It’s Doom. The real Doom. On the iPhone. Excited? Well, Doom doesn’t have a great record when it comes to portable versions. The GBA version was certainly a technical achievement, but the controls were pretty horrible. I didn’t get on with it very well on the PSP either. Or, for that matter, the Playstation, if we’re including home console versions. The only versions I really rate are the original PC version and the 360 conversion.


So, how does the iPhone version rate? Well, to my mind, it comes a comfortable third. The default controls are horrible – no strafing! – but the middle control option, with visible controls turned off and auto-use turned on transforms the game from a barely-playable mess into the best portable version of Doom I’ve ever played. It’s not quite as smooth as the 360 or PC versions, but it’s surprisingly close. I’ve certainly made my way through the first episode and most of episode two on the default difficulty without any problems.

This is the game I’ve spent most time with over the last few days. It’s finally, after all these years, a great handheld version of Doom and the bizarrely ugly front end and weird default controls don’t change that.

Brilliant. And maybe enough for Doom to reclaim the title of Best Game of All Time from recent upstart Grand Theft Auto IV.