The WADs reviewed here usually can be found on the Internet or, in some cases, online services such as America Online (Keyword: Mac Games and PC Games) and CompuServe (Go: MacFun). CLICK ON THE SCREENSHOT before each WAD review to see an Internet address in URL format for downloading it, when available. In most cases, the URL for the AOL mirror of FTP.CDROM.COM is given; use the mirror closest to your physical location for best results. Also, check the MacDoom Review home page for convenient links, when they're available: http://www.voicenet.com/~reeltime/mdr.html Reviewed WADs that require patching of sprites and flats can be converted using a Mac utility called the WADenizer. Ratings:   Heroes   <-- Click on pictures   Patching: None Welcome to Heroes. This WAD replaces not 10, not 20, not even 27, but all 36 Demon-bashing levels of Ultimate Doom. This breakthrough WAD features one of the most talked about architectures ever in Doom: a free standing cross. It's something that was thought impossible to do with the Doom engine. Yes, it's an illusion, but a very well done one. Even the most experienced WAD authors will shoot themselves trying to figure out how it was done. Heroes is a WAD of various single levels that the author put together with a few of his own creations added in. Most levels are redone with some new sky patches. I recommend skipping straight to Thy Flesh Consumed: That's where the real fun starts. I didn't give this WAD the coveted five skull rating because it's not as great as it first seems. There are a number of bugs in the levels, many of which don't even have player two starts. You will find that E1M7 is impossible to beat (if you find how to get out, please tell me!). One of the highs of heroes is its buffet of new sounds: over half of them have been replaced. You will get the shit scared out of you when a bunch of Demons pop out of a corner and let loose this strange new scream that just makes your hair stand on end every time! The Imps now make this strange curdling sound that I can't even explain. All the weapon sounds have been replaced (excluding the BFG and the chainsaw). The new weapon sounds will become a refreshingly exciting as you bash your way through hordes of Demons. Even the most battleworn Doom soldiers will have a hard fight ahead of them on Ultraviolence. I had a tough time beating some levels on Please Don't Hurt Me. So you know you're in for a real good challenge. -Aaron Burrough Stoner666y@aol.com Pyramid     Patching: None This is one of those WADs which is almost, but not quite, there. Author Dave Brown gives us a large level with cool architecture and a couple of neat effects, but in common with many older Ultimate Doom WADs (this one's from '94), gameplay leaves something to be desired. Which is to say it's just too easy, even on UV. For the most part, this level attempts to follow the theory of minimal health and ammo matched to a fair number of low-level enemies, with an occasional heavyweight thrown in. If you have reasonable hand-eye coordination you won't be in much danger. There are only three places where you're likely to get whacked -- one's in the beginning and another involves a crushing ceiling. Playing on UV also gives you a decent shot at dying inside the pyramid, and you'll know why once you hear that ghastly Cyberdemon roar. Surviving long enough to reach the floor is the biggest problem. Once there, you have plenty of dodging room plus enough ammo to wipe out an army, along with a few Soul Spheres in case you get careless. For my money, this level earns points for its good looks (aside from some sloppy door and ceiling work), and it would make a decent deathmatch level -- even with the monsters there. Solo play should be done at UV only. Do not confuse this level with the other trillion 'Pyramid' WADs out there. –Steve Duff SteveD45@aol.com Rampage     Patching: None It's been a tough day at work. You've been so busy you've hardly looked up from your desk, but now it's quitting time. Just as you grab your coat to leave, you see a gun-toting zombie walk past your window. Then your boss walks up, only now he's a Baron of Hell, holding a new kind of pink slip... In Rampage, author Adam Froio sought to recreate his office in San Francisco, perhaps as a way to vent his frustrations towards co-workers. We should keep an eye on this dude. While the idea was interesting, the look is very dull. Everything is pretty much an endless repetition. The textures are poorly aligned, the door side-textures scroll when the doors open, and overall it's plenty sloppy. Some of these problems may be due to the level's vintage -- '94 again. Perhaps the WAD editors weren't as sharp in those days. On the other hand, this one plays OK. You get mainly Former Humans and Sergeants, with a few Imps and at least one Baron thrown in. The zombie soldiers come in high numbers -- the minute you enter the office area, they begin hunting you down. There's a pretty good chance you'll get whacked a few times as they trail you from room to room. Health is in short supply, and most of your ammo comes from what you kill. The sound of doors opening and closing all around you is none too comforting, but once you get the rocket launcher and chaingun it's a piece of cake. In other words, like many WADs this one is front-loaded. Get past the beginning and it has nothing left. I went ahead and killed the Baron for recreation, not because I had to, and then I was done. –Steve Duff SteveD45@aol.com   Have a favorite WAD you want to see reviewed in MDR? Why don't you write it up and send it in? Tell us if it's for Ultimate Doom or Doom II, or Hexen and whether it requires any special patching, where to find it, and include a distinctive screenshot. Mail reviews , comments, questions to reeltime@voicenet.com.