iPhone App: Doom Classic

November 8th, 2009

= 4 stars

The classic action shooter comes to the iPhone. Blow up increasingly scary monsters with increasingly powerful weapons.

The Good

• Straightforward port; if you played the game before, it’s exactly as you remember. The level design still comes across really top notch — you’re subtly guided toward specific goals — and there are various contrasting moments to induce tension: moving platforms, dark passages, poisonous floors, and suddenly charing enemies. I enjoyed recognizing once-forgotten yet immediately familiar rooms concealing scary surprises.
• The serviceable controls consist of a d-pad on the left and a fire button on the right. An action (opening a door or flipping a switch) is initiated by tapping the top of the screen.
• Myriad of other control schemes, available under settings.
• Multiplayer mode over your local network.

The Bad

• Tapping the top of the screen to perform an action is a bit awkward, since it means momentarily lifting your thumbs from the controls. Also, the basic controls don’t include the ability to slide-to-either-side while facing forward (if memory serves correctly, this was originally performed by holding down shift while tapping a left or right arrow key). You’ll have to delve deep into the custom settings to remedy either issue.
• Would be nice to have multiplayer via the Internet, like iMech.
• $6.99 feels a little high.

Conclusion

Despite my complaints, Doom Classic is more fun than not, as I’m presently determined to re-encounter the game’s boss, which I vaguely recall was a horrific brain on robot legs. And that’s the whole point of Doom Classic: another terrifying go-round with a barely remembered digital nightmare.

iTunes App Store Link: