As the first video game to coin the term "Space Marine," Doom reinvented the first-person shooter genre of games and has appeared on nearly every video game system since the days of 16-bit. Now, the popular sequel Doom II arrives on the Game Boy Advance, courtesy of Activision.

Back to Basics

In an age of stealth tactics and motion-captured 3D characters, it's almost refreshing to see an FPS with strictly run-'n'-gun tactics. Strategy in Doom II never rises above "find red key to open red door" level, and it doesn't really need to.

Starting a new game will bring up the familiar difficulty levels, which range from "I'm Too Young to Die" to "Nightmare!" Controls should be familiar enough to anyone who's ever touched a FPS. Players must walk, run, strafe and outgun 17 different cyber-demons in an effort to save humanity.

Packing Heat

Your space marine can carry an arsenal of shotguns, handguns, chainsaws and the legendary BFD. You'll also have to navigate huge mazes filled with switches and secret doors which lead to bonus items and power-ups. Thankfully, all of the PC version's original levels remain intact, with minor visual differences here and there.

Impressively detailed texture maps cover every wall, ceiling and floor. The numerous demons can and often will pop out at you from any angle. It's only when the screen is filled with explosions and enemies that the frame-rate starts to lag a bit.

Bring Some Friends

Two players can link together for a cooperative game to tackle the story missions. Two to four players can compete in head-to-head death matches in which it's every marine for himself. Multiplayer action requires GBAs and Game Paks for every player and enough GBA Game Link cables to connect all systems.

What Once Was Old, Now Is New

Old-school FPS fans can relive their glory days with Doom II for the Game Boy Advance. New players should still check it out and see how it all began.