The Worst Levels From Doom 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw4PjIfLCL8&list=PLQjQKfvegGtks4lHoQdxFcc4g2tvlRSTE

@john2001plus
37 minutes ago 
Fortress of Mystery can be quite fun.  I started the level with only 5% health and minimal amo, but was able run around enough to avoid getting hit.  This encouraged infighting and I was able to pick off the monsters one at a time.

The teleport puzzles in Unholy Cathedral are annoying, but once I got used to the level there was much to enjoy.

Gateway to Limbo is a bit frustrating, but it is different enough from other levels to make it a unique experience.

E2M6, Halls of the Damned, gets my vote for the worst level in Doom 1 because of having to fight a horde of monsters in a large dark maze where you can't see anything.  Much of the level doesn't seem to serve any purpose except to make you fight enemies.  It can be tricky to get all the secrets because one room will lock you out, or even crush you, if you don't do it correctly.

E4M1, Hell Beneath, deserves honorable mention because it might be the most difficult level to complete in Doom 1.  You have insufficient amo to fight all the monsters.  If you don't find the secret room with the rocket launcher then it is hopeless.  Monsters will teleport right next to you and kill you.   Even the difficulty "I'm too Young to Die" is hard to survive.   Using Chocolate Doom, there is a bug where you can get permanently trapped in the Red Key area.  Despite doing everything I am supposed to, I only get 50% of the secrets.  Also, there is a switch that seems to do nothing.

However, I think that Hell Beneath is fun.  There is a walkthrough on YouTube that shows a trick to kill the 4 or 5 Barons of Hell.  If you know what you are doing, then you can make it through the level, although maybe just barely.

John Coffey - The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org

https://doomwiki.org/wiki/John_Coffey

Enemy Health, Damage and More

My Doom Shrunk In The Wash!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5x0bpZDkQw

Holy Hell

This guy may be the best Doom player ever.

He is using some version of Doom that doesn't have limitations.

How Much did it Cost to Beat Dragon's Lair in 1983?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlTD-ClwWhQ

I am going to look for a way to play Dragon's Lair through emulation.

John Coffey #32

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13954741/?ref_=ttfc_fcr_cr

Playing DOOM on the PC

I had not played DOOM for at least 15 years.  Playing it again makes me happy.  This is partly because of nostalgia, but I think that the game play is the best.

Playing on the Ultra Violent difficulty level feels a bit stressful.  This used to be no problem, but I struggle to get through the levels.  The game has "jump scares" where monsters will suddenly ambush you.

The resolution of DOOM is only 320x200.  This wasn't much of an issue back in 1993, where standard CRT monitors were typically 640x480.  But playing on a modern screen makes the game look chunky.  This is similar to my vision before my recent cataract surgery.  BTW, the SNES and Gameboy Advance versions ran at half this resolution, making the game look even more blurry.

There are alternate downloadable DOOM engines that support higher resolution and maybe more detailed graphics.

Berserk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NKq7jhURg0&t=72s

@john2001plus
9 months ago (edited)
04:00 This game appears to have been programmed in BASIC. The characters move 8 pixels at a time. The scroll is from the bottom, which you could do from BASIC.

The game is just barely better than broken.



1 reply

@chronologicallygaming
9 months ago
We need more comments like this! People said I was crazy or including a broken rating in our system!

OG Doom Tested On High-End 1993 PC - How Well Did It Actually Run?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cpITc1Rrlw

@john2001plus
My first Intel computer was a 486 33 MHz in 1995.  It cost $1200, and I played Doom on it.  At the time, I didn't notice any problem with performance.  I would upgrade the processor a step at a time to 66 MHz and later 100 MHz.  I needed 66 MHz to play Descent, which was more demanding.

The recent Doom news has caused me to click on Doom videos.  (Randy Linden is coming out with a new version of SNES Doom, and I briefly worked with him on the original SNES Doom released in 1995.)  The more I click on Doom videos, the more Doom videos YouTube recommends to me.

This has prompted me to play Doom again.  My current computer is an i7-10700K.  I was a Doom fanatic back in 1995, and I am surprised at how fun it is to play the game again.

My role on the SNES port of Doom

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qxWJFBVwlnc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5PknJvplKg&t=1823s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSlmVbAM_kA&t=4473s

@john2001plus
1 year ago 
1:14:31 I am grateful that Randy keeps bringing up my name in these interviews. My role was minor since I worked on many projects. I don't specifically remember editing levels, but it was so long ago that I don't recall. I know that we were trying to reduce the size of the game to fit on a cartridge. I believe that I was involved in massaging the data, which is something I did on multiple games, especially Dirt Trax FX.

New Super Nintendo Version of Doom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0q3DRWTzMI

The 1993 PC game Doom is my favorite video game.

The 1995 Super Nintendo version of Doom was full of compromises. We had to remove levels to make it fit on a game cartridge. I briefly worked with Randy Linden, but it was so short and so long ago that I didn't remember exactly what I did. Randy credits me with editing levels and game testing, so one website lists me as a level designer—although that description is a bit generous. I mostly just deleted levels, but it was enough to get my name in the credits.

The Super Nintendo hardware wasn't really up to the strenuous task of running Doom, so the game had a low frame rate. Even so, it was a miracle that Randy Linden got as much performance out of the SNES hardware as he did.

I recently saw a YouTube video calling it a terrible version of Doom.

Now, Randy Linden and a company called Limited Run Games have created a new cartridge with some modern hardware to give the game a boost. It eliminates most of the original compromises, making the SNES version almost identical to the PC game.

ROC'N ROPE | Atari 2600 Game from Publisher Coleco

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-KjotKP8bF4

MR. DO | Atari 2600

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Hmg2Aq6yffs

@john2001plus

0 seconds ago
I love the arcade game.  

ALL ATARI ST GAMES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUHtpNFZV38

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
I wrote a videogame for the ST and the Timex Sinclair 2068 called Diamond Mike. The ST version was published by XLent Software in 1986. I saw it on store shelves. (There are videos of it on YouTube.) I am not aware of a downloadable version, but I have a physical copy. 

I am surprised at how good some of these games look. The original ST only had 16 colors from a palette of 512.

NES Games Were Written in Assembly

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kFjSxwijItU

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
I wrote games in Assembly for the SNES, Gameboy Color, Atari ST, and Timex Sinclair 2068.

Comparing Every Star Wars Arcade Game

12 Underrated Atari 7800 Games You Need

What Happened to Arcades?

Defender (Atari 800 | Atari 5200) - Chronologically Gaming

@john2001plus
1 day ago 
My experience watching the home versions of Defender might differ from actually playing them, but just watching the game makes me uncomfortable. First, the music is monotonous—especially since you die so frequently, you keep hearing the same repetitive sound over and over.

My second issue is with the apparent choppiness of the game and its lower resolution compared to the arcade version. Visually, it seems like a much worse experience, although it might still be fun to play. At least twice, it looked like you didn't get hit but died anyway—possibly due to the choppy animation.

I have to admit, it is a great arcade conversion.

From what I've read, the Williams arcade version didn't use hardware sprites to save on costs. As a result, the processor had to work overtime to animate the graphics. The arcade machine used two processors: one for graphics and the other for sound. I believe the scrolling was also handled in software.

The arcade version used a 320x256, 16-color display, which could require up to 41KB of screen data. Considering that a single 6809 processor was responsible for handling all the graphics, that's impressive—though still within the realm of possibility.

BTW, 16 color graphics use 4 bits per pixel. On the Atari ST, this involved 4 parallel bit planes, which was a nightmare to write graphics code for, which I did back in 1986.   However, if the video memory were arranged as two 4-bit pixels per byte, then that would be ideal.  It would be much easier to code for.  (I think I heard that the Apple II GS did this.) If it were me, I would only move objects in increments of two pixels horizontally, which makes the code much simpler, and the user is not likely to notice the difference.


@john2001plus
1 day ago 
I found another source that said that the Defender arcade had 38K of video RAM, two pixels per byte, and only a 1 Mhz 6809.  It lists the graphics resolution as 292x240, which is slightly less than what I posted above.  This may have been deliberate to allow for overscan, as the monitor is designed for 320x256.



@chronologicallygaming
7 hours ago
That's a great analysis of the differences between the arcade and home versions of Defender! I always felt like the home version was a good compromise. Thanks for the comment!


@john2001plus
7 hours ago 
 I agree it is a good compromise.  As I said,  watching and playing might be different, so I will attempt to play the home version through emulation.

I have the Arcade1up version of Defender.  Having to hit a button to reverse direction feels like too many buttons to deal with.

STRAWBERRY POWER BERRY DOUGHNUT | Pac-Man x Krispy Kreme

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tkZ2ZLbWx60

Who was the first video game boss? (And why do we call them that?)

The video points out that having a more powerful enemy at the end of a level started with a Dungeon Crawler in 1974.

Games That Go to the Screaming Limits of the ZX81

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlleaHntFRg

SALAMANDER (C64 - FULL GAME)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpisB-gGBZY

DO NOT BUY THE NINTENDO SWITCH 2

Magnetic Core Memory

512 byes of RAM costing $2,000:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mrBz9-9qgGw

One of the biggest limiting factors of early computers was the cost of RAM.  In the late 1970s, I remember seeing an advertisement for 64K of RAM costing $1,000.  Today, you can get 64 gigs of DDR4 for under $100.

This is why the Atari 2600 video game system released in 1977 only had 128 bytes of RAM.  

The first TRS-80 came with 4K.  The VIC-20 had 5K.

The Sinclair ZX-81 came with 1K.  Its American counterpart came with 2K.  Both were expandable to 16K.

The Nintendo Entertainment System, first released in Japan in 1983, had 4.25K RAM.

By late 1983, RAM had gotten cheaper, so we saw the Commodore 64 released with 64K, and the Timex Sinclair 2068 with 48K RAM.

The REAL TechDweeb

This is most likley an April fools joke, but maybe the real joke is that it is true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoyGBHJ17_E

Playing Video Games As You Get Older

Why The Hell Are We Already Talking About The Next Xbox?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91iJQN2bbuI

@john2001plus

0 seconds ago
The current console generation is way better than all my computers.

5 Must-See Super Mario Bros Clones!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCDpA2skIuk

Greatest Super Mario Bros Fan Game Ever?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4qW3M2Qobyk

Incredible Donkey Kong Arcade ROM Hacks!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8BnIa-W5Dlk

This Nintendo Switch Scam Is Bigger Than We Thought?

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
Nintendo needs to make a case with a clear window showing the cartridge. The checkout person might be required to check the game's presence.  Other companies need to follow suit.  

However, the industry wants to move to downloadable games only.

It seems like a large number of people have no qualms about theft.

How the Super Game Boy played and enhanced Game Boy games on the SNES

I'm impressed with the technical details, especially at 19:03.

I never worked with this hardware, but I did program for the SNES and Gameboy Color.

Why The Nintendo Super Game Boy Was Simply AMAZING!

WHAT!? You DON'T know about these 5 amazing PS1 games!? (Hidden Gems)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKS2on55Rh0

Some NES Games Have Converters Inside

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Pe1wioM2SSc

Megamania for Atari 2600 - Take an Activision TRIP without Leaving the SHIP!

The History of Donkey Kong

You've GOT to try KNULLI! (GUIDE)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJQnhkNd9kU

New Quarter Arcade Review Elevator Action From Numskull

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejOjNN4bl4g

Anbernic RG34XX Review: Nostalgia Machine

https://youtu.be/ozuBkxXhK7g?si=zzuEFltoRkGlUfey

Casey's Gold for Atari 2600 | FIND the GOLD in the Latest from Audacity Games!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io1syzr5ynI

Atari 2600 Space Invaders | DOUBLE-SHOOTER & INSANE Multiplayer Options!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOwswYVaJzk

Ponpoko (Arcade)

Night Flight (Tomy Tutor)

Rougien (Arcade)

Saurus Land | Scramble (Tomy Tutor ぴゅう太)

@john2001plus
1 day ago (edited)
The Scramble appears to use 8-pixel horizontal scrolling.  

Roughly 40 years ago, I played a Scramble version on the Timex Sinclair 20680 computer. I remember it having smooth scrolling even though the hardware does not support scrolling, but I could be remembering it wrong.  It had a nice fireworks animation when you beat the game.

I read that Tomy Tudor does not have hardware scrolling.  If they move the entire screen in memory to scroll, that would be slow.   A more efficient but more difficult algorithm would be to update only the tiles that change, which would only be a fraction of the screen.  I notice that the star field doesn't move,  which makes me think that they are doing the more efficient method.  However, either way, memory copies can be expensive.  

I notice some artifacts where the trailing edge of the scenery will have duplicate characters for a fraction of a second.

Each 8 horizontal pixels can have only 2 colors, although that is better than some computers like the Spectrum which have 2 colors for every 8x8 tile.  This limitation would make it difficult to scroll by less than 8 pixels.  It can be done, but it limits the number of colors you can use.  The square blocks would have to be monochrome.

The system has an impressive 32 8x8 monochrome sprites but only 4 can be on the same line.  They might be using sprites for the stars, which would explain why the stars flicker.  The flickering stars might just be a feature.

Spider-Man (Atari 2600) - Chronologically Gaming

Let’s play some “Super Star Wars” for the SNES

>

@john2001plus
17 hours ago (edited)
Hey Thor,

Super Star Wars was developed by Sculptured Software in November 1992. I went to work for Sculptured Software in January 1993.  I saw the game during my interview process and occasionally worked under the lead programmer.

Before this, I was a database programmer, but I had tried to write games on my own in the mid-1980s.

I was a grunt programmer. I did tasks on many games that the main programmers didn't want to do, like working on menu screens, converting data into a usable format, and editing levels, as I did on the 1995 release of Doom for the SNES.

The Moby Games website has an incomplete listing of games I worked on.  On some games, I would do minor tasks and not end up in the credits.  I don't recall if I did anything for the sequel Star Wars games, but I was friends with people who worked on them.

Best wishes,

John Coffey

P.S.  I have the Aracde1up Star Wars game.  It was my favorite arcade game.


Highlighted reply

@thorskywalker
2 hours ago
That's awesome, and pretty crazy that you worked on Doom for SNES because I played the hell out of that game.  I'm curious, how good is the Arcade1up version of Star Wars?  I was very young, but I loved that game when I was a kid... every time I had an extra quarter (which wasn't all too often back then) it went to that game because, oddly enough, a gas station near our house had it.


@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
 @thorskywalker  The Star Wars Aracade1up is very similar to the arcade game. It has a 17-inch LCD screen compared to the original 19-inch CRT, but not all the space on CRTs is used.  

The Yoke controller is very good. Now that I am 64 years old, I have a problem: The game is such a button-masher that it hurts my fingers. The buttons on the Arcade1up feel a bit stiff. I don't know if the arcade had buttons with a softer feel.

P.S.  I was not very good at putting together the Arcade1up cabinets.  It would take me hours and the Star Wars cabinet was the most difficult out of the four that I own.