Both the original Doom and Doom II has taught gamers that good level design is important for first-person shooters. The old Doom games have took players through many different locations to experience all the glory that the games have delivered. For this ranking list, I am taking 10 levels from all the official classic Doom games and pair them up to see which one is simply the most iconic out of them all. There are so many levels to choose from, so this will be a fun thing to rank upon. This ranking will start from the least to the most iconic official map of the classic Doom games.
MAP20: Gotcha! (Doom II)
The first one to mention is a level that certainly is memorable for a gimmick. That gimmick is where former creative director and level designer John Romero, who made Doom II’s MAP20, tries to scare off the player by forcing them to fight a Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind together. However, you can simply win the fight by forcing the two boss demons to fight each other. That is why the level is titled as “Gotcha!” Admittedly, this level isn’t quite my favorite from Romero or compared to other Doom II maps in general, but it is unique for its concept. There really are no other levels similar to MAP20 when looking at the batch of official maps, so it is simply iconic for its little gimmick at the start.
MAP11: Hunted (Final Doom/The Plutonia Experiment)
This next map is definitely the one that does have its fans and its haters. It’s the Archvile maze level from The Plutonia Experiment which is a map pack for Doom II. Final Doom did include two map packs of 32 levels when it was released during its inception back in 1996, but this map is certainly the one will hold up to many people’s memory while playing Final Doom. The level was certainly unique for its time, and just like Doom II’s MAP20, there are no other official maps that feel similar to it, so it does got that going for and it belongs a spot on this list.
MAP23: Barrels o’ Fun (Doom II)
Barrels o’ Fun has always been an interesting name title for a map, but it is also a name that definitely lives up to it. It’s a level where the player will be bumping into many barrels as an obstacle course, and the player must try to escape from them before the demons accidentally attack them and create a chain effect of explosions to kill the player. It’s also one of the more challenging levels due to the early start is jam packed with lots of demons that are hard hitting, and the difficulty is much higher if you choose to pistol start it. Just like the last two levels, it is definitely a level that’s heavily revolved around a gimmick, but it is fun to play and it will be a level you will remember for its experimental design. Before I rediscovered Doom II, I still had fond memories of playing this level during my childhood.
I feel so alone, gonna end up a big ol’ pile of them bones!
MAP32: Go 2 It (Final Doom/The Plutonia Experiment)
Now we are back into The Plutonia Experiment once again, and this time the level that gets mentioned is a secret one. It is certainly a level that is known for its difficulty and making the player dealing with a massive amount of monsters. That level is Go 2 It. The name is surely simple, but you’ll see surviving the level is not as simple as you think because it’s throwing tons of dangerous monsters towards the player like Cyberdemons, Archviles, and Mancubi.
Interestingly enough, the map is a remake and an extension of Doom II’s first level, but with way more monsters for you to kill. The map definitely deserves a spot for this list because it does feel like what a secret level should feel because none of the non-secret levels in Plutonia ever felt similar to the gameplay of Go 2 It. On top of that, this level is definitely a source of inspiration of fan favorite megawads like Hell Revealed and Alien Vendetta.
Video credit: tatsurdcacocaco.
MAP18: The Courtyard (Doom II)
I can’t help but say for those who enjoy levels that likes to throw the player an excessive amount of monsters and make the player be quick on their toes through the mist of chaos, Doom II’s MAP18 or The Courtyard is perhaps the originator of that sort of gameplay. Without a doubt, this map will certainly start throwing a large amount of enemies fairly fast and it does have some triggers that set off more traps to overwhelm the player by throwing even more monsters.
Luckily, as scary that may sound, there is a nearby Invulnerability to remind you that you have some sort of a safety net. That encounter is absolutely memorable for the large density of monsters because the original Doom never had any encounter that came close to that scope of intensity. It’s safe to say that without The Courtyard, levels like Go 2 It might not exist and it was certainly an influential level to those that want to play classic Doom while slaughtering many monsters with your trusty BFG-9000.
E1M8: Phobos Anomaly (Doom)
If you played the shareware episode of the original Doom, E1M8: Phobos Anomaly was the final level and it was the first time where the player encountered the Baron of Hell. Two of them actually, and the build up and suspense has always been a mesmerizing experience when you didn’t expect them. Not only that, the music track that’s being played also enhances that suspension for the player.
The level itself is a fairly short one because it is basically a level that’s more focused on fighting the two Barons of Hell as bosses which later on, they become a normal enemy. John Romero actually did release a level where he did his own reinterpretation of E1M8 while making the level more complex to take advantage of today’s hardware. This level is simply an iconic one for suspension and atmosphere, and the final section has always been an interesting way to end the map because the player is simply forced to die.
The Barons of Hell in DOOM 2016 is based on the old games!
E1M3: Toxin Refinery (Doom)
This level is certainly one of John Romero’s best tech base themed maps with lots of detailed rooms and taunting secrets that’ll force the player to figure out how to get them. The gameplay is also crowded with the right amount of monsters and some surprising traps to keep the player alerted. But the thing that makes this level iconic is simply it is the first level that will reward the player a secret level or a bonus stage if you’re patient enough to explore the nooks and crannies of the map. It’s also the first level that does reward the player with the rocket launcher too, and that weapon will be handy for the later levels. Overall, E1M3: Toxin Refinery is an excellent level with so many great design that truly makes it stand the test of time, but most importantly, iconic for the Doom series.
Ultra Violence difficulty really does increase the monster density.
MAP07: Dead Simple (Doom II)
This map has always been one of most memorable ones from Doom II, and it is a level that introduces you to two new enemies: the Mancubi and Arachnotrons. It’s a short, but sweet level and is all about the action. The moment you touch that switch, you’re already in combat and you’re basically close to half way to being done with the map. Despite MAP07: Dead Simple being a short map, it is also a map that has a great music track behind it which I remembered when I first played Doom II, I stayed in the level just to listen to it because it was just that good. If you’re into deathmatch, this map has always been a blast to play on by how chaotic it can get.
MAP08: Tricks and Traps (Doom II)
This level has always been one of my personal favorites while growing up, and it is without a doubt, an iconic one due to the brilliant design of tricking and trapping the player. Tricks and Traps is fairly self explanatory in its name, but it’s also backed by having rooms that feel different from each other from a gameplay perspective and it is a non linear level that does allow the player to play how they want to which makes this level massively replayable. Admittedly, playing this level from a pistol start isn’t as interesting compared to keeping your health, armor, and weapons from the previous levels, but it is a level that will feel timeless as Doom II gets older and it is easily one of the most iconic official maps.
Video credit: LY203Productions.
E1M1: Hangar (Doom)
E1M1: Hangar is certainly without a doubt the most iconic map in Doom. It’s the level that’s going to give the player what kind of game Doom is with its detailed tech base look and having rewarding secrets to help the player through the other maps. Its music track, “At Doom’s Gate” is going to immediately grab your attention by how catchy and energetic it is.
Hangar is also a fun deathmatch map that one can play with friends due to the map size is perfect for allowing the player to find items and find each other and kill them for the most kill count to win. If you play other first-person shooters, you’ll also notice many fans like to remake the map because it is simply that iconic. It may be a short and not that complex compared to other official maps, but it is the one that will give players a good first impression to grab them and help them progress deeper into the world of Doom.
That is my 10 picks of the most iconic classic Doom levels. I hope you found my reasons logical and interesting. Now, it’s time for me to get back into hell, and start ripping and tearing some demons.
