Dittohead

This week we have several offerings worth checking out, including a nifty set of invasion maps for Skulltag and a level replacement set for Ultimate Doom. And, of course, it wouldn't be a /newstuff Chronicles review without your standard set of oddball creations, weapon replacements, and anime-inspired garbage. A rollercoaster ride awaits you inside issue #302! Kohe 2 - Ruba doom2.exe - Solo Play - 89 KB - Why anyone would want to recreate Sandy Petersen's abominable "Barrels O' Fun" is beyond me, but here we have a lad from Thailand willing to give it a shot. Unfortunately, the gameplay is somehow worse than that of its predecessor with ill-conceived barrel patterns that do little more than put a small dent in the surrounding enemies. The architecture of the map is fairly bland but does manage to keep the original feel of the level. Fittingly, the textures are also a little wacky in some places, but that's to be expected if we're trying to emulate Sandy Peterson, I suppose. Because of the barrel placement, this map is a tedious playthrough and is not quite as great as the author claims it to be in his text file. Give this one a shot if you like exploding barrels and getting your faced chewed off in the process. Rainbow Plasma Gun - Theshooter7 ZDoom Compatible - n/a - 3 kb - A small wad file that makes the plasma rifle shoot colored projectiles. Pretty cool if you're feeling a little fruity, I suppose. Railgun - hnsolo77 ZDoom Compatible - n/a - 70 kb - Well, it's the railgun from Quake 2. It works and looks just as it should. Other than the fact that the sprite is a little too big for the screen, there's really not much else to say. Music from sentai and Tokuhatsu - The secret alliance of preservartion of sentai and Tokuhatsu doom2.exe - n/a - 188 kb This is a music replacement wad for Doom 2 that contains a peculiar titlepic of what I can only assume is a Power Ranger. Japanese anime isn't my thing, so I'll just go ahead and quote the text file to make this easier: Music from teh beloved sentai and tokuhatsu, the japanese super heroes! Do whatever you want whit this thing, also don't download it. Take that as you will. Gamarra's soul story: Prologue "Training camp" - Giulio Galassi aka Glassyman ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 438 kb - I have never played a single Gamarra-related wad. A brief look at the idgames archives reveals an entire boatload of the author's previous work in the Gamarra series. In this chapter in the series, we have what basically boils down to as a weapons mod for Ultimate Doom with a couple boxy maps with some scripting thrown in for good measure. The first map is a sort of "training" map to get the player familiar with the weapons. Every room is square by design with no detailing or even a change in textures to break up the monotony. The second level follows a similar layout except we are treated with a few staircases here and there. To make matters a little worse, the gameplay suffers from a few problems, most notably the worst weapon design ever made for Doom: the Molotov cocktail. It's ugly and doesn't work very well, and yet the author insists that this weapon be used to clear out numerous rooms of baddies in the first mission. In addition, we have some overly aggressive bots that make getting past a few rooms very difficult.. especially when there's no extra ammo or health given to compensate. Considering how fast the author churns these out, its no wonder that they aren't of the highest caliber and could use some work. Better luck next time, Glassyman. Outpost of Malice - Jonathan R. Millhouse ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 325 kb - Outpost of Malice is a classic Doom 2 wad that fits right in place at map slot 21. There's nothing fancy about this wad, but there's nothing broken with it, either. The architecture, while varied, is somewhat dull and seems to lack detail. The texture selection, on the other hand, is near-perfect for the theme in which the wad conveys. There is also a good amount of shading with overlapping lights that add accents to walls and surrounding floors. The gameplay comes at a nice pace but doesn't offer anything more than a few surprises here and there (on hurt me plenty) and never really gets too hard. If I could make any suggestions to the author it would be to try and inter-connect some rooms rather than having some of the long sprawling hallways. Ideally, this is a nice wad to play on a lazy Sunday afternoon when all you want is some nostalgic gameplay to go with your morning coffee. Alpha Invasion - Zalewa, Wario, Forty-Two, Kuchikitaichou Skulltag - Solo Play - 2274 kb - Here we have a set of 11 invasion maps for Skulltag. For the uninitiated, invasion is a game mode in which the player must survive wave after wave of incoming enemies in expansive levels that truly test the skills of the player. These maps, while not incredible, are functional for the game mode and provide a very nice challenge. The architecture and detail throughout is all right, but some areas appear to be a little boxy and under-detailed. There is also a good amount of new artwork which helps liven up some otherwise boring rooms. The most impressive attribute, however, is the gameplay. If you happen to be a fan of HR-style killfests, then this will be right up your alley. Also, this would appear to be an obvious choice for anyone who wants a fun co-op challenge. The new music adds a nice touch, as does the opening "cutscene" which plays when the game first starts up. There are a few nuisances, such as the ice level in which you must skate around whilst blowing up enemies and avoiding fireballs. But all in all, the end product is enjoyable and I'd be interested to see what the community can develop for this new game mode. Give this one a shot, even if you don't have Skulltag installed. M1 Revisited - Morbid DooMer Limit Removing - Solo Play - 188 kb - Here we have a nice set of redesigned levels for Ultimate Doom. Included are remakes of E1M1, E2M1, E3M1, and E1M4. As with most remakes, this set stays true to its roots. Virtually nothing is changed from the basic architecture... so much in fact that it looks to be almost copy and pasted. However, what we do get is a much higher frequency of detail and overall better lighting. The architecture doesn't come off as forced and adds appropriate accents to these dated maps. Also included are some slight palette changes that lighten the hue of the greens and blues. Not really sure what this does but it looks OK. Gameplay is also mostly untouched to stay within the confines of the original creation. All in all, the wad is a success because it did exactly what it set out to do, and didn't contain any senseless detailing that seems to be apparent in many remakes these days. Break-in 4 - Catman Skulltag - Solo Play - 198 kb - I wish I could tell you that this is the author's first attempt at a public release; however, this is not the case. But thanks to the /newstuff Chronicles, the author is going to finally get some constructive criticism. First of all, the texturing choices are just downright poor for the most part. These are unfortunately compounded by every wall and ceiling texture tiling ad nauseam. Seeing that same texture over and over is enough to give anyone headache. If that isn't enough, there is almost a complete absence of height variations throughout and the entire map. Now, I know I'm being a little harsh, but the author obviously spent some time scripting the ACS to have some sort of plot along the way. If next time he can use some of that time to correct his pegged doortracks, texturing selections, and build a few staircases, then we can reconsider. The gameplay is surprisingly not too bad, but can also lack in some areas.

With a renegade /newstuff reviewer on the loose, I take the helm once again to resurrect the glory of the /newstuff chronicles reviews. Unfortunately for you, the Doomworld faithful, this issue is riddled with a lot of bad, some weird, and little good. You had to wait for two weeks, so you'll read this anyway - just like a teenage boy who's been baited by the looks of a hot young lady, only to be turned away for the captain of the football team and a bottle of Tom Ford's Amber Nude fragrance. So cruel. Noob Project Part 1- military installation - Lupinx-ressurected ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 21 kb - In the txt file, the author explains that this is his first released map and therefore should only be subject to constructive criticism. Now, part of me would love to belittle this thing to kingdom come, however, this is a first release and so I'm gonna go ahead and be good cop (I'll save the bashing for deathz0r or AlexMax if they want to chime in later). First, the level is designed to be used with ZDoom which is normally great; unless your idea of great are repeating particle generators and monster fade effects. With all of the great things ZDoom can do for a wad, why stop at two small, unimportant features? The second thing that you will notice is how plain, and in some parts, downright ugly, the map is. Texturing seems to be random at best and most key doors are not marked. The map also suffers from common first timer mistakes such as slime areas that don't have a radsuit nearby and completely illogical level progression with lots of rooms that don't look right. The Biovite Project v4.0 - Milian ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 15948 kb - The Biovite Project is a ZDoom based partial conversion for Doom II. However, the level set comes off as a creative 1996 mod with ZDoom effects and new monsters thrown into the bunch. The level design is very basic and blocky, while creative considering the limited experience of the mapper. Gameplay seemed a bit tricky at first, thanks to large open areas with hitscan enemies, but later became easier as I was entrenched in the cramped corridors under the facility. Some of the new enemies are a general pain (I'm looking at you, miniature raptors), while others are flat out goofy looking. I can't knock the author for trying to come up with a creative idea; however, I hope his future releases are more refined as there is plenty of room for improvement. Impossible: A New Reality - JK ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 1403 kb - A ridiculous story to match a ridiculous wad. At first, this wad seems like a fun and novel set of mazes that largely owe themselves to a déjà vu effect. However, the longer I played, the more frustrated I became with the tedious gameplay and the ever-taunting silent teleporters. The gameplay seems to be tailored to that of the author with nobody else in mind, including the general public of Doomers. Nevertheless, the texturing and visuals seem to be well done and a consistent theme is carried out through the map. I can appreciate the elaboration the author went through to create this wad, but it really isn't all that fun. I suppose it's impressive from a technical point of view, but not much else. 125 Skins - Daniel ZDoom Compatible - n/a - 5021 kb A compilation pack of skins for ZDoom. I don't really use skins ever, so there's not a whole lot for me to say here other than that if you're looking for a bunch of skins for ZDoom, this seems like a good pack. UD Speedmapping 1 - Dean "deathz0r" Joseph, Ralph "Ralphis" Vickers, RottKing Limit Removing - Solo Play - 176 - The most entertaining portion of this small level set was the titlepic, which kept me busy for just a few minutes *ahem*. With that aside, these levels are just downright bad, which is what you could possibly expect from a speedmapping contest where the contestants are jackasses (I kid, I kid). I know that deathz0r and co. are more than capable of what is present in this level set as the txt file states that the wad is intended to be a collection of 3 maps that were all made in speedmapping fashion within a 1024 grid size. There are too many errors to count, although they almost seem to be blatantly added just for kicks. I also realize that this set is probably a mockery unto itself, but not even that can wash out the nasty taste this wad leaves behind. Although, map03 really wasn't all that bad... but still not good. Moggo - Ruba doom2.exe - Solo Play - 12 kb - Usually I try to have a little more tact when I give a bad review to a wad, but this one I cannot resist the urge. This level sucks. There's not much explanation in the txt file, so I can only assume the author doesn't give a damn. If you like stupidly challenging Icon of Sin levels with a retarded amount SSNazis in a hallway, followed up by a cyberdemon, then this level is for you. All others, avoid. Lunar Base - Andrew Manninen doom2.exe - Solo Play - 109 kb - EDIT: This isn't actually a 1995 map. There was a bug in the /idgames frontend parser that made it look like it was this map. The "Lunar Base" reviewed is actually from 2006, but is apparently about the same quality as a typical 1995 map. Most of us cringe a little bit when we read the word "funduke" with it's association to any Doom wad. Despite what the txt file says, this map runs on map05 instead of map01. Unfortunetly, this is another 1995 map brought back to modern times for a round of scrutiny in the /newstuff chronicles. As with most levels from that era, this wad suffers from largely square rooms with seemingly random texturing together with limited connectivity. If you're in the mood for nostalgic trip back to 1995 when all that was required to make a good wad was a start, an exit, and a couple enemies, then look no further. Otherwise, nothing to see here. dhe30src.zip - Jon Dowland doom2.exe - n/a - 85 kb This is the full source code for DeHackEd version 3.0a. Uploaded to /idgames for historical and archival purposes. And suprisingly, the best item in /newstuff this week. Sniper Scope - xbolt Legacy Compatible - n/a - 4 kb A sniper scope for Legacy attached to the shotgun. Although equipping a shotgun with a sniper scope seems ridiculous, it works fairly well. Ni'mrod: Hell on Exdeus - Adam "Homer" Wood Skulltag - Solo Play - 738 kb - This wad requires the add-on "Nimrod: Project Doom" which can be obtained in the /idgames archive. Having never played the original release of Nimrod, I was initially impressed by the base provided to make the wad playable. The usage of new textures, weapons, and enemies made available from the original wad was a nice touch. Even the music has a little kick to it. And while the wad is extravagently detailed, there is little flow or connectivity which is the hallmark of Homer's work. Oddly enough, the three times I have been a /newstuff reviewer, I've had to review a wad by him. And this wad is much like any of his other maps: lots of detail and semi-innovative features with mediocre gameplay and fairly linear level design. If you enjoyed Nimrod: Project Doom then give this a go.

Microsoft announced today at the X06 conference that it will be bringing the original four episode installment of Doom to Xbox Live Arcade. The ported game will feature full 4 player coop and deathmatch support online or in split screen, in addition to the single player game. Interestingly enough, a fact sheet from Microsoft confirms full 1080i resolution for high definition and smooth textures. The game will cost 800 Microsoft points, or roughly 10 US dollars.

...with a new lump editing utility brought to you by SlayeR, aptly named SLumpED. SLumpED allows the end user to cut/copy/paste lumps within a wad or across multiple wads, open multiple wadfiles at once in tabs, and all the basic features you'd expect from a wad lump manager. Even better, the source is available as well so expect improvements into the future. The current version is 0.5 beta1 and you can read more about the development here.

The freedom fighters over at the FreeDoom project have recently announced the release of version 0.5, which includes many updates to the project such as a vast increase of new artwork and the inclusion of FreeDM - a deathmatch IWAD project. Also in this release is a myriad of improved weapon sprites and textures, in addition to the new enemy designs. For more information you can check out the project's homepage.

Randy Heit has yet again managed to crank out another version of ZDoom for the fourth time in just over two months. Notably in this release is a vast update to the changelog including many new features, changes, and fixes. Among the changes is the return of Windows 95 compatibility and new ACS functions. For a complete listing of all changes, check the ZDoom homepage.

No, not the night auditor at work. But rather in reference to the Great Boss Battle Contest being hosted over at the NewDoom community forums. The theme (as you may have guessed) is to create a unique or interesting boss battle using stock Doom 2 resources and Boom compatibility. You can read about all this and more on those wondrous NewDoom community forums. The contest deadline is October 19th.

Bad (and misspelled) puns aside, Tolwyn recently informed us of the recently released Memento Mori II Remastered soundtrack that has been made available on his webpage. This release contains Disk 1 of the set that is still in progress. You can read about all of this and more on the official webpage.

As in, the Enhanced Doom Gaming Engine, which is now up to its 4th release candidate for version 1.29. This also appears to be the last update for quite a while as it seems that the original author has decided to call it quits. You can read up about RC4 and any other EDGE related drama by visiting the development forum.

With all the fast paced Doom related news whizzing by us here at Doomworld, we somehow managed to forget to let everyone know that PrBoom 2.4.2 has just been released. The new release contains various display fixes and other assorted tidbits. You can get the full changelog on their website.

A whopping 5 wads are on up the table this week for the latest edition of The /newstuff Chronicles. As an added bonus, there is a lack of any new weapon mods and a mapset by a relative newbie that will make you want to jump into a boiling lake of lava. But don't let that cool you off, as there are several good wads that should be checked out. Achluophobia.wad - Th0r Skulltag - Solo Play - 3082 kb - Achuluphobia is the latest mapset in a series of simple wads by Th0r. Now, according to the txt file, the author is still relatively new at mapping so I can't be too hard on him for that. However, this mapset suffers from poor texturing and almost a complete lack of height variations throughout. There are often times many unaligned textures and combinations that just don't make sense. If you really enjoy Doom at its uttermost simplistic, as in, many boring corridors and switch hunting, then this wad is for you. There's too many identical hallways that connect into other identical hallways that lead up to a single switch, which then forces you to backtrack through the same hallways to get to an area so you can have your face ripped off by a hell knight and start all over again. Aesthetic qualities aside, the maps play like most beginner maps: lots of cramped corridors and too many enemies. If you aren't getting pegged by a chaingunner off in the distance, then you're running into the many ill-placed lamps and firesticks. This is not fun. However, on the plus side the maps do get better with each passing level. The last map shows promise but then quickly turns into a simplistic HR-styled blast fest. Plenty of new art abounds, and while some of it adds to the themes throughout, some just look plain goofy in their selection. There is also new music which for the most part is pretty good, although that's an area of personal taste. I do think that Th0r is certainly capable of better, and just like any mapper whose had his time in the limelight, it just takes time and practice. Also, why this was specifically for Skulltag, I don't know. Amnesia - Aluqah ZDoom - Solo Play - 176 kb - All right, this level is just weird. But not in that mysterious sort of way, but rather, in the way that makes you scratch your head and wonder exactly what the hell this author was trying to build. There are many textures from various resources being used here, but they are all thrown about in very little consistency. I have no idea what kind of theme this is supposed to be, nor do I have any clue what the map is supposed to resemble. There are plenty of height variations which give the map an interesting perspective, but it comes off feeling like some sort of weird Doom 2 prototype level. As far as the gameplay goes, there are a couple nifty ZDoom features that break up the gameplay from being mundane. I found this wad to be difficult and frustrating as there's not really any clear path where the player is supposed to go. Dwarf Town - Pawel Zarczynski Boom Compatible - Solo Play - 244 kb - This was a map that was left out of the 1024x1024 project, aptly named Dwarf Town. And I should say that while I'm not a big fan of 1024 styled maps, I really enjoyed playing this wad. The map takes place in a cramped little town full of great little details here and there and excellent use of lighting. The gameplay is what you'd expect from a 1024 map, but not all that frustrating. There were a couple of moments where I muttered "son of a bitch!", but I did survive on the first playthrough. Best of all, the map is Boom compatible so it can be played on your favorite source port. Recommended. jet01 - Jetflock Boom Compatible - Solo Play - 155 kb - Yet another 1024 project submission that was yanked out. This map attempts to recreate the original Map01 of Doom 2 and does a pretty good job of it. Instead of just taking the original design of Map01 and trying to "redo" it, the author has built the entire map from the ground up and it really shows in the layout. A refreshing change from the usual redesigns of the past. There are a lot of interesting takes on the texturing and design with most of the battles being pretty fun, too. Its a short but sweet level, definitely worth your 2 minutes of play time. Like Dwarf Town, this map is also boom compatible. Recommended. SJS1: Streets Of Fear - Simon 'SlayeR' Judd Limit Removing - Solo Play - 270 kb - The last wad of the week is certainly a good one, and a definite contender for wad of the week. As you may tell from the title of this wad, this map takes place in a little haunted town. The level certainly isn't a walk in the park either, as I found myself dying quite a few times to finally beat this map. There's plenty of hidden alcoves where enemies will suprise you, but it never comes off as cheap. There's good detail throughout and the usage of new textures adds to the atmosphere of the level. In the txt file, SlayeR states that this map was originally an expansion for Bloodrust and the style shows. There's also the inclusion of a MIDI also composed by the author. All in all, a nice single player experience and I hope the author releases more in this series. Recommended.

Welcome to the latest edition of /newstuff. I, Dittohead, will be your guide through the gold and muck from the week that was. This week we have a broad selection of maps in varying lengths and quality; in addition to a few pleasant suprises. There's also been a megawad released that is sure to become a contender for next year's Mordeth award. So without any further hesitation, let's get to the wads! Doom Noir - Jon Dowland doom.exe - n/a - 16 kb This is a simple palette replacement that simulates the film style in the motion picture "Sin City". There's nothing flashy about this at all, as with most palette changes. However it may be useful in mods. Fun for a few minutes until you realize that Doom is a game better played with all colors. Total Darkness 4 - evilhomerdoomer Skulltag - Solo Play - 591 KB - In the text file, the author states that the aim of the wad is create an atmospheric, linear map that somehow won't get boring. Well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad. The map flows from a tech style into a hell style, and then back into a tech style once more. The map has a lot of detail in it for being a linear map; however, all the detail in the world cannot save the map from relatively boring gameplay. The problems start arising when you are forced to tyson a baron, and then later on, an archvile. I don't know if my playing ability just isn't what it used to be, but the ammo is scarce and makes the map unnecessarily difficult. The monsters are not arranged in a way that makes the gameplay difficult; its only real difficulty and ultimately frustration comes from the ammo placement. I recall one situation where I was out of ammo, but there was a box of shotgun shells in reach. However, a baron of hell was standing right on top of them. The map does redeem itself a little by offering a healthy supply of new enemies and ZDoom/Skulltag effects. Not a bad attempt, but when you set out to build a linear map, this is what you get. Total Darkness 5 - evilhomerdoomer Skulltag - Solo Play - 204 KB - A natural successor to Total Darkness 4, TD5 keeps with the same style of detail and difficulty only in a slightly less linear fashion. The map has some good looking rooms that feel slightly modular and symmetrical in design. However, there are moments when the gameplay becomes tedious. In one instance you have to kill all the monsters in a particular room before it releases an archvile, long after you've depleted most of your ammo. The overall style of the map is a mish-mash of tech and hell themes which have no logical flow from one to the other. If you enjoyed playing TD4, then TD5 is right up your alley. However, if TD4 did not impress you, then there is simply nothing really new to see here. Impsicity - Tarcanos Limit Removing - Solo Play - 67 KB The author explains in the txt file that this is his first foray into Doom editing. And as such you might expect the map to be a bit rough around the edges. However, I was unable to get the map to even load up in Zdoom (63a). If you can find a way to play this map then I hope it pays off, because I didn't try. How Not To Be Seen! - Wills ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 24 KB Possibly the best joke wad, if it can be classified as a joke wad, that I've ever had the joy of watching. There is no gameplay as the map is a 1:59 comedy routine. Very few attempts at Doom-related humor end up being funny, but this one gets it right in a way that isn't completely overdone or just plain stupid. If you are a fan of Monty Python humor then you will really enjoy this treat. There moments where I think I actually laughed out loud. Easily worth the price of admission and even if you aren't a fan of joke wads (I'm not in the least) you should still check this out. I hope the author creates more of these. PstLevM - PichuSofT 99 (c) ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - - PstLevM is actually short for, uh, who knows. However, the map is entertaining none the less. The layout of the level is akin to that of a medievil castle only spread out over a larger area. The gameplay itself tends to be evenly paced with a little bit of back-tracking. The only hiccups in the gameplay department arrive at the expense of the many flaming barrels placed around the map, which can make it treacherous to move about. The architecture of the map is medium and modest in its overall capacity but is used well enough. There is a good amount of height changes, and the theme of the level never really seems to sway from that of its castle-like appearance. The wad also utilizes some new dehacked tricks and a few new sounds that don't do much to enhance the gameplay at all. If you spooge over the thought of tightly detailed rooms, then this map is not for you. However, for the rest of us, this map provides some good fun for a 15 minute play-through. Recommended. Canary Squadron (v1.4) - Chris Bourke Limit Removing - Solo Play - 265 KB - Map01 gets this series of 6 maps off to a rough start. At first I was convinced that playing all 6 of these maps would become a chore simply by judging how linear and boring the first map was. However, my suspicions were quickly dismissed as soon as map02 loaded up. The maps progressively become better and better, and have a lovely Doom 2 flavored old-school vibe to them that I have learned to appreciate. The maps themselves are a mix between tech and the aforementioned "Doom 2" style and the gameplay can get extreme at times but is backed up by a good amount of health and ammo. There were only a few errors I spotted in some of the levels, the most notable being a few missing textures in map06. However, these are not enough to detract from a good set of maps. There are some genuinely good ideas in these maps that shouldn't be overlooked. If you can forgive the first map of this series, I recommend it. Hope to see more from this author in the future as I feel he's off to a good start. budrum26 - Michael "Optimus" Kargas ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 246 KB - Another map by a Doom editing newcomer, but this one isn't half bad and actually plays on the specified port! Now, with that out of the way, the author states in the txt file that he has gone to lengths to make a good impression on the lighting and shading. And instead of an empty promise, the author actually makes good on his word. There are some very nicely lit areas that, for a newbie, are truly amazing. While the geometry in the map is low, it makes up for it with the impressive shading detail. The gameplay is also difficult but can provide a nice challenge to those who are willing to play the map a few times through trial and error. However, the map has no consistent theme and seems to have an identity crisis. Regardless, this is a nice first attempt and if the author can hone in and expand on a particular style, we'll have another good mapper on our hands. The Stranger - WildWeasel GZDoom - n/a - 7042 KB I'm not much for weapon addon packs, but I found The Stranger to be an enjoyable distraction from the grind of doing these damn /newstuff reviews. If playing a 12-year old game doesn't make you feel nerdy enough, the author has dug deep to bring us weapons inspired from his favorite anime films. The animations are incredibly smooth, complete with shell eject casings and appropriate sound effects. I don't watch anime so I wasn't able to tell which movie the guns were from, but at any rate, they were implemented well. Even if you don't particularily like weapon mods, you still might want to check this out just for giggles and the satisfaction of knowing that somebody else out there is still a little nerdier than you. UnlimitedStar23's Skulltag Deathmatch Party - -=>UnlimitedStar23<=- Skulltag - Deathmatch - 770 KB - A group of 16 deathmatch maps fine tuned for Skulltag. To be frank, I don't play DM at all so I might not be the best critic when it comes to judging DM map packs. However, I did play through most of the maps in SP just to check out the layouts and architecture. From what I can tell, the maps don't have any particular "flow" to them which I would imagine would be an important element to any DM map. There's also some funny texture choices here and there and detail is at a minimum. But again, I don't play DM so I don't know what to look for. If you're tired of the stock Skulltag maps then you might want to check this out. But if you're looking to get into playing Skulltag DM, then this is probably not a good starting point. Newdoom Community Project - various Doom Community members Limit Removing - Solo Play - 7192 KB - Many said it would never be completed, but alas, the NDCP has arrived. But don't let the name fool you; there are mappers from every corner of the Doom community that participated in this project. As with any community project, there are a wide variety of themes in varying quality. And as such there is very little consistency between each level. However, there are some really great maps spread throughout the entire megawad with only a small handful of bad ones. At any rate, the gameplay seems to be pretty balanced in most levels and as such rarely suffers. There is also a handful of new textures but sadly no music replacement. As a whole, the NDCP delivers on the same level that you would to expect from the Community Chest series and does not disappoint. If you already haven't downloaded this, I highly recommend it - if even just for maps 01, 11, 12, 32, 09, 14 *cough* 03, and so forth. Even some of the less detailed maps like map28 have a great feel to them that remind me of the first time I played the later levels in Ultimate Doom. Recommended. deathz0r Online: The Internet Made Stupid - Dean "deathz0r" Joseph ZDoom Compatible - SP/DM - 4044 KB - Another joke wad, but an extravagant one at that. To be honest, I didn't catch a lot of the humor but maybe deathz0r can explain it all to me a little better. I did detect a high amount of mockery towards Skulltag and the nature of online gaming in general. Even though the new artwork is sloppy (on purpose) and the levels are pointless, there was obviously a lot of work that went into making this. There were a few moments, especially in the single player mode that were kind of funny, but the rest just seemed to fall flat with me. The wad itself just seems to be a big "inside joke" that I don't think the average Doomer will get. Joke wads are not my thing so I won't waste any more time reviewing this. Alinealus - ElRodo (Rodrigo Acevedo) ZDoom Compatible - Deathmatch - 2370 KB - For its download size you would expect Alinealus to be quite a bit bigger DM map. However, upon loading the map its easy to see why. This DM map is chock full of detail which can best be described as ridiculous. In a way it kind of reminds me of gothic99 without the cramped corridors. The map seemed to run fast enough on my machine in GL mode so I suspect it might be a fun map to play with some friends online. The rooms seem to be connected fairly well and there is a little flow to them. Definetly not a stinker by any means, but since I'm not a deathmatch player its hard for me to find a genuine appreciation for the map. If you're into DM you might want to check this one out. Aztec Temple - Hans de Heus Boom Compatible - Solo Play - 137 KB - A medium sized temple map with an emphasis on switch hunting. This appears to be one of the first maps that this author has made; and if so, he's off to a good start. The map isn't very detailed and there isn't a whole lot of height adjustments or attention to connectivity. Regardless, the gameplay seems to be balanced just right and rarely gets frustrating unless you're looking for a switch for more than 2 minutes. Despite what the title of this map might tell you, there isn't a lot of "aztec" inspiration as it just looks like a standard demonic temple with green marble all over the place. Overall a good attempt for a newcomer and we'll see what he does in the future. Jägermörder 02 Terra Nova - Derek MacDonald aka Afterglow ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 886 KB This is just an update which cleans up the map a bit and establishes compatability with PrBoom plus. If you didn't play this the first time it was featured in /newstuff, I highly recommend it. ic2005 - Ian Cunnings Boom Compatible - Solo Play - 1521 KB - Possibly one of the best maps of the week. Following in the tradition of other large tech maps such as the vrack series, ic2005 is full of tech flavored goodness. The amount of detail is just right and never seems to pollute the map or get in the way of gameplay. In addition, the map seems to have just the right amount of connectivity and detail all while maintaining the theme. The difficulty seems to be centered in the sweet spot as there are more than a few tight battles with ample ammo and health nearby to barely turn the tables in your favor. There is an abundance of new textures, and it also features a MIDI rendition of a Quake 2 tune which seemed to fall right into place with the tech/base style of the map. Recommended!

Darren "Doom Dude" Finch announced today the release of the New Doom Community Project. The NDCP is a collection of 32 maps from various members of the Doom community, akin to the Community Chest project that has been hosted via Doomworld. You can read more about the project on the NDCP website or click here to download via FileFront.

Not to be confused with an inferiority complex, Jan Van der Veken sent in word that Classic Episode 2: The Singularity Complex has been finished and released. Classic Episode 2 is a 9 level set replacement for Ultimate Doom from e1m1 to e1m9, following in the footsteps of the original Classic Episode. You can find more information about the project here, or simply click here for the instant gratification download.

...As in NeoDoom. Daniel sent in word that the website for NeoDoom has been completed and is ready for viewing. Suprisingly, there are no Matrix references or instances of bullet time. But go ahead and take the red pill anyway.