The majority of video game are aware of just how influential the original Doom games were, not just to the first-person shooter genre, but to the video game industry as a whole. As such, the bustling Doom modding community spans around the world, often creating amazing mods for both Doom and Doom 2 that completely change the titles. One new mod in particular has fans of the series talking, and for a pretty ridiculous reason.
The franchise's most recent entry, Doom Eternal, is coming up on its one year anniversary. Bethesda and id Software's popular FPS title has continued to receive high praise since its March 2020 launch. Getting near-perfect reviews from a myriad of outlets, the demon-slaying, metal-blasting shooter has made more than $450 million since launch day. However, the mod in question comes from 1994's Doom 2.
The mod comes from the established modder The Kinsie. Detailed in a post on Twitter, Kinsie shows viewers an eight-second clip of the game's Cacodemons. These are by no means normal Cacodemons, however. Showing a group of about four of the (usually) floating enemy, it's revealed that they've all been given legs. And not just any legs, but the legs belonging to Nintendo mascot Super Mario, denim pants, brown shoes and all. In addition to the ludicrous visual, it appears that the mod includes the accompanying audio of Mario's footsteps. Likely stemming from Super Mario 64, the elements combine into a viewing experience that is nothing short of outright ridiculous.
While the combination of the two franchises in this instance is likely intended purely for humor, it's not the first time someone has modded the two games together. Last September, a modder by the moniker of p3st revealed a Super Mario 64 mod that turns the game into Doom. An aesthetic overhaul for the classic N64 game, the mod replaces textures around Peach's Castle with Doom ones and turns the soundtrack into versions of classic Doom songs using Super Mario 64 noises. Interestingly, while most of the enemies remain the expected ones, such as Goombas and Bob-ombs, Boos have been replaced with Cacodemons, creating somewhat of a curious parallel.
While there are near-countless Doom mods that have been created over the years, this one ranks among the most ridiculous. The juxtaposition of one of Doom's most identifiable demons with the cartoony legs of Mario is extremely funny (or nightmare-inducing, depending on who's asked) and will likely heavily circulate the internet for at least the near future.
While Doom mods can be found practically everywhere, they can wildly vary in quality and functionality. Players looking for mods for the game that are true to its spirit need look no further than Doom co-creator John Romero's unofficial mod, which adds nine new challenging levels to the original game that started it all.