Difference between revisions of "Doom 64"

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[[Image:Doom_64-box-cover.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Doom 64 [[cover art|box cover]].]]
 
[[Image:Doom_64-box-cover.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Doom 64 [[cover art|box cover]].]]
'''Doom 64''', released [[Timeline#1997|March 31, 1997]] for the [[Wikipedia:Nintendo 64|Nintendo 64]], is a sequel to [[Doom II]]. The game has all new graphics and runs on a modified [[Doom engine]], based on the [[Sony PlayStation]] port. Doom 64 was released by [[Midway Games|Midway]], in cooperation with [[id Software]].
+
'''Doom 64''', released [[Timeline#1997|April 4, 1997]] for the [[Wikipedia:Nintendo 64|Nintendo 64]], is a sequel to [[Doom II]]. The game has all new graphics and runs on a modified [[Doom engine]], based on the [[Sony PlayStation]] port. Doom 64 was released by [[Midway Games|Midway]], in cooperation with [[id Software]]. [[GT Interactive Software]] distributed the European PAL version of the game, which was released on December 2, 1997.
  
 
The plot focuses on events following the original games in the series. An evil entity known as the [[Mother Demon]] has survived and brought back the decaying dead creatures [[Doom's protagonist#Doom 64|the player]] once killed. It is up to him, the lone space marine, to stop the legions once again.
 
The plot focuses on events following the original games in the series. An evil entity known as the [[Mother Demon]] has survived and brought back the decaying dead creatures [[Doom's protagonist#Doom 64|the player]] once killed. It is up to him, the lone space marine, to stop the legions once again.
  
The game has not officially been ported to modern platforms, although a faithful fan-made engine recreation exists in the form of [[Doom64 EX]].
+
A [[Nintendo Switch]] port (originally intended to ship alongside [[Doom Eternal]] on {{timeline|2019|November 22, 2019}}) was announced on September 4, 2019.<ref name="pcgamer">{{cite web text|author=Chalk, Andy|title=Doom 64 is coming to the Switch, Bethesda hints at other versions coming|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/doom-64-is-coming-to-the-switch-bethesda-hints-at-other-versions-coming/|publication=PC Gamer|publishdate=4 September 2019|accessdate=5 September 2019}}</ref> This was later announced on October 8 as having been delayed until {{timeline|2020|March 20, 2020}}, along with Doom Eternal, and was added to that game's pre-order bonuses.<ref name="etdelay">{{cite web text|author=id Software|title=DOOM Eternal Delayed|url=https://www.bluesnews.com/s/204474/doom-eternal-delayed|publication=Blue's News|publishdate=8 October 2019|accessdate=8 October 2019}}</ref> In addition, it was announced that the port would be released for PC, [[Microsoft]] [[Xbox One]], and [[Sony]] [[PlayStation 4]] at that time. [[Google]] announced on March 20, 2020 that Doom 64 would launch on the {{wp|Google Stadia|Stadia}} game streaming platform at a later Spring date. The Stadia release occurred on May 12.{{cite web|author=Bradshaw, Kyle|title=Doom 64 coming to Google Stadia, free to buyers of Doom Eternal|url=https://9to5google.com/2020/03/20/doom-64-google-stadia-free/|publication=9TO5Google|publishdate=20 March 2020|accessdate=12 May 2020}} The game was added to the Microsoft Store for PC and to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service on March 12, 2021.{{cite web|author=Cooper, Dalton|title=20 Bethesda Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass Tomorrow|url=https://gamerant.com/xbox-game-pass-bethesda-games/|publication=GameRant|publishdate=11 March 2021|accessdate=31 July 2021}}
 +
 
 +
Additionally, a faithful fan-made engine port exists in the form of [[Doom64 EX]].
  
 
==Story==
 
==Story==
Line 29: Line 31:
  
 
Key differences from the computer games in the series include:
 
Key differences from the computer games in the series include:
* 32 exclusive new levels.
+
* 32 exclusive new levels. Later 7 more are added in the 2020 re-released ports of the game.
 
* New, larger [[sprite|sprites]] for all enemies, items, weapons and projectiles, created from high-poly rendered models.
 
* New, larger [[sprite|sprites]] for all enemies, items, weapons and projectiles, created from high-poly rendered models.
 
* Three-sample {{wp|bilinear filtering}} applied to textures and sprites courtesy of the Nintendo 64's hardware.
 
* Three-sample {{wp|bilinear filtering}} applied to textures and sprites courtesy of the Nintendo 64's hardware.
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* High-quality sound effects (the same as used in the PlayStation version).
 
* High-quality sound effects (the same as used in the PlayStation version).
 
* No [[status bar]]. Instead, only the numbers for health, armor and ammo are shown on the [[HUD]], and even these can be turned off.
 
* No [[status bar]]. Instead, only the numbers for health, armor and ammo are shown on the [[HUD]], and even these can be turned off.
* Scripted events through [[macro]]s, similar to [[Hexen]]'s [[ACS]]. Uses include sequences which dramatically transform areas, tripwire booby traps such as darts and homing fireball launchers, and enemies that appear out of thin air.
+
* Scripted events through [[macro]]s, similar to [[Hexen]]'s [[ACS]]. Uses include sequences which dramatically transform areas, tripwire booby traps such as darts and homing fireball launchers, enemies that appear out of thin air, and (to some extent) disappearing enemy corpses.
 
* [[Camera]] effects.
 
* [[Camera]] effects.
* More dramatic usage of Satanic imagery ({{wp|pentagram}}s, inverted {{wp|Christian cross|crosses}}, and gory depictions of human sacrifice), with an atmosphere intended to invoke a sense of horror.
+
* Dramatic usage of dark light levels, ambient music, and Satanic imagery ({{wp|pentagram}}s, inverted {{wp|Christian cross|crosses}}, and gory depictions of human sacrifice) to create an atmosphere which invokes a sense of horror.
* No [[commando]]s, [[arch-vile]]s, [[spiderdemon]]s or [[revenant]]s (cut due to the limited storage capacity of Nintendo 64 cartridges).
+
* No [[commando]]s, [[arch-vile]]s, [[spiderdemon]]s or [[revenant]]s (cut due to the limited storage capacity of Nintendo 64 cartridges). Leftover sounds from the revenant remain in the game files.
* A new demon-made weapon called the [[Unmaker]], which can increase in power throughout the game.
+
* A new demonic laser weapon, called by fans "the [[Unmaker]]", which can increase in power throughout the game by collecting all three Demon Keys.
 
* The [[nightmare imp]] and [[Mother Demon]] are introduced as new monsters.
 
* The [[nightmare imp]] and [[Mother Demon]] are introduced as new monsters.
* The [[super shotgun]] reloads much faster, with nearly the same reload time as the regular shotgun. This makes it one of the most essential weapons in the game.
+
* The [[super shotgun]] reloads much faster, with nearly the same speed as the regular shotgun. This makes it one of the most essential weapons in the game.
 
* Like the Playstation and Saturn ports, the [[Hell knight]] and [[baron of Hell]] can hurt each other with their projectiles, and [[infight]] as a result, unlike the PC version where there is a hard-coded exception for them.
 
* Like the Playstation and Saturn ports, the [[Hell knight]] and [[baron of Hell]] can hurt each other with their projectiles, and [[infight]] as a result, unlike the PC version where there is a hard-coded exception for them.
* Certain monsters are rebalanced with new behaviors or attack properties. For example, [[arachnotron]]s have a weaker twin [[plasma gun]] instead of a stronger single-barrel one; [[lost soul]]s are weaker with less health, but attack viciously, making them one of the most dangerous enemies; [[pain elemental]]s spawn two souls at a time when attacking, and the souls will cause massive splash damage to anything in the vicinity if they are blocked from spawning.
+
* Certain monsters are re-balanced with new behaviors or attack properties. For example, [[imp]]s (and consequently nightmare imps) now have their fireball and clawing attacks separated, [[arachnotron]]s have a weaker twin [[plasma gun]] instead of a stronger single-barrel one; [[lost soul]]s are weaker with less health, but attack viciously, making them one of the most dangerous enemies; [[pain elemental]]s spawn two souls at a time when attacking, and the souls will cause massive splash damage to anything in the vicinity if they are blocked from spawning.
*Some monster corpses disappear shortly after being killed.
+
* Recoil effects when firing stronger weapons, such as being knocked back a few inches from firing a rocket launcher or a super shotgun.
* Recoil effects when firing the weapons, e.g., being knocked back a few inches from firing a rocket.
+
* When the player dies, a randomized number of messages will appear a few seconds later. These messages are as follows:
 +
** "Hahahaha!"
 +
** "You shouldn't have done that."
 +
** "Try an easier level..."
 +
** "Wow! Look at those demon feet."
 +
** "I play Doom and I can't get up."
 +
** "Ouch! That had to hurt."
 +
** "Look at me! I'm flat!"
 +
** "Thanks for playing!"
 +
** "You lazy @&$#!"
 +
** "Have you had enough?"
 +
** "The demons gave you the boot!"
 +
** "The lead demon vanquished you!"
  
 
== Weapons ==
 
== Weapons ==
All weapons from Doom II are present (albeit redrawn), along with a new weapon known as the [[Unmaker]] or the ''LaserGun'' (referenced in-game as "What the !@#%* is this!"). It was first mentioned in the [[Doom Bible]] and was planned to be featured in the computer Doom games but never appeared. Its appearance in ''Doom 64'' is its only official appearance, and with the power of three ancient artifacts (known as "[[Demon Key]]s") found in the game, it becomes more powerful by additional beams with each key found.
+
All weapons from Doom II are present (albeit redrawn), along with a new weapon known as the [[Unmaker]] or the ''LaserGun'' (referenced in-game as "What the !@#%* is this!"). It was first mentioned in the [[Doom Bible]] and was planned to be featured in the computer Doom games but never appeared. Its appearance in ''Doom 64'' is its only official appearance (although a similar weapon in name and usage, the [[Unmaykr]], appears in [[Doom Eternal]]), and with the power of three ancient artifacts (known as "[[Demon Key]]s") found in the game, it becomes more powerful by additional beams with each key found.
  
 
{{spoiler}}
 
{{spoiler}}
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== Levels ==
 
== Levels ==
Doom 64 featured 32 original levels:
+
Doom 64 initially featured 32 original levels:
{|
+
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
|
+
{{col-break|width=50%}}
<div style="background-color: CCFF00">
 
 
*[[MAP01: Staging Area (Doom 64)|MAP01: Staging Area]]
 
*[[MAP01: Staging Area (Doom 64)|MAP01: Staging Area]]
 
**[[MAP32: Hectic (Doom 64)|MAP32: Hectic]] <small>(secret level)</small>
 
**[[MAP32: Hectic (Doom 64)|MAP32: Hectic]] <small>(secret level)</small>
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**[[MAP30: The Lair (Doom 64)|MAP30: The Lair]] <small>(secret level)</small>
 
**[[MAP30: The Lair (Doom 64)|MAP30: The Lair]] <small>(secret level)</small>
 
*[[MAP13: Dark Citadel (Doom 64)|MAP13: Dark Citadel]]
 
*[[MAP13: Dark Citadel (Doom 64)|MAP13: Dark Citadel]]
</div>
 
||
 
<div style="background-color: CCFF00">
 
 
*[[MAP14: Eye Of The Storm (Doom 64)|MAP14: Eye Of The Storm]]
 
*[[MAP14: Eye Of The Storm (Doom 64)|MAP14: Eye Of The Storm]]
 +
{{col-break|gap=5em}}
 
*[[MAP15: Dark Entries (Doom 64)|MAP15: Dark Entries]]
 
*[[MAP15: Dark Entries (Doom 64)|MAP15: Dark Entries]]
 
*[[MAP16: Blood Keep (Doom 64)|MAP16: Blood Keep]]
 
*[[MAP16: Blood Keep (Doom 64)|MAP16: Blood Keep]]
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*[[MAP24: No Escape (Doom 64)|MAP24: No Escape]]
 
*[[MAP24: No Escape (Doom 64)|MAP24: No Escape]]
 
*[[MAP28: The Absolution (Doom 64)|MAP28: The Absolution]]
 
*[[MAP28: The Absolution (Doom 64)|MAP28: The Absolution]]
 
+
Fun levels:
Features
 
 
*[[MAP25: Cat And Mouse (Doom 64)|MAP25: Cat And Mouse]]
 
*[[MAP25: Cat And Mouse (Doom 64)|MAP25: Cat And Mouse]]
 
*[[MAP26: Hardcore (Doom 64)|MAP26: Hardcore]]
 
*[[MAP26: Hardcore (Doom 64)|MAP26: Hardcore]]
 
*[[MAP27: Playground (Doom 64)|MAP27: Playground]]
 
*[[MAP27: Playground (Doom 64)|MAP27: Playground]]
</div>
+
{{col-end}}
 +
One additional special map, [[MAP33: Title (Doom 64)|MAP33: Title]], is used in the introductory cinematic and is not accessible for normal play.
 +
 
 +
===The Lost Levels===
 +
{{Main|The Lost Levels}}
 +
The 2020 re-release adds a new episode, [[The Lost Levels]], adding six more levels which tell a part of the backstory of the [[Doom's protagonist|Doom marine]] between this game and the [[Timeline|2016]] [[Doom (2016)|Doom]], plus one additional new "Fun" level disconnected from the campaign:
 +
*[[MAP34: Plant Ops (Doom 64)|MAP34: Plant Ops]]
 +
*[[MAP35: Evil Sacrifice (Doom 64)|MAP35: Evil Sacrifice]]
 +
*[[MAP36: Cold Grounds (Doom 64)|MAP36: Cold Grounds]]
 +
*[[MAP37: Wretched Vats (Doom 64)|MAP37: Wretched Vats]]
 +
*[[MAP38: Thy Glory (Doom 64)|MAP38: Thy Glory]]
 +
*[[MAP39: Final Judgement (Doom 64)|MAP39: Final Judgement]]
 +
Fun level:
 +
*[[MAP40: Panic (Doom 64)|MAP40: Panic]]
 +
 
 +
===Built-in demos===
 +
The game features three [[Demo#Built-in demos|built-in demos]], and a secret fourth demo that can be unlocked via a [[List of Doom 64 passwords#Special password|special password]]. The demo levels are:
 +
 
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
! Demo
 +
! Level
 +
! [[Skill level#Doom 64 skill levels|Skill]]
 +
! [[Tic#Doom 64|Tics]]
 +
! Length
 +
|-
 +
| DEMO1LMP
 +
| {{maplinkgen|MAP03|Main Engineering|Doom 64}}
 +
| 3
 +
| 2005
 +
| 1:06.83
 +
|-
 +
| DEMO2LMP
 +
| {{maplinkgen|MAP09|Even Simpler|Doom 64}}
 +
| 3
 +
| 1266
 +
| 0:42.20
 +
|-
 +
| DEMO3LMP
 +
| {{maplinkgen|MAP17|Watch Your Step|Doom 64}}
 +
| 3
 +
| 2090
 +
| 1:09.67
 +
|-
 +
| DEMO4LMP
 +
| {{maplinkgen|MAP32|Hectic|Doom 64}}
 +
| 3
 +
| 3155
 +
| 1:45.17
 
|}
 
|}
One additional special map, [[MAP33: Title (Doom 64)|MAP33: Title]], is used in the introductory cinematic and is not accessible for normal play.
 
  
 
==Enemies==
 
==Enemies==
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{{Main|Doom 64 monsters}}
 
{{Main|Doom 64 monsters}}
 
Doom 64 includes the following monsters from [[Doom]] and [[Doom II]]:
 
Doom 64 includes the following monsters from [[Doom]] and [[Doom II]]:
*[[Arachnotron]]
+
* [[Arachnotron]]
*[[Baron of hell]]
+
* [[Baron of Hell]]
*[[Cacodemon]]
+
* [[Cacodemon]]
*[[Cyberdemon]]
+
* [[Cyberdemon]]
*[[Demon]]
+
* [[Demon]]
*[[Hell knight]]
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* [[Hell knight]]
*[[Imp]]
+
* [[Imp]]
*[[Lost soul]]
+
* [[Lost soul]]
*[[Mancubus]]
+
* [[Mancubus]]
*[[Pain elemental]]
+
* [[Pain elemental]]
*[[Shotgun guy]]
+
* [[Shotgun guy]]
*[[Spectre]]
+
* [[Spectre]]
*[[Zombieman]]
+
* [[Zombieman]]
 
Doom 64 also has new monsters, which are:
 
Doom 64 also has new monsters, which are:
*[[Mother Demon]]
+
* [[Mother Demon]]
*[[Nightmare Imp]]
+
* [[Nightmare imp]]
*[[Marine (Doom 64)|Marine bots]], which only appear in the title map.
+
* [[Marine (Doom 64)|Marine bots]], which only appear in the [[MAP33: Title (Doom 64)|title map]].
 +
 
 +
==Development==
 +
Doom 64 was developed with close cooperation between Midway Games and id Software, with the latter studio providing some creative oversight and technical assistance. Programmer [[Aaron Seeler]] in particular worked closely with [[John Carmack]] on the game's 3D rendering engine.
 +
 
 +
Due to the heavy changes made to the map format in order to support colored lighting and macro scripting, Seeler created an entirely new editor program for the project called [[DEX]].
 +
 
 +
[[Gregor Punchatz]] was brought back in from his work on Doom and Doom II in order to create physical reference [[models]] for the game's [[sprite]]s, which were then used by Midway's team to create three-dimensional computer models. These computer models were then rendered in the eight rotations for each of their poses as with the other games' sprites, then down-sampled and manually cleaned up. Punchatz-created models are known to exist for the [[cyberdemon]] (though for an earlier version which went unused), [[demon]], the [[player]], and the [[zombieman]] and [[sergeant]]. Several models went unused, including one for a hellhound enemy and another that resembles a female figure (sometimes thought to be an [[arch-vile]] concept).
  
 
== Other versions ==
 
== Other versions ==
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Doom 64 was released in Europe for {{wp|PAL}} consoles and in [[Doom in Japan|Japan]]. Both of the localized versions alter the default brightness setting of the game to the middle of its range rather than the North American release's default, which was the lowest setting. This was likely due to recognition that the game's lighting was too dark out of the box on most television sets (this continues to pose a problem for streaming events such as {{wp|Games Done Quick}}, where even the brightest available setting still requires significant gamma correction).
 
Doom 64 was released in Europe for {{wp|PAL}} consoles and in [[Doom in Japan|Japan]]. Both of the localized versions alter the default brightness setting of the game to the middle of its range rather than the North American release's default, which was the lowest setting. This was likely due to recognition that the game's lighting was too dark out of the box on most television sets (this continues to pose a problem for streaming events such as {{wp|Games Done Quick}}, where even the brightest available setting still requires significant gamma correction).
  
The Japanese version is additionally censored, with blood splatter having been made green, as was the case with many [[Nintendo 64]] titles such as ''{{wp|Turok: Dinosaur Hunter}}''. Unlike the [[Game Boy Advance]] ports, however, blood remains red on monster death sprites and gib objects.<ref>[[tcrf:Doom 64|Doom 64]] at [[tcrf:The Cutting Room Floor|The Cutting Room Floor]]</ref>
+
The Japanese version is additionally censored, with blood splatter having been made green, as was the case with many [[Nintendo 64]] titles such as the [[Hexen (Nintendo 64)|Hexen port]] and ''{{wp|Turok: Dinosaur Hunter}}''. Unlike the [[Game Boy Advance]] ports, however, blood remains red on monster death sprites and gib objects.<ref>[[tcrf:Doom 64|Doom 64]] at [[tcrf:The Cutting Room Floor|The Cutting Room Floor]]</ref> This is most likely due to concerns regarding violence in media such as video games following the {{wp|Kobe child murders}}.
  
===Ports===
+
===2020 re-release===
There has never been an official port of Doom 64 to any other platform, and the likelihood of this ever occurring is poor due to the bankruptcy of {{wp|Midway Games}} as of February 2009.
+
{{Main|Doom 64 (2020 version)}}
 +
After remaining exclusive to the Nintendo 64 for 22 years, Doom 64 was officially re-released on PC, Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4, and [[Nintendo Switch]] on March 20, 2020, coinciding with the release of [[Doom Eternal]].<ref name="etdelay"/> The game was developed in cooperation with [[Nightdive Studios]], and uses a new version of the [[Doom64 EX]] codebase, re-developed using the studio's [[KEX 3]] engine.{{cite web|author=[[Stephen Kick|Kick, Stephen]]|title=The KEX Engine has gone to Hell 🤘|url=https://twitter.com/pripyatbeast/status/1186671452017197057|publication=Twitter|publishdate=22 October 2019|accessdate=22 October 2019}}
  
Several fans of Doom 64 decided to work to convert the game's exclusive content to the computer using the [[Doomsday]] engine. This stand-alone mod, built on the 1.7.14 release of Doomsday, titled [[Doom 64: Absolution]], was released in 2003. It included faithful albeit limited recreations of the original Doom 64 levels and monsters along with several unique new maps. It appealed to many fans as a way to play through the game on a computer without using [[Wikipedia:Emulation|emulation]].
+
===Unofficial ports===
 +
[[Samuel "Kaiser" Villarreal]], the lead developer of the [[Doom 64: Absolution|Absolution]] [[total conversion]], created [[Doom64 EX]], an actual [[source port]] for the original game data as extracted from the ROM, based on reverse engineering of the program's code. It aims to be a 100% accurate recreation, while offering extensions such as [[widescreen]] high-resolution graphics, gamma correction, [[mouse look]], and other more minor improvements. This effort has continued with the [[Doom64EX-Plus]] fork, which supports the [[DOOM64.WAD]] from the 2020 re-release.
  
[[Samuel "Kaiser" Villarreal]], the lead developer of the Absolution [[total conversion]], would later create [[Doom64 EX]], an actual [[source port]] for the original game data as extracted from the ROM, based on reverse engineering of the program's code. It aims to be a 100% accurate recreation, while offering extensions such as widescreen high-resolution graphics, gamma correction, [[mouse look]], and other more minor improvements.
+
===Mods===
 +
* A group of Doom 64 fans led by Samuel Villarreal decided to work to convert the game's exclusive content to the computer using the [[Doomsday]] engine. This stand-alone mod, built on the 1.7.14 release of Doomsday, titled [[Doom 64: Absolution]], was released in 2003. It includes faithful albeit limited recreations of the original Doom 64 levels and monsters along with several unique new maps. It appealed to many fans as a way to play through the game on a computer without using [[Wikipedia:Emulation|emulation]].
 +
* [http://www.moddb.com/mods/doom-64-retribution/ Doom 64: Retribution] recreates Doom 64 as mod for [[GZDoom]]. It is not intended to be a 100% faithful re-implementation. It works within the confines of the GZDoom engine and updates several graphics. In addition to the original levels it contains new episodes made up of levels from Doom 64 Absolution.
 +
* [https://www.moddb.com/mods/doom-ce Doom CE] builds upon Retribution and adds gradient lighting and additional maps to it, as well as further enhancements such as AI upscaled graphics and PBR textures.
 +
* [[Brutal Doom 64]] is similar to ''Retribution'' but diverges even more from the original. It features updates to the maps themselves, added graphical effects, more aggressive enemy behaviour, and additional weapons and monsters.
 +
* [[Doom 64 for Doom II]] is a vanilla-compatible recreation using mainly vanilla Doom II assets. Unlike the original game, the "fun levels" have been integrated into the game's progression.
  
 
==Physical media==
 
==Physical media==
 
The Doom 64 {{wp|ROM cartridge}} for {{wp|NTSC}} and {{wp|PAL}} regions consists of a standard gray Nintendo 64 cartridge with a black label emblazoned with the game's logo at the top. The NTSC and PAL carts differ in the logos and ratings included below. The Japanese version has a gray stone texture and a much larger logo, with the text "ドゥーム 64" beneath. Distributor GameBank's logo is at the bottom in a black bar.
 
The Doom 64 {{wp|ROM cartridge}} for {{wp|NTSC}} and {{wp|PAL}} regions consists of a standard gray Nintendo 64 cartridge with a black label emblazoned with the game's logo at the top. The NTSC and PAL carts differ in the logos and ratings included below. The Japanese version has a gray stone texture and a much larger logo, with the text "ドゥーム 64" beneath. Distributor GameBank's logo is at the bottom in a black bar.
  
<gallery>
+
<gallery mode="nolines" widths="250px" heights="170px">
 
D64CartNTSC.jpg|NTSC region cart
 
D64CartNTSC.jpg|NTSC region cart
 
Doom-64-PAL.JPG|PAL region cart
 
Doom-64-PAL.JPG|PAL region cart
 +
Doom_64_Cart_Japanese.jpg|Japanese region cart
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==
[[Image:Doom64BetaPyramid.jpg|thumb|right|A {{wp|Mesoamerican}} step pyramid which is not found in the final game appears in this beta screenshot.]]
+
[[File:Doom64BetaPyramid.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Mesoamerican map|Mesoamerican]] step pyramid which is not found in the final game appears in this beta screenshot.]]
 
* The name of the final level, "''The Absolution''," was originally the working title for the Doom 64 project during its prototype phase. According to programmer [[Aaron Seeler]], the game started out as a much more ambitious project which was meant to deviate significantly from the vanilla Doom formula. The final game inherits many of its texture themes, with hints of Egyptian, Mayan, and Aztec styles, from this early prototype development phase. These were originally intended to represent various Earthly cultures' concepts of [[Hell]], inside which the game would be entirely based.{{cite web|author=FirebrandX|publishdate=29 October 2002|url=http://elbryan42.proboards.com/thread/257|title=I talked to Aaron Seeler!!|publication=Doom Depot/Castlevania Treasury Forums|retrievedate=13 June 2015}}  
 
* The name of the final level, "''The Absolution''," was originally the working title for the Doom 64 project during its prototype phase. According to programmer [[Aaron Seeler]], the game started out as a much more ambitious project which was meant to deviate significantly from the vanilla Doom formula. The final game inherits many of its texture themes, with hints of Egyptian, Mayan, and Aztec styles, from this early prototype development phase. These were originally intended to represent various Earthly cultures' concepts of [[Hell]], inside which the game would be entirely based.{{cite web|author=FirebrandX|publishdate=29 October 2002|url=http://elbryan42.proboards.com/thread/257|title=I talked to Aaron Seeler!!|publication=Doom Depot/Castlevania Treasury Forums|retrievedate=13 June 2015}}  
 
* The title of ''Absolution'' was to again be recycled for the short-lived sequel project, [[Doom Absolution]], which was canceled.
 
* The title of ''Absolution'' was to again be recycled for the short-lived sequel project, [[Doom Absolution]], which was canceled.
 
* Many early magazine review screenshots display a much more conservative use of colored lighting, with the feature being used more often to simply create contrast and shadowing, or to highlight important objects. This is in contrast to the final release, which applies some type of palette, even if subtle, to virtually every surface and space in the game.
 
* Many early magazine review screenshots display a much more conservative use of colored lighting, with the feature being used more often to simply create contrast and shadowing, or to highlight important objects. This is in contrast to the final release, which applies some type of palette, even if subtle, to virtually every surface and space in the game.
 +
* Most likely due to the technical limitations that came with the advancement of subsequent Doom titles (so far including [[Doom 3]], [[Doom (2016)]], and [[Doom Eternal]]; not including any spinoffs or ports), Doom 64 is the last mainline Doom game to have demons leave behind lasting corpses after being killed, with the exception of scripted events in certain levels.
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
 
* [[Doom 64 music]]
 
* [[Doom 64 music]]
 +
* [[DOOM64.WAD]]
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
*[http://www.mobygames.com/game/doom-64 Doom 64 at MobyGames]
+
* [https://www.mobygames.com/game/5195/doom-64/ Doom 64] at {{wp|MobyGames}}
*[http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/n64/doom64/ Doom 64 Recon Guide]
+
* {{archived link|https://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/n64/doom64/|Doom 64 Recon Guide|https://web.archive.org/web/20111103050828/https://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/n64/doom64/|archive.org}}
*[http://www.classicdoom.com/ Doom 64 gameplay resources and information at ClassicDOOM.com]
+
* [http://www.classicdoom.com/ Doom 64 gameplay resources and information at ClassicDOOM.com]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20100320212246/http://doomdepot.doom2.net/abs-d64interview.html Interview with the Doom 64 level designers (archived)]
+
* {{archived link|http://doomdepot.doom2.net/abs-d64interview.html|Interview with the Doom 64 level designers|http://web.archive.org/web/20100320212246/http://doomdepot.doom2.net/abs-d64interview.html|archive.org}}
*[http://www.gamescares.com/main/index.php?Itemid=29&catid=23:interviews&id=445:aubrey-hodges-interview&option=com_content&view=article Aubrey Hodges interview]
+
* {{archived link|http://www.gamescares.com/main/index.php?option{{=}}com_content&view{{=}}article&id{{=}}445:aubrey-hodges-interview&catid{{=}}23:interviews&Itemid{{=}}29|Aubrey Hodges interview|https://web.archive.org/web/20140223000702/http://www.gamescares.com/main/index.php?option{{=}}com_content&view{{=}}article&id{{=}}445:aubrey-hodges-interview&catid{{=}}23:interviews&Itemid{{=}}29|archive.org}}
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20110722092859/http://www.doom2.net/~doomdepot/abs-download.html The official website of "Doom 64: Absolution" PC download (archived)]
+
* {{archived link|http://www.doom2.net/~doomdepot/abs-download.html|The official website of "Doom 64: Absolution" PC download|https://web.archive.org/web/20140227114232/http://www.doom2.net/~doomdepot/abs-download.html|archive.org}}
*[https://doomworld.com/pageofdoom/doom64.html The Page of Doom: Doom 64]
+
* [https://doomworld.com/pageofdoom/doom64.html The Page of Doom: Doom 64]
*[https://www.gamefaqs.com/console/n64/game/197141.html Doom 64 - FAQs & Guides]
+
* [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/n64/197141-doom-64/faqs Doom 64 - FAQs & Guides]
  
 
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Latest revision as of 14:39, 8 November 2023

Doom 64 box cover.

Doom 64, released April 4, 1997 for the Nintendo 64, is a sequel to Doom II. The game has all new graphics and runs on a modified Doom engine, based on the Sony PlayStation port. Doom 64 was released by Midway, in cooperation with id Software. GT Interactive Software distributed the European PAL version of the game, which was released on December 2, 1997.

The plot focuses on events following the original games in the series. An evil entity known as the Mother Demon has survived and brought back the decaying dead creatures the player once killed. It is up to him, the lone space marine, to stop the legions once again.

A Nintendo Switch port (originally intended to ship alongside Doom Eternal on November 22, 2019) was announced on September 4, 2019.[1] This was later announced on October 8 as having been delayed until March 20, 2020, along with Doom Eternal, and was added to that game's pre-order bonuses.[2] In addition, it was announced that the port would be released for PC, Microsoft Xbox One, and Sony PlayStation 4 at that time. Google announced on March 20, 2020 that Doom 64 would launch on the Stadia game streaming platform at a later Spring date. The Stadia release occurred on May 12.[3] The game was added to the Microsoft Store for PC and to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service on March 12, 2021.[4]

Additionally, a faithful fan-made engine port exists in the form of Doom64 EX.

Story[edit]

Start Point of MAP01: Staging Area.

Quoted from the Doom 64 manual:

Your fatigue was enormous, the price for encountering pure evil. Hell was a place no mortal was meant to experience. Stupid military doctors: their tests and treatments, were of little help. In the end, what did it matter - it was all classified and sealed. The nightmares continued. Demons, so many Demons; relentless, pouring through.

Far Away...

The planetary policy was clear. An absolute quarantine was guaranteed by apocalyptic levels of radiation. The empty dark corridors stand motionless, abandoned. The installations sealed.

The Present...

A long forgotten relay satellite barely executing, decayed by years of bombarding neutrons, activates and sends its final message to Earth. The satellites message was horrific, from the planetary void there came energy signatures unlike anything sampled before.

The classified archives are opened. The military episodes code named "DOOM" were not actually completed. A single entity with vast rejuvenation powers, masked by the extreme radiation levels, escaped detection. In its crippled state, it systematically altered decaying dead carnage back into corrupted living tissue.

The mutations are devastating. The Demons have returned even stronger and more vicious than before. As the only experienced survivor of the DOOM episode, your commission is re-activated. Your assignment is clear: MERCILESS EXTERMINATION.

Gameplay developments[edit]

Changes were carried across from the Atari Jaguar and PlayStation ports of the Doom engine, along with additional tweaks made specifically for Doom 64, and many gameplay elements were altered. Doom's core gameplay, however remained the same: the exploration of demon-infested corridors, looking for key cards, switches and ultimately the map's exit while surviving deadly traps and ambushes.

Key differences from the computer games in the series include:

  • 32 exclusive new levels. Later 7 more are added in the 2020 re-released ports of the game.
  • New, larger sprites for all enemies, items, weapons and projectiles, created from high-poly rendered models.
  • Three-sample bilinear filtering applied to textures and sprites courtesy of the Nintendo 64's hardware.
  • All-new textures, scrolling skies, limited room-over-room architecture, and more advanced line triggers.
  • More advanced atmospheric colored lighting and effects, such as parallaxing skies, fog and lightning.
  • A new dark ambient soundtrack composed by Aubrey Hodges.
  • High-quality sound effects (the same as used in the PlayStation version).
  • No status bar. Instead, only the numbers for health, armor and ammo are shown on the HUD, and even these can be turned off.
  • Scripted events through macros, similar to Hexen's ACS. Uses include sequences which dramatically transform areas, tripwire booby traps such as darts and homing fireball launchers, enemies that appear out of thin air, and (to some extent) disappearing enemy corpses.
  • Camera effects.
  • Dramatic usage of dark light levels, ambient music, and Satanic imagery (pentagrams, inverted crosses, and gory depictions of human sacrifice) to create an atmosphere which invokes a sense of horror.
  • No commandos, arch-viles, spiderdemons or revenants (cut due to the limited storage capacity of Nintendo 64 cartridges). Leftover sounds from the revenant remain in the game files.
  • A new demonic laser weapon, called by fans "the Unmaker", which can increase in power throughout the game by collecting all three Demon Keys.
  • The nightmare imp and Mother Demon are introduced as new monsters.
  • The super shotgun reloads much faster, with nearly the same speed as the regular shotgun. This makes it one of the most essential weapons in the game.
  • Like the Playstation and Saturn ports, the Hell knight and baron of Hell can hurt each other with their projectiles, and infight as a result, unlike the PC version where there is a hard-coded exception for them.
  • Certain monsters are re-balanced with new behaviors or attack properties. For example, imps (and consequently nightmare imps) now have their fireball and clawing attacks separated, arachnotrons have a weaker twin plasma gun instead of a stronger single-barrel one; lost souls are weaker with less health, but attack viciously, making them one of the most dangerous enemies; pain elementals spawn two souls at a time when attacking, and the souls will cause massive splash damage to anything in the vicinity if they are blocked from spawning.
  • Recoil effects when firing stronger weapons, such as being knocked back a few inches from firing a rocket launcher or a super shotgun.
  • When the player dies, a randomized number of messages will appear a few seconds later. These messages are as follows:
    • "Hahahaha!"
    • "You shouldn't have done that."
    • "Try an easier level..."
    • "Wow! Look at those demon feet."
    • "I play Doom and I can't get up."
    • "Ouch! That had to hurt."
    • "Look at me! I'm flat!"
    • "Thanks for playing!"
    • "You lazy @&$#!"
    • "Have you had enough?"
    • "The demons gave you the boot!"
    • "The lead demon vanquished you!"

Weapons[edit]

All weapons from Doom II are present (albeit redrawn), along with a new weapon known as the Unmaker or the LaserGun (referenced in-game as "What the !@#%* is this!"). It was first mentioned in the Doom Bible and was planned to be featured in the computer Doom games but never appeared. Its appearance in Doom 64 is its only official appearance (although a similar weapon in name and usage, the Unmaykr, appears in Doom Eternal), and with the power of three ancient artifacts (known as "Demon Keys") found in the game, it becomes more powerful by additional beams with each key found.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details follow.

The Demon Keys are also a means to clear MAP28: The Absolution quicker: Each teleporter in the map has a symbol representing each key behind them and if the player has the right key, the corresponding teleporter is disabled.

Spoilers end here.

Levels[edit]

Doom 64 initially featured 32 original levels:

One additional special map, MAP33: Title, is used in the introductory cinematic and is not accessible for normal play.

The Lost Levels[edit]

Main article: The Lost Levels

The 2020 re-release adds a new episode, The Lost Levels, adding six more levels which tell a part of the backstory of the Doom marine between this game and the 2016 Doom, plus one additional new "Fun" level disconnected from the campaign:

Fun level:

Built-in demos[edit]

The game features three built-in demos, and a secret fourth demo that can be unlocked via a special password. The demo levels are:

Demo Level Skill Tics Length
DEMO1LMP MAP03: Main Engineering 3 2005 1:06.83
DEMO2LMP MAP09: Even Simpler 3 1266 0:42.20
DEMO3LMP MAP17: Watch Your Step 3 2090 1:09.67
DEMO4LMP MAP32: Hectic 3 3155 1:45.17

Enemies[edit]

Promotional poster from Nintendo Power showing the new 3D monster models.
Main article: Doom 64 monsters

Doom 64 includes the following monsters from Doom and Doom II:

Doom 64 also has new monsters, which are:

Development[edit]

Doom 64 was developed with close cooperation between Midway Games and id Software, with the latter studio providing some creative oversight and technical assistance. Programmer Aaron Seeler in particular worked closely with John Carmack on the game's 3D rendering engine.

Due to the heavy changes made to the map format in order to support colored lighting and macro scripting, Seeler created an entirely new editor program for the project called DEX.

Gregor Punchatz was brought back in from his work on Doom and Doom II in order to create physical reference models for the game's sprites, which were then used by Midway's team to create three-dimensional computer models. These computer models were then rendered in the eight rotations for each of their poses as with the other games' sprites, then down-sampled and manually cleaned up. Punchatz-created models are known to exist for the cyberdemon (though for an earlier version which went unused), demon, the player, and the zombieman and sergeant. Several models went unused, including one for a hellhound enemy and another that resembles a female figure (sometimes thought to be an arch-vile concept).

Other versions[edit]

Regional variants[edit]

Green blood in the Japanese version is the most significant change to localized versions.

Doom 64 was released in Europe for PAL consoles and in Japan. Both of the localized versions alter the default brightness setting of the game to the middle of its range rather than the North American release's default, which was the lowest setting. This was likely due to recognition that the game's lighting was too dark out of the box on most television sets (this continues to pose a problem for streaming events such as Games Done Quick, where even the brightest available setting still requires significant gamma correction).

The Japanese version is additionally censored, with blood splatter having been made green, as was the case with many Nintendo 64 titles such as the Hexen port and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Unlike the Game Boy Advance ports, however, blood remains red on monster death sprites and gib objects.[5] This is most likely due to concerns regarding violence in media such as video games following the Kobe child murders.

2020 re-release[edit]

After remaining exclusive to the Nintendo 64 for 22 years, Doom 64 was officially re-released on PC, Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020, coinciding with the release of Doom Eternal.[2] The game was developed in cooperation with Nightdive Studios, and uses a new version of the Doom64 EX codebase, re-developed using the studio's KEX 3 engine.[6]

Unofficial ports[edit]

Samuel "Kaiser" Villarreal, the lead developer of the Absolution total conversion, created Doom64 EX, an actual source port for the original game data as extracted from the ROM, based on reverse engineering of the program's code. It aims to be a 100% accurate recreation, while offering extensions such as widescreen high-resolution graphics, gamma correction, mouse look, and other more minor improvements. This effort has continued with the Doom64EX-Plus fork, which supports the DOOM64.WAD from the 2020 re-release.

Mods[edit]

  • A group of Doom 64 fans led by Samuel Villarreal decided to work to convert the game's exclusive content to the computer using the Doomsday engine. This stand-alone mod, built on the 1.7.14 release of Doomsday, titled Doom 64: Absolution, was released in 2003. It includes faithful albeit limited recreations of the original Doom 64 levels and monsters along with several unique new maps. It appealed to many fans as a way to play through the game on a computer without using emulation.
  • Doom 64: Retribution recreates Doom 64 as mod for GZDoom. It is not intended to be a 100% faithful re-implementation. It works within the confines of the GZDoom engine and updates several graphics. In addition to the original levels it contains new episodes made up of levels from Doom 64 Absolution.
  • Doom CE builds upon Retribution and adds gradient lighting and additional maps to it, as well as further enhancements such as AI upscaled graphics and PBR textures.
  • Brutal Doom 64 is similar to Retribution but diverges even more from the original. It features updates to the maps themselves, added graphical effects, more aggressive enemy behaviour, and additional weapons and monsters.
  • Doom 64 for Doom II is a vanilla-compatible recreation using mainly vanilla Doom II assets. Unlike the original game, the "fun levels" have been integrated into the game's progression.

Physical media[edit]

The Doom 64 ROM cartridge for NTSC and PAL regions consists of a standard gray Nintendo 64 cartridge with a black label emblazoned with the game's logo at the top. The NTSC and PAL carts differ in the logos and ratings included below. The Japanese version has a gray stone texture and a much larger logo, with the text "ドゥーム 64" beneath. Distributor GameBank's logo is at the bottom in a black bar.

Trivia[edit]

A Mesoamerican step pyramid which is not found in the final game appears in this beta screenshot.
  • The name of the final level, "The Absolution," was originally the working title for the Doom 64 project during its prototype phase. According to programmer Aaron Seeler, the game started out as a much more ambitious project which was meant to deviate significantly from the vanilla Doom formula. The final game inherits many of its texture themes, with hints of Egyptian, Mayan, and Aztec styles, from this early prototype development phase. These were originally intended to represent various Earthly cultures' concepts of Hell, inside which the game would be entirely based.[7]
  • The title of Absolution was to again be recycled for the short-lived sequel project, Doom Absolution, which was canceled.
  • Many early magazine review screenshots display a much more conservative use of colored lighting, with the feature being used more often to simply create contrast and shadowing, or to highlight important objects. This is in contrast to the final release, which applies some type of palette, even if subtle, to virtually every surface and space in the game.
  • Most likely due to the technical limitations that came with the advancement of subsequent Doom titles (so far including Doom 3, Doom (2016), and Doom Eternal; not including any spinoffs or ports), Doom 64 is the last mainline Doom game to have demons leave behind lasting corpses after being killed, with the exception of scripted events in certain levels.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Chalk, Andy (4 September 2019). "Doom 64 is coming to the Switch, Bethesda hints at other versions coming." PC Gamer. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  2. 2.0 2.1 id Software (8 October 2019). "DOOM Eternal Delayed." Blue's News. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  3. Bradshaw, Kyle (20 March 2020). "Doom 64 coming to Google Stadia, free to buyers of Doom Eternal." 9TO5Google. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  4. Cooper, Dalton (11 March 2021). "20 Bethesda Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass Tomorrow." GameRant. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  5. Doom 64 at The Cutting Room Floor
  6. Kick, Stephen (22 October 2019). "The KEX Engine has gone to Hell 🤘." Twitter. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  7. FirebrandX (29 October 2002). "I talked to Aaron Seeler!!" Doom Depot/Castlevania Treasury Forums. Retrieved 13 June 2015.


Games in the Doom series
Classic Doom
Doom 3 Doom 3Doom 3: BFG EditionDoom 3: VR Edition

Expansions: Doom 3: Resurrection of EvilThe Lost Mission

Official ports: Doom 3 (2019 version)

Related: id Tech 4

Doom (2016) Doom (2016)Doom VFRDoom Eternal

Related: Development of Doom (2016)id Tech 6id Tech 7

Mobile games Doom RPGDoom II RPGDoom ResurrectionMighty Doom
Canceled games Doom AbsolutionDoom 4 1.0
Tabletop Doom: The BoardgameDoom: The Board GameAssault on Armaros Station
Related: Commercial gamesExpanded universeList of booksList of commercial compilations
Williams Entertainment • Midway Games
WilliamsLogo.png Midway Games logo.png
Source code genealogy
Based on Name Base for
Doom for Sony PlayStation Doom 64 Doom64 EX
Based on Name Base for
Doom64 EX Doom 64 (2020) None
KEX 3