GBAtemp Recommends Revival # 046

[Another World]

Welcome to the 46th issue of the GBAtemp Recommends Revival Project! This project is a weekly feature where we share our favorite games and applications with you. The things we recommend may be "old school" titles, a Homebrew, a ROM hack, sleeper hits, an application, etc, but one thing's for certain, we think they are fantastic and deserve your attention!

GBAtemp Recommends!

Earth (Doom II WAD)​

Custom Doom levels, known as WADs, began to appear soon after Doom was released. The Early hacks were time consuming endeavors, usually only altering a few minor game elements. Then around 1994 the first software level editors were released and Doom WAD making changed forever.

Roger Ritenour was a talented level editor who enjoyed experimenting with what could be possible. He was known for thinking outside the box, utilizing special effect design elements that he combined to make Earth in 1997. Ritenour incorporated elements such as animated GIF images and teleportation closets which allowed his WADs to merge an organic world with random monster spawns. When Earth was finished it included sheer cliffs, dark passageways, hidden paths, rolling ocean waves, semi-random enemy placement, and a level of difficulty that rested between creativity and frustration.

Earth is a game about exploration, discovery, and amazing scenery. While some gamers fault Earth for its lack of constant action and use of extremely dark passageways, it remains a master piece of the use of WAD-making tools.

You can use Homebrew Menu v0.4.0+ to launch a custom .ARGV files. Open a text editor and type in the line below, substituting files names if required. Save the file as Earth.argv and then launch it. Assuming that your DSDoom setup has been correctly configured, Earth will load in place of the Doom II files. Using this method will not require the user to build custom iWADs and will never permanently alter your Doom II WAD.

dsdoom.nds -iwad doom2.wad -file earth.wad -save earth

Genre: First-person shooter
Release Year: 1997
Developed by: Roger Ritenour
Doom Version: Doom II
Game Size: 10 levels

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[Another World]

if you have something you would like to recommend get in touch with me.

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-another world

 

[VatoLoco]

Fun game. I just played some Earth earlier today on the Wii while checking out the RetroArch emulator's prboom core.

 

[Another World]

it might be my all time favorite mod. not because of the action elements, which it does lack at times, but because of how much it pushed modders to come up with something new. when it first came out it was pretty much the mod all other mods were compared to. those who were making mods had released some really cool things up to that point, but it was roger who pushed the boundaries. like how he used animated gifs to make the pounding surf. i also love all the little foot holes that allow you to climb up cliffs and explore levels in a new way.

that's great to hear that its working on the wii. the doom legacy port for psp doesn't run it so well. there are missing textures in some areas. thankfully it runs great on dsdoom.

Earth was named one of the best 10 WADs of 1998.
http://doomwiki.org/wiki/Top_100_WADs_of_All_Time#1998
http://www.doomworld.com/10years/bestwads/1998.php

if you like earth, check out his other release, phobos.

If you've ever felt somewhat put off by Doom's limited architecture abilities, then you ought to play this wad some time and see just what is possible. Not only does Ritenour stretch the very limits of the doom engine (this wad is 100% compatible with doom2.exe) but he creates many, many scenes that are as realistic looking as anything you have seen in real life. These maps will very simply cause your jaw to drop on many occasions with their simply stunning texture work and special effects. From control towers, to power lines, to a sign swinging in the wind, to an airplane that takes off, the visuals here are nothing short of spectacular, and still largely unmatched five years later. The downside? Well, sadly the maps don't play very well. However, you'll probably forgive Mr. Ritenour for that when you see them.

http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=9597

-another world

 

[pasc]

wow, how time flies, I remember playing a doom wad that was made to look like a james bond game (was fun)

Thanks for the post, these retrospective posts (especially GBA) always make me smile.