Doom is arguably one of the most revered and influential first-person shooters to ever exist. Making its original debut over twenty-five years ago, Doom is arguably responsible for revolutionizing and streamlining the first-person shooter genre. But while the game has been brought into the modern era, one creator has reimagined the classic game with a new art style.
Of the many game engines that are available for public use, Pico-8 is easily one of the most accessible. This game engine is largely responsible for pixel and bit-mapping-based game creation. Pico-8 was also the game engine that was initially used to develop the hit indie title Celeste. Now the engine has been used to turn the original Doom into a pixelized version of the game.
This version of the game, created by Frederic Souchu and Paranoid Cactus, is hilariously titled Poom. The game can be played right in an Internet browser and it also includes a wide variety of control options like mobile support. In addition, Poom features six original levels with a control layout that nearly mirrors that of the game that it's based on. What's even more impressive is the fact that the developer included a chiptune version of the original Doom soundtrack.
While this version of the game does not include all of the traditional facets typically seen in Doom, such as the inclusion of secret exits like in Doom 64, it still feels very much like a Doom game. The way it controls, the music, the enemy designs, and the overall aesthetic are extremely reminiscent of the original games. It's almost as though this could have been the original version of the game released on a console like the NES.
It's impressive what fans have managed to accomplish in terms of Doom. This series possesses such a loyal and passionate fanbase that has created a number of remarkable work based on the series. One talented user managed to combine Minecraft and Doom into a singular mod and the results were stunning, to say the least.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Doom as a whole. While there was a long period of time where no new games had been produced, the release of DOOM (2016) managed to revitalize the series in ways that no one could have expected. With the release of Doom Eternal earlier this year and subsequent DLC expansions for the game releasing soon, the future definitely looks bright for the series.
Doom Eternal is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One with Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions currently in development.
Source: PCGamer