jdodson1

Joined 01/23/2012

I'm an Engineer and built the video game community Cheerful Ghost and text based mini-MMO Tale of the White Wyvern.

2731 Posts

Doom is one of those games that is historically ported to just about every system you can imagine. Modern gamers joke about the many Skyrim ports but Skyrim has nothing on Doom. I've been on a bit of a Doom binge recently and decided to share this LGR video of Doom running on a very old digital camera from the 90's.


I've been immersing myself in a lot of Doom partly because the world is a pretty dire place with COVID-19 and partly because it's one of the best games ever made. Summer Games Done Quick 2020 just ended and they had a pretty impressive Doom block and speedruns I wanted to share.

Doom 3 by ripchip_ in 1:08:30 - The Doom 3 run by Ripchip is shared above and well worth the hour it takes to watch it. This is a speedrun of the original Doom 3 which is the launch version where you can only have our the flashlight OR a gun and it's a bit more stingy with health and ammo drops. Ripchip tears through the run and even though some view Doom 3 as a poor departure from the Doom franchise I really like it.

DOOM 64 (2020) by ZELLLOOO in 37:37 - This piping fresh Doom 64 remaster by Night Dive Studios came out this year and ZELLLOOO dunks the game in 37 minutes. This is a special run because ZELLLOOO makes Doom 64 look very easy even though what he is doing is quite difficult.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3oBvzHekn0

DOOM 64 (2020) - Lost Levels by ZELLLOOO in 12:12 - Night Dive added a new level pack, the lost levels to their Doom 64 remaster that is incredibly difficult. That said you might not tell watching this run as ZELLLOOO kills it in 12 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0BvICYvZvE

Blood by Psych0sis in 20:21 - Blood is one of those classic shooters I didn't hear much about when it came out yet it has an incredibly large cult following (har, har). Night Dive ALSO remastered this recently and as such there is a new resurgence of attention around it. Blood is a really dark game with an even darker premise and if you're not into gory and twisted stories I don't entirely recommend this run as a few times the games Doom style graphics and premise had me slight unnerved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rcrt1UCbvw


Last year iD Software released new source ports of Doom, Doom 2 and Doom 3 on iOS, Switch, PS4, XBox One and PC on the Bethesda launcher. I wanted to give these ports a try and was able to because I picked up Doom and Doom II on sale during Quakecon 2020. I also decided to focus my time playing the original Doom and to finally complete the first mission Knee Deep in the Dead. I've played a ton of that first mission as it was released for free as Shareware back in 1993 but, for whatever reason, I never actually completed it. I always had enough fun just playing and replaying the first few levels and never had the desire to actually beat it until recently. Knee Deep in the Dead is a great mission and the only level I really had a hard time with was Central Processing. That said, I was able to complete Central Processing giving it about 6 or so attempts and was able to make it to the end to defeat the two Barrons of Hell bosses to wrap it up. Right now i'm making my way through The Shores of Hell and find it to be a really nice difficulty update from Knee Deep in the Dead. I know Doom has been reviewed a lot already but I still find the original level design to be top notch along with the streamlined gameplay on the Switch.

And the gameplay improvements might be the best part of playing Doom on the Switch because compared to playing it on a keyboard in DOS, the Switch controls are a massive improvement. It's fairly easy to switch between weapons as those are mapped to the L and R triggers. Doom feels like it was made to be played on the Switch, which is a testament to how well the game feels along with the high quality of the port itself.

Many of you have played Doom ports on Steam and the like that essentially wrap the game in DOSBox which, frankly, it's a great experience. You can feel the game down res your monitor and the controls and preferences are the best 1993 had to offer. The new Doom remaster ports are not simply wrapped in DOSBox and it really shows as the games feel like they belong on the Switch.

Doom is one of the greatest games every created and deserves a modern port that gives it the attention to detail it deserves. I've included the DF Retro Doom remake update patch review as originally iD Software launched the new Doom ports to some very negative feedback. Since then iD has not only fixed the ports but improved the considerably to be one of, if not the best way to play these classic games.

https://slayersclub.bethesda.net/en/article/6Wmc158EnPeBpNBaOJpF4W/add-ons-quick-saves-60-fps-and-more-doom-and-doom-ii?sf115664653=1


Games Done Quick is an incredible speedrunning charity event that has switched to an online only streaming event due to the complications of COVID-19.

"Summer Games Done Quick 2020 Online will not feature a live event in Minnesota. Instead, we will move the event to online-only, broadcasting the event from our studio with participants performing speedruns from the safety of their homes.

SGDQ2020 Online, benefiting Doctors Without Borders, will maintain our previously announced dates, broadcasting live from August 16-23, 2020 starting at 11:30 AM Eastern on twitch.tv/gamesdonequick.
"

Games Done Quick always had a very strong streaming presence and this year seems to be no different. If you are looking to watch some incredible runs I encourage you to check out the schedule below and also make a donation.

https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule


https://cdn.my.nintendo.com/static/dist/images/pc/about_gold_point/sprite/parts.1d6833c13f99ebbd.png
If you own a Switch chances are you own a few game carts and you might not know that each game cart you purchase can be redeemed for Nintendo Gold Points. Nintendo Gold Points are points you are awarded for games you buy and you get the automatically for digital purchases and need to take another step for physical games. Nintendo hands out more points for digital purchases BUT those game carts are still worth points and if you have enough of them you might earn a new shiny game on sale.

The steps to redeem are pretty simple in that you put in the game you want to redeem and when the game icon comes up hit +(plus) and select My Nintendo Rewards and Earn Points. I had so many unearned points I have about $6.00 in Gold Points which isn't a jackpot amount but should buy something fun on sale. Also those points expire on older games so redeem as soon as you pick up a new game.

https://my.nintendo.com/about_gold_point?lang=en-US
https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22312/~/how-to-earn-my-nintendo-points-for-physical-software


If you logged in to the Bethesda.net game launcher during QuakeCon 2020 you got Quake for free. The version included is quite good and mostly resembles the version that launched in 1996 and as such can't go to resolutions much higher than 800x600. It also doesn't include Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails iconic soundtrack either due to licensing issues with the digital release.

iD Software released the Quake source and as such there are a myriad of source ports that enhance the original release that allow you the ability to select a higher resolution and use mp3 or ogg rips of the original Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. On a side note, the Nine Inch Nails site says they are working on making that release available so, for now, you can only legally obtain it on the original Quake CD ROM. That said, I do have the original CD ROM and ripped the mp3 files and am including a link to a Steam Community post on how you can get music into your version of Quake.

I've tried a few Quake source ports such as Darkplaces and Quakespasm and the one I recommend folks use is Quakespasm. Quakespasm has Windows, Linux and Mac ports and the download link for that is below.

One problem I have with nearly all modern Quake source ports is that they smooth over the beautiful old pixel textures of the original Quake. This gives the game a shinier and more Nintendo 64 looks but takes away the gritty flavor of the original. It feels like smoothing over the pixels in Super Mario Brothers or Zelda and likewise is entirely wrong. If you want to bring Quake back to the gritty pixel textures of the original do the following:

1) Open the id1/config.cfg file
2) Change the gl_texturemode to:

gl_texturemode "GL_NEAREST"

3) Make sure you change r_particles to:

r_particles "2"

The modern source ports also increase the enemy animation framerates and if you want to return to the original animations add these:

r_lerpmove 0
r_lerpmodels 0

Quake is a legendary game and modern source ports can breathe life into it but if you want it to feel like the original I'd make those changes before you start playing.

http://quakespasm.sourceforge.net/download.htm
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=119489135 (Quake Music)


Mario Paint was one of the most unique games on the Super Nintendo and it was sad they didn't include it on the Super Nintendo Classic. I know it may have been difficult to include a mouse with the Classic but selling an add on would have been fun. For many, Mario Paint was one of the first experiences they had with any kind of digital creation software and this Gaming Historian video does a great job of showcasing that and it's important history.

"In the early 90's, Nintendo faced mounting pressure to provide more educational games. Their answer was Mario Paint. Learn the story behind the game and how it changed the lives of 3 creative individuals.

Intro - 00:00
Part 1: Mario Paint - 03:03
Part 2: Mario Artist - 28:20
Part 3: Legacy - 32:32


The QuakeCon 2020 live stream & charity event has begun and if you are a Bethesda, iD and Arkane fan tuning in should be required viewing. One piece of fun news to come out of the keynote was that Doom Eternal is getting some story based DLC called The Ancient Gods: Part One on top of other multiplayer enhancements. Not a lot of details emerged in the keynote about The Ancient Gods DLC itself and it looks like a full reveal trailer will drop later this month.

One thing I wanted to highlight was that each year at QuakeCon Zenimax, Bethesda, iD and Arcane markdown their games and this year is no exception. One particular thing I found fun is much of the classic iD catalog on Switch is marked down such as the original Doom($2.49), Doom 2($2.49), Doom 64($2.49), Doom 3($4.99) are quite cheap. Which is to say I picked up 4 incredible Doom games on Switch for about 13 bucks. Those deals are on a lot of platforms right now, so make sure to check them out.

You can watch the live stream on YouTube and twitch below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9OL_Pdeg8I
https://www.twitch.tv/quakecon

Please check out the charities that you can donate to during QuakeCon below:

https://quakecon.bethesda.net/en/charity-initiatives/


Rage 2 was one of my most anticipated games of 2019 and as such I pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition that April. I always felt the original Rage was a somewhat forgotten shooter that I think is good by falls flat at the end. When the trailers came out hyping Rage 2 I was excited as it looked like the perfect follow up.

When I wrote about Rage 2 back in May of 2019 I noted that Rage 2 was fun and that it took a bit of practice to master each of the abilities to fit my style of play. I also wasn't so focused to sticking to the main story and didn't write about this, but played a few things out of order and got my ass handed to me quite a few times. The BFG saved my bacon early on but wasn't something I ever really used beyond getting out of those "oh shit" moments caused by playing the game out of order. One big event was that I wanted to complete early was the Cult of the Death God mission to get the Settler Pistol and Raine armor. If you do that early on in the game the super mutant boss is INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT and I wasn't quite ready for it but the BFG was.

I'm mentioning my first experience with Rage 2 only to note that Rage 2 is a good game but not an absolutely perfect one and frankly it doesn't really need to be. Rage 2 is a kick ass shooter that focuses on what it does well which is great gameplay and a really hardboiled Mad Max styled plot with a villain so campy he never leaves the tent. Which is to say, Rage 2 is a lot of fun.

I never felt Rage 2 was so compelling that I had to complete it all in a short amount of time which I'll note to the games credit. Games that are fun in bursts and compelling enough to return to a year after you bought it get high marks in my book. I know some gamers are looking for the next fully immersive experience where you lose yourself in a game but I'm not. Is a game fun? Can I pick it up again quickly for 45 minutes? Do I even want to keep playing it? With Rage 2 the answer is hell yes.

I finally completed Rage 2 a couple days ago on a whim. I had completed enough of the main story to have the "last mission" marker unlocked on my HUD. Up until that point I had just been exploring the map and defeating random bandit dens and decided I might as well complete it. In this way Rage 2 and it's open world feel a lot like a Far Cry game. Far Cry is an open world game with a lot of places to explore but each "bandit den" is very similar to the others and you have those interspersed with story locations and you can decide to main-line the story or just hang around doing other stuff if you want. It took me just as long to finally complete Far Cry 3 and I enjoy it just as well as Rage 2.

Since I purchased the Deluxe Version I have some story DLC and i'm not sure when I'll get to playing that. Until then Rage 2 will camp out on my PC until I decide I want to head back to its particular shooter shenanigans. I hope Rage 2 did well enough to justify it becoming a series that will live on for a Rage 3 because I think there is a lot they could bring to the table with MORE player powers and by doing some sort of time fast forward to space.


The Super Nintendo Classic has been hooked up to my TV since it was released in 2017 and I've played so much of it it might be the video game system I've played the most of since I picked it up. One fun part about the Super Nintendo Classic is that a lot of the games are meant for younger audiences and my son is getting older and enjoys watching me play them. He can even play Super Metroid well enough to get by but he won't be breaking any speedrun records anytime soon. Still it's a fun system and may be one of the best consoles made in the last 5 years or so if I was the only one that voted for that sort of thing. One game that I've been playing a handful of minutes per day is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. One cool part about Link to the Past is that each dungeon is relatively short(compared to later Zelda games) meaning that the entire game can be completed in a short amount of time. HowLongToBeat.com says you can complete the main quest in 15 hours and I may have taken longer than that but not by much.

Everything has been said about Link to the Past already but I will say playing it with your kid brings a new level of joy to the experience. He seemed to think I should have been better than I was and dying and coming at bosses again seemed to bother him which added to some of the stress you get while playing a game. "Daddy don't die here, don't get hit, why did you get hit Daddy?"

I've heard rumors that a remake to Link to the Past would be coming and if that happens that would be something i'd be interested in. That said i'm not sure it's strictly needed but that's also what I thought before the Link's Awakening remake came out and I rated that in my top 10 games of the last 10 years.

*FUN NOTE* I embedded a Link to the Past Let' Play above I recorded in 2013 when Lets Plays were rather new. It's one of the most popular videos I've ever made on YouTube clocking in at over 35 thousands plays. Not a lot when you consider the most popular YouTubers around but a fun number considering I don't really make Lets Plays and my Link to the Past chops aren't top notch.