Written: 10.30.13
Acquired: 5.30.10
Status: CIB
Price: $20

By September 1995, the SNES was quickly entering the final stages of its life. Although game quality was at an all-time high in terms of what companies could now do with the system, it's a given that every 4-5 years the new wave of next gen gaming takes over, and the older models quietly fade out in the background. This however did not stop the unlikely conversion of PC smash hit, DOOM. And on September 1, 1995, SNES owners had their Doomsday
Hard to believe this December marks 20 years of DOOM. Wow...

                                                  MY MEMORIES WITH DOOM AND THE FPS GENRE

I consider the early-mid 1990s as a very special time. Not only was I in the thick of my childhood, but those years cranked out some of the most iconic groundbreaking video games around. While the whole Street Fighter II craze was sweeping the nation, in late 1993 a little violent title named DOOM came out and it took the nation by storm. Playing as a marine battling a horde of zombie soldiers and demons, Doom was the most intense action game of its day. It made your heart beat a little faster. Palms perspired. Those growls you hear around the corner... that ammo count dipping dangerously low... Doom produced an adrenaline kick like no other. Who could ever forget the first time they encountered Doom?  It's one of those things that you carry with you for life. Kind of like the first time you came across a Playboy Magazine, or the first time you saw porn [Pervert -Ed.]. Doom was a transcendent gaming experience that turned boys into men and soiled more than a few underwears 20 years ago. It is revered fondly for a good reason!

Flashback to 1992. Before Doom there was good old Wolfenstein 3-D. I was in the 4th grade at the time and vividly remember the chatter on the playground about a new game that was like none other. The coolest kid at my school, Tony, had a copy and on a cold November afternoon of 1992, he invited me over to play it. The coolest kid invited me over to play the coolest game around. I was now a made man
You knew it was different, and you knew it was special. 'Nuff said

Wolfenstein left a lasting impression
on me, as I can still remember the bloodshed and gunplay to this day.
A couple years later, in early 1994, Wolfenstein 3-D was translated to the Super NES. It became one of my dear favorites. And I still love it to this day. Thanks for the memories, Wolfenstein

One day in 1994 I made my usual voyage over to Software Etc. at the local mall. I usually just gawk at all the cool SNES games that I could only dream of owning, and calling it a day, but on this particular day a little CD PC game caught my eye. It was a one level preview of a new Doom wannabe called Operation Body Count. As was the norm, when a successful formula is found, copycats start coming out of nowhere, other companies eager for a small slice of the pie
Imagine a game company trying to release a cover like this today

But what attracted me to this one level preview was actually Corridor 7. It was an alien shoot 'em up. Doom... but with aliens?
I was sold like a cheap hooker on a Saturday night. The one small picture on the back of my guy shooting this giant purple alien down a creepy looking, decaying corridor blew my 10 year old mind. I had to have it, and sure enough, good old mom was kind enough to buy it for me. It helped that it was cheap, being a one level preview. Thanks mom
                                           A guy never got more out of a one level preview than I did...

I can't tell you how many times I played the one level preview of Corridor 7. I absolutely loved that bloody game. My dad would eventually buy me a copy of the full game later that same year. Of all places, I found it at this little computer knick knack mom and pop shop, and it was on sale. The whole 20 minute car ride home I remember studying the manual and reading about the weapons and monsters' description ten times over. Ahh, to be 10 years old again, eh?  As usual, as much as I loved Doom, I loved finding an underdog to root for. Corridor 7 became the under the radar title that I championed as a 10 year old kid. Even back then, I was obsessed with lesser known video games and spreading the word on them. I told all my friends about C7 as I called it, trying to be cool (but failing miserably so)

Like Street Fighter II clones, Doom clones were a sign of the times

In hindsight, which is 20/20 they say, Corridor
7 is pretty mediocre, at best. The funny thing is,
I LOVED the one level preview, which was an exclusive level. It was made specifically for the one level preview CD-ROM. Nowhere in the actual full game is the one level in the preview. Such a shame, because it had a killer atmosphere, a neat level layout and enemy placement. The actual
full game feels quite the opposite, sadly. I felt so duped. Still, I will always remember Corridor 7, and
I suppose it shall always occupy a small part of my gaming heart. At least, the one level preview, anyhow





                                              Corridor 7 had some cool and badass looking creatures

I loved the cool, colorful alien monsters. Most of their names were real names spelled backwards. Examples: Katie (Eitak), James (Semaj), Roberto (Otrebor), Carlos (Solrac) and my personal favorite, Scott (Ttocs). The Ttoc was such a cool badass design, and his death pose was the best. When killed, his skin melts off, leaving behind a gooey, bony mess. They were big but short of elite. My fave!
I used to call Ttocs (T)he (T)erminators (O)f (C)orridor (S)even ^_^

The Bandor was a brilliant enemy. It would actually appear as regular common things, like a table, or a cabinet file, and when you walk by it would morph into its real form and take you out. They kept you on your toes as you never knew which furniture was just that, and which ones were a trap in waiting...


                                             It ain't great but I'll always have a fond spot for Corridor 7

Fast forward some five years. It is now 1999. I just became a member of eBay, simultaneously the best and worst move of my life, and did so with the sole single purpose of picking up the full version of that other Capstone Doom clone that was on the one level preview disc. I too had enjoyed that one level demo tremendously. Operation Body Count was bloody violent. You could blow out windows, light hallways on fire, pump lead into the walls (complete with bullet marks) and kill bad guys on the OTHER side of a wall with a rocket shot. The game was full wanton destruction at its best. Again, at least, the one level preview was. When the game arrived, I once again felt like Capstone had duped me. The game was nowhere as fun as the one level preview. Blah. I'm soooooo freakin' done with you, Crapstone!  -_-

Looks like a potential guilty pleasure type, but it's just plain bad :(

Such a shame too really, because OBC had a pretty interesting look to it. It had a nice Die Hard-esque feel to it. You felt like you were really scaling a tall tower, blasting terrorist scum by the hundreds, all in the name of saving the day.
I mean, just look at that steroid injected turban wearing gorilla of a man. There weren't aliens or monsters or demons. Just pissed off and damn big beefy terrorists. I wanna say it helped to give OBC a sense of realism. Sadly, the full game just wasn't very fun, not like the one level preview which I must have played at least 100 times. Oh well... some things just aren't meant to be. The wasted potential...




                                       As with any clone era, you had hits and misses. OBC was a whiff

December 1994. One year after the epic release of Doom, we were given the sequel, Doom II. It was only a matter of time. While the clones rushed
in and out the door (and backdoor, for that matter), the original king stood mighty, proud and tall and victorious over all comers. But now it was time for round two. A game with more weapons, monsters and mayhem. It did not disappoint! Doom II was a worthy sequel indeed and although my brother and I didn't own it, we definitely found ways to experience it. Because it was simply something you just had to. No ifs, ands or buts here. Doom II was the SHIT





Doom II was one of the most eagerly anticipated sequels of its day

How badass was Doom II? So badass that I put
it on my 7th grade "All About Me" poster. I somehow found this pic here on a computer store ad, mighta been Comp USA (damn there's a name from the past) or Fry's Electronic. Cut it
out and pasted it on my poster to show the whole 7th grade world. Keep in mind at that time gaming wasn't considered cool, much. But not Doom II. Doom II broke barriers

                                               It was a game that you wanted to show off to the world

A few weeks before Doom II came out, my world changed forever. It was mid-November 1994. It was a cold and dreary, foggy Monday morning. I remember the fog being so thick I could barely see past my first neighbor's house. I was walking to school with my good old best friend Nelson, and it was another week in the ol' neighborhood. Little did I know, leaving my house that morning, that when I would return later that day, my innocence would be lost, ripped and shattered
It's a day that I still recall vividly, nearly 20 years after it happened

2:25 PM. The school bell rang and Nelson and I rushed out. We walked home laughing and talking up a storm, crunching the autumn leaves on the gavel beneath our shoes. We got to the fork where he went left and I went right. We bidded farewell and I vividly remember to this very day how much I couldn't wait to get home from school just so I could play Doom for the 1,000th time. Shoot, I was already daydreaming about using the rocket launcher on the two Barons of Hell on the Phobos Anomaly map. Nothing was better than coming home from a long school day, tossing your backpack off, kicking your shoes off and wading over to the good ol' computer room where your most favorite video games resided. And I was deep in the middle of my daydreaming when I turned the corner and had the wind knocked outta me. There my house lied in the distance, with a police car parked in the driveway, and 2 policemen conversing with my mom. I ran over and my mom quickly embraced me, hugging me harder than she ever had in years, with tears streaming down her face. My eyes widened in terror when I looked straight ahead from the driveway, saw the front door wide open, and realized the mess that laid before us. We were robbed. They took nearly everything, including the computer and Doom. That day I was robbed of my innocence :(

September 1995. As some readers may recall from Memories of Renting, back in the day I did 90-95% of the game renting, and 90-95% of those times that I did, I was forced by my older brother to rent the titles HE liked. Well, in September of '95 my bro surprised me one weekend when he left the house and came back with SNES Doom. He thought I would be happy but I was actually pissed. Seeing it, although it did have a cool red shell case, only reminded me of that fateful day where I lost my innocence. I also remember playing it and being DISGUSTED with it, constantly comparing it to its PC original. And under those given circumstances, I hated the SNES version with a burning passion, and pretty much refused to play it the rest of that weekend that we had it for. My bro never mentioned it, but I think he was a little hurt by it. He made a nice gesture, but instead of gratitude I showed him contempt and annoyance. And that was the last game I can ever recall him renting for me...

December 14, 1996. Two full years after the initial release of Doom II, my dad took me to Staples one night. Yeah, some dads take their kids to Disneyland. Other parents take their kids to Universal Studios. Mine took me to fukken Staples. Hey, I'll give the old man credit. Because on this night I saw a deal that blew my mind. There it was, Doom II, for only $4.97. I rubbed my eyes not once, not twice but trice. I thought maybe there was a 2 in front, or at least, surely
a 1. But just $4.97?!?!  I grabbed the box, flipped
it over and read front and back 10 times over. Was this shareware? Was this April Fools? No, you fool,
I thought to myself. It's December 14, damnit. Holy shit. It was the real deal AND for a real deal.
I snatched it up quicker than OJ Simpson driving in his Bronco, and of course, at less than the cost of a #1 Big Mac combo meal, there was no way my pops could deny me this one. Maybe the old man knew. My brother and I always wanted Doom II two years ago, but we never got it. Now we were vindicated. When I got home and my bro saw the receipt, he just about fell over. I have kept the receipt all these years later. Thing of beauty when an awesome deal drops unexpectantly into your lap. Look at that ish. "YOU SAVED $25.02" -- damn sick!  $5.36 for Doom II in 1996?  Hey, it happened. Moral of the story... screw Disneyland. Next time I'm taking my kids to motherfukken STAPLES, biotch

In 1999, after being "out" of the gaming scene for a year or two, I came back STRONG with the Sega Saturn. But it wasn't until 2001 that I became a diehard. I amassed a huge collection, and by 2005 was pretty much done with my collecting. Then I took a chance on the Japanese version of Saturn Doom, seeing as how it was released months AFTER the US reject, that maybe, just maybe, the frame rate would be improved. And, it was!  I recall fondly making usenet posts way back in the day (late '90s to mid 2000s) on the old rec.video.sega newsgroup, spreading the news that the Japanese version was superior. Those were the days...
Beating all 60 levels of part I and II reignited my love affair

On January 17, 2006, I returned to the SNES scene. I was a man on
a mission. I was now a young adult, longing for my childhood, and to discover "new" gems I missed out on. I bought most of my wanted games in 2006, and Doom was never on the original want list. I had some... ahem... sour memories of it you understand, and so never wanted to give it another shot. But finally, in 2010, I said what the hell. It's time to face old demons [That was actually quite a good one, well played kind sir -Ed.] and see what's what. So I bought Doom, replayed it and did so this time with a clear, open mind. And I was surprised to find out that I actually enjoyed it a good bit. I had a few four hour marathons with it where I tried my damndest to beat all of the 22 levels in one sitting (because they gave you no choice but to!). I'll be damned. My opinion of SNES Doom did a complete 180. Taking it for what it is, I cannot help but marvel a bit at the fact that it's even up and running on my Super Nintendo. It captures the essence and spirit of the original Doom pretty damn nicely, and that's the bottom line. In many ways, I felt like I had come full circle with Doom

DOOMSDAY

SNES DOOM was developed by Sculptured Software for the US version, while Imagineer did the Japanese port. Imagineer also programmed SNES Wolfenstein 3-D. The Japanese version is improved over the US version, but more on how and why this is so a bit later...

Thankfully, by late 1995 the SNES' kid friendly mantra of no blood had shifted. Games like Mortal Kombat II, released about one year prior, broke the mold. Doom without its grisly gore just wouldn't be the same. The SNES port keeps the bloody mayhem






A large part of me refused to believe it: DOOM on SNES?  HA HA!

THE MONSTERS

FORMER SOLDIER
At one time you swapped war stories with this guy.
Now he's nothing more than a rotting, pistol-toting maggot.
So waste this sucker without remorse. He ain't your buddy anymore...

FORMER SERGEANT
Similar to above, but far deadlier. Packing a heavy duty shotgun, you best take these bald baddies out fast or they will do more than pelt you. Aim carefully, because if you miss that means you're likely eating some damage. You need every last health point!

IMP
When you think of imps, you might think of a small hideously cute thing that is sneaky and mischievous. Think again!  This bastard heaves fireballs down your
throat and will claw the hell out of you at close range. It's time to find a shotgun

DEMON
Yes, finally, an enemy with no long range weapon. That's the good news. The bad
news is he moves faster than you might think, and if he bites you, it's gonna HURT.
A LOT. The chainsaw works very well on these bad boys, and saves you the ammo

CACODEMON
This big red ball of a bastard takes a lot of bullets to go down. It's time to upgrade from the shotgun if you haven't already. Cacodemons made a loud, nasty screech when they first see you or hear of your presence. They launch fireballs that pack a more potent punch than the imp's. A chaingun does well at disposing of this beast

LOST SOUL
Maybe the Doom makers were fans of Ghost Rider?  He flies around. He screams. He scorches. And he dies with a few well-placed shotgun shells. Thank you, come again

BARON OF HELL
Ahhh, here's the man. Er, monster, rather, I suppose. I can write and reminisce about this goat-legged horned menace all day long. His debut has got to rank in
the top 10 of all time boss entrances. It's still an image that has been burned into
my retina nearly 20 years later... staring at the two pods knowing hell is coming

CYBERDEMON
Remember the first time you ever laid eyes on this bastard?  You thought the Barons of Hell were bad news. This guy is basically death on two legs. From his heavy stomps to his lightning-quick rockets coming straight for your head, the Cyberdemon is the stuff nightmares are made of. Before Resident Evil had the Tyrant, Doom had the Cyberdemon. He was a hulking walking weapon of mass destruction. 5 Barons don't stand a chance so what have you? ProTip: Shoot 'til it dies

THE SPIDER MASTERMIND
Ever since I was a kid, I have hated spiders. Just hate the buggers. They make my skin crawl. So when I first came across the Spider Demon, I probably screamed like a little girl [I have no doubt you did -Ed.]. Thank goodness for small favors. At least ol' Spidey wields a chaingun and not the plasma. Kill it to save humanity That's one big motherfukken spider

THE WEAPONS

With all those deadly demons and maniacal monsters, you're gonna need some real tools to put those bad boys away!  You start the game out with your fist and a standard military-issue pistol. You will need to find some upgrades quickly or you shall become dinner even quicker!

CHAINSAW

Perfect for confined areas, the chainsaw brings out the Leatherface demon in us all... [ALL of us?  -Ed.]

SHOTGUN

Slow, but dishes out a significant amount of damage. Reliable early
on, but you'll want to find better firepower and fast

CHAINGUN

Take your pistol's puny bullets, and pump them out rapid fire, and suddenly you got a formidable weapon of choice. The chaingun puts the competition in the dancing mood...

ROCKET LAUNCHER

Pure destruction. If the impact occurs with you nearby, you'll eat some or much of the blow as well, so be REAL careful

PLASMA GUN

Here's the prized gun of the game for me. Not only is it super fast on delivery, but the impact is considerable as well, making this your go-to weapon for much of Doom

THE BFG 9000

Ah, the BFG. An iconic weapon among video game weapons. The Big F*cking Gun, baby! Dishes out a TON of damage, but also eats up a tremendous amount of energy cells. Use wisely, and save it only for the big boys or really tough spots

Better stock up on a lot of these!

EXPLORING DOOM

The objective is simple. Secure the various colored keys to unlock the security doors, blast the demons to tiny bits and oh, exit the stage alive. Such a simple yet fun formula

DOOM on the Super Nintendo was something of a small miracle

                                       It not only felt like DOOM but looked like it. Impressive for 16-bit

Bad: can't blow 'em inside out. Good: dead baddies stay on screen

                                       Ya it's pixely but what did ya expect?  Still amazing, considering!

Remember the 1st time you used the shotgun and how sweet it felt?

                                       You know you're not alone. And they know YOU are alone. Yikes

The lighting, the many nooks and crannies... it was rather spooky

                                        This summarizes what makes DOOM so awesome. It's gripping!

What a tease, and what a tense scene it all is

                                        Before positions mattered. If you can see it, then you can kill it

Love taking out imps up close. They die in such an awesome way

                                       And kill 'em before one goes crazy and shoots the barrel himself!

What a way to let off some steam at the end of a long hard day!

One of the many cool things about DOOM is how certain items will trigger certain traps, like this one here. Grab the key card and the whole room goes pitch black. You hear the roar of an imp and soon see a red glowing fireball being flung your way. It's classic stuff

Again I say, few things rival the satisfaction of wasting an imp up close and personal

Remember the demon bum rushing you, scaring ya half to death?

                                        What they lack in style they make up for in survival percentage!

HUGE difference, and the SNES port handles this well. I'll be honest, when I was a kid nearly 20 years ago, the dark portion of this level scared the FACK outta me. I was so happy when I happened to hop upon the light amplification visor artifact!  It's no joke 

And you know full damn well that he did the exact same to Y-O-U!

                                       Ya got the sense this level was gonna be sick. And we were right

Oh, is that a new code that I missed out on?  IDDQD!  [IDIOT -Ed.]

                                          The poor pink bastards never stood a damn chance, did they

Remember admiring your handiwork while gawking at the glow?

                                       [Naaaaah. WAY TOO EASY. I'll try to be nice for a change... -Ed.]

Demons lurk on the sides, but you're worried more about ahead...

                                       Whatever's hiding behind the doors you knew you'd never forget

And you didn't get just one BUT TWO. Made me run for the hills...

                                       Great name, roar, design and debut. Thanks for the nightmares...

... well, you know who. The Big Kahuna... Mr. Cyber(bully)Demon

                                       More like a Stairway to HELL!  Er wait, that's not possible, is it??

AND all you got is a pistol?!  A feeling of hopelessness takes over

                                      An upside down cross etched in that demonic block looms ahead

[Ah, just like at my little niece's 6th birthday party last July... -Ed.]

                                       It's a huge adrenaline rush to kill 10 demons in as many seconds

Hey demon, I got somethin' real important to give you...
Gonna give you something to let you know what's on my mind...
A gift real special, so take off the top... take a look inside...
IT'S MY DEMON IN A BOX!  MY DEMON IN A BOX!

                                       A lethal combination of speed and strength, the plasma gun rules

Dark hallways illuminated for a second before fading back to darkness is scary on its own enough, but then you add in killer bloodthirsty imps and it becomes a real FRIGHT FEST!

Ouch, look at that mug. Now there's a face only a mother can love

                                        "WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS, WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS?"

Little details like this add up. Stan Winston was flattered, I'm sure

                                        You know it's bad when Barons of Hell start appearing regularly

You'll especially need it on Ultra Violence or NIGHTMARE. Yikes!

                                                                            "I THINK I'M TURNING JAPANESE..."

Not terribly long ago, I happened to become curious in whether the Japanese version of SNES Doom was any different than its US counterpart. The reasons being, well, twofold.
Number one, I recall fondly discovering that the Japanese version of Sega Saturn Doom being released later than its US version, and having an improved frame rate. What really hampers SNES Doom in my opinion is the complete
lack of a password or save system. At least Wolfenstein 3-D gave us passwords level to level. That's super convenient and increases the likelihood that I'll tinker with a game long after even I've finished it. It's always fun to go back to a random level and muck around with it, after all. Well, SNES Doom afforded you no such luxury. You had to beat the game in one sitting. All 22 levels. That's a 3-4 hour task for most average gamers. Hell, maybe even 5 depending on how slow you are. It's too much. So when I found out the Japanese version of SNES Doom was released in March 1996, a full six months after the US release, I became real curious. Scouring the net for information, it didn't take long before I read that the Japanese version does indeed have some noteworthy differences compared to the American version, and that the Japanese version is superior. Unfortunately, the frame rate is much the same, but there were still some pretty cool differences. Here, let's take a closer look at the two versions...

The best difference is that the Japanese version allows you to play episode 2, the Shores
of Hell, or episode 3, Inferno, on even the lowest difficulty level. This now makes DOOM
a much more manageable experience. No longer do you have to beat all 22 levels in one sitting. You can skip straight to Inferno on the US version, but you need to play it at Ultra Violence or Nightmare, which means, starting out with the pistol and not much else, you stand no chance in hell (pun intended). This alone instantly elevates the Japanese version

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

PC Doom needs no backing. Its place in gaming history has long been cemented, and it'll be fondly remembered long after all of us are gone. But how did the Super NES port fare?  It seemed like for the most part, people either backed it, or they hated it. People either cited the port as an incredible 16-bit effort and a small miracle, or people bashed it, questioning the reasoning behind even bringing this over to the SNES as late in its life
as it did. EGM was in the latter camp, as they gave it mediocre scores of 5, 5, 5.5, and 6. GameFan was plenty more generous and impressed, rating it 89, 92 and 95%. Super Play Magazine scored it 92% and ranked it as the 17th best SNES game in their Top 100 Best SNES games list. SNES Doom was one of those love or hate affairs. You either "got it" for what it is, or hated it for what it isn't
Doom has etched its mark in gaming lore. I still love it to this day

                                                                                  DOOM ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT

You can’t mention Wolfenstein 3D without bringing up Doom. Wolfenstein wasn’t the first FPS (first person shooter) around, but it was the first B-I-G one. Doom later exploded onto the scene and with it the FPS genre shot right through the roof in both popularity and demand. I guess you could say the two games, respectively, were not unlike Street Fighter and Street Fighter II in terms of impact and legacy. The story for Doom was simple. You are a marine, on the shores of Hell, fighting against an army of undead soldier zombies, vicious imps and assorted nasty demons. It doesn’t get much better than that. The SNES version is one that I’ve come to appreciate over the years. Initially, in ’95, not so much (I was so used to playing the PC game). However, in the past several years I’ve come to enjoy the SNES version for what it is. While it’s kind of lame that there is no save or password option, at the same time, being forced to beat all 22 gut-wrenching levels in one sitting makes
it quite a lengthy quest, and one that somehow feels epic due to its tall challenge. It took the normal intensity of PC Doom and upped it by giving you no wiggle room for error. If you make a mistake, fail to grab a weapon or don’t use your ammunition wisely, there is no net to fall back on. I’ve come to enjoy my 4+ hour marathons with the SNES port. Starting at the witching hour with the lights turned off, it’s a sadistic rush to see what comes first: the butt crack of dawn, or the Cyber Demon‘s grand demise, thanks to the good ol' trusty BFG 9000!  Damn good times...

The above is an excerpt from an article I wrote and published last October, entitled Super NES Halloween Special. Now that I've played the Japanese version, I can confidently say scratch that comment about four hour marathons. Now I can at least tackle any episode at a time on even the lowest difficulty level. Thank you, Imagineer. Can't help but love when a good effort is made better

CLOSING THOUGHTS

As I sit here on the eve of Halloween, thinking of the times I've had with DOOM, both good and bad, I can't help but just smile. Doom blazed an amazing trail. It was the first game that really made me feel like I was the character himself. It was an intense gripping and unrivaled experience. Doom always had me on the edge of my seat. The SNES version is one that
I have grown to appreciate and genuinely like as the years have passed on by. Initially, I thought it was pure garbage. But when I revisited it years later as a young adult, I realized it's no small programming feat, and when viewed entirely on its own, it's actually quite good. It captures the spirit and essence of Doom nicely, and that's what ultimately matters. Graphics took a hit, naturally, but are still serviceable. On the bright side, the music is stellar!
Doom is a quintessential, seminal first person shooter for the ages

Other than the annoying few instances where you creep along a wall and you get "stuck" to it, the game plays surprisingly well. It's by no means the definitive version of Doom, but for the SNES it's impressive. There seems to be two camps: those who enjoy SNES Doom, and those who dislike it. It seems it really depends on whether you look at it for what it is, or if you look at it for what it isn't. When I first played the SNES version in 1995, I was looking at everything it wasn't, compared to the original PC king. When I replayed it some 15 years later, I did so consciously from a posture of "Let's see what it does do well, rather than what it doesn't." And I found myself pleasantly surprised. While I still prefer the SNES port of Wolfenstein 3D (I think Wolfie plays a tad bit more smoothly than SNES Doom), I can tell you with a straight face that I think this port of Doom doesn't get the credit it deserves. Although on one hand I understand where the critics are coming from, I have chosen on the other hand to view this game from the standpoint of, is it
a quality SNES title, period? I can confidently say the answer is a resounding yes. Now if you will excuse me, I've done enough yapping. It's time to blast some demon ass to kingdom come!

Graphics: 7
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 8.5
Longevity: 7.5

Overall: 8.5

Double Silver Award

                                       Few games can match the high tension and atmosphere of Doom

SPECIAL THANKS:

	John Carmack, John Romero, Michael Abrash and David Taylor as well as many others at "id software" for making the epic PC first person shooter that is DOOM
	Randy Linden, head programmer at Sculptured Software, for making SNES DOOM
	Imagineer, for releasing the enhanced Japanese version of SNES DOOM
	TJ Townsend, for that incredible pink demon exit remastered artwork. Gorgeous!
	Phidias, for all the cool animated DOOM .gifs
	My old usenet rec.video.games.sega crew. From TakeoShimizu / Terrrybear to BelPowerSlave to Raymond McKeithen II, the internet was so simple and "pure" back when... there was a sort of "innocence" back in those (g)olden days....
	My older brother, for going out of his way to try and cheer me up by renting SNES DOOM back in September '95. It was only years later that I truly came to appreciate his gesture
	YOU!  For your continued support and interest in my often times insane, inane ramblings of the vaunted "good old days" and those "golden halcyon years" of our youth which we cherish and miss oh-all-so-much. If this review brought back a virtual tear or two to your eyes of days gone by, then I've succeeded. May the memories live on at RVGFANATIC!