Doom. Duke Nukem 3D. Marathon. Three games that need no introduction.

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Wow, that was easy.

In all seriousness, these three games created the FPS genre as we know it. We know everything about them. We instinctively know the location of each hidden doorway, each weapons cache, each pithy catchphrase. They are second nature to us. They were the games that raised us.

But are they worth buying again on Xbox Live Arcade…for 800 points each?

Rather than reviewing these ages old games yet again, I’ll run through the new features, how well they’ve aged and whether or not they’re worthy of spending your hard-earned cash on yet again.

Doom

As soon as you hit the familiar splash screen you’ll know that XBLA Doom is essentially a straight port of original id classic, containing episodes 1-4 (including Thy Flesh Consumed) in full. They’re playable both on your lonesome or 4 player local/XBL co-op. Luckily the original formula still holds up very well: basic, balls-out, desperate gunplay and exploration that still feels fun and accessible today. Admittedly, the occasional aggravating search for “the f***ing yellow key” or “that last damn switch” still presents a real annoyance every once in a while; it’s a shame that an the automap hasn’t received a makeover to make unexplored areas more noticeable. Whilst the graphics have received a widescreen and HD upgrade, Doom still looks and plays exactly the same- right down to the sound and sprites. Nothing is added nor taken away from the original… and that’s just fine. Doom has been venerated for so long because id literally wrote the book on excellent game design.

The new split screen co-op multiplayer is a real highlight of this re-release, with 4 gamers able to throw down on the hordes of hell as a team whilst fighting over ammo, health and kills. The classic level complete screen compares each player’s kills, deaths, items and even friendly fire kills- which is great for settling arguments (no more protestations of “I didn’t accidentally shoot you in the back…it was the cyberdemon!”). Death results in respawn at the start of the level with only the basic pistol- but without any keys you might have picked up. This results in tedious backtracking for the other players in order to let their unfortunate comrade through the necessary doors, but it’s not annoying enough to spoil the fun. Co-op doom is an absolute joy and is perfect for a couple of hours of mindless fun with your housemates or friends.

The Arcade edition also includes a number of competitive fragmatch modes, playable both on Live and locally. Whilst these modes are fairly basic, they’re perfectly functional- and the netcode is excellent with little lag or connection problems. Unfortunately, Doom suffers from the major problem that dogs all online XBLA games- the lack of players. A couple of weeks after release it’s difficult or high on impossible to get a game (especially in Europe), essentially making the fragmatch an almost pointless addition. Still, it’s nice to know it’s there…even if I’ve waited for over an hour fruitlessly searching for players.

So…is it worth buying? Well…yes. Doom is a timeless classic that’s well worth enjoying over and over again, especially with a mate or two. However, the collectors edition available for PC includes both Doom, Doom 2 and Final Doom- and costs only a few dollars more in return for triple the gameplay. You’ll need to think long and hard about whether the co-op gameplay, leaderboard support and achievements are worth the money. Personally, I think they are.

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Duke Nukem 3D

3D Realm’s classic FPS introduced us to one of gaming history’s most beloved gaming characters, as well as a slew of gameplay innovations that have since become essential components of the genre. Thankfully, the newest iteration of Duke Nukem 3D treats its subject matter with the respect it deserves rather than being yet another lazy cash in.

All 3 ½ episodes have been treated to a widescreen HD upgrade- much like Doom, the sprites and graphics are unchanged but still look sharp in high resolutions. The controls are smooth, with a slight aim assist that helps balance the loss in precision caused by the change from mouse to gamepad. The greatest new addition is the replacement of the quicksave system by a brand new replay mechanic. Now, bear with me here. When you die, you’re taken to an instant replay of the entire level. You can rewind, fast forward and watch your progress from any point. But most importantly, you can start playing from anywhere you please- leaping right back into the action at the touch of a button. This is frankly awesome, as it allows you to take more risks and try new strategies without the tedious quicksave/quickload in between and makes the game far more enjoyable as a result. In fact, I’d love to see this feature becoming more prevalent in the genre.

Unfortunately the core gameplay is starting to show its age. Old-school shooters have an astoundingly steep difficulty curve and ridiculously complex labyrinthine levels, and Duke Nukem is no exception. You’ll often find yourself flummoxed by unbelievably well-hidden vents and doorways, and bizarre leaps of logic dictating where you should go next. Couple the level design with the extreme durability and accuracy of most enemies and you’ve got yourself one tough little game. Even veteran gamers will need a fair few hours to crack this one- this is not a casual title!

As the man himself said: “I don’t have time to play with myself.” Multiplayer is an important part of the XBLA Duke Nukem 3D experience, offering chaotic 8-player online co-op and a slew of (fairly basic) deathmatch modes. The 8 player co-op is insane, confusing and brilliant (so long as you can actually find anyone to play with!), but 2-3 players is more than enough to provide a fun and tactical experience. However, the lack of local co-op is a massively glaring omission- Xbox Live players are few and far between and it would have been great to enjoy Duke’s bloodsoaked chauvinistic rampage with a few brews and some mates.

So, should you buy it? Diehard Duke fans will find a lot to love in this definitive version, and players looking for a challenge will have a real blast with this one. The lack of local multiplayer is a damning fly in the ointment, however, and the confusing levels may leave more casual gamers completely cold. Download the demo and find out for yourself. Shake it, baby!

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Marathon: Durandal

Whilst Halo made Bungie into Gods, it was the Marathon series that put them on the map. You play as a Mjolnir-armoured cyborg, killing your way through evil alien slavers whilst searching for a superweapon that can turn the tide of the war…no, really, you do. Basically, it’s the game that inspired the Halo series and fanatic members of the 7^th Column will want to download the demo immediately. Off you go.

Now we’ve got the Bungie fans out of the way, I can address the casual gamer.

M:D’s presentation is excellent- it’s clear that a lot of work has gone into bringing Marathon’s visuals into the 21^st century. The textures and weapon models have been completely reskinned in glorious HD (and look absolutely resplendent), which is a double-edged sword. Since Marathon uses a geometry distortion effect to look up and down (i.e. the level bends around the player rather than actually moving the player’s PoV) the effect is absolutely nauseating at times. Seriously, it ships with an epilepsy danger warning!

The improved graphics also brings Durandal’s other flaws into sharp relief. Your main enemy isn’t the alien hordes- in fact, you’ll spend more time fighting the level architecture than you ever will dukeing it out with the ravening alien slavers! The levels are enormous, sprawling affairs that often require leaps to darkly lit ledges, locating large numbers of timed well-hidden switches, swims through lava and water-filled mazes in order to complete a series of fairly confusing objectives. The biggest annoyance is the fact that you can only save the game and heal at a very small number of computer terminals- meaning that you’ll have to backtrack several kilometers every time you need to take a risk or even head out for a drink! Marathon lends itself very poorly to being a casual arcade game, and the addition of a save or checkpoint system would have massively improved the fun.

Don’t get me wrong, there is fun to be had here. The weapon selection and combat mechanics are excellent, and the epic, convoluted storyline is a joy to unravel. However, Marathon Durandal is the second of the trilogy- most of the storyline will be lost on the casual gamer that doesn’t have time to hit up a wiki or two. The main meat of the game is the incredible multiplayer, which is as well featured as any of the Halo games. Multiple game modes (including ctf, team deathmatch, oddball etc) and a number of excellent DM maps make Marathon: Durandal the premier choice for XBLA multiplayer…but you still won’t find any players. Local co-op and deathmatch is fun, but only goes so far: the enormously well-featured xbox live modes feel completely pointless without the players and community to back them up.

Marathon: Durandal is a slice of gaming history that refuses to age gracefully. There’s a lot of tense, old-school action to be enjoyed here, but I simply can’t recommend that you buy it. You see, Bungie made the entire trilogy freeware many years ago, and all 3 episodes are available for Windows and Mac with upgraded textures and weapons- check out the incredible Aleph 1 project. The fact that you can legally enjoy the full trilogy for free, including multiplayer, means that spending 800MS on the second episode just isn’t good thinking.

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