overall, it could have benefited from being a bit more spacious, as the 64 pixel wide corridors don't make for a pleasant journey. Nevertheless, the author has done a great job of creating an active machinery, using scrolling textures and crushers.

 

Map 07: Apparatus

I hated this map. The doors acting as lifts annoyed me. You have to carefully kill the pain elementals in order to avoid triggering unwanted infighting with the Mastermind located behind and then being flooded with lost souls... Aesthetically speaking it's rudimentary.

 

Map 08 : Biolabs

A nice level with a dysfunctionnal secret. I really like the blue animated textures on the floor or the passage in an air duct.

 

Map 09 : Security

Security is the only guest-map from Paul Corfiatis. I loved this one because of Paul's overgenerosity when it comes to secrets. You can find two BFGs, two megaspheres, a soulsphere and even a sphere of invulnerability! Besides, he added the best music of MM2 "Organic Gods". Definitely a highlight.

 

Map 10 : Shadow Woods

Shadow Woods is distinguished by its forest and thus by the numerous trees. Totally linear, it is more of an intermission map.

 

Map 11 : Frozen Terror

Another favorite level where the ice theme prevails. I really enjoyed the pronunced height variations.

 

Map 12 : Military Center

A map similar to map 02 in its design, i.e. 3 teleporters leading to 3 keys and then to a final section. Uninteresting map overall with a lot of symmetry. Moreover, contrary to map 02, you have to get the three keys in an established order.

 

Map 13 : UAC Prison

I love UAC prison for its significant number of enemies (more than 350 !). Most of them teleport into the central courtyard and shooting them with a plasma gun makes the gameplay really enjoyable. The underground part with the prisons  cells was more annoying than anything else in my humble opinion. 

 

Map 14 : Absolution

A mysterious temple, surely one of the most accomplished maps from Biowar with its vast  courtyards or its small satanic chapel. Nevertheless, the TP work badly on this level. Some monsters teleport lately and therefore ruined few longplay attempts.

 

Map 15 : Heat

An epic volcanic adventure. The music of Memento Mori works well.

 

Map 31: Juggelo Funhouse

A circus as a secret level is a good idea.

 

Map 16: The Killing Fields

I should have like this map for its ambition but I didn't. Actually the map contains too many backtracks and it's easy to forget a monster in some places like the maze leading to the blue key.

 

Map 17: Sacrilege

It's correct. Chris Harbin often tends to create dedicated areas for each key that can be reached via a teleporter. Despite the cyberdemon and the Mastermind at the end, the level was straightforward.

 

Map 18: Die Heuschrecke

Oh no, an Icon of Sin, although this one doesn't even require shooting in a small gap with the RL! You just have to press 4 successive switches to reach the brain. Honestly, I only like this map for its easiness. A traditional IOS would have displeased me.

 

Grade : A

Edited April 5, 2022 by Roofi

[Arrowhead]

The Cathedral - 12/31/1994 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

The Cathedral is a map released in late 1994, by Henry D. Koren. Koren released a Heretic deathmatch level as well, and these seem like the only levels that are available of his. This is a really well made level from a technical perspective - lighting is great, the style of progression is a lot of fun, and some of the sites you see are really visually attractive.

 

The map starts you off in a hub of sorts. Beware though, as there is an arch-vile immediately in this level - he is easy enough to dispatch, as there is plenty of cover to bob and weave from. The building you spend the most amount of time in, really does feel like a sort of cathedral - rare for a map this old - the lighting really serves to make this location believable. Texturing is nice, but is a little bit plain, as what is used is predominately brown - I didn't mind this so much - the map is accented w/ other colors here and there, so it really doesn't look too monotone. My favorite location visually is likely that of the main cathedral hall, see screenie 4. I really think the twin crosses look quite nice here.

 

The only cryptic part of this map, is a stack of boxes that you have to lower to get to the red key. There are no conventional elevator textures used here, so it was quite difficult to find out that I needed to do that - other than that, this map is as straightforward as it gets. There is one quite cool platforming section, where you need to descend some narrow elevators, and skirt across a series of pillars - this was fun, it was nice to see peculiar progression like this, from a WAD this old - the platforming in this WAD works really well.

 

Don't expect to go into this to have a major brawl w/ massive hordes of demons. This level barely has 45 enemies on UV - this map felt much more like the introduction to a larger map pack, than it did an individual mission. If you go into it expecting to play a nice introductory map, you'll definitely enjoy it!

 

:)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/36YgG7B

[LadyMistDragon]

Crossposted from random wad adventures because I doubt many people know Cyb's projects outside Void

 

ZORT08.WAD  - 12/07/02

 

Mike "Cyb" Watson was once one of the most important members of the Doom community before dropping out because life priorities or maybe just wanting to move on. After such early dreck as Doom Jr. he would go on to make several other maps that clearly viewed Doom as being something of an artistic canvas more so than as a game. This one, before Void, is actually a decent example of this, and has a fair amount of charm.

 

Not like you would necessarily guess from the opening marble hallways which Mike every so cinematically scrolls through for roughly a minute before you start. As a neat if half-baked touch, your foes tend to be the color of the liquid in which many of them float in. This map very much conveys the feeling of some sort of lost civilization in how certain enemies are rendered in stone before you do something that wakes them up. In the case of Barons, the ones you initially encounter will be gray anyways, perhaps the result of some coloring difficulties.

 

The minimalistic scripting seems to be more Quake-style color commentary than any actual attempt at a story, which I feel suits Cyb just fine. I get the impression he wasn't someone who really wanted to shove a story down player's throats, lest we get some godawful-dialogue filled set like Claustrophobia: The Walls Close In. Atmosphere is the primary draw here, not unlike Void. I especially like how the group of flashing colored Imps possess a radio. Are they like archeaologists or perhaps a survey team? I guess that flashing thing they're worshipping might be their surveying equipment. Some well-staged, though perhaps not so dangerous traps (apart from one toward the end anyway)

  

That's not to play down the fights. The last bit after acquiring the red key has you facing off against 2 Arch-viles in a hallway filled with Imp corpses, then after that, a Cyberdemon you've seen at other points in the map who annoys the shit out of everyone with his teleporting antics. The exit is unclear, but turns out you better know how to jump, just in case you've failed to figure it out by now.

 

That's probably the sole weakness of this map. The progression can be really strange at times, like when you have to punch a silver Imp in a location where there was none before in order to make the red key appear in the bottom of a blood pool being used for executions.

 

Link

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by LadyMistDragon

[Walter confetti]

The Hellsley Suites by Chris Somers (Doom, E1M2, 1995, played with eternity engine "forseti" 4.0.2)

 

DOWNLOAD LINK

 

Spoiler

 

A unexpectedly fun and good map that i've come in knowledge from C:\PANDORA Shovelware exploration threads been one of the maps playable, is a map sets in a huge hellish hotel \ vacation resort, including many things like raw doomcute, clever layout design with lots of interconnection and looping, 3D floating cages, deep water effect and many other cool trickery around the structure. The level are connected by various lifts trough many levels, giving a big sense of verticality.

The gameplay is on the easier side, but it's pretty fun to explore the place and discover new places. Is not at the level of the much more famous H_HOTEL.WAD but it's a pretty fun map as well for a lighthearted adventure.

[Dusty_Rhodes]

1 hour ago, Walter confetti said:

The Hellsley Suites by Chris Somers (Doom, E1M2, 1995, played with eternity engine "forseti" 4.0.2)

 

DOWNLOAD LINK

 

  Hide contents

 

A unexpectedly fun and good map that i've come in knowledge from C:\PANDORA Shovelware exploration threads been one of the maps playable, is a map sets in a huge hellish hotel \ vacation resort, including many things like raw doomcute, clever layout design with lots of interconnection and looping, 3D floating cages, deep water effect and many other cool trickery around the structure. The level are connected by various lifts trough many levels, giving a big sense of verticality.

The gameplay is on the easier side, but it's pretty fun to explore the place and discover new places. Is not at the level of the much more famous H_HOTEL.WAD but it's a pretty fun map as well for a lighthearted adventure.

One of the more interesting Pandora wads imo. Had a lot of really interesting geometry and uses of Doom 1 textures. Definitely very fun! 

[LadyMistDragon]

8 hours ago, Walter confetti said:

The Hellsley Suites by Chris Somers (Doom, E1M2, 1995, played with eternity engine "forseti" 4.0.2)

 

DOWNLOAD LINK

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

A unexpectedly fun and good map that i've come in knowledge from C:\PANDORA Shovelware exploration threads been one of the maps playable, is a map sets in a huge hellish hotel \ vacation resort, including many things like raw doomcute, clever layout design with lots of interconnection and looping, 3D floating cages, deep water effect and many other cool trickery around the structure. The level are connected by various lifts trough many levels, giving a big sense of verticality.

The gameplay is on the easier side, but it's pretty fun to explore the place and discover new places. Is not at the level of the much more famous H_HOTEL.WAD but it's a pretty fun map as well for a lighthearted adventure.

I might've bitched about it but I MOSTLY agree with this. Getting the secret BFG practically at the end is still stupid and you ain't changing my mind about that! 

[Arrowhead]

Hurtland - 12/24/1994 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

HL, is a very fun early Doom 2 level - this is a WAD by Glenn Geiss, an author only responsible for one other map, Sanctum Sanctorium. This map takes place in a type of hellish complex - you will see a blend of both tech-type textures and hell-type textures in this WAD - w/ an obvious emphasis on the hellish side of things.

 

This map has many of the issues that many maps this old have. It is not the most attractive map to behold, although there is some pretty decent abstract architecture on display here. There are also your usual problems w/ vertical tiling, and flat positioning. These don't detract from the experience in the slightest, as you will probably be too busy engaging the 100 or so enemies present in this map. This is not a very large monster count, but the level is very well paced, and seems much longer / more complex than it actually is. There is the occasional unmarked door to open, but this is heavily alleviated by Geiss giving you an automap quite early on - the map is by no means 'cryptic'.

 

There are some unique combat scenarios in this level, w/ the single arachnotron turret at the end of a long hellish hallway being my favorite - I like it when authors cleverly place monsters to cut down angles, even if it isn't that challenging of a fight. Geiss was kind enough to present you w/ an SSG at the very beginning of the map, which is always nice. It makes the initial battle against the 3 barons much more palatable.

 

Shortly after this, you are presented w/ a megasphere and a RL. This megasphere may seem superfluous, but you're probably going to be thankful you snagged it, once you go through the single close-quarter mancubi encounter. You WILL definitely take some substantial damage here - It is really difficult to dodge mancubi projectiles that are that close to you. Unfortunately, one of the two mancubi here appears to be 'stuck' - this is the only major error I encountered in this WAD.

 

The blue key section is quite dark, but I think the gameplay on display here is quite nice. You descend into a pit filled w/ spectres, of which there is a large surrounding raised wall, from where many imps will be funnelling projectiles down onto you. I found this fight pretty hectic - not difficult, just hectic for the time period. There is a hidden door in this area, but it is so obvious that any doomer should be able to figure it out.

 

The red key section is easily the most hellish looking area of the map - this is where you encounter that single pesky arachnotron. I really like the look of this location, despite it obviously not being as attractive as many maps nowadays. I found the hell section charming. There is a Berserk pack here that is hidden across a small chasm - you'll need to raise the bloodfall so that you can cross - this also lowers a set of blue bars - this is a fairly complex set-up for a WAD this old. The bloodfall also can be lowered again, so as not to be prevented from entering that room again. The final fight in this level is a bit lukewarm, (usually to be expected in levels this old) - you'll fight an arch-vile, as well as a large crowd of assorted Doom 2 enemies - they are quite easy to dispatch, as you should have a large amount of cells in reserve.

 

A fun early Doom 2 map! Give it a try if you're in an old-school mood. This takes 10-15 minutes to finish, so it's perfect for a coffee break! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3OiB2sX