Lost Classics: Doom 64 (Nintendo 64)

Back when Midway was a part of the Nintendo 64 Dream Team, they promised an exclusive Nintendo 64 version of Doom that would take advantage of the console’s capabilities. In 1997 they delivered Doom 64, a continuation of the franchise (yes, even after Final Doom) that gave the game a brand new look while retaining the shoot-em-up action the franchise was known for.

Doom 64 takes place after Doom II. The Earth has been saved, but there are still demons roaming the halls of Mars and its moons. In a last ditch effort to eliminate every trace to the demonic invasion, the moons are bombed with irradiation, killing off nearly every demon….except one. While healing himself, he resurrects his fallen brethren. However because of the radiation, they become different and more powerful than they were before. Now it’s time to go back once again and stop the demon horde.

Doom 64 features all new textures and animations for the enemies (well the ones who have returned at least) and weapons. The backdrops and wall textures have also been given a new look, with the satanic imagery more prevalent than the old PC game. The lighting and texturing have also been altered to make the game’s atmosphere seem more moody and fearful than it was in the PC game. All of the weapons are back, although they have new looks and effects. They have been joined by a new weapon called the Unmaker, a powerful laser gun which can be upgraded by finding artifacts for it (now for some trivia: the Unmaker was one of the many unused concepts from developer Tom Hall’s Doom Bible, and its appearance in Doom 64 marks the first and only time it appeared in the series). The game also includes booby traps such as darts, making the game’s levels more intense than before. The music was done by Aubrey Hodges, who had done the musical score for the Playstation version of Ultimate Doom. The moody soundtrack also does a good job of adding to fear and dread.

Doom 64 is an excellent and underrated part of the Doom saga, and could almost be considered Doom 3 (of course the actual Doom 3 was released 7 years later). Doom 64 was also one of the few must-have titles on the Nintendo 64, and beside Goldeneye, it was one of the best first person shooter games on the system. Sadly it was largely ignored due to its engine looking dated and gamers having moved on to more advanced FPS titles. A lot of fans are hard at work bringing this to PC as a Doom conversion, and it hopefully won’t be long before this game is available on the Virtual Console.