TITLE: DoomX V0.12 Alpha
PUBLISHER: n/a
DEVELOPER: Lantus
DATE RELEASED:August 28th 2002 As a highly known company (ID) back in the day made a classic game called doom, a little known developer (Lantus) made it so you can play it on your xbox. DoomX, the source port of Bruce Lewis' WinDoom is a clean non-fancied up version of classic gamers bliss, the doom games. Like windoom, it can play all of the doom wads (games), including doom 1 shareware, doom registered, doom 2, tnt, ultimate doom, etc. It runs at 640x480 or (like the old dos doom) at 320x200. If you don't have a doom cd or floppy(s), you can always download the shareware episode from
ID Software's FTP.
This port might not be for everyone, since unlike some of it's pc counterparts, it doesn't have 3D acellerated graphics, any graphics filters, 3d models, client and server code, mp3/cd/midi support. But it does have what you love about doom in it, classic gameplay and speed.
Since the last update was over a year ago, one can assume the development of this port has ceased, but it still has enough to keep the doomers happy until someone else works on another port (hint hint).
The Pros:Easy setup, no files to edit, just drop in the wad you want to play and roll with it.
It plays all doom games ever made, and it's the only doom port outside of using xbox linux or a dos emulator.
Rumble support on the joysticks when you fire your weapon, or get hit by the enemy.
Nice 640x480 resolution. Compared to original doom, it is beautifull, and it's about as high as a standard non-hdtv will go anyway.
Easy controls, the layout is pretty standard for fps games, at least on my s-controller.
The Cons:No networking, taking out the fun of those fast doom deathmatches.
No Keyboard and Mouse support (essential for switching of the weapons fast and other aspects of the game)
No way to select which wad (game) to use if you have multiple wad's in the folder. If you have the whole doom collection of wads in the folder, it will only play doom 2. So if you wanted to play doom 1, you would have to delete doom2.wad to play. A menu for selecting the game would be appreciated.
It doesn't exit to the dash right, so you have to manually reset.
The Current control scheme doesn't let you select between the single barrel and double barrel shotgun. You either use the single or the double, it skips past the shotgun you are not using when cycling weapons. (in original doom or windoom, you would have to press
the 3 button again to switch between single pump, or double barrel side by side).
No HDTV support, definatly a downside for you all with the decent tv sets, you unfortunatly can not take advantage of the high quality your set can push out.
The controls are not re-mappable. So you are sorta stuck with what they used (not that they did a bad job on the mappings, I was very comfortable with the controls.
Unless you know how to edit wads and insert custom media into the original wads from mod wads, mods are pretty much out of the question.
Conclusion:According to this humble reviewers opinion, this port is a great download to remember the good old days of first person shooter gaming, when it was still new and exciting. It doesn't have all the extras as the other ports, and may be lacking music, but it is solid and has all the key elements that made the doom games the top sellers of their day, and why no pc was safe from the imps and zombies that fills up the universe of the doom games. So grab up your plasma rifles and bfg's and get ready for the classic sounds of the chainguns and chainsaws, doom is back, and on the xbox!
