NOVA: The Birth

NOVA: The Birth is a limit-removing megawad released in 2014. It was made by members of the Doomworld community who were new or inexperienced with mapping at the time.

The project was founded in late 2011 by Michael Kilderry (kildeth), who himself was new to mapping. Kilderry led the project through most of its development, although late in development Darryl Steffen (dobu gabu maru) stepped in as a second leader. Dobu would later replace Kilderry as the sole leader of NOVA II: New Dawn.

The project was uploaded to the idgames archive on 22 February, 2014. Reception of the WAD was generally very positive.

Levels
Secret maps:
 * by John Weekley (PRIMEVAL)
 * by Micah Petersen (Jaws in Space)
 * by Josh Baker (mrthejoshmon)
 * by EvilNed
 * by Michael Kilderry (kildeth)
 * by Collin Pierce (Arjak)
 * by EvilNed
 * by mrthejoshmon
 * by FuzzyFireball
 * by EvilNed
 * by James Cresswell (Phobus)
 * by mrthejoshmon
 * by Dan Townsend (sgt dopey)
 * by EvilNed
 * by Matt Powell (cannonball)
 * by Paul D
 * by EvilNed
 * by Matt Powell (cannonball)
 * by Cyriak Harris (mouldy)
 * by Collin Pierce (Arjak)
 * by Ilya Lazarev (joe-ilya)
 * by Olivia Riley (Getsu Fune)
 * by Paul D
 * by Stygian
 * by mouldy, Death Egg and dobu gabu maru
 * by Ilya Lazarev (joe-ilya)
 * by Michael Kilderry (kildeth) and AlwaysDoomed
 * by Cyriak Harris (mouldy) and John Weekley (PRIMEVAL)
 * by Paul Stasiuk (fiend-o-hell) and Memfis
 * by kildeth, dobu gabu maru, cannonball, mouldy, and Arjak
 * by dobu gabu maru
 * by Olivia Riley (Getsu Fune)

Soundtrack

 * MAP01: "Pumped Up" by John Weekley (PRIMEVAL)
 * MAP02: "Brazo" by Paul D, based on "Brace Yourself" by
 * MAP03: "Going Too Far" by nub_hat
 * MAP04: "Flatstomper" by nub_hat
 * MAP05: MIDI rendition of "She Is My Sin" by
 * MAP06: MIDI rendition of "Slaying the Dreamer" by Nightwish
 * MAP07: MIDI rendition by Joseph Collins of "Visitors from Beyond the Stars" from  by Tim Tully
 * MAP08: untitled by nub_hat
 * MAP09: MIDI rendition of "The Kinslayer" by Nightwish
 * MAP10: MIDI rendition by Hazvex of "Grinder" from 
 * MAP11: MIDI rendition of "Hellfire" from  by Junichi Nakatsuru
 * MAP12: "Kitchen Ace (and Taking Names)" by Robert Prince (from Doom)
 * MAP13: MIDI rendition of "Feel for You" by Nightwish
 * MAP14: "Sangy2.mid" by Paul D (transcribed and remixed from )
 * MAP15: Vile Flesh MAP07/28 music by Gwyn Williams
 * MAP16: untitled by nub_hat
 * MAP17: MIDI rendition by Zero Prophet of Level 1 theme from Cyril Cyberpunk
 * MAP18: "Circle of Fire" by David Shaw (Tolwyn) (from Memento Mori II)
 * MAP19: untitled by nub_hat
 * MAP20: untitled by nub_hat
 * MAP21: "Push on the Gas" by Sam Woodman (from Hell Revealed II)
 * MAP22: Level 6 theme from 
 * MAP23: Ordos Mentat theme by and Dwight Okahara (from )
 * MAP24: "Ring of Gyges" by nub_hat
 * MAP25: MIDI rendition of "Rebellion in Dreamland" by
 * MAP26: MIDI rendition of "Becoming" by, transcribed by RazTor
 * MAP27: MIDI rendition of "Sensorium" by
 * MAP28: untitled by Cyriak Harris (mouldy)
 * MAP29: "Castle Cimmeria" from 
 * MAP30: MIDI rendition by Paul D of "Silent Screams" by
 * MAP31: "Oh No, I Forgot the Title" by Paul D
 * MAP32: MIDI rendition by Matthew Seldon of World 3 theme from 
 * Title screen: MIDI rendition of the title theme from Final Liberation, transcribed by Paul D
 * Intermission screen:
 * Text screen:

Built-in demos
This WAD features three built-in demos. All require Doom II v1.9 to view them. The demo levels are:

Current records
The DSDA episode records for NOVA: The Birth are:

The data was last verified in its entirety on July 28, 2022.