Since time immemorial, people have been modding the likes of Doom and Doom 2, creating their own levels, tweaking the visuals, or turning the games into something else entirely. As one of the best and most influential FPS series of the 90s, the original entry has more than stood the test of time and continues to inspire other studios to this day. Much of this comes down to the fact that there are so many mods for it and many more being developed.
The legacy of the Doom series continues as a bunch of modders known as Pineapple Under The Sea has created a number of maps for the innovative Doom 2. The difference with these add-ons, however, is that they are intended to be a nod to another landmark video game, Pac-Man. Celebrating its 42nd birthday recently, the Namco title has received the Doom treatment to honor just how long it's been around. According to the description on ModDB, there are ten maps, all of which aim to bring variety while making reference to the classic arcade game.
Released in 1980, Pac-Man is part of the best years in gaming, up there with the likes of Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros., and Ocarina of Time. As simplistic as it was, Pac-Man went on to become a global sensation. Not only was it a successful video game, arguably kick-starting the early days of the industry, it also went on to have its own cartoon series, cereals, and a plethora of toys. The franchise essentially became a household name, with many still considering it the very definition of the phrase "video games."
It's not just Doom that has paid tribute to the influential game. Before it turned 42, a YouTuber created their own working Pac-Man maze within Minecraft, only with a bit of a twist. In this version, it was the player who took on the role of the ghost characters that would be chased by the titular pill-gobbling sphere. It ended up being almost like a horror version of the classic arcade release.
What the Pineapple Under The Sea team has done is show that there is still a lot of love for Doom modding. With id Software due to start on its next project soon, there's hope that there will soon be a brand-new entry in the long-running first-person series. If not that, then maybe a new Quake game or a reboot of some kind will emerge. In any case, fans of innovative FPS games will no doubt be excited to hear what the studio will come up with next.
Doom 2 was originally released for PC in 1994 and has since received several ports.