#MassMouth 2

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2004): Massmouthmas

We meet again Mistah Bond- I-I mean MassMouth.

What? No! I’m not a Russian, you alien-looking freak! I’m twat from Poland thank you very much!

Oh, of course! Just because I’m dressed up in red it automatically means I’m some kind of Commie from the sixties to you, EH?!

No! That friend of yours I killed was an accident! My railgun tends to fire on itself!

Yes! I washed my right hand’s mouth with soap for his filthy language! Who do think I am?! Dumbass who’s gonna tolerate this crap?!

...

You know what? Termintate this joke. Let’s just get to the review.

S3: Massmouthmas

Main author(s): Mike Watson (Cyb)

Release date: Christmas Day, 2004 (database upload)

Version played: ???

Required port compatibility: ZDoom

Levels: 3 (hub style)

It’s Christmas Eve, people! So why not tickle our inner Kris Kringle and play some Christmas WAD. Today we are going to look at the expansion pack for MassMouth 2, called... Massmouthmas.

...

HILARIOUS AND ORIGINAL TITLE!!! >8]

Now, folks, before I’ll get into this WAD, I’d like to recommend you to read my review of the MassMouth 2 WAD before checking it out. Here is a link to it:  ==>

Come back when you are done with that one.

...

Are you done?

Good. Now let’s take a look at MassMouth’s Christmas Special.

The story takes place before the events of MassMouth 2. Our titular hero is spending his time on vacation when suddenly he gets a call from his boss, The Worm. He says that there is a problem with one of his buddies (implied to be Santa himself), in that the latter’s factory is shut down and it needs to be turned back online. And since MassMouth is nearby, he’s given this task. So now MassMouth must restore power to the factory, while also uncovering some mysteries about the nearby region in between.

This expansion looks rather good (providing that the walls don’t glitch out). According to Cyb himself, this WAD took only FOUR DAYS of development. And you know what? It’s kind of impressive for such a short development cycle. I can feel some Christmas spirit while playing it, particularly at the end.

Music was also rather enjoyable to listen to. Even though I felt it was kind of too loud for 65% of the volume, I don’t really have anything to complain about this subject. My favorite track is Snow and thunder from the Factory section. It is also really funny when fighting the snowmen in the waste dumping area, you will be hearing MIDIfied Frosty the Snowman playing in the background. It made the battle incredibly hilarious.

Do not expect the typical Doom gameplay from Massmouthmas. This expansion feels more akin to Half-Life, with a greater focus on solving puzzles and exploring. It’s far from being cryptic thankfully. You won’t spend a few hours looking for that one switch while going from one end of a map to another.

This WAD is hub-based, split into three areas:

Snowy Hills,

Factory,

and Ice Caves.

There isn’t really a problem moving between them. Maybe asides from the elevator to Ice Caves being kind of slow to bring down and bring up again.

If you end up having some trouble playing this WAD, let me give some advice:

First off, you need to power up the main generator with eight fuel crystals. To grab these crystals you need to have a shovel which you will grab near the generator. This task is kind of tedious since you can only carry two of these crystals at once, so you end up forced to go back and forward between Snow Hills and Ice Caves.

Secondly, after turning on the second boiler in Snowy Hills (the one behind the yellow bars) you must go to the cave near MassMouth’s hut. There will be now a melted water pool that will lead you to the mini-boss fight and The Eye, which will let you grab the red key.

Lastly, after turning the Factory back online, you will get a message from Worm to meet his colleague near the caves. Just exit Ice Caves from the north and go by a narrow passage after getting outside.

I’m sure you will do great with the rest of the WAD without any guide.

In Factory, there are also computers with logs when you press the use key on them. I strongly recommend checking them out since not only do they kind of expand the lore of Massmouthmas, but at least two of these will also give you hints on finishing this expansion.

Massmouthmas isn’t really challenging at all. For starters, there are no hitscanners, and even if the new enemies tend to hit like a truck unless you count the final encounter, nothing will touch you if you are good at dodging projectiles.

And speaking of the new enemies, there are three of these:

Ice Guys are just Wendigoes from Hexen, as in they shoot ice shards at you that can bounce off the walls.

Evil Snowmen don’t really need a description. They actually start out as props that come to life after draining out the factory wastes. They are tanky but they have a large wind-up before they throw a snowball at you.

Finally, there is a final boss of this expansion: Evil Robot. A flying tin can that either shoots a barrage of energy bolts or a BFG blast at you. You can only hurt it just as it’s about to fire. If you damage it enough, it will shoot only one bolt at you. Probably the only enemy in the WAD that will give you some trouble. Thankfully, you get a Railgun to fight it. Six to seven shoots and it’s destroyed.

While Massmouthmas doesn’t have that many bugs and can be finished, there are moments (especially in the Factory section) where walls are invisible, so you end up not only looking at what’s behind the wall but also the void on the parts of the floor/ceiling that are covered by it. I have no idea if this is because of Cyb’s sloppy work (remember, he did this WAD in just four days) or due to my version GZDoom going apeshit, but either way, it’s disturbing. There is also a moment where the part of the production line that turns wooden planks into toys have graphical problems.

Other than that, the text file mentions some misalignments in the Ice Caves section (which I didn’t notice) and broken scripts if you try really hard to do that.

And that’s all for Massmouthmas. A rather good expansion for MassMouth 2 (even though I have to put both WAD files in the same file as GZDoom) which not only is filled with Christmas spirit but is also a rather nice sendoff to the titular alien. And it’s miles better than H2H-Xmas, even when it forces you to stay in one place to force to listen to some dialogue (because ZDoom).

That’s all for the Runner-ups from Cacowards 2004. But remember, there is still an Honorable Mention to talk about.

See you next time, folks, as we will be taking a look at the sequel to Icarus: Alien Vanguard.

MERRY KRIMA!!!!11!!1!

#doom #Doom WAD #review #christmas #doom mod #Doom 2 #doom 2004 #cacowards #2004 #MassMouth 2 #Doom MassMouth 2 #massmouthmas #doom massmouthmas #Doom WADs’ Roulette

[dmvisbot]

massmas.wad Author: Cyb (mostly) Date: 12/25/04 Description: This is a Massmouth Christmas special, as it were. I always wanted to make a Massmouth hub, and a few days ago I decided I would do it. It's small and pretty linear, and it's not fast paced action or anything. In fact it's more of a puzzle wad, so if you want some crazy run and gun, go play Alien Vendetta.The story takes place after the events of Massmouth 1, but before Massmouth 2, because making it follow the events of Massmouth 2 would be a pain thanks to my genius idea of giving it six endings. Everything will be explained in game, so enjoy!Also a nice thanks to various people who played the first version I released on DW and told me about any bugs and such.

#doom #wadbot

[lafranceart]

Cambridge events

“I Am Not Your Negro” film screening: 6 to 7:30 p.m. July 27 and Aug. 3, MIT Media Lab, 75 Amherst St., Cambridge. Evening feature documentary film screening in Bakalar Gallery presented in conjunction with List Projects: Civil Disobedience. Directed by Raoul Peck. RSVPs are required. For information: [email protected].

Walk/Ride Day Eve Celebration: 6 to 8 p.m. July 27, Magazine Beach Park, 719 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Music, commuter stories, big puppets and bicycle decorating. Co-sponsored by Green Streets Initiative, Gallery 26, Massmouth and Cport Neighborhood Association Inc. Rain date: July 28. Free.

All the World Is Beer: 6:30 to 9 p.m. July 27, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge. Beer historian Liz Garibay will discuss the role of beer at the 1893 World’s Fair. Learn how brewers were advancing an array of technologies during this period and learn how a major beer war took place on the grounds of the fair’s Agricultural Building. After the talk, a beer tasting will be held. Cost: $20. For information: https://peabody.harvard.edu/all-the-world-is-beer.

Friday, July 28

MD5 Hacking Emergency Response: 4 p.m. July 28-30, MIT Media Lab, 75 Amherst St., Cambridge. A hackathon challenge with other members of the Department of Defense, MIT Innovation Initiative, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, and the MIT community to build product prototypes that incorporate functional fabrics as part of a system that addresses emergency response in challenging environments, including disaster sites, conflict zones and other scenarios of emergency response. Free. For information: [email protected]; https://innovation.mit.edu/md5.

Harvard Science Plaza Concert Series: noon to 2 p.m. July 28 and Aug. 11, Harvard Colombian Student Society, 1730 Cambridge St., Cambridge. Club Passim, in partnership with Harvard Common Spaces, will present the Harvard Science Plaza Concert Series from noon to 2 p.m. on alternating Fridays through Aug. 11 at Harvard Science Plaza, outside the Harvard Science Center near the food trucks. The artist lineup is Noble Dust on July 28 and Lisa Bastoni on Aug. 11. Free. For information: http://passim.org/club/passim-presents-concerts-harvard-science-plaza-0.

MIT Summer Philharmonic Orchestra: 8 p.m. July 28, Kresge Auditorium, MIT Campus, 48 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major for violin and orchestra, Op. 61. Susanna Cortesio Ogata, violin, Mahler Symphony No.1 in D major. George Ogata, music director and conductor. Sponsored by MIT Professional Education. Free admission and parking in the West Parking Garage, 125 Vassar St. For information: http://mitspo.org.

Brian King & What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?: 7 to 8:30 p.m. July 28, Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge. Backed by his neo-cabaret band, What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?, singer-songwriter Brian King performs an internal-external wrestling match onstage. Through make-up, costume, monologues and original music, King examines the ways these archetypes both empower and limit identities and relationships.

Saturday, July 29

Morning Yoga at Magazine Beach Park: 9 a.m. July 29 and Aug. 5, Magazine Beach Park, 719 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Led by Jade Sylvan. Co-sponsored by Cambridge YMCA. Organized by the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association. Free. For information: http://magazinebeach.org/events.

The Donkey Show: 10:30 to 11:59 p.m. July 29, Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge. A disco experience, featuring a circus of mirror balls and feathered divas, roller skaters and hustle queens inspired by Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Sunday, July 30

Summer Sundays at Harvard Semitic Museum: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 30 and Aug. 6 and 13, Harvard Semitic Museum, 6 Divinity Ave., Cambridge. Every Sunday this summer, drop in for free make-and-take family activities. Create Egyptian accessories, play ancient board games and inscribe clay tablets, and explore arts from the lands of the Ancient Near East. Activities change every week and run through Aug. 27. Free admission.

I, Immigrant: A Poetry Reading: 3 p.m. July 30, Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., Cambridge. Danielle Legros Georges, Boston Poet Laureate, and Alan Smith Soto, poet, translator and editor, share their work and that of other immigrant and refugee poets. Danielle Legros Georges, the current Poet Laureate of the city of Boston, is a professor in the Creative Arts in Learning Division of Lesley University. Alan Smith Soto is the associate chair of romance studies and professor of Spanish at Boston University. Free. For information: 617-876-4491.

Monday, July 31

Stories and Song at Magazine Beach Park: 10 a.m. July 31, Magazine Beach Park, 719 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Led by the branch staff of Cambridge Public Library Central Square. Organized by the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association. For information: http://magazinebeach.org/events.

Tuesday, Aug. 1

Nature Detectives: Preschool Discovery: 10 to 11 a.m. Aug. 1, Magazine Beach Park, 719 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Co-sponsored by Habitat — A Mass Audubon Sanctuary and the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association Inc. For ages 3-6. Adults must accompany children. Max: 30 children. Free.

Live from the Deep Ocean: 2 to 2:45 p.m. Aug. 1, Geological Lecture Hall at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford St., Cambridge. Join for a live glimpse of the biological diversity of previously unexplored areas in the deep sea off California. The museum will host a live Q&A with Peter R. Girguis, Harvard professor of organismic and evolutionary biology, and Jennifer Berglund, exhibit developer for the Harvard Museums and film producer, who are working with an international team aboard the E/V Nautilus. The event is free. For information: https://hmnh.harvard.edu/event/live-deep-ocean.

Age Well: Let’s Talk Skin: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 1, Youville Assisted Living Residences, 1573 Cambridge St., Cambridge. Join Gail Avery, a local skincare expert from Rodan & Fields, to learn about the aging process of skin, common enemies of skin and recent advances in skincare. Free. For information: 617-491-1234; [email protected]; http://youvilleassistedliving.org/events.

Citizenship exam preparation class: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 and 8, Central Square Library, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge. This class will prepare students to answer the 100 questions that might be asked for the citizenship exam. The questions cover basic U.S. History, government, geography and civics. The class does not provide assistance with filling out the application for citizenship. Free. For information, visit cambridgepubliclibrary.org.

Sketching at Magazine Beach Park: 6 p.m. Aug. 1 and 8, Magazine Beach Park, 719 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Participants may bring their own art supplies or use ones provided. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Co-sponsored by Sketch Boston. Organized by the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association. For information: http://magazinebeach.org/events.

Zumba: 6 to 7 p.m. Aug. 1 and 8, Magazine Beach Park, 719 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Led by Janice Neiman. Co-sponsored by Cambridge YMCA & Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association Inc. Free.

Wednesday, Aug. 2

Navigation games: 10 a.m. Aug. 2 and 9, Magazine Beach Park, 719 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Read maps, navigate and work as a team to find checkpoints around the park. Preschoolers start at 10 a.m., teens at 11:30 a.m. Co-sponsored by Navigation Games & Cambridge Sports Union. Organized by the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association. Free. For information: http://magazinebeach.org/events.

The Char & Bar Wars: 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2, University Park Commons, 23 Sidney St., Cambridge. Cambridge restaurants and bars will compete to see who has the best burger and cocktail in town. The Char War will feature best classic burger and best signature burger categories, and the Bar War will feature the best summer-themed cocktail category. Ticket admission includes a vote as well as samples to as many places as possible. Early bird tickets, available until July 4, are $35; tickets will cost $45 starting July 5. $35-$45.

Wellness Wednesday Bootcamp Sessions with Public Body: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 2, Kimpton Hotel Marlowe, 25 Edwin H Land Blvd., Cambridge. An outdoor summer fitness series, featuring hourlong outdoor bootcamp sessions and interactive row studios, hosted by Public Body, Community Rowing Inc. and Cambridge Athletic Club, benefiting The Charles River Conservancy. $10 donation per person, per class. Class sizes are limited; registration is required. For information: 617-868-8000, [email protected], http://hotelmarlowe.com/boston-boutique-hotels/cambridge-wellness.

Thursday, Aug. 3

Seasonal exploration of Black’s Nook: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 3, Maher Park Parking Lot, 650 Concord Ave., Cambridge. An introduction to the natural and cultural history of Black’s Nook. Walk is a quarter mile on an accessible pathway. Tour will adjust to attendee’s interests and abilities. Parking passes available for those without resident stickers. Lunch available after at Neville Place. Registration: Chief Ranger Jean Rogers at 617 349-4793 or [email protected].

Saturday, Aug. 5

IMPACT College Bound Self-Defense Course: noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 5-6, Cambridge Community Television, 438 Massachusetts Ave. Practical, relevant safety skills for teens. For information: 781-321-3900; [email protected]; http://impactboston.com/classes/college-bound-teens.

Sunday, Aug. 6

Sam Robbins concert: 3 p.m. Aug. 6, Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., Cambridge. Sam Robbins is a New England-based Americana and country singer-songwriter. Free. For information: 617-876-4491.

Traditional Irish session: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6, Magazine Beach Park, 719 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Irish instrumentalists, singers, dancers and enthusiasts are welcome. Co-sponsored by The Druid, Inman Square. Organized by the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association. Rain date: Aug. 13. Free. For information: http://magazinebeach.org/events.

Monday, Aug. 7

The Mighty Red-Winged Blackbird: 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 7, Riverside Press Park, 2 Blackstone St., Cambridge. Make a red-winged blackbird mask, practice building a red-winged blackbird nest from cattails, and enjoy a visit from the CWPP’s squad of red-winged blackbirds. Part of the Fly, Buzz and Honk! Festival co-sponsored by the Cambridge Wildlife Puppetry Project and the MLK Community School with support from the Cambridge Arts Council and Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Monday Night Weed Outs: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7, Maher Park Parking Lot, 650 Concord Ave., Cambridge. Join experienced Fresh Pond Stewards in improving wildlife habitat by removing invasive plants and collecting wildflower seeds. Tools and instruction provided. Wear long pants and socks that can be used to tuck trousers in. Bring water bottles and insect repellent. For information and reservations: Jean Rogers at 508-562-7605.

Wednesday, Aug. 9

Wellness Wednesday Outdoor Row Studio: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9, Kimpton Hotel Marlowe, 25 Edwin H Land Blvd., Cambridge. An outdoor summer fitness series, featuring hourlong outdoor bootcamp sessions and interactive row studios, hosted by Community Rowing Inc., benefiting The Charles River Conservancy. $10 donation per person, per class. Class sizes are limited; registration is required. For information: 617-868-8000, [email protected], www.hotelmarlowe.com/boston-boutique-hotels/cambridge-wellness.

Mass Innovation Nights 101: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 9, MIT Sloan, Samberg Conference Center, Seventh floor, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. New startups influencing innovation and tackling process improvement.

Longy Sistema Side by Side concert: 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9, Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters NHS, 105 Brattle St., Cambridge. The Sistema Side by Side Series pairs children from local under-resourced communities with Longy’s conservatory students to form the Sistema Side by Side Orchestra. Longy conservatory musicians sit side by side with aspiring beginners, forming a multi-generational learning environment. The rain date is Aug. 10. Free. For information: 617-876-4491.

Thursday, Aug. 10

Explore the Cattails of Lusitania Meadow: 2 to 3 p.m. Aug. 10, Fresh Pond Reservation, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge. Make a red-winged black bird mask or bring one from the Cambridge Wildlife Puppetry Project Program and then explore the cattails that birds need in their neighborhood and find how they are connected. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Gathers at Lusitania Meadow meeting rocks. Registration: Ranger Jean at 617-349-4793 or [email protected].

“Stonewall Uprising” film screening: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10, MIT Media Lab, 75 Amherst St., Cambridge. Evening documentary film screening in Bakalar Gallery presented in conjunction with List Projects: Civil Disobedience. Directed by David Heilbroner and Kate Davis. Free. RSVPs are required. For information: [email protected].

Family-Friends Support and Education Group: 7 to 8 p.m. Aug. 10, Mount Auburn Hospital, 330 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge. Presented by Mount Auburn Hospital, a support group designed to help those impacted by someone with an alcohol, drug or gambling addiction. The group will focus on how addiction impacts family finances, physical health and psychological wellbeing. The support group will be facilitated by Marianne Parent. Attendance is free. Registration is required. To enroll, call 617-499-5665, ext. 4065.

Friday, Aug. 11

Martin Grosswendt & Susanne Salem-Schatz: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 11, Youville Assisted Living Residences, 1573 Cambridge St., Cambridge. Part of the Outdoor Concert Series at Youville Place. Grosswendt and Salem-Schatz will play classic blues, folk, old-time and country hits. Free. For information: 617-491-1234, [email protected], http://youvilleassistedliving.org/events.

Saturday, Aug. 12

Family-friendly Bug Walk: 9:30 to 11 a.m. Aug. 12, Fresh Pond Reservation, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge. Join Tom Murray for an exploration of the reservation and see insects, spiders and other critters. Meeting place: gazebo by Maher Park, 650 Concord Ave. RSVP: Catherine Pedemonti at [email protected].

Sunday, Aug. 13

Fresh Pond Nature Walk: 9:30 to 11 a.m. Aug. 13, Maher Park, 650 Concord Ave., Cambridge. Explore the flora and fauna of the reservation, including blooms, berries, birds and bugs. Participants can bring binoculars, field guides, a hand lens, a journal or a camera. Beginners and children are welcome. Meeting location: gazebo near Maher Park, 650 Concord Ave. RSVP: Catherine Pedemonti at [email protected].

New England Poetry Club’s Golden Rose Award and Reading: 3 p.m. Aug. 13, Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters NHS, 105 Brattle St., Cambridge. The Golden Rose Award, given annually by the New England Poetry Club, is one of the oldest literary prizes in the United States. Winners have included three Nobel Laureates: Seamus Heaney, Derek Walcott, and Czeslaw Milosz. The 2017 honoree is Marilyn Nelson, the author or translator of 17 poetry books and the memoir “How I Discovered Poetry.”

Monday, Aug. 14

Fresh Pond Drainage and Community Gardens Project walk: 6 to 7 p.m. Aug. 14, Cambridge Water Department, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway. A brief walk on the detour path, identifying the elements of the project and answer questions. Bring a picnic and enjoy the reservation after the program. Meeting place: Water Purification Facility Main Door. Register: Ranger Jean at 617-349-4793 or [email protected].

Walter J. Sullivan Water Purification Facility Tour: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14, Cambridge Water Department, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway. Find out how water that falls as rain in the suburbs 10 miles west of Cambridge is transported to Fresh Pond, and then tested, treated and delivered to the city’s residents and businesses. Speak with water treatment staff, see the equipment in action and visit the water quality lab. Advance notice is appreciated if coming with a large group. Meeting place: front door, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway. For information or to RSVP: 617-349-6489 or [email protected].

Ongoing

“The Philosophy Chamber: Art and Science in Harvard’s Teaching Cabinet, 1766-1820”: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sept. 10, Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., Cambridge. A showcase of a range of works that have been hidden away for nearly two centuries from Harvard College’s Philosophy Chamber, a room named for the discipline of natural philosophy, a cornerstone of the Enlightenment-era curriculum that wove together astronomy, mathematics, physics and other sciences in an attempt to explain natural objects and physical phenomena. For information: http://harvardartmuseums.org.

Scale: A Matter of Perspective: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, 1 Oxford St., Cambridge. Scale has long captivated the human imagination, as evidenced in classics such as Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and in today’s popular movies and television shows. People spend hours making models that shrink or enlarge everyday objects and surroundings. They invent technologies to explore tiny realms or search vast stretches of the cosmos beyond sight. The complexities of interpersonal relationships may be defined by variations in social scale. Scale: A Matter of Perspective, examines the concept of scale and its power to transform perceptions of the world and our place in it. Featuring a wide selection of microscopes and telescopes from the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments and an array of models, miniatures, and cultural and scientific artifacts from collections across the university, the exhibition will challenge visitors to make connections to the world in surprising new ways. Free. For information: http://chsi.harvard.edu.

Overeaters Anonymous: 9:30 to 10 a.m. each Saturday at Spaulding Hospital, conference room No. 2, 1575 Cambridge St., Cambridge; 10 to 11 a.m. each Saturday at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St.; and 1 to 2 p.m. each Tuesday at Christ Church, Zero Garden St., Cambridge. Meetings for those who struggle with overeating. For information: 781-641-2303.

Knit And Yarn Craft Group: 2 to 4 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of each month at the ANC Community Room in North Hall, 1651 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. A friendly group of enthusiasts who will be gathering regularly to knit, crochet and practice yarn crafts in the Agassiz neighborhood. All gatherings are open to the public and free of charge, snacks provided. Stitch, socialize and get inspired by the creativity of others.

Passim School of Music lessons: various times and dates at the Passim School of Music, 26 Church St., Suite 300, Cambridge. The Passim School of Music is offering a variety of singing and instrument lessons. Programs include private voice lessons, banjo lessons, guitar lessons, harmonica lessons, fiddle lessons, music writing lessons and more. Each class varies in length, but is generally five to six sessions with varying costs. For information and registration: 617-492-5300; http://passim.org.

Intro to Improv: 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays, ImprovBoston Main Theater, 40 Prospect St., Cambridge. One of ImprovBoston’s top instructors takes participants of every stripe through the basics of improv in a hands-on workshop. Free.

Food Truck Lunch on Erie: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on the Corner of Erie and Sidney streets, Cambridge. Food truck lunches. Gourmet sandwiches and fried sides from Compliments Food Truck and family-style Italian from The Pasta Pot.

Free Fencing Class: 10 to 11 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday at Olympia Fencing Center, 127 Smith Place, Cambridge. Olympic fencing class. Free. Co-ed and open to all ages.

Cambridge African-American Heritage Alliance: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at YWCA Cambridge, 7 Temple St. Volunteer graphic artists, actors, costume designers, website builders, script writers, videographers, historians and many more volunteers are sought. Learn about the Cambridge African-American Heritage Trail and other interesting Cambridge history. For information: 617-491-5529; 617-669-6263.

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[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2003): MassMouth 2

Another day, another WAD made by Cyb. It feels kind of ridiculous that the main contributor to the Top 100 WADs of All Time has not only 2.1 WADs on this list (that .1 part being his contribution to 10 Sectors compilation) but also two of these ending up in the 2003 roster. Not to mention having the second main contributor, Linguica, starting as one of the bosses of the WAD I’m about to cover.

And that’s just the tip of the Iceberg of today’s WAD.

#5: MassMouth 2

Main author(s): Mike Watson (Cyb)

Release date: July 15th, 2003 (original release)

Version(s) played: final version (released on July 18th, 2003)

Required port compatibility: ZDoom

Levels: 17 (15 main levels, training level, and the secret level)

MassMouth 2 is, as you guessed already, the sequel to the original WAD titled The Adventures of MassMouth (originally released in 2000). It is also a drug-fueled trip of a WAD.

I might be exaggerating right now, but that’s how I felt during my first playthrough. MassMouth 2, at least thematically, was some of the weirdest WAD I’ve played (at least in terms of the early-mid 2000s). And I played Void weeks ago.

By the way, do not expect this review to be like the other ones I did or completely in-depth, because I don’t think I have the time, strength, or desire to find all the secrets, weapon 7 parts, or check out every ending combination (I’ll get to that later).

So let’s dive into the weirdness of the MassMouth world.

So what’s the story you may ask? Well, you are the titular MassMouth, which is this abomination below:

Anyway, you are working for the Pit Worm from Opposing Force. One day, your boss gets kidnapped by another group of aliens (which later turns out to be led by John Romero himself and the previously mentioned Linguica is his right hand). Now you must save him, with the help of a friendly Shock Trooper (also from Opposing Force).

That’s the basic synopsis. There is more to it during the WAD itself, but it all comes down to Evil aliens running away with Worm when you get close to him. And it happens, like, a few times. Plus, there are a couple of unfunny jokes based on referencing (at least the ones that are said). I know, it was 2003 but I think I saw similar stuff from the early-mid 2000s that was better than this.

The cutscenes also have voice acting. It might not really be good but it’s still better than looking at the wall of text that stops you from playing (007 WAD, everybody?).

MassMouth 2 looks, in my opinion, good. While its architecture may look dated in some places even by 2003 standards, this WAD is very versatile with its locations. I’m talking about many planets you visit, including your home world. There is even a moment when you end up in the famous red cave with the invisible stairs from Doomsday of UAC.

We have reached the full circle, people: WAD from the 2003 roster references the map from the 1994 roster. Peak moment!

The music is even better. It was all fun to listen to it (there are even some remixes from Memento Mori II), even though sometimes it was too loud for me. And it was sometimes louder than the dialogue even. But honestly, I don’t mind it since the plot is...

...yeah, let’s move on to something else.

As for the other sound effects that are not related to voice acting, they are fine. Like, I don’t think there was anything annoying to listen to. The only interesting part about these is that the shotgun uses the same sound effect that was used in Equinox.

MassMouth 2 is kind of boring to play. Not gonna lie. As I said before, you are basically chasing after your boss while John Romero, pretending to be Generic Bond villain #whatever, and/or his goons, teleport him away for almost the entire WAD.

But the ways of getting to Worm are mostly different. Once you have to rely on a moderately dimwitted robot as a guide to teleport to another map, other times you overload diet Orkz’ space ship by turning off its power, and yet another time you smash into a scientist’s house and slaughter his bodyguards just to talk to him.

There is also Training Course, where you can learn the mechanics of this WAD... alongside things that every person that played Doom already knows... Okay?

I mentioned earlier about ending combinations. That’s because this WAD has multiple endings. Now the first ten levels are relatively linear, there is no branching except for some secrets to find. Once you reach Regression, things start to get interesting. It all mostly comes down to choosing if you want to stick up with Worm or start working with Romero. There might be another branching path related to saving Worm in Space Station Romero, but I managed to save him. I think I got the best possible ending, but I wonder if that’s actually true since MassMouth gets Daikatana copy for all of the trouble he went through.

...

I think I made a huge mistake.

Do not underestimate this WAD. Even though it has only up to dozens of enemies, MassMouth 2 can kick your ass. Although, if that’s true because the fights are actually fair is debatable due to the enemies and your weapons that I will talk about in a moment. And I’m not even talking about moments where you find yourself fighting multiple hitscanners without any proper cover.

So. New weapons. Some of them function the same as their original counterparts but most of them are changed:

There is the Shovel that can be powered up to deal higher damage (although with limited usage).

MassMouth’s personal laser gun acts like a slower Plasma Gun. It works fine when you don't have ammo for your other guns.

Diet Orkz’ rapid-firing shotgun is an absolute beast. It can wreck almost every enemy (providing that you can see from its muzzle flash).

There is also Railgun, which also works very good, especially on Orkz.

Oh yeah, there is also Freezethrower... it’s useless against MassMouth enemies.

And the enemies... well... how do I say it... Almost all of them are bullet sponges who barely have any attack windup (if any at all), even the hitscanners. Now let’s see who you fight:

We have Ontras, your typical cannon fodder that is basically a replacement for Zombies. One of the three versions uses a laser gun, while another doesn’t scream when getting hurt.

Shock Troopers are replacements for Mancubi, just as Raptors are for Pinkies.

Genestealers attack you with two projectiles and come out in two versions – Minora and Majora. Aside from their sizes and colors, I didn’t notice anything different between them. maybe one has more health than the other.

The... uhm... Rattamahattas (the fuck was Cyb smoking when coming out with this name) AKA diet Orkz are acting like Evil Troopers from The Troopers' Playground, as in they fire Spiderdemon’s chaingun blasts but with added head-butting when you get close. Good thing that they die to two Railgun blasts.

Yodan uses a stomp attack that deals hitscanning damage.

There are also bosses that mostly function the same way. Linguica shoots Nitrogolem’s fireballs while Romero uses Railgun himself, and after his first phase, his head acts like Lost Soul.

MassMouth 2 is definitely one of those ZDoom WADs of its time. It might look impressive but my final verdict for this MegaWAD is... fine. It’s ultimately just a fine WAD for me. Yes, it was cool to see all of the weird stuff during my blind playthrough but after the shock is gone and now knowing what to expect, it becomes worse with each playthrough since you can’t skip cutscenes (I tried with the intro one and it broke, showing MassMouth and MassMouth Jr.). At least the characters are voiced so the suffering wasn’t really that big.

And with that WAD out of the way, only maps are left to review. Yes, the 2003 roster’s remaining four WADs are actually maps, so it will go pretty fast with these (at least depending on their sizes).

See you next time, folks.

Bye!

#doom #Doom WAD #review #Doom 2 #doom mod #doom 2003 #2003 #MassMouth 2 #Doom MassMouth 2 #Doom WADs’ Roulette

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette: Revenant Awards 2004

Look, guys! I’m finally making an award ceremony on that thing I ripped off! :]

PASSION OF DOOMGUY – REVENANT AWARDS 2004 EDITION

Okay, but seriously now. 2004 looks like another year dominated by ZDoom. Like, there is barely any Vanilla WADs or those that require other source port than ZDoom. Thankfully, it seems to me that people were moving out from the Half-Life syndrome of trying to make their WADs more than what they actually are; focusing more on fun rather than a spectacle.

In this year’s case we will be having competition in three categories while the other two will have default winners.

Without any further to do, let’s take a look at the first category.

ONE MAN ARMY – BEST ONE-MAP WAD OF THE YEAR

Five maps. All for ZDoom. And it was kind of hard to choose one because all of these were at least good. Deus Vult is a really impressive marathon of a map, although I feel it might get too far in some places. Decade is another banger created by Russell Pearson. Tremor gives a surprisingly high amount of quality for an underdog. And I’m surprised how the first ZDoom Community Map Project didn’t end up as a mess but as a really good map.

All of these maps are worth checking out, but none of these came close to the incredibility of Grove. Yes, I might be biased, but this map is something on a whole other level. And it deserves to get the award. Although, honestly, Decade deserves to be called a runner-up.

FULL DECK OF DIAMONDS – BEST 30 TO 32 MAPS LONG MEGAWAD OF THE YEAR

Oh boy... This is going to be rough. Not really in terms of choosing the winner but due to the quality of all three MegaWADs being such mixed-bags.

Starting with Hell Revealed II gaining the award in the vanilla section by default. In many places, it might be an improvement over its predecessor, but it also makes regression in around the same amount of places, from some of the maps being uglier than the stuff released in 1994 to other maps thinking that shoving as many monsters as possible means great challenge. Or even sometimes both cases.

And as for Hellcore and Community Chest 2, these aren’t as polarizing as the one above, but they still are mixed-bags. Hellcore is less of a severe case but it feels unfinished, released because the authors were sick of this MegaWAD, having maps created up to 1995. CC2 meanwhile, was actually finished despite its false start, but the quality of some of the maps will make you question how these maps were even created in 2004 and/or weren’t a filler maps to actually release this compilation.

But ultimately, if not for Mucus Flow, Community Chest 2 wouldn’t get the award in the source port section. This map is possibly the biggest reason to get interested in this WAD.

OFF THE WALL – BEST PARTIAL/TOTAL CONVERSION OF THE YEAR

That was tough to choose the winner because there are two WADs in this category that are absolute bangers to play. But I’ll get to them in a moment.

We have RTC-3057 and Daedalus: Alien Defense (moved from the previous category because Doomwiki depicts it as a partial conversion). These two come to pick your poison type of choice: Either the one that was never finished or the one that mocks you for not knowing where to go with more enemies.

We have Massmouthmas, a Christmas expansion to MassMouth 2, and it was alright. There wasn’t anything obnoxious in this WAD.

And finally, we have Action Doom and Chosen. Two incredible WADs, where the former is an incredible mix of Classic Doom and Contra, while the latter is a really fun game on its own set in Ancient Egypt.

These two WADs could’ve got the award for the best partial/total conversion, but since I have to choose only one, I’m giving it to Chosen, having a slight edge over the other WAD due to its setting. Action Doom is still a runner-up.

OTHER AWARDS

And now for the rest of the WADs that won by default. Starting with the Pug-of-Pink award for the best 2 to 7 maps long WAD of the year going to Doomworld Forums 3. This WAD is something that I can only recommend to people who were into whatever happened back then in Doomworld forums. I only got one joke, maybe two.

And the Golden Spider award for the best episode replacement WAD of the year goes to Phobos Revisited. It takes the original maps from the first episode and makes something similar yet drastically different. Worth checking out as an anniversary WAD.

CONCLUSION

And that’s all I have for the Revenant Awards 2004 Edition. Despite having a stinker of a WAD that is Daedalus (and maybe HRII for some), I think it was a rather good year for Doom WADs. I’m mostly happy with what Cacowards 2004 had to offer (not counting the multiplayer WAD and the worst WAD of course). Can’t wait for what 2005 has to offer. I know Scythe 2 will probably be a banger to play.

Unfortunately, there is one filth that I have to deal with before taking care of the 2005 roster. Remember how I said in the past that I’ll eventually review properly the 007 WAD from 2002? I mentioned that after dealing with the 2004 roster, I’ll go back to this abomination and take pictures of the secrets and keys for the eventual review. And I’ll keep that promise after taking a week-long break.

Pray for me that I’ll not lose all of my marbles playing this shit again.

Bye.

#doom #Doom WAD #award ceremony #Doom 2 #doom mod #doom 1 #doom 2004 #2004 #cacowards #Doom WADs’ Roulette #Revenant Awards

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2004): Hell Revealed II

You stand still in your room, with your eyes fully open and with some small fire on your head. You don’t even blink for a while. You’ve just finished playing “Hell Revealed II”.

Twice.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

You pass out.

Three days later.

You wake up.

Wh- WHAT?!

...

Oh yeah... this WAD...

G8: Hell Revealed II

Main author(s): Various (project originally led by Jonas Feragen (Chrozoron))

Release date: December 31st, 2003 (original release)

Version played: Final (I guess)        

Required port compatibility: Vanilla

Levels: 32 (classic 30 + 2)

Remember Hell Revealed? You know, the WAD from 1997 that was really hard and had a shit ton of Barons? Well, there is a sequel to it. Not created by the original WAD’s authors, although Yonatan Donner approved this WAD’s creation. This one was made by a group of over 10 creators led by Jonas Feragen, who created the Under the Horizon map for the 10 Sectors contest. This group also included Derek MacDonald (Jägermörder 1), Mike Watson (Void and MassMouth series), and Martin Friberg (Crestfallen) among many other authors that helped with Alien Vendetta.

So how was the development of Hell Revealed II behind the scenes? Well, it all started in 1998. Yes, just around a year later after the release of the original WAD. To put it lightly, this project was a mess. There were two beta versions of this WAD that had 17 maps, both released around February 2000. Surprisingly, Jonas left the project after some time (which considering that he hated the time with this WAD according to the comment on the Dean of Doom video about this WAD, it was a good call that he left), leaving Sam Woodman and Andy Olivera to somehow pull this mess together and release it.

So after all of this chaos, is Hell Revealed II a worthy sequel to the original MegaWAD? Let’s take a look.

And also, my apologies if I end up sounding sour towards this WAD. Two playthroughs can tire a man.

Hell Revealed II looks rather meh. Usually, the maps look rather fine and once in a while you can find something that can be awe for your eyes, but there are also times when a map looks like something out of the mid-1990s.

I know that this WAD focuses on tough battles and most of the maps were theoretically made between 1998 and 2000 by one guy, not even mentioning that it was made with Vanilla standards and restrictions but come on. Alien Vendetta and Scythe prove that you could make maps that were as pretty as they are hard. Even the first Hell Revealed had more interesting-looking maps than this WAD.

The status bar looks better, but I would prefer the numbers to use another font because sometimes I can’t differentiate some of them from each other.

Also, this WAD might like 3D bridges a little bit too much. Sure there is this fun extravaganza in Mind Trap with multiple of these stacked vertically but aside from this part of the WAD, I feel like they were overdone at this point in time. Oh, and you can fall through at least one of these.

Thankfully, the soundtrack is good. Unlike HR1 which had most of the tracks replaced with music from Rise of the Triad, this WAD has its soundtrack created by Sam Woodman (who I mentioned before) and Petter Mårtensen. Thank God it didn’t ruin my mood while playing this WAD, otherwise, I don’t know what would’ve happened.

If I could choose my favorite tracks, I would go with Sweaty Mancubus Armpits (very mature title), The Temple of Judgment, and Remains of War among the ones I liked the most.

...

Why do I feel like the uglier the map, the better the music is?

Most of the time, Hell Revealed II has very simple maps. You would need to have mayo for a brain to get lost in these. There are of course some maps that require some brainstorming but there is nothing going too far.

Like with its predecessor, you can complete this WAD’s maps in no time if there are no monsters enabled, no matter if they are big or small.

There is some interesting stuff in these maps, good and bad. The list will get pretty long so buckle up:

You can finish IGNITION! with one of the three keys required to enter the building.

For some reason, Revival has the blue key hidden behind an unmarked wall near one of the switches. This is not a key to a secret, folks. It is required to finish this map. Is this supposed to be a reference to something from the original Hell Revealed that only Cyb understands? I don’t know.

Base Blaze tricks you with too simple-to-be-true key hunting before revealing its actual guts.

You end up being blown up at the end of Metal Meltdown. Don’t worry you don’t die. You just start the next map with 1% of your health (near a Megasphere, thankfully).

And speaking of the next map, in The Path II you can ignore the Mancubi that are in cages. At the very end of the map, you can squish them with crushers, saving your ammo in the process if you want to.

Also, this map and The Descent II have basically the same way to reach the secret exit AKA finding three switches to get access to the fourth one. The difference is that you need to shoot the switches in the former map while in the latter one, these are behind the Icon of Sin textures.

Conflux has this very funny thing at the beginning where the lights on stairs systematically turn on as you approach them.

Dis 2000 and Beyond the Sea are two oddball maps that were released before HRII was finished. So most of you might be wondering WTF is this? But at least Dis 2000 was created for this WAD. PAG666 released it separately because he thought that the project was abandoned.

Beyond the Sea, though? It was originally MAP06 from the WAD called D2200EP1 that came out in 1998 and Andy Olivera just shoved his map into the MAP28 slot to release this WAD completely!

Oh, by the way, this might be the most tedious map to play in Hell Revealed II. If not straight up the worst. Might as well call it IDCLEV29 in my opinion. In fact, fuck playing this map twice! One time is too much!

Oh yeah, and the last map (Source Control) is yet another shitty Icon of Sin map. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...

If you haven’t noticed already, some of the maps are (to some degree) sequels to the ones from the first Hell Revealed, like Resistance Remains, The Path II, and Hardcore. And while I believe that most of these maps do a great job taking the original concept and expanding it and/or sticking rather faithly to it, some of these maps are actually named after maps from WADs that have nothing to do with the original Hell Revealed, like The Inmost Dens III and Not That Simple II to Inmost Dens II and Not That Simple from Memento Mori, and the previously mentioned Dis 2000 to the original Dis from the Inferno episode.

And then there is The Siege II, which doesn’t really feel like a homage to the original Siege but more like to the cage trap from Last Look at Eden! Why Jonas even called this map like that?!

Changing the subject, I feel like Hell Revealed II is basically as hard as the first Hell Revealed. I wouldn’t say it’s easier since this WAD has maps that basically go beyond what HR1 had to offer in 1997. I wouldn’t also say that it’s harder since the experience I gathered from playing WADs (and watching decino’s videos on this WAD) made me somewhat completely numb towards some of the sections that should’ve scared me if they were in HR1. I played worse.

But this WAD feels really tiring to play. My memory of playing Hell Revealed 1 is next to none at this point but I don’t think the maps there felt as completely tiring as here. Just hard. It’s like the map makers, instead of improving on the original WAD’s concept, just shoved as many monsters as possible in like at least one-third of this WAD and said IS HARD!! DONE!!!

I wonder if it was even properly tested for Pistol-starting by looking at other videos dedicated to this WAD. From what I’ve read, Jonas Feragen was more into Deathmatch maps instead of single-player ones. And Andy Olivera had... masochistic tendencies to be nice while contributing to the WAD’s maps.

Remember the Hoovy Trap of Infinite Bullshit from Ascending to the Stars? Well, Hell Revealed II decided to replicate this trap... a couple of times. And everytime it was shit to artificially increase the difficulty of this WAD. Some of the biggest examples are Three Times Ending Fuckery in Reluctant Pain, the Hoovy mosh pit in Mind Trap (the closest one to resemble the original trap), and Four-Way Cow Barrage in The Inmost Dens III (I wonder if someone actually beat this one without a secret Invun).

Just like in my HR1 review, I’ve decided to count how many Barons are in this WAD. Surprisingly, their amount is much smaller, up to over 250 on Hurt Me Plenty, compared to almost 450 of these in the first WAD on the same difficulty level.

But where Hell Revealed II lacks with Barons, it definitely makes up with Arch-viles. Up to 281 on HMP from my calculations. And if you feel masochistic today, don’t worry, Ultra-Violence pumps up almost another 200 of these, making it up to 472.

Guys? You know what? I don’t even want to know what the authors were on while making this WAD.

And let me talk briefly about The Inmost Dens III. MtPain27 might call this map the Doom equivalent of a chastity belt... and he might be right if you Pistol-start it blind on Ultra-Violence. But thankfully it was much more manageable in my case, simply because I wasn’t Pistol-starting this map, nor playing it on UV. It was still hard, but not as much as I thought at first.

Playground on the other hand? Ho boy! Forget about how you play this one. You will get your ass blasted by this map anyway! It’s up to over 1100 demons, and that’s just Hurt Me Plenty people! Ultra-Violence adds another 500! Oh yeah, did I mention it can have up to 88 Martians depending on the difficulty?!

I saw people liking this map. I’m not really one of those people. I feel like it goes too far, and it proves my point on how HRII feels more like a shove as many demons on a map type of sequel WAD instead of improving on an original concept type of one. Sure, it does get better after wiping the floor of the initial demons, but I dare you to tell me if someone actually did it without the secret Invun. Because filling four platforms with as many Arch-viles as possible is such a good idea, right?!

...

Still better than Beyond the Sea. I beat it on my second try. Not gonna come back to this map, however.

Like HR1, this WAD has bugs. Unlike HR1, it doesn’t utilize them and they are all accidental. I can remember at least three instances where there were holes in textures and you could look into the void. Other than that, it’s stuff related to maps having too much stuff in them if you won’t play it on a limit-removing source port (all written in the text file).

So, to ask again after playing Hell Revealed II, does it deserve to be called a worthy sequel to the original WAD? Honestly, I don’t know. I wouldn’t call this WAD terrible but something tells me that most of the authors went too far. Sure, most of the time it was rather fun while playing this WAD, but other times it was tiring due to the problems that I mentioned before.

I’m not gonna play this WAD again for a very long time. One playthrough is enough, but two (even with the knowledge of cheesing some hard moments and where the secrets are) may have a chance to break your mind.

If you want to know more about HRII, then first of all, there is decino’s let’s play series, showing you how to beat it on UV while also Pistol-starting.

Secondly, Dean of Doom’s review on the WAD where he ripped it apart.

phew

Finally, I can have some rest from this WAD. Thankfully the next WAD on the roster is more enjoyable than this one. And it’s the second WAD related to B.P.R.D from 2004. So we are going to expect at least one banger map to play.

See you guys next time.

Bye!

#doom #Doom WAD #review #doom mod #Doom 2 #2004 #cacowards #doom 2004 #hell revealed #hell revealed II #doom hell revealed II #Doom WADs’ Roulette

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2004): Doomworld Forums 3

Mockaward was the award given to the WAD that was the funniest WAD of the year. It was named after Mockery, the 1998 map/unfinished WAD that made fun of beginners’ mistakes in map-making. This award lasted up to 2016, and in Cacowards 2017 it was replaced with the Machaward for the Most creative, unusual, or artistically compelling project of the year (as said by Doomworld).

Today, we will be taking a look at the first WAD that earned this award.

Br2: Doomworld Forums 3

Main author(s): Anonymous (supposedly Linguica)

Release date: January 13th, 2004 (Database upload)

Version played: ???

Required port compatibility: ZDoom

Levels: 1.5/2 (intro and the main level)

Doomworld Forums 3 is the final installment of the Joke WAD trilogy related to Doomworld itself. Its purpose (along with the two previous installments) was to be a parody of the community on their forums. It’s also a reenactment of what happened on the Newdoom forums.

Before playing DWF3, the closest thing to these WADs that I encountered was the cameo in MassMouth 2 when I was playing it.

Now, while the author of all three WADs is written as Anonymous, according to Linguica (April 2006), it was Cyb that made the first two installments while he created the last one (with some help from Cyb) (==>).

Did this WAD tickle my funny bone? Well, let’s find out.

The plot – You are an admin of DW forums and you rule it with an iron fist. Its moderators don’t like you so they dethrone you, thinking that they also killed you. You survived. Now you must take the DW forums back, and destroy Newdoom once and for all.

DWF3 looks rather simple most of the time. The first third of the main map looks really good. These cylinder-looking things in the background that supposedly represent forum sections look incredible. I really like how when you come back to the DW forums, everything around you disappears to reveal the actual content behind it. After this section, it all becomes something that feels like the baby’s first WAD. But I feel like it was intentional since the main goal of DWF3 wasn’t looking amazing. I’ll say though, that I kind of like how the Newdoom forums look. My bias towards ancient-looking stuff was popping out at that moment.

Music changing itself while playing is a plus. Although I really hate how some of the explosions were too loud. It pisses me off.

Now I’ll try to describe every section of the WAD since each one offers something different.

This WAD is made out of two levels. Although I think it’s more like one and a half of a level though since the first map isn’t even a map. It’s an intro cutscene. This cutscene is basically a walking parody of Max Payne's cutscenes, shown like it was a comic book in an overdramatized style (when it comes to Doom). And if you actually want to immediately get into some action, don’t worry. You can skip the intro by pressing the use key.

You actually start out at the gates of DW forums where you take them back from some of the mods that beat you up.

After obtaining the password to Wmull’s account (which is actually blue skull), you end up somewhere that might as well be the moderators’ headquarters. There, you must convince at least one of them to help bring Newdoom down. Be warned though: there is a dialogue with a slur that rhymes with baguette (look, it was 2004, okay?! Internet was a bigger Wild West back then).

After finally acquiring some help (AKA one dude), you finally arrive at Newdoom forums. Here you must lead your brain-dead meat shield to each section to draw the users’ attention to him. You can attack them yourself if you feel impatient. After doing that you will fight the final boss of the WAD (I’ll get to that later).

Since this WAD earned Mockaward, it would be good to talk further about how much it was funny to me, right? And the answer is... It really wasn’t.

You see the problem with DWF3 is that it was made for people who were part of the titular forums during that time or even before. And since I was just an eight years old brat back then who didn’t even have an Internet connection in his house, I felt next to nothing.

Three things that were closest to being funny were:

1. The intro cutscene for acting like it was straight out of the Max Payne game (as I said before).

2. One of the Revenants in DW Forums being a caricature of Jacob Kruse, the main man behind RTC-3057 (which’s demo I reviewed before).

and...

3. One of the moderators that I tried to recruit being yellow Cyberdemon (called Tobester) that literally combusted because he has a weak Internet connection (memories of me and my first modem are coming out).

Other than those, It wasn’t really that much. Just your typical, Internet reference humor of its time.

At least the dialogue during the cutscenes didn’t really feel painful to me. Keeping it all in the tone of Max Payne was a good idea in my opinion (at least the protagonist’s inner thoughts).

Without counting the final boss, this WAD is easy. If you have at least some experience fighting Doom enemies, you won’t have that much of a problem killing them. Even the section in Newdoom that has loads of hitscanners is easy since most of the enemies are focused on Deathzor.

As I mentioned earlier, it only gets hard when you reach the final boss of DWF3. And it’s the worst part of the WAD since it’s yet another Icon of Sin fight. But instead of shoving rockets up Wmull’s brain, you have to wait until his energy depletes (AKA a few minutes).

-_- sigh

At least you get a backup from DW forums’ members when the final boss has around 85% of his remaining energy.

This fight can be completed without cheating, but let me ask you: Is it worth it with an Icon of Son type of fight?

The final battle also has a bug, where the portal to DW forums is broken. It was supposed to look like this in the cutscene:

And instead, it ended up showing you the sky texture:

I’ve read somewhere that it happens if you touch grass in the area surrounding the ruins of Newdoom, the text file says that it happens after a while. In my case, it happened immediately as I got my control back (probably due to the later (G)ZDoom versions).

And that was Doomworld Forums 3. It was fun until the final boss. Was it funny? Well... The Max Payne-like dialogue definitely helped but aside from a few moments, I felt nothing. This is definitely something that I can only recommend for the Old Guard of the Doomworld forums since they probably know the events that inspired this WAD. As for other people, download something else.

And that’s basically all for the Bronze League of 2004 WADs. I’ll now take a break from reviewing for like two days. And then I’ll start taking a look at the runner-ups and the honorable mention of 2004.

I’ll see you all next time.

Bye!

#doom #Doom WAD #review #doom mod #Doom 2 #doom 2004 #2004 #cacowards #mockaward #doomworld forums 3 #Doom WADs’ Roulette

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette: Revenant Awards 2003

RETURN OF THE DEMON KING – REVENANT AWARDS 2003 EDITION

Well... here we are. The tenth Revenant Awards I’ve made. And the last one related to Doomworld’s Top 100 WADs of All Time.

Even though 2003 has four WADs/MegaWADs that count as partial/total conversion, it was rather various in terms of the map amount. And there will be two awards that weren’t earned by default.

With that out of the way, let’s finish what we started. Starting with...

ONE MAN ARMY – BEST ONE-MAP WAD OF THE YEAR

Choosing the winner for this category was rather hard. In both cases (Helpyourselfish and Space Station Omega), we have a map that might leave a sour taste in your mouth after your blind playthrough but you appreciate it more each time you play it again. it doesn’t mean that these two maps are some kind of masterpieces. And it all comes down to choosing your poison for the rest of the day: Would you choose the map that is basically a typical ZDoom map/WAD of its time and thinks it’s something more than it really needs to be, or rather a map/WAD that knows what it is and what’s to give you fun but also being dickish in some places at the same time.

In my case, I might have a negative bias towards early ZDoom WADs but I would rather shoot nothing for half of a map rather than being smacked by Hoovies in cages as soon as I attack. So I’m giving the One Man Army award to Space Station Omega. It might suffer from the early ZDoom WAD syndrome, but after playing at least a few maps/WADs like this one, I can say that this one is closer to being good rather than bad.           

OFF THE WALL – BEST PARTIAL/TOTAL CONVERSION OF THE YEAR

In this case, we have three competitors (I’m not counting the RTC-3057 demo because, as I said in my review of this map, it’s a demo, and I would rather compare it with other WADs when it’s in its full potential for the lack of better words), all requiring ZDoom to be played properly and, of course, using the source port’s features to enhance themselves, for better or worse.

The second installment of the MassMouth series might have its moments where it looks impressive and/or has insane moments, but this WAD is the one that suffers the most from ZDoom’s unnecessary features. Not to mention some of the jokes falling flat on their faces even by 2003 standards. At least the voice acting doesn’t make it a complete chore to play through (even if I think Nimrod had better voice acting).

Void on the other head feels far less jarring and it’s some of the best ZDoom maps/WADs I’ve played (which is funny considering that this map and MassMouth 2 were made by the same person). Even the cutscenes didn’t feel as jarring and progress stagnating as MassMouth in some moments.

But let me tell you something folks. No matter how good Void is, the Off the Wall award will still go to Doom Raider: Crypt of the Vile. It doesn’t waste time on stuff like dialogue, or cutscenes. It uses ZDoom to enhance itself to go further into the fun zone, and even though one of its locations is now scuffed due to the later version of ZDoom and GZDoom, it is still a really fun map to play. It has my full recommendation.

OTHER AWARDS

And now it’s time for other WADs that earned their respective awards by default:

Pug-of-Pink award (2-7 maps) goes to The Brotherhood of Ruin. A treat for fans of ancient architecture, and even if you don’t care for these, you will probably still have fun while playing this WAD.

Golden Spider award (episode replacement/8-9 maps) goes to Phobos: Anomaly Reborn. Another banger made by Christopher Lutz, that not only looks great but is also fun to play and has at least one unique thing per map. Also, it makes Spider Masterminds shoot plasma. This is one major upgrade from the Classic Doom games.

And the Full Deck of Diamonds award (30-32 maps) goes to Scythe. A small, but creative MegaWAD when it comes to difficulty, splitting itself into three episodes, where you can start with whichever you want, each being harder than the last. Run From It can screw itself though.

CONCLUSION

And that’s all for today. And congratulations to the winners of the 2003 edition of Revenant Awards.

Now you might be thinking that now it’s finally time to take two weeks' worth of a break before starting making a review for Doom 64. But the truth is, Phobos: AR still has four maps known as SubP:AR. It will be funny to take a look at these. It is also a perfect excuse for another day of break to have more time to play Official Classic Doom Addons.

See you next time folks.

Bye!

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