Game:

Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994)

Duration: 8:25

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This video was captured using the actual game on an actual Nintendo Game Boy Player.

Here is the finest portable port there is of my favorite classic installment of Doom, Doom 2. After playing both GBA ports of Doom and Doom 2 years ago, I noticed that I really enjoyed playing Doom on the GBA and not so much Doom 2. Back then I really couldn't put my finger on why that was. After buying it because I saw it cheap a year or so ago, I finally sat down with the game and was able to figure out exactly why this game feels so different than the first installment. Let's take a look at why.

Immediately when you turn the game on you can see a big step up in presentation from the first Doom. There is now menu music and the music sounds much better than it did in the first Doom. However that is where it all ends. The graphics look a little worse and the color pallet is a bit strange. Same as the last installment, the blood still green. This has never bothered me personally, but again if you didn't already know this was due to Nintendo's infamous censorship. As you begin to play, you'll find a major flaw in the controls. You can only sprint if you're moving straight forward. You cannot sprint while moving backwards or side to side which really sucks. Additionally you do not turn any faster when you hold down the speed button which sucks even more. You can go into the main menu and make your turning faster but past a certain point turning becomes too fast making it hard to aim and is then faster than you can strafe, so circle strafing gets a little messed up too. The first Doom on the GBA is ideal as the speed button affects moving in all directions, side to side, and turning. Is Doom 2 on the GBA unplayable? Far from it actually. You can get used to the shoddy controls and still have a good time, it just sucks that it could have been much better than it is. As always there are much better versions of this game that you can play, but this one is still the best portable port around.

With the recent installment (Doom 4) being such a huge hit, Doom 2 on the GBA has seen a significant price hike as there has surely been an increased interest in acquiring the older installments and various ports of Doom. I've seen eBay auctions that range anywhere between 25 to over 50 bucks for a lose cart. IMO this port isn't worth even close to those prices. That money would be much better spent on another port of Doom like the PS1 version, Doom 64, or another game all together.

Thanks for reading and watching.

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