The Top 50 WADs of 1994 - Celebrating 30 Years of Doom

[Endless]

                                                

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FOREWORD

In March 1994, Origwad, the very first custom level made for Doom, was released. Created by Jeffrey Bird to prove that creation of WADs was possible, this level consists of a simple door joining two rooms and a few enemies. Nothing else, nothing more. From this, everything was born.

 

In 1994, more than 1,000 WADs would be uploaded for preservation in the /idgames archive alone. A fever for creation spread like a virus across the world, and soon enough, the world would have a thousand-thousand hours of possible gametime thanks to the output of a very passionate community that, despite lacking experience and working with chisel and stone, managed to fill entire libraries of lore.

 

But 1994 is a date that lives both in nostalgia and infamy. It represents some of the best and worst facets of the early community. While productivity was high, quality was still missing in a large percentage of works. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…

 

And yet, it endured, and it showed that with time and patience, the community could be as good as the official id mappers. In this compilation, you will find some of the best, most fun and relevant pieces of WAD works from 1994.

 

It is important to understand that this effort was created with a semi-academical interest, as well as a passionate respect for the predecessors of our history. To the modern eye, these WADs represent a bygone era that best be left sleeping, but to the enthusiastic archeologist, this a monument to civilization and doomers around the world. Messy design, texture misalignment, unfair gameplay, random teleporters, missing tags, and either too many monsters or too little, 1994 was an era of experimentation and freedom. There were no standards, only yours.

 

If you are interested in learning about what the best of 1994 had to offer, you are welcome here. Embrace it. But why yes, 1994 was 29 years ago, not 30, but considering Doom was a December release, it fits ;)

 

 

1.      Aliens TC https://www.doomwadstation.net/main/aliens.html

Some would call it a modern classic. Aliens TC was the very fist total-conversion WAD in history, completely changing the style and gameplay of the game to something more horror-oriented.

 

2.      Base https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/a-c/basewad

A small yet tightly designed map that rivals Romero’s standards from the time. Quick gameplay and cohesive level design make this one an enjoyable experience and one of the few “traditional” levels that managed to be on par with the originals.

 

3.      Bilbo's Smegging WAD https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/a-c/bilbo11

An interesting exercise in violence and gore. Bilbo’s Smegging WAD is not only an absurdly named WAD, but also a rather absurd experience that seems to mix and match all the classic visuals themes from the 90s, and with a good effect.

 

4.      Bleak House https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/d-f/d2house

A semi realistic experience with some incredible mansion architecture that encourages exploration and personal vendettas. Bleak House is a great example on consistency and great visuals. One of the earliest and best examples of a MyHouse kind of WAD.

 

5.      Castle of Evil https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/a-c/castevil

If you’ve ever wondered into the old archives of Doomworld, then you most likely have heard of Castle of Evil. One of the biggest, meanest, and baddest level of all time. Castle of Evil is, to date, one of the biggest single-level WADs in history, a map so huge that it would have most than likely crashed you PC back then.

 

6.      Castle of the Renegades https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/a-c/caslotr

Castle of Renegades is a lost marble adventure that seems to have been forgotten. A solid adventure level filled with little rooms and different areas to explore, as well as some good combat and neat little custom textures that fill a man’s heart.

 

7.      Caverns https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/a-c/caverns

Probable one of the best underground levels, to date. Caverns is a magnificently well-done level that nails the ambience and mood of a dark and evil cavern system, filled with satanic souls and tormented victims, azure rivers flow away as their waters turn red. Caverns nails exploration and horror-ambience like no other, without the need of changing the core of Doom.

 

8.      Cooper's Creosote https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/a-c/coopers

A classic adventure across a multitude of areas that exhume old-school vibes. And what is that? Monochrome texturing, simplistic design, square architecture, and far too many rooms to explore. Just perfect. Cooper’s Creosote is a simplistic yet effective level that sticks to the basics and delivers well.

 

9.      Command Control https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/a-c/comcon

Techbase to the brim, the peak of what a classic traditional level looked like in 1994. From metallic frames to open outdoors to boss arenas. You got it.

 

10.  Crossing Acheron https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/a-c/achron22

Part of the Doomworld Top 100 of all Time feature, Crossing Acheron really needs no introduction. Considered to be one of the, if not the most polished level from 1994, it manages to up the level and surpass the quality of even some the originals.

 

11.  Dante's Gate https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Dante's_Gate#Sources

Another classic that has managed to withstand the test of time. Dante’s Gate is a solid level that checks all the quality boxes of a traditional Doom map. It is beautifully designed, darkly lit, and well textured, accompanied by a branching pathing that ensures replayability, it deserves new life.

 

12.  Der Turm https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/dmturm

A massive sprawling adventure through the depths of a techbase. Der Turm is a showcase of pure vanilla goodness with neat lightning and a dark atmosphere.

 

13.  Doom Anomaly https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/dmanmly

A simple but fun level that’s probably been played by a few hundred or so Doom aficionados that have dared themselves to play through Maximum Doom. This is one of those lost levels that are hard to find, but once you do, they are a good fun time.

 

14.  Doomsday of UAC https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/uac_dead

On the other hand, Doomsday of UAC is probably one of the most popular and well-recognized levels of all time, and with good reason. This level was a pioneer of many techniques that are still used in vanilla format, and it showcases some of the best tricks of creativity at the time. John Romero himself said he was awed by this level, so there’s that.

 

15.  Doomtown https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/doomtown

Before there was Doom City, there was Doomtown. As the name implies, this is one of the first urban-setting levels in history and a hidden little piece of history for the semi-realistic style of mapping.

 

16.  E1M1SAS https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/e1m1sas

What makes E1M1SAS such an interesting experience is how creative and simple it is, while also being exceptionally well polished, for its time, of course. Start in a prison cell, fight you way through dungeon, reach the gallows, and escape from a marble fortress. Simple ideas done right were quite the rarity back then, and this one manages to execute its narrative with great success.

 

17.  Eternity https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/eternity

Would be unfair to make a top list without including the glorious piece of Doom history that is Eternity. To make it simple: it is a good level, considered among the best from the time and a timeless classic that is still enjoyable today.

 

18.  Galaxia https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/g-i/galaxia

Considered to be the very first “story-heavy” WAD, Galaxia presented a strong narrative accompanied by an extensive storyline on its .txt, as well as scenic narration.

 

19.  H_Hotel https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/g-i/h_hotel

An extensive adventure through a semi-realistic hotel filled with a variety of lovely looking rooms and great architecture for its time. Exploration is the gist here, and there’s plenty of it.

 

20.  Infestation https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/dmifst

A nuclear plant has been invaded by demons, and now, is up to you to clean it. This medium-sized level is a solid concept with a good execution that makes up for a rather dull texturing, but fun adventuring.

 

21.  Invasion... Level 1: Contamination https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/g-i/invade1

The first part of the incredible Invasion series. This WAD encapsulates peak 90s mapping with all the greatness that comes with it. There really are no WADs close to it from 1994, and it would take a few more months and years to reach such levels of detailing, storytelling, and quality. Fair warning: it is quite a long level to finish.

 

22.  Invasion... Level 2: The Upper Decks https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/g-i/invade2

Invasion 2 ups the level and quality of the original one, adding more well-needed polish, custom texturing, incredible level of lightning detail, and an awesome combination of techbase horror reminiscent of Alien.

 

23.  Killing Zone https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/dmcos

Killing Zone is a proto-slaughter bonanza of simple proportions and delightful violence. An extensive, semi-linear level with a variety of “arenas” with high number of enemies.

 

24.  Legion Down Under https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/j-l/legion2

Extensive and intense. Legion Down Under is a big level with plenty of combat, centered around exploration and diverse panoramas that shift themes with a sense of cohesion. One of those levels that just look really good on a mini map too.

 

25.  Mayan Temple https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/m-o/mayan667

One of the first, if not the first, Mesoamerican-theme map in history. Mayan Temple is what it says on the cover, using clever little custom texturing and pyramidal architecture.

 

26.  NJ Doom https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/megawads/njdoom

Deserves to be in this list alone on the fact that it was the very first standalone megawad that was fully made by a single author, meaning not a compilation (like Heroes) and each map was unique on its own.

 

27.  Nuclear https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/a-c/ace_dwf

A rough diamond lost in a sea of garbage. Nuclear is a beautifully simple level that goes across an extensive nuclear plant. You’ll be walking through ventilation shafts, toxic sludge, cramped corridors, radioactive rooms, and cooling stations. An awesome adventure.

 

28.  PUEBLO.WAD https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/deathmatch/p-r/pueblo

An early deathmatch level that makes some great usage of realistic texturing and architecture to create a comfy and cozy town.

 

29.  Red Rock https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/p-r/red

Red Rock is one of those early WADs that tried to make good use of the natural setting of Doom, that being the martian moons. Set in Deimos, there’s a palpable sense of setting that’s both enjoyable and a curiosity to explore.

 

30.  REDRUM https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/p-r/redrum

A solid level that’s a worthy contender to duel one of the originals from Doom. It shares some similarities with E1 and E2, adding deeper puzzles and a variety of secrets.

 

31.  REoL TOUGH: TOTAL WAR III: Land of Weirdness https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/0-9/1fifwar2

An historical entry, Land of Weirdness is, most likely, the first proper slaughter map in history, and it was made for the original Doom, so you can expect quite the grind.

 

32.  Return to Phobos https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/p-r/return01

A classic from 1994, and part of Doomworld Top 100 WADs of All Time, and well deserved. Return to Phobos is a classic adventure through a brown techbases and gloomy arenas. It feels and plays in a similar way to Quake and Doom 2, with all the brown and that.

 

33.  Runaway https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/p-r/runaway

Runaway feels more like a modern attempt at a vanilla map. It is really well polished, visually clean, fast-paced, and open. A start contrast to the cramped mazes of the 90s, Runaway is an entertaining example of what a solid level is by a legendary author from the era.

 

34.  Serenity https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/serenity

Another well-known classic that deserves a spot for its relevancy and quality. Not much to say other than this one is a must for WAD history aficionados.

 

35.  Skycity https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/skycity

Skycity feels like a liminal world in a Doom level. A clear blue sky showering a white marble city. Empty, quiet, and serene. A very unique experience in 1994.

 

36.  Slaughter Until Death https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/sudtic

Not many episodes were released during 1994, and a lot of such episodes were, at beast, forgettable. On the other hand, Slaughter Until Death still manages to be a fun and quick ride through a Doom 2-like setting of brown and vines.

 

37.  STONES.WAD https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/stones

Origwad has the spot for the first ever WAD in history, but it was more of an experiment than actual level. STONES.WAD, on the other hand, is a proper map, and the first one of its kind. Among the first ten levels in history, Stones feels like taking a time machine into the years of yore, and guess what? It is actually a very fun level.

 

38.  Street https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/frstreet

A personal favorite of mine, Street is an early urban-themed level that has you exploring a city and the underground subway system.

 

39.  SunGod 1.0 https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/sungod

An early magnum opus, SunGod feels like a drug-induced dream through geometrical perfection and ultra violence. A big, sprawling, and very creative map that totally deserves this spot.

 

40.  Suppression of Resistance https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/supprsn

A short trek through a silver techbase filled with dark secrets and neat vanilla tricks that recreate a realistic, almost alive ambience.

 

41.  The Cathedral https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/a-c/cathedrl

An eerie exploration-focused WAD with a very brown and open theme that seems like it was meant for slaughter, and yet, it is quiet.

 

42.  The Deimos Subway https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/subway21

A 90s classic that is well known among old-school lovers, but not so much to the rest due to not being part of any major lists, yet being an awesomely fun and creative WAD that, as the title says, recreates a subway with a fair level of consistency.

 

43.  The Evil Unleashed https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/teutic

The last good episode WAD the 90s saw, released by the same authors of Slaughter Until Death, you can consider it as a sort of sequel.

 

44.  TIBET.WAD https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/tibet

Despite the name, you are not actually in the great mountains of the Tibet, but maybe you are underneath them! This is a mix of dungeon crawl with techbase flavor, enhanced by a plethora of modified and custom textures that create a fantastical ambience.

 

45.  TMP https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/tmp

TMP is one of those WADs that are really, really hard to find unless you read the Doom Wiki like a mad man, or accidently stumble upon it. A linear yet consistently fun level set in a beautiful marble fortress with some Mayan details added to it before Aztec even existed. Also fun fact: TMP was the winner of a mapping competition back in 1994.

 

46.  Trinity College https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/themes/university/trinity2

The prime example of a realistic WAD in 1994. Making use of photorealistic textures and palpable architecture that tries to recreate a real place in our world, Trinity College holds a close place in the heart of hundreds of old-school lovers due to its thematic quality and uniqueness.

 

47.  UACPEN.WAD https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/uacpen

An underrated Little gem that makes a strong emphasis its visual narrative and level progression. Geometrically delightful and visually appealing, it is quite the forgotten piece of work that deserves a new look.

 

48.  UCA https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/uca

Welcome to the Deimos Moon Base, in the Anguilla Crater (no such place in Deimos) where a corrupted techbase mixed with infernal delight awaits you.

 

49.  Urbnbeta https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/s-u/urbnbeta

Probably one of the best realized semi-realistic WADs from the decade of the 90s, Urbnbeta cames packed full with awesome little details that are just incredible even today, including a CRT monitor displaying a game of Doom.

 

50.  Wasteland: Mountain of Fire https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/m-o/mtfire09

Mountain of Fire has one of the most unique and “ugly” looking map layouts that despite looking like a mess, is actually pretty damn good and creative. A sort of canyon base, now turned into a diabolic chasm, filled with ravines, lava lakes, and collapsed bunkers. It is cool.

 

Special thanks to @4MaTC for designed the CD cover, and to @Roofi and @Arrowhead for helping out with the making of the list.

 

^{Disclaimer: None of the WADs have been modified in any way, and are packed as they were originally uploaded.}

Edited February 23, 2024 by Endless
Mentions.

[Walter confetti]

Great listing! Some of the levels are unknown to me

Edited December 10, 2023 by Walter confetti

[Horus]

It’s amazing that the vast non-linear sprawl that is castevil was made in 1994

[Endless]

9 minutes ago, Walter confetti said:

Great listing! Some of the levels are unknown to me

Played hundreds of WADs from 1994 now thanks to the Doom Wiki and ERIWA, so I did the best I could to classify them, rank them, and see which one I remembered the best, trying to dig some near forgotten gems there.

 

I think the ''rarest'' one from the list is Nuclear, which was packed in ACE.WAD on the /idgames archive, a compilation of 25 other terrible WADs with only 2 reviews, and this one was one of the few truly good maps from it.

 

8 minutes ago, Horus said:

It’s amazing that the vast non-linear sprawl that is castevil was made in 1994

What's funny is that the WAD itself only has about 4k linedefs, but due to the way the layout is designed and how the level moves, it feels five times as big, and can take more than an hour to even finish if you take your time to explore.

[NecrumWarrior]

Shout out to my boys Serenity and Eternity! 

[Steve D]

Thank you, Endless! I've been very interested in what you and your fellow explorers of the archives have turned up, but I've had so little time available to explore much of it myself. I started playing Doom in 1995, and played some of these maps back then, such as Castle of The Renegades -- both versions -- Aliens TC, Crossing Acheron, Eternity, Serenity, Trinity College, and an all-time personal fave, Doomsday of UAC, which I have probably played more than any other individual map. What you have done here is provide me with a path to follow, sifted through by enthusiasts. I plan to start at the top, play every map on the list by March 1st, and post my thoughts on these maps in this thread.

 

I'm looking forward to it! :)

[pagb]

Most of the names ring a bell for me, they must be good stuff, though I can't remember shit xD

[Endless]

12 minutes ago, Steve D said:

Thank you, Endless! I've been very interested in what you and your fellow explorers of the archives have turned up, but I've had so little time available to explore much of it myself. I started playing Doom in 1995, and played some of these maps back then, such as Castle of The Renegades -- both versions -- Aliens TC, Crossing Acheron, Eternity, Serenity, Trinity College, and an all-time personal fave, Doomsday of UAC, which I have probably played more than any other individual map. What you have done here is provide me with a path to follow, sifted through by enthusiasts. I plan to start at the top, play every map on the list by March 1st, and post my thoughts on these maps in this thread.

 

I'm looking forward to it! :)

That will be a complete retro odyssey. You'll find that this list is quite diverse in both style and difficulty, with a little of everything from 1994.

 

Excited to see your own experiences with these.

[Hyacsho]

OH OUTSTANDING! This is so great, I love lists like this :D

[pcorf]

What a great list. I have certainly played most of these maps in my earlier days of Dooming and they gave me lots of inspiration during my mapping infancy back in the the late 1990's.

[Egg Boy]

Great idea! Gonna check these out soon. 

[Devalaous]

I like how the vast majority of these ive played thanks to my delving of Maximum Doom. UCA and Mountain of Fire are 4-part series, so if you play one, you should play the bunch. I'd also recommend the one Michael Kelsey wad missing from that list: CourtYard (cortyr_b.wad), which from the opening shot is leagues above many other wads from that year. If there was ever a Master Levels for Doom 1, Kelsey would be on the list for sure.

 

The 6 compilation Doom wads I know of also have a LOT of these on them (WadPak 1 to 4, New Doom and Heroes), so give those a try for a fun '94 time

[jmac]

Thanks for putting this list together. I've heard of less than half of these, and have only actually played 4 or 5. My knowledge of 90s wads is severely lacking. It's about time I delved more into the early wads, so I'm intending to play through all of these from 50 to 1 over the next couple months.

[Jakub Majewski]

Awesome, nice to see more appreciation of 90score.

 

May I ask why version 1.666 of Dante's Gate was included instead of 2.5?

[Endless]

15 minutes ago, Jakub Majewski said:

Awesome, nice to see more appreciation of 90score.

 

May I ask why version 1.666 of Dante's Gate was included instead of 2.5?

Thanks.

 

Decided to include the original updated version for og Doom just for the sake of keeping it vanilla, since it was meant to be the original version, so I wanted players to experience how it was originally introduced to the world.

[Devalaous]

I don't think the original Dante's Gate ever showed up on Maximum Doom, which is kind of strange. Thus ive never actually played the Doom version.

[Steve D]

Time to start playing these maps.

 

I decided to skip AliensTC for now, because it's so incredibly annoying with its weird, awkward staircases, mazey progression, and the possibility that GZDoom wasn't applying the dehacked patches correctly. I had objects floating in the air that IMO should have been on the ground, secret rooms with nothing in them -- Map11 -- and tunnels through alien structures in Map01 that were too narrow to get through. I'll have to research some of these issues before trying again. It seems to me that when I played it on my PowerMac back in the day, using Doominator to apply the dehacked patches, everything went fine.

 

But let's get to the map I actually played . . .

 

Base, by Brandon Davids aka TALON 

Kills - 86%, Items - 50%, Deaths - Zero

 

As advertised, this is a really sweet map. Combat is pretty easy throughout, with some tedious shotgunning of Cacos and a Baron, but otherwise, it's fast-paced blasting of hitscanners and Imps. Lots of well-placed sergeants who shoot you from behind if you run boldly into each room. What really impresses me is the appearance of the map. It's absolutely fantastic. With a small amount of work, it could appear in any modern Ultimate Doom mapset. The texturing and lighting are top-notch by '94 standards, apart from occasional issues with vertical alignment. 

 

A big surprise came at the end with King Cybie guarding the exit. The shock of his appearance put me into Stumbling Drunken Monkey Fu mode, which is probably why I didn't get killed. I survived long enough to grab the God Sphere and run to the exit. All in all, a fun map.

 

Brandon said this was his second map. I wonder if any more are out there?

[Endless]

2 hours ago, Steve D said:

Brandon said this was his second map. I wonder if any more are out there?

Sadly it seems his first map was never published, or perhaps never uploaded to /idgames. For just being his second map, he showed some great promise that could rival even pro mappers from the time.

 

Btw, if you ever feel lost, need help or want to search more about a map, consider looking at the Doom Wiki. A lot of the maps here, I have created and/or edited wiki pages for them. BASE.WAD has one :)

[elborbahquarama]

thanks to this post i finally played the classics castle of evil, mayan temple, crossing acheron and dante's gate and it was a very nice moment, i regularly played little wads from the 90s recently but more from the following years and more rarely 1994, these "rough" spaces are charming to be in and i think this will eventually inspire me to take the time to play more that i've read about

[Endless]

22 minutes ago, elborbahquarama said:

thanks to this post i finally played the classics castle of evil, mayan temple, crossing acheron and dante's gate and it was a very nice moment, i regularly played little wads from the 90s recently but more from the following years and more rarely 1994, these "rough" spaces are charming to be in and i think this will eventually inspire me to take the time to play more that i've read about

Glad to hear that! Out of those that you mentioned, Mayan Temple is my personal favorite. I really enjoy its custom texture work and rudimentary but charming architecture. It is simple, but good enough for me :)

[princetontiger]

Cool graphic and great list!