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

[Endless]

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!

[Arrowhead]

8 minutes ago, Endless said:

Base

By Brandon Davids "TALON"

1994

Nice! I also agree that it's a great map, I had actually recorded footage of it for a future review! But you beat me to the punch this time, haha :)

 

[Endless]

7 minutes ago, Arrowhead said:

Nice! I also agree that it's a great map, I had actually recorded footage of it for a future review! But you beat me to the punch this time, haha :)

 

Still upload it! Let's just call it a duo review ;)

[Arrowhead]

Just now, Endless said:

Still upload it! Let's just call it a duo review ;)

Alrighty, that sounds like a plan! - I will write / publish it for tomorrow! I won't add mine to the spreadsheet, though. :)

 

 

[Arrowhead]

base.zip - 08/11/1994 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

base.zip is a well-above-average 1994 experience. This WAD was created by Brandon Davids, an author who I cannot find much information about - this seems to be the only file of theirs that is on /idgames / Wadarchive. As always, if any of you know of more maps, by this author be sure to let me know!

 

You start off in a small room, where you are presented w/ a single-shotgun. Once you leave this small entry room, you'll enter into a larger room, where you'll be exposed to two large windows from which imps and the occasional hitscanner will be shooting at you from. From this area, you'll be presented w/ 3 doors to open - the middle door is locked by a blue key, so getting that key should be your first course of action. In the video, I luckily took the right door first, which brought me straight to an outdoor area where I found the blue key right away. Out here is a lovely early rocket launcher - and an angry baron. Fire your two rockets at him, and finish him off w/ whatever you have - I took a particularly nasty projectile here in the video.

 

Now that you have the blue key, don't head down the blue key door room yet, make sure to take the door to the left, first. The left door leads you to another small outdoors area, this time w/ a chaingun - clear out the hitscanners here, and then head further into the base via the blue key door. Immediately after the blue door opens, you will see a room w/ nukage on both sides - I was unsure if these were inescapeable, so I didn't risk jumping into them.

 

I really like the interconnectivity displayed in this map - there's always some kind of window or slot in the walls from where you can see into other areas of the map - I feel as if this made the base feel more alive. Once you get through the nukage section, you'll come into a green marble themed room - this threw me for a bit of a loop, as the green marble theme is present nowhere else in the map - this is the only complaint I have regarding the texturing in this map - the rest of it is very well-done for 1994 - you see the occasional misalignment, but nothing ever too egregious.

 

Eventually, you will find a red key - this key isn't trapped at all - I found this odd, as the area around the red key seemed a little lacking in combat - a trap would have made this area more dynamic - as it stands, nearly all of the placement in this map is incidental. Curiously, there are no official secrets in this level - I did however find a supercharge 'secret', and thankfully, this one was trapped! Cleaning up the little pocket of enemies that pop up here is fun - not to mention surprising, as so much of this level relies on rather primitive monster placement.

 

After you fight your way through the relatively easy red key battles, you'll eventually come to two switches. One opens a shortcut to your right, whereas the other one opens a door to a cybie. Head back to the area you originally found the RL in, grab the invuln, do a tricky dodge, and get the hell out of there!

 

This is a really good 1994 map. Really solid. I recommend it to fans of E1 styling, as well as fans of laidback levels - the only 'difficult' part of the mission is the cybie duel, as a lot of that comes down to luck. You can actually get 100% kills on this map, just wake up the cyber, and stand up in that window where you originally opened his cubby - shoot down on him w/ your single shotgun - it is possible to kill him, it'll just take a while. I wouldn't try duelling him in that small outdoors room, as there's far too little room to adequately manoeuvre. I only wish that the secrets were marked correctly as secrets - anyway, other than a few small hiccups, this map is pretty damn fun. Give it a shot, takes only 6-7 minutes to complete on UV! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

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

[Walter confetti]

But this is MAP23 of Heroes 2! My favorite from that megawad!

[Arrowhead]

16 minutes ago, Walter confetti said:

But this is MAP23 of Heroes 2! My favorite from that megawad!

Glad to hear that you also enjoy this map!

 

Thanks for letting us know about this!

 

Unfortunately, nobody mentioned that in the /idgames reviews for this file, and, (of course) the readme makes no mention of Heroes 2, so if me or @Endless haven't played Heroes 2, then how are we to know that it's in that WAD? I wish there was an easier way to know if a WAD was included in a compilation elsewhere, (without having to open every known compilation WAD known to man) as even the Doomwiki page doesn't mention anything about Heroes 2: https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Base_(WAD)

 

Personally, I think it's still obscure enough - it is a very high quality 1994 map that I'm sure many people have yet to hear about, despite it being in a relatively popular compilation like Heroes 2. The author has also only made this one map, (from what I can tell) which also adds to the obscurity - as the author is certainly obscure - it is also very difficult to tell if this map has been talked about before on DW, as 'base.zip' is a very common name for somebody's first map.

 

I think it's obscure enough for this project, we've even occasionally covered more commonly known authors' obscure works, like: Simo Malinen, Tommie Quick, and Ty Halderman. I think it fits for this project, still - I just wish there was a better way to research WADs like this. :)

[Endless]

2 hours ago, Walter confetti said:

But this is MAP23 of Heroes 2! My favorite from that megawad!

MAP24 actually!

 

1 hour ago, Arrowhead said:

Glad to hear that you also enjoy this map!

 

Thanks for letting us know about this!

 

Unfortunately, nobody mentioned that in the /idgames reviews for this file, and, (of course) the readme makes no mention of Heroes 2, so if me or @Endless haven't played Heroes 2, then how are we to know that it's in that WAD? I wish there was an easier way to know if a WAD was included in a compilation elsewhere, (without having to open every known compilation WAD known to man) as even the Doomwiki page doesn't mention anything about Heroes 2: https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Base_(WAD)

 

Personally, I think it's still obscure enough - it is a very high quality 1994 map that I'm sure many people have yet to hear about, despite it being in a relatively popular compilation like Heroes 2. The author has also only made this one map, (from what I can tell) which also adds to the obscurity - as the author is certainly obscure - it is also very difficult to tell if this map has been talked about before on DW, as 'base.zip' is a very common name for somebody's first map.

 

I think it's obscure enough for this project, we've even occasionally covered more commonly known authors' obscure works, like: Simo Malinen, Tommie Quick, and Ty Halderman. I think it fits for this project, still - I just wish there was a better way to research WADs like this. :)

Yeah I haven't played Heroes 2. I remember playing Heroes 1 some time ago, but it still qualifies because Heroes is just an actual compilation of various single-level WADs, so reviewing each WAD is more apt for our project.

[Walter confetti]

Yes! It's a modified version from this one, but it's what Endless and me remebered, i just checked out the pics in the wiki and my suspects became stronger after seen the middle area...

 

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by Walter confetti

[FEDEX]

It's the same level but with some monster replacements, i've search in YT:

The playthrough from @Arrowhead for base.wad that all we have seen it :)

The playthrough from "D1m3" a couple of years ago (heroes 2 - map 24)

 

 

[LadyMistDragon]

DAWN - 04/30/2000 - by Patrik Hoglund

 

A map from 2000 that flirts with slaughter and difficulty without perhaps fully knowing how to make such things fun, this map nevertheless proves quite an enjoyable and constrictive sort of map.

 

Let's get one thing out of the way first though. This map is ugly with a capital U. Too many of the textures almost seem like they were being chosen to be as dull as possible. There are also a number of seriously uninspired corridors. The opening fight contributes some rather 'oh, really?" flashbacks to Dead Simple, but things start improving almost immediately, though you should really make sure you don't leave the first room without picking up the rocket launcher if you're not a ridiculous masochist. Also, there's a chainsaw you really don't want to miss at the end of one corridor because ammo here is tight, and Patrik doesn't hesistate to throw stronger monsters at you early, so you'll want to use it as much as possible. Eventually, you end up with plenty of shotgun shells and bullets, but for much of the first half, you'll want to conserve ammo where you can.

 

After one small hallway where you're forced to fight off some Hell Knights and pinkies, you'll come into a room with a pair of Pain Elementals. Once you step to the opposite wall, this floor will slowly lower and reveal an Arachnotron on one side and a Hell Knight  and Arachnotron on the other. You probably know where to use your rockets. Because pick up a Megasphere around a structure at the other end of the chamber and you're immediately attacked by a Hell Knight and TWO Arch-viles. It shouldn't be too much trouble to dispatch them.

 

I believe it's not long after this that you then pick up the BFG and the fun really begins....or not, since there really aren't so many cells sitting around, and you're surrounded by a lion's share of Barons and Mancubi. You can cut through up to a point, but I didn't hear the Cyberdemon playing on Eternity engine, and as such, he hurt me quite badly before I debatebly expended more cells than I needed to on the horde confronting me. But you're not really supposed to kill him with the BFG anyway. You see, there are a total of 3 teleporters in this room. Step on one of them when he's on the edge of 1 adjacent to the one you're at, and he'll be telefragged. Truthfully, it's a somewhat clunky way to do it, but it's still better than waiting for him to walk under a crusher and pray that he actually stays there.

 

After this comes a series of fights with cacodemons that seemingly exist to drain your meager rocket supplies, another large fight you probably won't have the cells for unless perhaps you find a certain hidden closet, then the final bit of catwalks-over-void a la Cradle from Goldeneye against two Hell Knight, at least 1 Baron and an Arch-vile blocking the exit. Just hope you've saved some rockets.

 

This definitely isn't perfect. This comes across like someone trying to make Doom difficult, knowing not to go overboard like Hell Revealed, but having some idea of keeping tensions through ammo starvation, but probably not taking into account his design was not the most practical for infighting. Still, there are some cool fights, and definitely fun while it lasts.

 

Link

[Arrowhead]

map3.wad - 1998 - Played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

This is a very short map - but it is a lot of fun. This is a brisk level by Tobias Muench. Muench also made an additional 2 levels which were also made in 1998, but published in 2006. This is the second last level he released, from what I was able to glean from my search on /idgames and wadarchive. I found an additional level by Muench on wadarchive, (not on /idgames) that was released in 2001, E2m1_01.wad - if anybody is interested.

 

This level starts you off in a room very reminiscent of Doom2's Map01, at least, that's what the triangular jutting stairs reminded me of. This map is basically an introductory level - it is exceedingly short, and takes very little time to complete. I think it took me just under 3 minutes to beat this map. Needless to say, the enemy opposition in this map is not strong. You should be able to wipe the floor w/ these 35 monsters, no problem. The map, while small, still has some interesting features though - the first being the red key 'elevator puzzle' - you need to go up and down on 2 separate timed elevators to get the red key. There's a bit of a fun ambush here, where trash enemies assail you from both sides once you've snagged it. Once you have this key, it's basically a cakewalk to the exit - there really isn't that much more to fight / figure out in this map.

 

One cool feature of this map is the chaingun secret - an elevator will come down, (I'm unsure of the trigger for this yet) and will bring you up to a small room w/ a chaingun. This chaingun is a bit superfluous, as you'll have more than enough other ammo to beat this mission. Still, I was happy to see so many secrets in such a small map, even if they were a bit unnecessary and over-powered - you'll encounter a supercharge and a Berserk pack, if you're observant enough. I made it out w/ 5/6 found - the final secret eluded me!

 

This is a nicely constructed map - just don't go into it expecting anything more complicated than Doom2's first level. If you go into this map knowing it's just a short introductory WAD, you'll enjoy it. This is a good little bit of bite-sized fun! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

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

 

Addendum: It seems like Muench is also responsible for other maps! I didn't even realize! I looked up just his email, and discovered two additional map packs, but under Tobias Münch, instead. These two WADs are: Hatomo Battles The Yomi Demons, and Visions of Eternity.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Arrowhead

[thestarrover]

43 minutes ago, Arrowhead said:

Tobias Muench

Other maps here : Doom  & doom II levels

[Roofi]

Some reposts from ER/iwa :

 

 

[1] SYMOHOME.WAD by Symo Storr (C) 1995 (1996)

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Quote

Oh shame! Just back from walking the elephant and what happens? Bloody hellspawn again! Have to frag 'em I suppose. What a life, eh? This level is fairly HARD to complete, but fun to explore and even more fun in multi-player mode! New graphics created on an Acorn RISC PC (what's that?) and converted to BMP's using !ChangeFSI and !ToBMP software.

 

 

SYMOHOME figures among all the myhouse.wad from the 1990 but you have to venture into a odd cute candy pink house this time. It features several and unique custom textures. According to an idgame comment, it was made in 1996.

 

Yeah, I found this map really weird aesthetically speaking. The author created new textures for the windows but not only it ressembles like wallpaper textures, but the outside areas look totally different to what is drawn! It's much duller I could say. It is quite strange to see all these dead trees surrounding the house. 

 

In the same way, you can see some hellish textures in the house. Everything seems cursed here, I advise you to not live here !

 

Concerning the gameplay, it is unfortunately not the strong point. I accept the pseudo-realistic architecture with these doors that hinder the progression. Nevertheless, the author decided that it was fun to fight mid-tier monsters in closed spaces with the shotgun only. At the very beginning of the level, you meet a baron which can easily reduce you into pieces if he manages to corner you.

 

This map seems to contain secrets as well. We can find a megasphere or a plasmagun. I strongly recommand you to try getting them in order to leave this level alive.

 

Grade : B+

 

 

[2] MNTFIRE.WAD - `Wasteland: Mountain of Fire' by  Alberto BARSELLA (1994)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Quote

the setting is inside a volcano: there are corridors, rooms and some larger areas. Overall the level should run smoothly on all machines.

The creation of this WAD was made possible by the two great programs called DEU 5.1 and BSP 1.1 (dmgraph and wt helped, too). In this WAD I continued my work in the creation of realistic lighting effects. When you walk through corridors you will find areas lit by torches. Don't expect any torch in natural cracks..... Some of the rooms have objects (pillars, etc) which cast shadows onto the floor and on the walls.

This level takes place in a volcano, volcanoes contain lava, and lava is deadly. If you fall into the lava YOU ARE DEAD. There's no way to get out of it. If you see dangerous ledges then SAVE YOUR GAME. Special effects include: waterfall with sound, a couple of attempts to recreate cave-ins, a fallen bridge and computer messages! The difficulty is higher than Dead Base.

 

A very old map released in 1994 taking place in a volcano. And the first thing I can say is : What an amazing level ! I loved it from start to finish !

 

Aesthetically speaking, Alberto was really ahead of his time. First of all, the areas look credible. We are far from the usual abstracton in the maps of 1994 and the 1990s in general. We discover very distinct places: Rocky tunnels, crevasses filled with lava, including a huge circular pit that looks like a boiling cauldron, a base with a broken entrance door ... 

 

Moreover, the red rock and the light gradations give a really mysterious tone to the map. The strongly pronunced height variations make us feel tiny in this huge volcano.

 

All along, I felt immersed in an adventure. This is also felt in the progression. At one point for instance, you have to walk on small ledges and the wrong step fall implies an atrocious death in the lava. Also, there is a place where water replaces lava and the author had an ingenious idea to put a crusher sound to imitate the sound of falling water. The effect is not perfect but I think it helps a lot to make the scenery more lively

 

Concerning the gameplay, if you have played "Everything Dies", the map 19 from Hell Revealed, the gimmick here is a bit similar. At the start point, you find all the weapons except the BFG and a stock of  ammo. Except for a few places where you can get some ammunition for the shotgun for example, you have to deal with what you got at the very beginning. Honestly, in spite of this particularity, the difficulty does not come from the combats but rather from the path to follow (ex : walking on ledges)

 

To be honest, Mountains of fire contains some rather annoying designs, such as the unavoidable damage floor at some places, the yellow key hidden in an extremely cryptic way for no apparent reason or some rock tunnels that are a bit too narrow.

 

Nevertheless, thanks to its atmosphere, its sense of adventure and its graphics. Mount of Fire figures now one of my favorite levels of the 1994 era. Also, Alberto drew a complete map in the txt file. Impressive. I literally took a screen of almost every area in the map.

 

Grade : A+

Edited February 19, 2022 by Roofi

[Arrowhead]

Pamplona - 04/15/1997 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2.

 

Pamplona is a level w/ a unique theme. This is a WAD by returning author Chris Mead, who created the venerable istanbul.wad, that I reviewed much earlier in the review cycle. This map is unique as it employs a very cool gimmick. You are essentially chased through the streets by a large mob of pinkies - and need to find a way out of the main 'street' to survive. This WAD is named after the Spanish city most known for their 'Running of the Bulls' events.

 

Once you inevitably make your way to the end of the long street, you'll encounter some entrances to some buildings. This is where the map goes from being linear to being more of a non-linear experience. You're basically given four different doors that you can go through in whatever order you want. Just make sure that when you cross to the second set of doors, that you don't fall into the street where the pinkies are - they can very easily block your lunge!

 

There are a few interesting locations present in this WAD. The first being a grand library, I really liked the tall bookcases here. There is also a small demonic church holding a meeting - it is a lot of fun to clear these weak enemies out. Don't forget to grab the SSG hidden in the nearby closet! It'll help you out greatly against a mancubus and the occasional baron later.

 

You'll eventually come across the locked exit door - this requires a blue key to open. You'll need to head down an extremely dark tunnel that eventually curves into a large open room filled w/ nukage. In this room is the blue key - make short work of those mancubi, survive the ensuing chaingunner assault, return to the blue door, and get the hell out of there!

 

While I really enjoyed this map, I feel like some things could have been done to improve it. Firstly, I wish there was at least one secret somewhere in the map - as it stands, there are 0. The second thing, (and something that an /idgames reviewer brought up) is that Mead could have added some kind of .deh that would increase the pinkies' speed - this would have made the initial rush more menacing - he also could have made it so that the pinkies were more capable of following you into the larger buildings. This would have made for some very fun combat scenarios, in my opinion.

 

I completed this WAD w/ only a 47% kill rate. Other than the large mob of pinkies, (which I didn't kill) I think there were probably some other areas that I didn't explore in my playthrough. I highly recommend this map for fans of exploratory levels, and for fans of maps w/ unique gimmicks - this level was certainly a lot of fun. Takes about 5 minutes to beat, a little bit longer for UVMAX. :)

 

Spoiler

 

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

Edited February 19, 2022 by Arrowhead

[Walter confetti]

Not much agreeing with SYMOHOME because i found that map god forbidden garbage with some nice textures and a really convoluted gameplay, but I'm agree with Mountain of Fire (and in general all the Alberto Barsella maps) being an awesome, forgotten 90s gem... That it was already talked about in the first page of this thread iirc

 

EDIT: Yes, it's on a first page with a review by Argenteo

Edited February 20, 2022 by Walter confetti

[Arrowhead]

7 hours ago, Walter confetti said:

EDIT: Yes, it's on a first page with a review by Argenteo

Oh no, it happened again - sorry @Roofi, I'll have to take the mtnfire.wad review off of the spreadsheet, as we can't have duplicates.

 

Totally agree w/ the review though, great WAD. Might be good for me to post the link to the spreadsheet more frequently - might help stop this from occurring.

 

Thanks for letting me know, @Walter confetti .

[Arrowhead]

Templ2_0.wad - 03/19/1996 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

Templ2_0.wad, or 'Temple of Insanity', is a large puzzle-WAD by Alex Mayberry. Mayberry has produced a few other projects, namely 'Perdition's Gate' - no, not Wraith Corp's Perdition's Gate, this is a different one. Mayberry went on to work on major industry titles, like Blizzard's Diablo 3, and multiple World of Warcraft expansions.

 

This project starts you off facing a massive bonfire - I know this was done by simply setting fire barrels into the ground, but I really like the look on display here. There are multiple cool set-pieces in this WAD - the giant open-air cyber arena is cool, as is the 'arch-vile room'.

 

Mayberry's design in this map is very puzzle-oriented. There are many secret passages, hidden alcoves, and convoluted side-paths. Thankfully, the difficulty doesn't come from the common negative tropes associated w/ WADs this old - I don't think I encountered any mandatory unmarked doors, but I could have forgotten one. Most of the map is pretty straightforward - just remember, if you're ever stuck, take a closer look at some of the brick walls...

 

I don't wish to get too much into the actual 'solutions' for the puzzles you encounter in this map - I don't want to spoil the level too much, as I'm sure some might like to try it themselves. If you're ever stuck, take a look at my attached video - it is essentially a walkthrough, and should take you through some of the more confusing parts of the WAD. Curiously, there is an SSG in this level, it just seems to be accessible only by secret - I was able to complete the level without it, as I couldn't figure out how to lower the platform it was on. It probably would have made some of the combat scenarios more easier.

 

Only try this one, if you're in a puzzly mood - the combat isn't anything too deadly,  but there are some areas that are quite dangerous at first - until you figure out what you need to do - hint: Stay away from that arch-vile room until you're far later into the level - you won't be able to kill him w/ the amount of ammo you have upon first seeing him.

 

This is a great map by a great mapmaker, who would go on to do other great things in the industry! Try it out if you want something more unorthodox! This takes about 25-30 minutes to complete, possibly longer if you're stuck on where to go next. :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

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

[Arrowhead]

Doomsday '95 One-Player - 03/28/1995 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

This is a little bit of a different map from what I normally have looked at in this project. This is a WAD by Francois Coppex. From what I understand, this is the single-player conversion of a previous deathmatch-only map that was used in the Doomsday '95 tournament event.

 

The level is not very large, and you can likely beat it in 7-10 minutes w/ a good pace on UV. There are a few somewhat difficult parts - namely the large open green marble room filled w/ chaingunners. It can be difficult to safely assault this room at the beginning, as it is hard to establish a safe foothold in this battle.

 

This map is quite nonlinear, being a deathmatch conversion - you are essentially provided a bit more freedom in your movement / navigation than most Doom2 maps. The Doom2 roster isn't really used to much effect in this map, w/ the main monsters you'll encounter being mostly chaingunners and the single arch-vile in that central room. This map's action moves pretty quickly - I had already killed 80/120 enemies by the 3:30 mark in the video.

 

Texturing and aesthetics are not really this map's strong suit. This map does feel somewhat hurriedly textured - there are many misalignments, and visually clashing themes scattered throughout this mission. This didn't bother me at all, as the action was overall quite intense - I felt the amount of fun I had fighting in this level outweighed the slight visual anomalies present in this WAD.

 

I'm now curious to see just how different the original deathmatch-only map is from this single-player conversion. This map looks like it would have been an above-average deathmatch map for the time, but nowadays, I think many people would find a lot of the narrow corridors and dead-ends a little frustrating.

 

What's here is quite fun! This is a pretty short romp through a historically important Doom2 level - give it a shot, it surely won't disappoint! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

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

[Arrowhead]

Deimos Chemical Plant - 08/23/1995 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

DCP is a simple, yet fun E2-style base level - this is a map by Nicholas Spampata. This map is on map slot E2M1. Spampata has also released 3 other levels to the archives, w/ this being the final one sent to /idgames - I am unsure if there are more of his levels floating around on the internet.

 

This is a pretty straightforward map navigationally - it isn't linear, (at least it doesn't come across as overly linear) and you're unlikely to ever get lost. There is a small dark maze present in this map, but it is very short in length, and quite inoffensive - this is where you'll find the blue key, so be sure to not leave the 'maze' until you discover it. This is where the map has a little bit of difficulty - the difficulty arises from the fact that you need to traverse quite a bit of nukage, yet there are only 2 radsuits. In my video run, I had used up these two radsuits before I needed to travel over the nukage again - this cost me about 60% of my health - thankfully, once you backtrack after you get the red key, most of the enemies will already be dead - this makes what could be a frustrating area a less frustrating one.

 

The level is well put-together. There are lots of line-actions, teleporter traps, and clever monster placement. My favorite area was the tall green building w/ the wide windows, (see screenie 1) cacos are able to travel back and forth through the windows of these buildings - this can make for some tight combat encounters.

 

There are only about 60 or so enemies in this map on UV -  so this is not too intense of an outing, but what's here is fun - and that's all that matters. Sure the map has some texturing issues, and sure, that short dark 'maze' isn't the best - but these are small overall complaints - and don't really detract from the overall experience. Check out this map, if you're in an E2 mood - it surely won't disappoint!

 

Just be sure to save that second radsuit for your trip back, don't use them at the same time, like I did! ;)

 

Spoiler

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/35vZyFk

[Arrowhead]

Very Small Level - 07-27-1995 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

VSL is, well, a VERY small level - it is exactly what it says on the box. This is a level by Jason Garoutte, an author who later went on to produce an 8-level Doom2 episode, as well as a deathmatch level, and some other standalone SP maps. This map is quite well arranged for a level from 1995, and the texturing and architecture are both above average for the time.

 

The author pulls off a neat 'false exit' early into the map - I don't think I've seen a false exit in this old of a map before - I know there are some in the original id games, I just can't remember seeing one in a pwad this old - I'm sure there are other examples out there, but for some reason, this stood out to me. It would have probably been a better idea to have the false exit a bit farther into the map - it could have helped the pacing of this map a little bit - w/ it at the start, there's no big surprise later, and so the map kind of ends in a less exciting fashion than it could have.

 

There really aren't too many negative things to say about this map - its title describes it very accurately - you shouldn't go into this mission expecting any kind of challenge - this is just a chilled out experience that you can complete in sub-3 minutes, and there are less than 40 enemies.

 

This is a fun little hiccup of a map, quite competently designed for its time period. Check it out if you're on a coffee break sometime. Sure, it's a tiny WAD, but it is still a quality

tiny WAD... could be fun to speedrun this too, because of its length! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3swv52F

[Arrowhead]

Dock 69 - 02/04/1997 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

D69 is a brief little level by Capone. Capone is probably best known as the creator of the quite risque cult map 'AOL Girls Museum' - this map is of course very different in content, and doesn't contain any of the sexually suggestive imagery you'd expect to see from Capone - despite the name of this map itself being somewhat suggestive.

 

While this map is called Dock 69, there isn't really much geometrically in the map to suggest that you're really at a dock-like location. The closest thing in this map to a 'dock' is the little path that raises up when you go to cross the final chasm in this map - that's it, there's no river, no lake, no ocean or larger bodies of water to be seen. The map starts you off in a tiny little room, (like many maps do) once you exit this room, you'll be inside of a room w/ two pillars - it is important to lower these two pillars, as the one on your left contains a box of shells - these shells are imperative, if you want to have an easier time against the enemies in this map - most of which are hitscanners.

 

The map looks nice, and the orange sky is a cool touch, as well as the custom menu icon that is present in nearly all of Capone's maps - I think little details like this show extra effort. The gameplay in this one is pretty easy, although there's one trap that might cause some people issue - it involves a series of pillars all lowering at once - it is easily the most dangerous region of the level. Basically, one has to retrieve a blue key from that room, and run it back to the locked exit door to escape - this is simpler said than done, as there will be a lot of hellknights released when you go to retrieve the blue key - I found this area quite fun - it was fun bobbing and weaving HK projectiles while really laying into them w/ the plasma rifle - a very satisfying experience.

 

This is a short map, don't expect to spend more than 5-7 minutes on this one. Still, this is worth playing at least once. Most of Capone's missions are short in length, and small in size, and this level is no different. This is a lovely little bite-sized map - give it a try, if you're bored one day! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3IM4swt

[Arrowhead]

Processing Plant - 05/17/1994 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

PP is a really competent techbase / slimebase level by Curtis Turner II. For an early 1994 Doom1 level, this is quite impressive - the sense of scale can be pretty good at times, and the combat, while not being too gruelling, still has a good sense of challenge in some places.

 

The map starts you off in an area where it is very easy to miss the single-shotgun the author provides you - it is off in a compblue alcove guarded by a pack of imps. This battle is simple, but is a little annoying, as it is too cramped to attack the imps w/ your pistol safely - you'll need to poke your head in, blast a few rounds off, and then retreat, rinse and repeat until the shotgun can be safely snagged. Be sure to go around the back of the compblue alcove as well, as there is a lovely RL waiting patiently for you there. The next area after this is really quite deadly - you essentially take a blind elevator up to a room filled w/ barrels and shotgunners - thankfully, there is a nice Berserk pack in this room, and you will likely need it - I certainly did - I ended up w/ less than 10 health in this room, as it is so hard to manage that many hitscanners and barrels at the same time. At around the 2:00 minute mark, I encountered a cage w/ 2 cacos, and some pinkies in it. The pinkies were dealt w/ quickly enough by blowing up the barrels, but in doing so, I ended up having both of the cacos glitch out and start infighting - this was very reminiscent of the similar infighting 'glitch' that can occur in Doom1's E1M8 w/ the 2 barons. Once you clean these folks out, you'll be able to grab the red key.

 

The next stop in this romp is the 'lava room' - this room is difficult, but not as difficult as it may seem at first - it is very hard to navigate this lava room, as there are numerous paths raised to about knee-height - this greatly impedes freedom of movement. However, you can spend as much time as you wish here, as the author neglected to make the lava into a hurt floor. The only thing you really need to pickup in this room is the backpack, there really isn't much else going on in this room.

 

Head all the way back to the red key door, and make your way through - you will eventually enter into a very large open room. This room contains 2 blocks of buildings set in a sea of nukage - there is also a very cute little sector boat complete w/ rudder! You can press the rudder to access a nice plasma rifle. There is also a chainsaw and a supercharge very close to the entrance to this large room - be sure to grab those. Anyway, this area is pretty straightforward - basically, one of the buildings on your right contains a switch, and this switch is used to lower the blue key - the switch is at the end of a room filled completely w/ lava - and this time, the author remembered to make it hurt you, thankfully. In the building to your left when you first enter this area, there is a switch guarded by a fast-crusher - this switch raises a staircase that you can use to return the way you originally came. I got a bit confused in my playthrough, and didn't realize that the switch next to the crusher was a switch, at first, I just thought it was decor - I believe this mistake to be entirely my own, and not a consequence of the mapper's design choices - realistically, I should have probably noticed the 'lion-switch' there.

 

The rest of the level is very easy to navigate, and there still remains one really good fight. The yellow key room fight is fun - essentially, you're bullied by pinkies, while trying to manage two cacos in a very tight room - this made for some very intense, but short in duration combat. Once you've retrieved the yellow key, go to the last of the four rooms at that crossroads, and slaughter the teleporting 'mountain' of imps there. I say 'mountain' as this is essentially a three floor high arrangement of imps - they constantly teleport around, which can make it a major pain to nail them down - I loved this room, I thought it was very dynamic for an early 1994 level.

 

Once you kill all of the imps, you'll need to ascend the 'mountain' - this is easier done via the automap, as you'll be able to more clearly see where each teleporter takes you. When you complete this section, and make it to the top of the room, you'll be able to access the exit, and get out of this dangerous place!

 

This is a phenomenal map for May 1994 - I highly recommend it to all old-school lovers. There really isn't much in this level to even complain about - for something made this early, your objectives are clear - the enemy placement is good, and the vistas and locations you visit are quite nice to behold as well. There's also a surprising lack of poor texturing, everything seems carefully assembled in this WAD. This map took me about 16 minutes to beat, although, you can perhaps do it in as low as 10-12 minutes on your first try, provided you don't get confused like I had.

 

A truly entertaining early Doom1 level, give it a shot, you likely won't regret it! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/35RQBpT

[Arrowhead]

5shawn.wad - 01/16/1998 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

5shawn.wad is the fifth and final level in the 'Shawn's Levels' series by author Shawn Watson. This is a somewhat dark and grim level set deep in some kind of sewer-base - nukage will be an ever-present factor in this level. The nukage, while very prevalent, never serves to be a major annoyance, as combat and exploration are predominately centered around the perimeters of said nukage - you hardly ever have to descend down into it.

 

The combat in this WAD is frenetic and fast paced - the action is consistent the entire way through - there is the occasional quieter moment w/ less enemies, but in general, expect to be bombarded by hitscanners constantly - the author has a real love for shotgunners. That's fine by me, as a surplus of shotgun shells is always nice - you'll have such a comfortable amount of shells in this map, that you really needn't worry about running out - I was recklessly using the SSG to kill single shotgunners and zombiemen, and I wasn't punished even slightly for doing so. This makes this level feel like a bit of a power-fantasy in a way - I'm alright w/ this, I'd rather be overstocked / too prepared than vice versa.

 

Health is fairly low in this map, there is a Berserk pack and an area w/ two medikits, but other than that, there really isn't much health available. The main confrontation in this map involves slaying 5 barons w/ either the RL, or the SSG - you'll also notice that Doom2 monsters really aren't too dominant in this level - you only really see a couple of chaingunners, a single revenant, a single PE, a single mancubus, and a lonely arachnotron. I would have liked to have had more of the Doom2 roster attacking me at the same time - there are many open areas of this map that would have benefited from a few extra enemies being present. Other than that, though, I don't really have too many issues w/ this map.

 

Don't be scared away from this one because it's a sewer level! It's a very quick, very inoffensive sewer level - everything in the map is clean, from the geometry to the texturing, to even the enemy placement! I highly recommend this level for anybody - I'm quite certain that most who play it will enjoy it.

 

This is a fun, fast-paced map - takes about 5-7 minutes to beat! :)

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

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

[Walter confetti]

Processing Plant is a pretty neat map indeed. The acid pool small town is the best part imo.

[LadyMistDragon]

(crossposted from Doom Wadarcheology because I'm a little low on time. Patrik Hoglund makes it again. Who knew?)

 

Nightwing.WAD - 02/26/01

 

Surprisingly strong 4-map wad with slaughter-lite elements. Very cool grim musical choices and strangely enough, a story. And jumping is required. If you're a purist like that, you may not like this.

 

First map isn't too much to speak of, despite the storage rooms being questionable. Second map throws you immediately into the thick of things though with a Cyberdemon and many, many others alerted immediately. This is a large and relatively complex techbase with some nasty use of Arch-viles (in a certain case, three in one room!) but probably with far more blue bars than is necessary. The looping in one location (near the darkened area below the boxes with the berserk pack) doesn't really make too much sense. Many cool opportunities abound for infighting.

 

The next couple of maps will require jumping. These are some wonderfully rendered vanilla canyon maps. First is a little on the dull side, but the second one takes you to a large iron fortress overlooking a large moat of lava. Climbing through here is very fun, though quite dangerous when you enter the fortress itself. There's at least two Spider Masterminds that you have to fight here.

 

Despite the fighting feeling disorganized and heavy for my personal tastes, the detailing and scale still shine through. Special shotout goes to the warehouse of Map 02 and the the sharp Surface  Tension-esque escarpments of the latter two maps. The last map specfically pulls out many stops.

 

Link

Edited March 12, 2022 by LadyMistDragon

[Arrowhead]

Assault of the Arachnotrons - 12/09/1995 - played via GZDOOM 4.1.2

 

AotA is a pretty well put together level from the early years of wadding - the title is a little misleading though. There are quite a few arachnotrons, but not nearly as much as a level like Hell Revealed's Map07, the arachnotron encounters in this map are much more subdued and subtle than that!

 

I appreciate maps like this that give you a bunch of equipment right off the bat - while I don't mind having to 'hunt' for my weapons / armor, it is still nice to be given them right away. Picking up a blue armor in the first room of the map put some anxiety in me, as that usually means you're about to suit up for something big.

 

Be careful w/ the first dark room that you'll encounter - a crusher comes down on the red key in this room, when you go to pick it up! The author in this map doesn't use arachnotrons as carefully as he could have - often times they are in large open areas - this is fine, but arachnotrons arguably function better as turrets used to 'cut down' the player's angles / movements - here they are used much like any other enemy. Don't get me wrong, arachnotrons can be a major pain to dodge in large, open areas, I just think the author could have taken a little more time w/ their placement.

 

The final ambush in this map is a lot of fun - you basically go to open a door, only to have an entire floor w/ a bunch of arachnos and a spider-momma rise up behind you, this spiderdemon isn't too dangerous, and is actually quite harmless, as she'll be too busy slaying her own children to try to deal w/ you. There is an invuln sphere right behind the spiderdemon, but getting it, is easier said than done - I recommend just retreating, and unloading on the ugly brutes w/ your trusty RL. This is a much safer alternative than running in like a fool - while this level is by no means super difficult, you'll still need to keep your wits about you.

 

Great level - it bleeds old-school sensibilities. This one only takes about 7-10 minutes to beat - perfect for a relaxing break between other WADs! :)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Download link: https://bit.ly/3KF1oTk

[Walter confetti]

A question i have in mind from some time, but can i talk about maps made in the range of 1994/2004, but uploaded in later years from 2005 to now? (example)

[Arrowhead]

17 minutes ago, Walter confetti said:

A question i have in mind from some time, but can i talk about maps made in the range of 1994/2004, but uploaded in later years from 2005 to now? (example)

Yes, that's absolutely fine - as that WAD was made in 1995. Doesn't matter if it's uploaded a decade later, or not. As long as the WAD file is from the correct date range, that's all that matters. I've done a few reviews of this type of WAD for this project, myself! :)

[Walter confetti]

All right! Thanks for answering!