| Introduction
In the early '90s, a young programmer named John Carmack unleashed, quite
literally, a demon upon the world with his genre-defining Doom. Over the next
decade Doom has been ported to nearly every platform imaginable while spawning
countless clones, most of which fall short of the gameplay gold that made the
original infamous worldwide. Gamers' delight and congressmen's bane, Doom has
been released by Activision for the Game Boy Advance.
GamePlay
The recipe for Doom is perhaps a bit less complicated than that of Colonel
Sanders’ legendary chicken: add space marines, insidious imps, three cups of
hideous-mawed demons, a hint of heavy firepower, and devious level design. Shake
vigorously and BOOM! That is, Doom! This hallowed treasure has always been more about furious gameplay rather
than plot, which is practically nonexistent except in the manual. Doom is the
perennial example of the mindless shooter. Players jog down eerie corridors,
laying waste to cackling fiends from the pits of the underworld while hunting
down vital security key cards. The game features 24 levels in three episodes,
taking a heroic space marine through the sinister labs of Phobos and Deimos and
ultimately a whirlwind tour of hell itself. Levels are cleverly designed, yet the basic premise of “shoot, find key,
shoot again” is hard to mask. Doom offers the same brisk adventure it always
has, surprisingly unhindered by the transition to a handheld. The GBA version is
in fact superior to others like the SNES build. It is nearly identical to the PC
original, except the game may only be saved at the end of a stage in one of four
data slots. A map of the current level may be overlaid on the screen at any
time, but will not be complete until a special upgrade is found. David A. Palmer Productions, responsible for Doom GBA, has included two
multiplayer modes which both require multiple cartridges. Up to four players may
compete simultaneously in a deathmatch setup, while only two can challenge the
cooperative mode. The main drawback of the deathmatch mode is that there is no
descriptor text for combat: players don't know who killed whom or which one is
leading. Controls
Can a game designed for the keyboard and mouse remain playable on a platform
with only four action buttons? Indeed, it's possible! The default control setup
uses the L and R buttons as the ever-vital strafe, while A and B take care of
firing, weapons selection, and opening doors. The D-pad accomplishes small
movements or rotation. Overall, Doom features a tight control scheme that does justice to the
original. Strafing imp fireballs while laying creatures waste with the classic
shotgun will quickly become second nature. Graphics
At first glance, Doom's graphics are nearly identical to those of the original.
Despite the small size of the GBA screen, texture quality has not dropped and
the creepy lighting effects are still in place. The excellent level design makes
some areas chilling, with dark tunnels lit by occasional light bursts. Therein
lies one of the main graphical issues. Occasionally, the dynamic lighting effects will cause the frame
rate to
stutter. This especially occurs in large, open areas, and fortunately an option
has been included to turn them off and restore smooth motion. The drawback to
this is that light will be evenly dispersed in the stage, eliminating the creepy
atmospheric effects. Character and enemy sprites are as large and detailed as ever, but all blood
has been turned green. Whether this is because of the omnipresence of red on the
small screen anyway or the constant crucifixion of Doom by Congress is a matter
of debate, but most players will quickly forget about it. Rockets no longer
reduce enemies to messy puddles as another artifact of either hardware power or
politics. Finally, enemies disappear shortly after they are killed, a step back
from the original caused by the Game Boy's limitations. Gamma correction settings have also been included, so those who have problems
with the GBA's dark screen can quickly adjust the brightness to one of six
settings. The highest light level makes the health bar look a bit grainy, but
all the in-game action will be far easier to see. Sound & Music
The sound effects in Doom are largely lifted straight from the PC classic, but
don't fade away as the player distances himself from them. This is another
shortcoming from the translation to a handheld, and detracts from the disturbing
atmosphere. Where a player could once hear a demon from down one end of a
hallway, it could very well be right next to him now. Doom's music is simple and repetitive, reminiscent at times of themes from
low-budget horror movies. There will not be a CD soundtrack. Final Comments
While already a decade old, Doom still packs a punch of solid, satisfying
gameplay. The few graphical flaws are sacrificed for ever-valuable portability.
Doom is an excellent example of a simple yet rich on-the-go title that is
perfect for travel or breaks in the day. Find a friend or two with the game and
its lasting appeal is instantly lengthened. Even gamers who have played the
original many times through will find fun in Doom GBA, though they may be
sensitive to the few changes. Those new to the Doom experience will be hard
pressed to find a better shooter, and should at least give it a rent to discover
the craze for themselves.
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