Doom II

"Proof that oldschool still rules"

Note: my reviews' scores use 5 as an average score, rather than 7 -7.5 as an average as most people and schools do. Therefore, 1 is terrible, 3 is bad, 5 is average, 7 is good, and 10 is amazing.

DOOM II

Summary: The classic Doom II ported onto the GBA. This title is much more faithful to its original PC version than the first Doom on GBA. It retains almost everything from the original PC version.

Graphics 8/10
Considering that this is a GBA, the graphics are very good. The game seems to be in a higher resolution, as all the enemies, walls, and features are clearer than Doom 1 on GBA. Everything looks just like it did before; yes, it is pixelated, but so was the PC version (unless you played doom 95 or a newer source port like ZDoom). Compared to the other FPS games on GBA, it's about as good as it gets. The problem is, though, that

Mechanics/Controls 5/10
The controls are very well done, with several different control sets to choose from to suit different playing styles. However, even though the interface and controls are well done, I can only give an average score here because of the choppiness and slowdown. It doesn't make the game unplayable by any means, but it is definetly annoying - it is neither as smooth nor as fast as the PC version or the first GBA Doom thanks to the better graphics. One beef I've always had with console shooters is lack of turning sensitivity control. On the PC with your mouse, you can turn fast or you can turn slow depending on how fast you move your mouse. This luxury is lost on console games, where you must always turn at the same speed. The problem with this game, however, is that the turning is not very smooth; and this makes it very hard to aim (on top of the fact that Doom doesn't have crosshairs). On high sensitivities, you will find that even nudging your left or right arrow will send your shot too far left or right of your target. If you play on low sensitivity, you can aim much better, but you lose the ability to quickly turn and face an enemy who blindsided you.

Sound/Music 7/10
The sound and music is for the most part the same as the original. No complaints, but nothing improved either. A solid job transferring the sound and music on to the GBA.

Storyline/Depth 2/10
You shoot things. Um... yeah.

Creativity 4/10
It's a port with nothing new; that's not very creative. It looks and feels exactly like it's prequel; that isn't creative either.

Gameplay 8/10
It's Doom. Oldschool shooting, and pure action. No stupid objectives (ecks vs sever or duke nukem anyone?), no annoying dialogue (duke once again with popups in the middle of a firefight), just action.

Replay 7/10
Good replay value, with many secrets to discover, and 4 difficulty levels to play on. The mindless shooting is something you can't tire of easily.

Tilt 12/10 (yes. 12.)
I have to tilt the overall score way up from the average of the scores for the individual sections. Lack of creativity and lack of storyline do not hurt Doom II in any way, shape, or form. The problems with turning sensitivity are annoying, but do not detract from the gameplay enough for me to say that the game is only of average quality. It's a very faithful port of the original game, and I have to give it points for that.

Overall 8/10 - VERY GOOD

Rent or buy
Right now, it's VERY hard to find this game. If you see it, grab it immediately. Stores will most likely not have it, and online places are asking about $60 USD for used copies. I was lucky enough to have a friend who didn't like it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/07/04