ENG: How to beat Wolfenstein 3D? It was an arduous task. But it not only surpassed it, it eclipsed it. Gone were the repetitive and labyrinthine scenarios, the Nazis, the scores and the lives. DOOM came to change all that. The scenarios are much more detailed and more changing: from space bases to hell itself. What generates that we do not get lost and gives a great atmosphere to the game. And if we leave the castle to go to other places, so should the enemies. Enough Nazis and dogs, now the important thing is demons, aliens, possessed humans, whatever it is, there is a greater number of enemies with their respective abilities and weaknesses. And finally, who cares about scores? You're here to kill bugs, period. Lives are also over; unconscionable punishment. But beware, that doesn't make this game easy. Not even for a moment.

For all these reasons, it is not surprising that there have been, and still are, the famous "DOOM clones" and there have never been "Wolfenstein clones", or at least not so many and so popular. So many things made DOOM the almost perfect game. And you know what was missing? I'll tell you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsfjHCFosw&ab_channel=JimDarkMagic

ESP: ¿Cómo superar a Wolfenstein 3D? Era una ardua tarea. Pero no solo lo superó, lo eclipsó. Atrás quedaron los escenarios repetitivos y laberínticos, los nazis, los puntajes y las vidas. DOOM vino a cambiar todo eso. Los escenarios son muchísimo más detallados y más cambiantes: desde bases espaciales hasta el infierno mismo. Lo que genera que no nos perdamos y le otorga una gran ambientación al juego. Y si abandonamos el castillo para ir a otros lugares, por ende los enemigos también deberían hacerlo. Basta de nazis y perros, ahora lo importante son los demonios, extraterrestres, humanos poseídos, fuere lo que fuere plantea una mayor cantidad de enemigos con sus respectivas habilidades y debilidades. Y por último, ¿a quién le importan los puntajes? Acá estás para matar bichos y punto. También se terminaron las vidas; castigo desmedido. Pero ojo, que no por ello este juego se hace fácil. Ni por un momento.

Por todo lo dicho, no es de extrañar que hayan, y sigan existiendo, los famosos "DOOM clones" y nunca hayan existido los "Wolfenstein clones", o al menos no tantos y tan populares. Tantas cosas hicieron que DOOM fuera el juego casi perfecto ¿Y saben que era lo que faltaba? Yo se los digo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsfjHCFosw&ab_channel=JimDarkMagic

ENG: Well this is going to be a quick review so listen up: the new weapons and enemies are GOOD, the now considerably larger levels are PASSABLE, and yes, if it weren't for the "Hell on Earth" subtitle absolutely no one would know that this DOOM takes place on earth.

ESP: Bueno esta va a ser una review rapida así que escuchen: las nuevas armas y enemigos están BIEN, los niveles, ahora considerablemente más grandes están PASABLES, y sí, sino fuera por el subtítulo "Hell on Earth" absolutamente nadie se enteraría que este DOOM tiene lugar en la tierra.

ENG: The year is 1997. At id Software, without John Romero due to creative disputes with John Carmack, the launch of Quake II is being prepared. Quake II had only the name, since the lovecraftian aesthetics was replaced with a militaristic-futuristic aesthetics and the soundtrack went from being ambient with industrial horror touches to heavy metal. It sold well, but had mixed reviews.

None of this matters... much, though. I'm just commenting on it to sort of follow up with my Duke Nukem 3D review. Or if it matters... at all. And the thing is, even though Doom was a thing of the past for id Software, it wasn't for many people. Duke Nukem 3D was not the last gasp of a class of technologically outdated games.

The year is 1997. Blood is released by Monolith Productions.

If Duke Nukem 3D was the next step in terms of Doom-style FPS, Blood was the refinement of that formula.

Blood has, mainly, two things that make it stand out from the rest: the weapons and the setting. It's true that Duke Nukem 3D already had some curious weapons compared to its predecessor, Doom. However, it was Blood who took this topic to its maximum expression: a pack of dynamite, an aerosol can, a flare gun, a voodoo doll, among so many others that I forget. On the other hand, the setting. If Duke Nukem 3D was an ode to Hollywood action movies of the 80s, Blood was an ode to Hollywood horror movies of any era. It is not a horror game per se, because it is still a frenetic FPS of its time, and yet, thanks to its setting, it gives a very different feeling to what we were accustomed to the FPS of those times.

Caleb is the protagonist of this story... a story that doesn't matter much, I know. But what does matter, just like in Duke Nukem 3D, is the protagonist. Duke is mocking and ironic. But a good guy at the end of the day, his mission is to save the world. Caleb, on the other hand, is sadistic and ruthlessly sarcastic. His mission is not to save the world. He's involved in a personal crusade and doesn't mind killing civilians. Where the voice acting was comical in Duke's character, it is also comical in Caleb, only in a more perverse and cruel way.

Blood isn't perfect, as much as I'd like it to be. Like Duke Nukem 3D, maybe it wears a little thin at the end.

Despite that, Caleb lives, again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svzMK33PMUk&ab_channel=KurtHecticJukebox.

ESP: El año es 1997. En id Software, ya sin John Romero debido a disputas creativas con John Carmack, se prepara el lanzamiento de Quake II. Que de Quake tenía solo el nombre, puesto que la estética lovecraftiana se reemplazo con una estética militarista-futurista y el soundtrack pasó de ser ambiental con toques terroríficos industriales a ser un heavy metal bien pesado. Vendió bien, pero tuvo críticas mixtas.

Aunque nada de esto importa... mucho. Solo lo comento para hacer una suerte de seguimiento con mi reseña de Duke Nukem 3D. O si importa... algo. Y es que, aunque en id Software Doom ya era pasado pisado, para mucha gente no. Duke Nukem 3D no fue el último suspiro de una clase de juegos desfasados tecnológicamente.

El año es 1997. Blood sale a la venta por Monolith Productions.

Si Duke Nukem 3D era el siguiente paso en cuestión a FPS estilo Doom, Blood era el refinamiento de esa formula.

Blood tiene, principalmente, dos cosas que lo hacen destacar del resto: las armas y la ambientación. Es verdad que Duke Nukem 3D ya tenía armas cuanto menos curiosas en comparación con su predecesor, Doom. Sin embargo, fue Blood quien llevó este tópico a su máxima expresión: un paquete de dinamita, una lata de aerosol, una pistola de bengalas, un muñeco vudú, entre tantos otros que me olvido. Por otra parte, la ambientación. Si Duke Nukem 3D era una oda a las películas de acción hollywoodenses de los 80s, Blood lo era a las películas de terror de hollywoodenses de cualquier época. No es un juego de terror per se, debido a que sigue siendo un FPS frenético propio de su tiempo, y aun así, gracias a su ambientación, da una sensación muy distinta a la que nos tenían acostumbrados los FPS de esos tiempos.

Caleb es el protagonista de esta historia... historia que no importa mucho, ya se. Pero lo que si importa, al igual que en Duke Nukem 3D, es el protagonista. Duke es burlón e irónico. Pero un buen tipo a final de cuentas, su misión es salvar al mundo. En cambio, Caleb es sádico y despiadadamente sarcástico. Su misión no es salvar al mundo. Está envuelto en una cruzada personal y no le importa matar cíviles. Donde la actuación de voz era cómica en el personaje de Duke, en Caleb también lo es, solo que de una manera más perversa y cruel.

Blood no es perfecto, por mucho que me gustaría que lo fuera. Al igual que Duke Nukem 3D, a lo mejor al final se va desgastando un poco.

Pero que mierda digo, yo voy a seguir con Caleb, caretas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svzMK33PMUk&ab_channel=KurtHecticJukebox.

ENG: The year is 1996. At id Software they were already thinking of Doom as part of the past. The advent of Quake was imminent, which would have as its main feature the use of real 3D, unlike what was previously shown in Doom which used two-dimensional sprites for certain objects and monsters, among other gimmicks.

Quake sold very well. It was a success without a doubt and its legacy is undeniable. However, for many people, the great FPS of 1996 is nothing more than.... A shooter more like Doom than Quake? Did people not see the future and preferred to stick with what they already knew?

Let me explain. While it is true that Quake revolutionized the genre with its advanced technology for the time, the reality is that for many people the final taste was bittersweet. The terrifying Lovecraftian aesthetics, the music made by Trent Reznor himself that accompanied that feeling, and the predominant use of brown and gray colors, were not to everyone's liking.

Duke Nukem 3D, released a few months earlier by 3D Realms, was nothing of the sort.

With the engine created by Ken Silverman, Build Engine, Duke Nukem 3D was not just another Doom clone. It was the next step. Our protagonist, Duke, was a 100% stereotype of the Hollywood action movies of the 80s. And now we had a character that spoke and reacted to the environment, an environment that now provided believable places with details that the id Tech engine would only dare to dream of. In short, this game stood out for its interactivity with the world around it. It was a game that felt alive. And that was something that neither Doom nor Quake were.

With all that said, it seems that I hate Doom and Quake and Duke Nukem 3D seems to me the Holy Grail of Video Games. Nothing could be further from the truth, id Software games have their own merits that I already mentioned in my reviews of them, and Duke Nukem 3D is not perfect, as much as I would like it to be. The second episode has no place on earth, something that made this game special and by the end it's wearing a bit thin at best.

Despite that, Hail to the King, baby!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHnPUgHaltw&ab_channel=RedDragonPalace

ESP: El año es 1996. En id Software pensaban ya en Doom como parte del pasado. El advenimiento de Quake era inminente, este tendría como característica principal el uso de 3D real, a diferencia de lo mostrado anteriormente en Doom el cual usaba sprites bidimensionales para ciertos objetos y monstruos, entre otras artimañas.

Quake vendió muy bien. Fue un éxito sin duda alguna y su legado es innegable. Sin embargo, para mucha gente, el gran FPS de 1996 no es más que... ¿Duke Nukem 3D? ¿Un shooter más parecido a Doom que a Quake? ¿Acaso la gente no veía el futuro y prefería quedarse con lo ya conocido?

Déjenme explicarles. Si bien es verdad que Quake revolucionó el género con su avanzada tecnología para la época, la realidad es que para mucha gente el sabor final fue agridulce. La estética lovecraftiana tan terrorífica, la música hecha por el mismísimo Trent Reznor que acompañaba esa sensación, y el predominante uso de los colores marrones y grises, no fueron del gusto de todos.

Duke Nukem 3D, lanzado unos pocos meses antes por 3D Realms, no era nada de eso.

Con el motor creado por Ken Silverman, Build Engine, Duke Nukem 3D no era un clon más del Doom. Era el siguiente paso. Nuestro protagonista, Duke, era un estereotipo al 100% de las películas de acción hollywoodenses de los 80s. Y es que ahora teníamos a un personaje que hablaba y reaccionaba al entorno, entorno que ahora propiciaba lugares creíbles con detalles que el motor id Tech solo se atrevería soñar. En definitiva, este juego se destacaba por su interactividad para con el mundo que lo rodeaba. Era un juego que se sentía vivo. Y eso era algo que no eran ni Doom ni Quake.

Con todo lo dicho, parece que detesto a Doom y a Quake y Duke Nukem 3D me parece el Santo Grial de los Videojuegos. Nada más lejos de la realidad, los juegos de id Software tienen sus propios méritos que ya mencioné en mis reseñas de los mismos, y Duke Nukem 3D no es perfecto, por mucho que me gustaría que lo fuera. El segundo episodio no tiene lugar en la tierra, cosa que hacía especial a este juego y al final se va desgastando un poco a lo mejor.

Pero que mierda digo, yo voy a seguir con Duke, caretas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHnPUgHaltw&ab_channel=RedDragonPalace

ENG: Compilation of dreams and fantasies. Nothing more and nothing less. Pure ramblings. There will be those who do not like it, I consider it a most extravagant experience. It must also be said that it wouldn't be the same experience if it weren't for the low poly aesthetics so typical of the PSX.

ESP: Recopilatorio de sueños y fantasías. Nada más y nada menos. Puras divagaciones. Habrá a quien le sepa a poco, yo lo considero un ejercicio de lo más extravagante. También hay que decir que no sería la misma experiencia sino fuera por la estética de bajos polígonos tan propia de la PSX.

The more I play 3rd Strike, the more I realize how central parries are to its design, and how fundamental of a misstep it was for every fighting game after this not to copy that mechanic. Every main series Street Fighter entry has its universal gimmick mechanic, but SFIII is the one that went beyond being a gimmick and really changes the core gameplay.

The concept is simple enough to understand, holding back to block is the safest option in most every fighting game, but if you guess the timing of your opponent's attack and press forward at just the right time instead, you're rewarded with one of the most satisfying sound effects known to man, and turn the tables on your opponent putting you into an advantage state. This is carefully balanced however to not be an automatic win state, and introduces a whole new set of mixup opportunities. The difficulty of getting a parry is very carefully balanced as well, anyone picking up the game can get some their first time playing and you'll immediately realized how cool it is, but it's still difficult enough to do consistently that you can't just parry everything all the time. One of the beautiful things this mechanic does is level the playing field. In a lot of ways, 3rd Strike has incredibly imbalanced characters, and at a top level that is actually true, but for most the difference between Chun-Li and Sean or Twelve can be overcome with a good read on your opponent's habits. Parries also help to encourage aggression and varied playstyles, things that almost everyone likes but knows deep down aren't the winning answer in most fighters. I'm not joking at all when I say I think every fighting game should have shamelessly copied this.

People have already discussed the other great aspects of this game, from the top notch animations, to the personality and variety of the characters and their toolkits, to the amazing soundtrack and sound design in general, but I wanted to draw some attention to why I think parries are what truly sets this game apart and has given it staying power where it might otherwise have faded into relative obscurity.