Doom

Doom is a landmark first-person shooter video game franchise that debuted in 1993, created by id Software and originally designed by John Carmack, John Romero, and their team. The original Doom revolutionized gaming with its fast-paced demon-slaying action, pioneering 3D graphics engine, and influential multiplayer capabilities. The franchise has maintained cultural significance for over three decades, spawning numerous sequels including critically acclaimed modern entries like Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal (2020). Doom is widely credited with popularizing the first-person shooter genre and has influenced countless games, earning its place as one of the most important video game franchises in history. The series follows a space marine, often called the Doom Slayer, battling hordes of demons from Hell across Mars facilities, Earth, and otherworldly dimensions.

Within the pinball community, Doom has emerged as a frequently mentioned candidate for adaptation to pinball, with enthusiasts citing it as an obvious choice for a video game themed machine that would hit a nostalgia sweet spot. Discussion on pinball forums has positioned Doom alongside other major video game properties as potentially untapped intellectual properties for the pinball industry. Community members have noted that while video games like Doom contributed to the decline of arcades in the 1990s, those same games now carry nostalgic value for players who left arcades during that era, making them potentially appealing pinball themes for that demographic. The franchise is specifically mentioned as a big intellectual property candidate that could work well in pinball format.

Doom would translate effectively to pinball through multiple design elements that align naturally with the medium. The visual aesthetic offers rich possibilities, from the iconic demon designs and hellish environments to the industrial Mars base settings and the distinctive Doom Slayer armor, all of which could be rendered as playfield art, backglass imagery, and physical toys. Gameplay mechanics could mirror the video game's fast-paced action through rapid ball movement, demon target banks representing enemy waves, and progression systems similar to those used in games like Venom where players rank up and unlock abilities. The weapons arsenal from the games, including the Super Shotgun, BFG 9000, and Chainsaw, could inspire shot combinations and special modes. Perhaps most compellingly, Doom features one of the most recognizable soundtracks in gaming history, with Mick Gordon's heavy metal compositions from recent entries and the memorable MIDI metal tracks from the original games providing an intense audio backdrop that would enhance the pinball experience. The franchise's straightforward premise of fighting demons combined with its deep gameplay systems offers designers flexibility to create both accessible and complex rule sets that could appeal to casual players and pinball enthusiasts alike.