ULTIMATE DEAN OF DOOM - S3E14

Channel:

MtPain27

Subscribers:

13,700

Published on May 29, 2023 3:00:25 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQoyJxC6QmI

Game:

Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994)

Duration: 54:58

31,651 views

880

Welcome to Dean of Doom, the show where we give grades to classic and contemporary Doom wads...you know, now that I think about it, I could probably change my intro to say “classic and contemporary Doom II wads.” Other than Doom itself, UAC_Dead, and John Romero’s contemporary work, not a single Doom 1 pwad has appeared on this show. I think it’s time we fixed that. Today we’re going to have ourselves a Doom 1 double feature, starting with Stickney Installation, a vanilla compatible megawad released in 2022 by Snaxalotl. Named after the biggest crater on Mars’ larger moon, Stickney Installation’s premise is similar to many Doom 1 pwads in that it draws directly from the original for inspiration, but don’t mistake Stickney for one of the many E1 copycats out there. Snaxalotl doesn’t remake id’s maps; she collects loose elements from them and organically reprises those ideas within her own creations. Stickney single-handedly reversed my stance that Doom 1 combat is intrinsically boring: these maps are the ideal size for binging and remarkably lively even with an amputated monster roster. Snaxalotl is one of the most prolific and talented mappers in the game right now, so all aboard the hype train, folks.

The second half of our Doom 1 doubleheader will be dedicated to Solar Struggle, a limit-removing community project from 2022 led by ViolentBeetle that showcases some of the strongest talent in modern Doom mapping. The first thing that caught my eye about Solar Struggle was its fun and colorful M_DOOM logo, but at the sight of “Ultimate Doom, complevel 3” I immediately blanched and clicked away. A few months later I returned to it with a more open mind, and boy am I glad I did. Solar Struggle’s story revolves around a conveniently-timed demonic invasion which springs Doomguy the space criminal from a prison on Titan. He’ll have to hopscotch across the solar system, blasting through armies of demons one pump at a time to win his freedom. If Stickney Installation renews my faith in Doom 1’s combat, Solar Struggle goes a long way towards rehabilitating the image of the modern community project, dropping my jaw with its creativity, coherence, and pure love for the craft. And it didn’t need a single arch-vile! This is a must-play for all Doom 1 holdouts.

Links to the wads:
Stickney Installation
https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/megawads/stickney

Solar Struggle
https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/Ports/megawads/sstruggle

Special thanks to @DCG Retrowave for providing the MIDIs! (Channel link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xHzJ94Fji7psz45rF_Bhw)

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/mtpain27

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