Back in 1993 DOOM was, for the majority of older gamers, one of their first forays in to the PC gaming world. Fast forward 12 years later and a couple games later; DOOM is still one of the most respected and well known game series ever created. Now the original creators of DOOM, id Software, and FountainHead Entertainment have joined up with JamDat to create a new take on the original game. The latest DOOM outing is a role playing game and if that isn’t unusual enough, it’s created for mobile cellular phones. The game can be purchased through JamDat’s website for a measly 6 bucks and downloaded directly to your phone in minutes for some great gaming on the go.

The storyline of the RPG game pretty much follows a mixture of the original DOOM and DOOM 3 storylines. You are a marine sent to check out the happenings at a research facility on Mars and find that all hell has literally broken loose. Throughout the game, you will talk to scientists and other marines that try and help you figure out what is going on. In addition to talking to people, there are computers found throughout the game that have useful information in them. Whether they are used to give you codes for locked doors or just to read some of the comical emails that can be found, you eventually find out that a doctor who works for the facility named Guerard is up to no good and is responsible for the invasion. Since DOOMers are used to the fast paced run and gun action that DOOM always featured, they may find that this game starts a little slow. When you first start out, you spend some time getting used to the controls and talking to people to get your bearings straight. Soon enough however, you’re right in the thick of battle fighting for your life. If you are familiar with regular RPG games, then you will be at ease with the game play style. As you move through the facility, one step at a time, you will encounter obstacles such as puzzles to solve, jammed doors, fires, locked doors that need the retro colored key cards to pass or pass codes that can be found in computers.

When you start to run into enemies, the battles are turn based and allow you to either attack, move, or pass your turn. You are also allowed to switch up your weapons without the disadvantage of losing your turn. Since each of the monsters have their own weaknesses to a certain weapon, you will be switching up your weapons quite often when a battle does start. Each time you defeat an enemy, you will get experience points and will gain levels over time that will increase your attributes. Most of the original enemies from DOOM make a repeat appearance in the game as well as some new versions. The original creatures now have two other versions of them, each with varying strengths, both with different color variations and new names. Along with the original enemies, they have thrown in a few new ones as well as a new end game sub boss.

One thing that made the original DOOM a kick ass game was the weapons you could use. Most of the original weapons have returned, including the BFG and the double barreled shotgun but unfortunately there is no use of your fists or the chainsaw. Being that this is a new incarnation, complete with new enemies, you need to have yourself some new weapons. You now have the ability to use an axe to attack enemies as well as hack open crates and smash down doors. There is also a dog collar that can be found from time to time, that will allow you to capture animals and use them to attack other enemies. Along with the weapons to find, there are plenty of pick ups to find such as credits, health packs, small and large, flak jackets, armor shards and ammunition for your arsenal. To help you get the edge over the invading horde of enemies, there are vending machines that you find every once in while. These you can use to buy additional levels to attributes like strength and accuracy as well as extra ammo and health for certain amounts of credits. In addition to those pick ups, power ups can be found, usually in the many secret rooms that are strewn out throughout the base. The Soulsphere will allow you to regain full health and armor and The Beserker will allow you to cause incredible damage for a short amount of time.

Depending on what phone you have, it will affect how the game will look and play for you. For my Motorola V220, the keypad was used for switching weapons and entering codes, while the directional pad was used to move, turn and use weapons and interact with objects. As small as the DOOM RPG game seems with only 10 levels, it is actually a pretty lengthy game, pulling in at about 6 or 7 hours of actual game play. The gameplay, the interaction with NPC’s and the hilarious emails scattered about on the computers in the base, makes this game highly entertaining, even with the rehashed storyline. Whether you are on the go a lot or not, as long as you have a compatible cell phone, the DOOM RPG is a must have for any fan of the original game.

Make sure you head to http://www.jamdat.com to see if your cell phone is supported.