DOOM 64

DOOM 64 was developed by id Software and released in 1997, originally for the Nintendo 64. The PC version, masterfully remastered by Nightdive Studios, came out in 2020, coinciding with the release of DOOM Eternal. It’s the final iteration of the “Classic DOOMs,” those that came out in the 1990s. I thought DOOM 64 was just a “simple” port of DOOM to the Nintendo 64, in the first place. But this episode offers a completely original campaign, along with a new add-on, “The Lost Levels.” Rest assured, longtime fans, DOOM 64 is a worthy successor to DOOM and DOOM II, so much so that some call it “the real DOOM 3.” The game’s story is pretty minimalist, as always, but just know that it takes place after DOOM and DOOM II. You once again play as the DOOM Guy, still as badass as ever, tasked with wiping out hordes of all kinds of demons in what’s supposed to be an abandoned military base located on one of Jupiter’s moons. Right from the menu, you’re hit with an atmosphere noticeably different from the previous entries. The vibe has become darker, heavier, more oppressive, even downright austere. Hell has lost its flashy colors of yesteryear, giving way to long, dull steel corridors in shades of beige, brown, or grayish tones. You can really feel that Quake left its mark, and no wonder, since it came out just a year earlier. he music is very subdued, sometimes even absent. But from this hell emerge all sorts of industrial sounds, monster growls, children’s moans, and other sounds that are hard to describe… The gameplay stays true to the grand and glorious tradition of DOOM. Our good old DOOM Guy shoots anything that moves, slaughters the countless demons lurking around every corner, blows up a few explosive barrels along the way, picks up ammo scattered everywhere, as well as health and armor, hunts for buttons and keys to unlock doors or activate mechanisms to progress, all while occasionally glancing at the map to navigate the UAC’s labyrinths. DOOM 64 has some unique twists in its puzzles and level design: some rooms and corridors are booby-trapped, firing arrows or fireballs, and a few rare buttons activate cameras. DOOM 64 brings back most of the monsters well-known since 1993, while also including some introduced in the second game in 1994. You’ll find the usual Zombie Soldiers armed with shotguns, the countless Imps, the Demons (or Pinkys, for those in the know), the beefy Hell Knights and Barons, the iconic Cacodemons (which look like the Pain Elementals from DOOM II), and the massive, fearsome Cyberdemons, who fire rockets at lightning speed. These nasty demons are joined by the hefty Mancubus with their double cannons, the mechanical spider-like Arachnotrons, and the hideous Pain Elementals, who spawn those infuriating Lost Souls that charge at you full speed. You’ll probably be thrilled to hear that the Heavy Zombie Soldiers, Revenants, Arch-Viles, and Spider Masterminds are nowhere to be found. If you ask me, that’s honestly not a bad thing at all. The arsenal, so dear to DOOM Guy fans, is back, but for the first time, it’s been given a visual overhaul. No need to dwell on the option to throw punches or the near-uselessness of the pistol. Let’s get to the good stuff: the chainsaw, perfect for tearing through this lovely crowd, now boasts two blades! The iconic Super Shotgun, devastating at close range, is here, alongside its little brother, the Classic Shotgun. The Chaingun and Plasma Rifle let you spray the infernal battlefield with bullets. The über-powerful BFG 9000 obliterates almost everything in a flash, though it’s mainly used against big monsters. DOOM 64 introduces a new weapon, the Unmaker, which fires ultra-powerful laser beams but uses the same ammo as the BFG and Plasma Rifle. By the way, the weapons have a recoil effect when fired, which is new but doesn’t affect accuracy. DOOM 64 is among the best of what’s now called the Boomer Shooter genre. Let’s not forget that FPS games were long referred to as DOOM-like, then Quake-like. Plus, DOOM 64 seems inspired by Quake in its overall atmosphere. The combat is insanely fun, the puzzles are well-designed, and the eerie vibe is top-notch. Don’t hesitate for half a second—go buy it, unless you’re itching to end up in Hell! And to be completely honest, I had way more fun playing through DOOM 64 than DOOM Eternal.

Better than doom 1 and doom 2, best doom game, very spooky atmosphere

Hot take: This is one of the best original doom games out there. I loved it on the N64 and it's even better on the PC.

On Linux, drops keyboard inputs constantly. Cannot rebind keys. It's only worth it for the .WAD to play it on GZDoom.

Doom 64 is an interesting game, being the "missing link" of sorts between Doom 2 and the first Quake. The game is darker and moodier than it's predecessors, and the level structure feels more "Quake-like" to me. With that said, its still definitely a Doom game. Very similar to yet distinctly different from the games that came before and after, Doom 64 is a unique experience and worth a playthrough by any classic shooter fan.

The Good: - A unique, fresh Doom campaign - The environment is more subdued with darker colours - I like it. - Enemies have been given a new creepier art style - The weapon noises, the eerie background track, brilliant - Very satisfying arsenal (especially the super shotgun) - High frame rate and anti-aliasing options - Additional content (The Lost Levels) - Cheats disable achievements (Doom I + II take note) - Password system is left intact alongside a regular save system The Bad: - Too many startup screens (really scraping the barrel here) The Ugly: - Cacodemon I went into this thinking it would be a basic DOOM port, I was very mistaken. It's much more.

The game is pretty fun, combat is satisfying, just like the first DOOM, but level designs were often confusing and the puzzles annoying, in overall this is still a decent game.

Very well done. DOOM 64 is an enhanced version of the original title for the Nintendo 64. With its retro graphics, it offers captivating and frantic first-person shooting against endless hordes of demons from hell. This beautiful classic has been revitalized for a new generation. Highly recommended for all DOOM enthusiasts.

A vastly under rated often overlooked stand alone DOOM campaign. Graphically the bridge between DOOM and QUAKE.

My favourite DOOM game, absolutely underrated and deserves a lot of love. -creepy atmosphere -great sound design -fun level design (albeit frustrating at times) -difficult but fair (most of the time) would recommend

I liked the visuals, but the level design was pretty confusing for me. Also there was a part around level 4 or 5 that hurt my eyes. Remember to wear sunglasses while playing this game.

5.5/10 Not horrible, but severely lacks anything new or interesting. And I much prefer the fluid speed & movement of the Doom games before it.

[i]Nowadays Doom 64 (with the resurgence of old school 'boomer' shooters) is often lovingly coined as "The Real Doom 3™", after being chronically overlooked by most FPS fans around the globe. The game truly suffers from one of the most unfortunate names in gaming history. During its original release on Nintendo 64 the vast majority of gamers figured this was just another Doom port, since the original Doom was basically being ported en masse to everything that had a CPU. Instead the console platform which produced more in-game fog in bog standard 3D platformers than a Silent Hill game would ever be capable of doing received a truly unique sequel to Doom 2. Go figure. So, along comes Nightdive Studios with a proper rerelease in their magnificent KEX engine, so we can now all enjoy this relatively obscure continuation of the OG Doom story through modern means. After rocket blasting the literal hell out of the Icon of Sin and/or noclip smash-punching John Romero's face to bits while delivering final justice for his impaled rabbity friend, our nameless protagonist otherwise known as Doomguy is basically forced to return to hell. Somehow all those demons he destroyed in parts 1 & 2 are getting resurrected by an entity known as the Mother Demon. Not good.[/i] [b]Facts[/b] [list] [*] Went under many radars on release. [*] Relies much more on atmospheric horror and unease. [*] Music is ambient only and often distorted on purpose. [*] The game is canon and follows Doom 2. [*] Level design is maze-like with tight corridors. [*] Classic enemies get a graphical overhaul. [/list] [b]Pros[/b] [list] [*] Gameplay is undeniably old school Doom. [*] Challenge is never lacking. [*] The KEX engine makes the game play really well. [*] This rerelease contains a bonus campaign. [*] Hidden features to unlock. [*] Very atmospheric as opposed to the first two games. [/list] [b]Cons[/b] [list] [*] Console limitations are evident in the level design. [*] Some iconic enemy types could not be included. [*] Lots of backtracking and confusion throughout. [*] Has some pretty unfair instant death traps. [*] The Mother Demon battle is severely underwhelming. [*] The lack of music and shift in focus is an acquired taste. [/list] [b]Recommended?[/b] Doom 64 never reaches the level of greatness of the original Doom game in my opinion. The game's biggest difference is also its biggest downfall. Due to limitations of the time the levels are much smaller and tighter (since this was a console release initially, on a cartridge with limited space). This means you will be bumping into walls or obstacles while trying to circle strafe around projectiles a whole damn lot and this frustrated me to no end. It also means that the level design is of a much lesser quality, focusing heavily on switch puzzles, backtracking and confusing, maze-like structures (even more so than Doom 2 did at times). The game also constantly throws Hell Barons at you which deal heavy damage and are always spongy, to the point of it getting tedious after a while. Lastly the final battle is awful, completely trivial if you collected all the upgrades to a certain weapon in the secret levels and incredibly annoying if you didn't. I am going to say yes to the recommend though. Apart from these differences and negatives, Doom 64 very much plays like the first two entries in the series. Suffice to say that if you like those then at its core this will be more of the same. The lack of music does take some getting used to (it wouldn't have been my choice for this series) but then again the ambient soundtrack and the focus on horror is an interesting approach and it makes the game stand out a bit more.

Honestly one of my favorite Doom games. Its never too stupid in terms of difficulty (other than the Pain Elementals), the atmosphere is top notch especially with the music ambiance complimenting it, the way the weapons feel especially the chaingun. It makes this game feel very different than your typical Doom game but in a way that it doesn't feel too odd to me. I'd highly recommend it to any fps person that likes a good atmosphere.

Doom 64 capped off my playthrough of all the official classic Doom releases. It holds a place among each and every one of them. It is well designed. The atmosphere is great. The puzzles and different from anything in the classic doom releases and it is obvious where episodes like Sigil got there influence (Yes, I know Romero created Sigil). Doom 64 is Doom to the core and it won't disappoint.

Sluggish and uninspired, doesn't really feel like Doom, more like Quake 2 on fent.

This version of DOOM 64 is the best way to experience the original classic. It feels buttery smooth and is a blast to play! Nightdive remasters are king.

DOOM 64 is definitely better looking than the first 2 DOOM games! But is equally ripping and tearingly great! 10/10

This Doom has literally no music. It has only some ambient tracks. The levels are just... bad. This game is sooooo boring compared to other Doom games.

CONTROLLER SUPPORT: Passable, but annoying that some things require a keyboard that really shouldn’t. Didn’t this come from a console? I can’t recommend this game. There are clearly limitations put on the maps and weapons due to the console it was designed for, and while annoying, those aren’t even what makes me not recommend it. My thumbs-down is because of the God awful map design. Unlike the more modern games, ammo is too rare, enemies are horribly unbalanced, and everything is way too cryptic. My biggest complaint is that the super shotty is the most powerful weapon in the game, ammo to damage ratio. It’s easier to kill the 4.685,221 Hell Knights you’ll be fighting with the shotgun, than anything else. Especially because you won’t have any ammo for them anyway!! Play Doom 2 instead.

I got this for the price of a McDouble, definitely worth more than the McDouble.

Doom 64 is basically a stripped-down port of Doom II — except with less enemies, less texture variety, and no music. Instead, you get a dreary ambient soundtrack that does nothing to distract from the apparent limitations of N64 hardware does Doom 64 no favors. After some intersting “tech base” levels that have a few genuine innovations for Doom prepare for the same “hellish castle” corridors for 24 levels. After those initial gems get ready for poor, almost amateur wad level design that make Sandy Petersen’s weakest Doom II filler maps look like masterworks. I think for a lot of players who defend this game it was their first taste of Doom because it was the only Doom they could get on the N64. But nostalgia alone can’t hide the truth: Doom 64 was already a fossil, released three years after Doom II, a year after Duke Nukem 3D, in the same year as Goldeneye and Quake II, and just before Half-Life rewrote the book on FPS design entirely. At least its not trapped on the N64 or anemic emulators anymore.

Easily within top 3 doom games. It feels completely different but fun, and the puzzles are simpler

The true Doom3 in many people's views(mine included). While the OGs were more action oriented, this goes for the horror feel and a much darker tone, as seen from the screen messages too. It has incredible atmosphere, backed up by amazing level design and very good sound design. A very fine addition to Doom series.

Childhood nostalgia. (Caution: may cause nausea)

If you like Doom 64, this is good. But Doom 64 is a pretty meh doom game in my opinion.

Not as good as Doom I and Doom II

THANKS FOR THE 23 YEAR BETA TEST, NINTENDOBOYS

dont know why its underrated cause its goated

By the 64th entry you'd think a series would run out of ideas nope.

Why does Doomguy not simply befriend the demons? Is he stupid?

A great blast from the past!

one of best retro FPS game all time

this game is kinda scary... :/

does not add up to skyrims potential

not bad at all Classic

Great game, enjoyed it more than doom 2.

cool cant wait for doom 65

[h1]DOOM 64 – 100% Completion Review[/h1] [i]All achievements earned, every level completed, every secret found, every Unmaker upgrade unlocked[/i] [b]DOOM 64 is not just a console port. It is its own beast, and fully completing it proves just how strange and rewarding that beast can be.[/b] This is not a rehash of DOOM or DOOM II. It is a direct continuation, built exclusively for the Nintendo 64, now enhanced for modern hardware. The art direction leans into surreal horror, trading industrial grit for warped hellscapes and unnatural geometry. It is eerie, unsettling, and totally distinct. [b]Combat is familiar, but the level design is not.[/b] Encounters are tight, weapons feel great, and enemy variety is strong. But what sets DOOM 64 apart is its cryptic structure. Secrets are harder to find, switches are more obscure, and levels often feel like puzzles wrapped in gunfights. A 100 percent run means navigating hidden exits, deciphering multi-stage traps, and unlocking the Unmaker weapon and its upgrades. The remaster adds smoother performance, a proper save system, and the previously unreleased Lost Levels, which expand the lore and bridge the gap to DOOM 2016. These additions are meaningful and respectful to the original design. Some aspects are dated, especially the lack of vertical look and the abstract nature of certain puzzles, but they never break the flow. [hr] [b]DOOM 64 is a forgotten chapter that deserves to be remembered.[/b] It is strange, atmospheric, and more cerebral than it appears. Completion turns confusion into clarity, and earns its place as a true part of the series.

Best DOOM Ever similar to Quake

pretty good

im 64ing it

what happened to doom 4-63

F*** Microsoft

hell yeah simulator

ambience

GOAT

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