Deimos: Slight Return (DEIMOS-V.WAD)

Rex Claussen released Deimos: Slight Return shortly after the Persecution Complex's remodeling of his Phobos Revisited (The Phobos Directive). Slight Return is the sequel to his 2004 Cacoward-winner, this time remaking Doom's second episode in his particular style. Ever the voodoo chile, he's resurrected the essentials of The Shores of Hell, but changing some of the elements - reordering progression, altering and adding secrets, or creating brand new sections to level layouts.

Run Buddy (RUNBUDDY.WAD)

RUN BUDDY
by Michael Krause

Run Buddy is a single WAD by Michael Krause, replacing Doom II's MAP03. Made for the more recent (at the time) Boom engine, it's a very large map, though its population of 400-plus monsters fails to fill it out to any significant degree. It's not a bad thing, it just gives the level a remarkably different air compared to other works. The overall picture to me is like a well-manicured virtual playground, more abstract game than any stab at a facsimile of reality. It's very cool with vast, impressive architecture, worthy of slaughterfests a la Hell Revealed but tastefully outfitted with a monster arrangement more suited to the skills of the average Doomer.

Khorus's Speedy Shit (KSSHT.WAD)

Khorus took his Speedy Shit on Doomworld near the tail end of 2011. He didn't win man of the ure, but he clenched his Cacoward in little more than a month. KSSHT is a megaWAD for Doom II, composed of 32 small, tough nuggets. Don't let Khorus's diarrhetic stream of maps fool you – there's an assload of solid material here, full compatible with Chocolate Doom. These levels cover a broad variety of themes, like sewers, ruins, and cityscapes, before dumping the player into the hot, steaming bowels of Hell in the last turd.

Tantrum (TANTRUM.WAD)

TANTRUM
by Ola Björling

Tantrum is Ola Björling's earliest available map, finished late '95 but released in '96. Tantrum enjoyed a sequel, of course, the 1998 Cacoward-winning Tantrum 2, and as someone noted on the archives, Tantrum is basically the PG-rated version with no nudity, no gore, and very little swearing (on both ends). It's a MAP01 replacement for Doom II in a brick and metal style, opening in a little marble chapel. For all the world, it reminds me of something John Anderson would make. Except, you know, not quite as polished.

The Phobos Directive (PHOBOS-G.PK3)

Rex Claussen released Phobos Revisited in 2004. Yet another E1 remake, it was praised for its fidelity to the source material. The 2004 Cacowards singled the episode out for its vanilla compatibility, which I find funny, because in 2011 Claussen and the rest of The Persecution Complex put their heads together and released The Phobos Directive, an E1-styled episode for GZDoom. It's not exactly a remastering of PR; while it's clear Claussen did a GL pass over his original maps, adding lots of eye candy, he's added vast new areas with heavy 3D geometry (usually secret annexes). Remodeling seems more like the word I want to use.

Doomed Dejá Vu (DDEJAVU.WAD)

DOOMED DEJÁ VU
by Kimmo "Jimi" Kumpulainen

Doomworld forum superstar Jimi released this gem alongside Doom's 17th birthday. It's a pastiche of the areas in Doom he found the most memorable (with cameos from Heretic and Hexen), rendered in Doom II, with the difficulty dialed up. It's kind of like a "good parts" version of the original three episodes, unless your idea of fond remembrance doesn't include like a hojillion arch-viles, revenants, and other Hellspawn. Seriously, you have your work cut out for you, at least on UV. As you can imagine, the map loosely follows the structure of the original Doom narrative, beginning in a techbase and ending in the heart of Hell.

Jenesis (JENESIS.WAD)

Jenesis is another one-man megaWAD released in 2011 after a long development cycle. It's for Doom II, playing in Boom-compatible source ports. Doomworld forum superstar James "Jimmy" Paddock released the megaWAD at three different stages, adding more maps and replacing the finale each time. The final product marks the tale of a space marine dispatched to the familiar locale of Phobos to deal with a demonic invasion. You'll have to fight your way across the moon, make your way to Deimos (again), and take the UAC teleporter there into Hell, where you will once again do battle with that jerk, Baphomet. You'd think they'd learn, really. How many times has Hell's invasion been stopped? You'd almost be better off warring against the dimension itself...

ALOHA4U2 (ALOHA4U2.WAD)

ALOHA4U2
by Alamain

Believe it or not, Alamain (a mapper since '94) continues to sporadically release maps for Doom, with ALOHA4U2 (for Doom II) showing up on the archives in 2011. Actually, there was a flurry of bugfix releases; 4U2 is the final version, with the others being removed. It's...pretty much what you'd expect, really. Alamain rarely mixes monster types, as is his style, though there are a few exceptions. ALOHA4U2 is very large, somewhat mazy, and very brown, with very little detailing. Actually, there's been some care to line some parts of the map with some flair, but there's hardly any eye candy.

ALOHA999 (ALOHA999.WAD)

ALOHA999 is an 8-map replacement for the second episode of the original Doom. Alamain, its creator, promises violence, danger, and no secrets, excising E2M9 entirely. What he delivers is, eh, competent in terms of geometric layout, but he generally fails to keep me excited. First and foremost, you will rarely encounter more than one monster type at a time. With a few exceptions, each room / area houses an enemy selection as bland as the accompanying detailing, which really drags down the overall excitement.

Voodoo Guns (VG.WAD)

VOODOO GUNS
by Alexander "Eternal" S. aka "Deadall"

Voodoo Guns is the most recent original release by Russia's favored son. It's a Doom II minisode in two parts for GL engines (GLBoom, GZDoom and, in the near future, Risen3D). Eternal has thrown together some never-was hybrid of American Western and steampunk, looking pretty creepy with all the gas-mask wearing portraits, not to mention the soundtrack from American McGee's Alice. There's no given story; I can only assume that the player's character is the sole survivor of some supernatural event. He wakes up on a still-moving train that arrives at a seemingly-deserted city. Exploration uncovers a sinister presence bent on your annihilation. You'll have to fight your way out or get put six feet under.