Doom II update

Activision recently sent over a new build of id's classic first-person shooter Doom II for the Game Boy Advance. From what we can tell, the port reproduces just about every aspect of the PC version. You can strafe using the left or right shoulder buttons, fire using the B button, open doors with the A button, and cycle through weapons by pressing the right shoulder and A button at the same time. General movement can feel a little sluggish at first since you don't have the luxury of being able to use a mouse, but you get used to it. The weapons are responsive, but it can take some practice before you can line up shots properly with the less powerful weapons such as the pistol.

As far as graphics are concerned, Doom II for the Game Boy Advance is on par with the PC version of the game, albeit in a dramatically lower resolution, and the frame rate is fairly brisk even with three or four enemies onscreen. We're curious to see how the Game Boy Advance version handles the last level, which featured an enormous room filled with dozens of enemies. One thing that's particularly noticeable in this build of Doom II is that the screen is incredibly dark and requires some form of direct light to properly illuminate the screen. There's a gamma option in one of the menus, but this doesn't really seem to really remedy the problem. All the sound elements from the PC version, from the eerie grunts and growls to the rumbling of the chainsaw, appear to be fully intact.

Doom II for the Game Boy Advance is scheduled for release near the end of October.