33 replies to this topic

[cryptik76]

Ze_ro said:

Is the last level in the GBA version called "Dis", consisting of only two rooms; one filled with Barons and the other filled with Cacodemons? If so, then I think that would seal it. That level first appeared on the Jaguar to replace the last boss fight from the PC version.

I remember reading here that the GBA Doom was a port of the Jaguar version. I haven't gotten to the end of it yet, so I can't verify for you whether the last level is "Dis" or not. I think I'm in one of the final levels, though. "Mt. Erebus," it's called, though it's much more compressed than that level was on the PC version.

Ze_ro said:

How's Duke Nukem Advance compare to the PC version? I imagine it's quite different, but do you actually get the feeling that you're playing a Duke Nukem game? Or does it just feel like a cheesy knock-off?

Duke Nukem Advance compares pretty well to the PC version. It's a completely different game, mind you; none of the levels from Duke Nukem 3D are in Duke Nukem Advance. However, some of the weapons and creatures are there, and it has the satisfying shoot 'em up gameplay and style that DN 3D on the PC has. Duke doesn't talk nearly as much, though. Most of his lines are delivered using text.

Bargora, I agree with you. I've been dwelling on GBA Doom's faults, but I actually do enjoy the game (and yes, I do all my playing on "Nightmare" mode ). However, since I'm very familiar with the PC version, I can't help but notice the changes. It's still a very good game, and any Doom fan looking for a version "on the go" should find it to their liking. I've also noticed that Doom's controls are tighter than Doom II's controls. I wonder if that's why it's more difficult to aim, rather than the framerate being lower. I don't think the framerate in GBA Doom II is lower, but I haven't benchmarked them, either.

[Ze_ro]

cryptik76 said:

I haven't gotten to the end of it yet, so I can't verify for you whether the last level is "Dis" or not.

Well, I just found out that the SNES version has "Dis" in it as well, so it's probably just a level they toss into versions that don't have the big bosses. I imagine the 32X version has it as well.

--Zero

[cryptik76]

Actually, Ze_ro, now that I look at it, the PC version has a level called "Dis" as well. It's the last level of the game (unless you count Episode 3's secret level), where you fight the Spider-demon (aka the Spider Mastermind) in a large, Chinese-throwing-star shaped arena with a small room in the center (I looked it up in my copy of "The Official Doom Survivor's Strategies & Secrets").

So they kept the level name, they just changed it. I noticed that the last level of the second episode of the GBA version is changed as well (probably just like the other console versions).

[bargora]

Right, it may not be the framerate, but the controls seem choppy sometimes in Doom II.

Since we're discussing Doom II, have any of you encountered a bug where you end a level with armor, and you start the next level with an armor rating number, but when you take hits it acts like you're not wearing armor at all (large amounts of damage to health, and armor number does not change)? I get this sometimes, and the only thing that cures it is to pick up an armor item that gives you an increase over your current armor rating. If I do that, then the game recognizes the armor normally again. But sometimes I just start the level over from scratch, which I guess is the hard-core way to do things. Anyway, it can be annoying.

I noticed the controls especially when I started from scratch (pistol only) on The Focus (level 4?) and had trouble lining up shots on the shotgun guys behind the raising/lowering steel plates on the left, due to the slightly dodgy controls. I guess I could have lowered the sensitivity for that part, but that just didn't feel right either.

rant, rave, etc. Nevertheless, I like both carts, because Doom (and Doom II) on the go is fantastic.

[SmileyDude]

bargora said:

I know what you mean when you talk about the "wall of kiddie" at the local (EB, Gamestop, etc.).  Even stuff that's not licensed crap aimed at the 8-year old set usually has bright colorful packaging.  Advance Wars and Super Puzzle Fighter II come to mind.  

LOL -- so, bright packaging means kiddie? I'm sure you didn't mean it that way -- I mean, adults can like more colors than Black, White and Grey, right?

[bargora]

SmileyDude said:

bargora said:

I know what you mean when you talk about the "wall of kiddie" at the local (EB, Gamestop, etc.).  Even stuff that's not licensed crap aimed at the 8-year old set usually has bright colorful packaging.  Advance Wars and Super Puzzle Fighter II come to mind.  

LOL -- so, bright packaging means kiddie? I'm sure you didn't mean it that way -- I mean, adults can like more colors than Black, White and Grey, right?

Heheh. You are of course correct. At 31, I still like the pretty colors. I guess I should have said "brightly colored giant-headed-cartoon-character-emblazoned" packaging (although Advance Wars's COs are--refreshingly enough--not superdeformed).

[cryptik76]

bargora said:

rant, rave, etc.  Nevertheless, I like both carts, because Doom (and Doom II) on the go is fantastic.

Yep, they're both great ports and the novelty of taking my shooter fix with me when I go anywhere hasn't worn off yet. I even still like Wolfenstein 3D, although the framerate is a little choppy on the GBA at times.

[Ze_ro]

cryptik76 said:

Actually, Ze_ro, now that I look at it, the PC version has a level called "Dis" as well.

Damn, you're right... I guess I haven't played the PC version enough...

The level is completely different in the Jaguar version though, since there's no spider mastermind and all... I don't know what it looks like in the other versions though.

Oh well, I guess that whole discussion was rather pointless

--Zero

[cryptik76]

Ze_ro said:

Oh well, I guess that whole discussion was rather pointless

Well, at least we established that the final level is different between the two versions, even if the name is the same. I never liked fighting the Spider Mastermind or the Cyberdemon anyway, even though they look cool.