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Doom was one of the true classic games of the 90s, paving the way for countless first-person shooters – from the truly excellent to the downright awful. Has this seminal game survived the translation to the iPhone though? Find out whether it’s just the enemies that are hellish in our Doom Classic for iPhone review.
Sensibly opting for a faithful port rather than a modern re-hash, Doom Classic for iPhone looks and sounds just like it did back in 1993 – aside from a tiny spot of texture smoothing that only the most anal of Doom purists would complain about. It includes all the levels from the original game too, packing-in 36 spread over four episodes.
First-person shooter games like Doom are often too tricky to control on the iPhone, the touchscreen being no replacement for a pair of real analogue sticks, but Doom Classic for iPhone fares much better than most because you don’t have to worry about aiming up or down.
Read our Earthworm Jim for iPhone review
Using the default control method, you use your left thumb to move around and a virtual button under your right to shoot. A great iPhone optimisation, you can even strafe using the iPhone’s accelerometer.
While this control scheme isn’t quite as precise as the keyboard controls veteran gamers will remember from 15 years ago, it’s no barrier to the huge nostalgia factor that is Doom Classic for iPhone’s raison d’etre. For an easy-going blast from the past, stick the game on its easiest setting and you’ll be able to breeze through it, indulging warm memories of what games used to be like back in the good old days.
However, proving its pedigree, Doom really hasn’t aged all that much considering it’s only a couple of years off drinking age. Crank up the difficulty level and plug in some headphones and Doom Classic for iPhone will still get your blood pumping. It’s a pity online multiplayer that lets you play with people from London to Lebanon isn’t included, but you can play against friends on the same Wi-Fi connection.
If you’re after the latest, flashiest game to show off your iPhone, you might want to check out the on-rails Doom update Doom Resurrection instead, but this version of Doom Classic does justice to its powerful legacy. This is one gaming relic that’s worth reanimating.
Crank up the difficulty? Forget that! I found that anything beyond the default difficulty just whopped my butt. I may be wrong…actually, I AM wrong, but it seems that there were more weapons and ammo lying around when I played this as a kid…Maybe my wide eyed amazement at the 4KB textures just numbed my memory or something.