Tayutayu (TAYUTAYU.WAD)

In my review of ICARUMEM I mentioned the idea of further galactic adventures in the vein of Memfis's MEM_OLD1. Tayutayu may not use the Icarus: Alien Vanguard texture set but it is another level on an interstellar station which makes it pretty cool in my book. Like his old space base it's also for the original Doom, occupying E1M1 and E1M2. This minisode was explicitly tested in PrBoom-plus but the parameters suggest that it ought to work just fine in any limit-removing source port. It was soft-released to various forums in early 2012 but was not uploaded until his great archive dump of 2014.

If the title seems inscrutable then, relax! It has nothing to do with the content. Memfis specifies in the .TXT that Tayutayu, like Menkui, is another hentai magazine. The actual setting is supposed to be Ukraine's first space station. The UAC logo on the various doors and crates has been altered, removing the "C". I guess that the demons don't take kindly to any aerospace aspirations. It isn't clear whether you're meant to be the sole survivor or something like a first responder, perhaps part of the clean-up crew. The base is infested with lurching undead and even the occasional hellspawn so you've got your work cut out for you.

Some aspects of Tayutayu are common to most of Memfis's catalogue, especially when considering these episode-starters that make up so much of his work. The ammo balance is tight if you waste shotgun shells on plain zombies. Pistol-sniping the undead will generally work in your favor. You can't afford to take too much damage, though, because there is very little health in either level and hitscanner attrition is a real threat when extending encounter time with the starter gun. The author applies a multitude of minor height variations. The consistent band gives the playing space a flat feel but you have stairs to climb up and even sprinting across gaps to utilize thee-dimensional space.

The most distinct aspect of Tayutayu's design is the attention spent to lighting. You don't feel it so much in the first level but the atmosphere of E1M2 is top-notch, echoing the contrast seen in 2011's Kurogane. It's slightly undercut by the arcade, almost dorky music choice but it works great given the sporadic use of spectres. It's a dark map; I can think of several instances where other monsters appeared to materialize out of the shadows. The only thing conspicuously absent from E1M2 is any sort of dynamic lighting effect. These sorts of features - blinking or strobing lights - give life to a scene after all of the beasties are dead.

It's cool to see Memfis take another crack at the space station idea. Granted, I'd like to see larger stuff with neat architectural setpieces a la Beware of False Prophets. It's a quick and enjoyable play, though, and has some really smart design decisions.

TAYUTAYU

by "Memfis"

E1M1

A cute, constrained pod on a space base. The texture theme is gray and UAC blue and looks pretty sharp contrasting against the starry void. The ceiling window is a nice way to work sky into the interstellar look. Combat involves pistol vs. zombies and imps. You don't want to blow your shells on plain ol' troopers, of course. Playing fast is risky considering just how little health there is against the hitscanners. Being able to look at the next station component is a neat touch.

E1M2

Drawing out the theme to build on its promise. This larger take has greater height variation, found in the "U"-shaped atrium and several gap-sprinting segments. It also has a handful of optional areas to explore. There's no risk in acquiring the green armor but the chainsaw fight packed the single biggest punch of the entire set. The monsters still come in dribs and drabs but Memfis debuts spectres, here, and they blend in well with the moody, painstaking lighting. The static sourcing adds a lot of character to the setting but there are no blinking bulbs or anything to make the station breathe. A fast, fun blastathon. You'll be swimming in shells by the time you finish!

TWO OF A PERFECT PAIR