"A good port of Doom, but it can't live up to the PC version."

Intro: The 32X port of Doom is basically the same as the original PC version, but all the levels have been redesigned for more fun. This isn't a bad game, but pretty mediocre. Better than the Super NES version, I might add. The reason the quality of the game was dragged down was because the Sega guys rushed on it just to get it into the stores, and yes, there are some bugs in it, but the game is still playable. I recently got my old 32X out of my closet to play this game and I spent a lot of nights on it. If you still own the rare Sega Genesis 32X, then Doom is simply a must-have.

Gameplay: 8/10
Most of my Doom research was spent on playing Doom for the PC and the Super NES. The 32X port of Doom is basically the same gameplay formula of the original Doom, just killing enemies, finding keys and opening doors. Even for today's standards, it's pretty outdated, but still fun.

Graphics: 8/10
Unlike the Super NES version, the 32X port of Doom has bright and vivid graphics. All the levels from the original PC version have been redesigned and look much better. The only serious problem is the screen size. There is always a thick brown border covering part of the viewpoint, and it sucks that the screen can't be resized. But, hey, the frame rate is pretty mediocre (about 20-25fps), which is like playing Quake III on my PIII 733 MHz PC&a 32 MB Radeon DDR video card, hehe. Also, unlike the Super NES version the floors and ceilings in levels ACTUALLY have textures! Another complaint I have here is that enemies in the game only present a front side (even though the game box shows side views of enemies, lousy cheap advertisers:( ). But, the graphics are really good, especially with 32,768 colors on the screen. Still, though, it can't match that of the PC version.

Sound: 5.5/10
Sound is pretty mediocre except that I'm sorry to say, the Super NES version's sound is a lot better. The music is good, but far from perfect. I would say that most of those sounds were downloaded from the Internet! LOL :)

Controls: 7.5/10
If you're still playing with the 3-button controller, well, you must have been caught in a timewarp. The controls with a 6-button controller are rock-solid, and with just two presses you can get a weapon of your choice from your inventory. The cheat codes are very hard to enter though, and you may even need to enter them several times before you can even get them to work. But still, the controls are pretty good and tolerable.

Final Rating: (Not an average)
8/10

Even though it can't beat its PC counterpart, you will still have loads of fun on this game, if you have a Sega Genesis and the 32X module. And hey, if you can find the game for $6 or less, buy it immediately, because 32X games nowadays are VERY rare!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/01, Updated 04/02/01