03/07/2008 @20:31:17 ^23:09:56

Technician's Base Small and easy E2-ish themed base. Replaces E2M1. Might be better if more of the walls weren't parallel to the axes, it seems a bit square, somehow. Nearly every monster is an imp or a zombie, even on UV. However they are often in relatively large crowds, so it's fun! Should only take 5-10 minutes to play so you might as well.

One Sector Tag Concept Map Does exactly what it says on the tin. Theme is bricks and metal. Very short, quite easy, although not so that you feel invulnerable. Feels somewhat unfinished, not sure why it's in the archive actually. It's more like the kind of wad you see hosted on one of those horrible ad-ridden file upload sites, attached to the first post of a thread asking for similar contributions.

The Imp's Episode Starter Kit Another set of ExM1 remakes. Pretty much exactly the same as the originals only with more detail (can you say "Doombuilderisms"?) On E1M1 you start outside the base instead of just inside the first door, which was interesting, although it's all just scenery until you're back inside. The E3M1 here was previously released as The Imp's Keep. As before the map layout and gameplay is a bit too similar to the originals, but nevertheless, they're not bad and I kind of hope he carries on and remakes other maps.

Mortal Five large maps that roughly follow on from each other. This is most obvious in the first couple, where you return to the initial area of map01 at the end of map02. Looks like a set of decent mid-90s maps with various themes used across the levels. However the gameplay rather irritated me. For example: not much health and a lot of chaingunners and giving you essential equipment far too late. Map02 is a multi-level crate maze where monsters above you can shoot you but you can't hardly see them at all. Maybe the author is used to mouselook but I found this almost unplayable. The third map, an underground town/sewer, was much better, the fourth, a symmetric grid with 4 switches hidden randomly in it, less so (improving the monster teleporter would help) The final map is an outdoor canyon which was greatly promising but ultimately I felt too large to really be playable. Summary: Map03 was pretty good and Map05 if you like ridiculously oversized levels, I didn't care for the rest.

Finally, Castle Chezcrea was re-released with its infamous pickaxe puzzle replaced with something much more conventional. The pickaxe is still there and gets you into one of the secret areas, but I think now having picked up a yellow key next to it a new player might be even less likely to try pressing on the pickaxe... Still given how well-hidden some of the map's other secrets are, I suppose it fits.