They just don’t make shooters like they used to, and there’s a reason.

Scratch that — there are several reasons. Games such as Wolfenstein 3D and Doom are justly regarded as bona fide classics, but nearly two decades have passed since they blasted onto the gaming scene, and the genre they were so instrumental in creating has evolved and advanced considerably. Poland’s NoWay Studio doesn’t seem to care, though. With C.O.R.E., the studio’s debut release for the Nintendo DS, it has tossed evolution aside for an old-school design that, while quite nostalgic, feels a tad anachronistic.

The story begins in 2028, when a massive meteor slams into the desolate sands of California’s Mojave Desert. Strange reports of radiation emanating from the site prompt a scientific investigation, and a subterranean lab is built beneath the location. One day, all communications with the facility suddenly cease — that’s where you come in. As military operative Jason Crane, you must investigate the C.O.R.E. and, ultimately, survive what it’s become.

Gamers nurtured on Doom, in particular, should feel comfortable exploring the C.O.R.E. given its similarities to id Software’s seminal 1993 shooter. Yet to say C.O.R.E. is similar to Doom significantly understates just how closely the two are related. Rather than borrow ideas from Doom, C.O.R.E. seems content to copy them — the labyrinthine designs of its levels, the hunts for color-coded keycards and enemy combat feel lifted directly from Doom. Even Crane’s grunts, deep-throated man-noises he makes when taking enemy fire, sound like audio files taken from Doom’s cutting room floor.

This copy-cat design yields a few problems. C.O.R.E. tunes out nearly two decades of shooter refinements to stubbornly stick to an old-school formula, a philosophical approach which would’ve been limiting enough. Yet C.O.R.E. exacerbates its predictability by offering virtually no ideas of its own, and the game feels not only quite outdated because of it, but also unimaginative.

C.O.R.E. isn’t without a few charms, however. As hackneyed as its design and mechanics may seem, they’re implemented well enough to supply FPS fans yearning for a shooter on the DS a few hours of old-school enjoyment, mostly derived from C.O.R.E.’s accurate controls and multiplayer modes.

Original? No, but at least they’re lifted from games other than Doom.

Use the directional pad to move, use the L button to fire and use the touch screen to aim — they induce more hand cramping than deficient potassium levels, but they’ve become standard controls for DS shooters for a reason. They’re accurate to the pixel, and C.O.R.E. is much better because of it.

The game’s biggest selling point, however, is its multiplayer modes. Up to four players can connect wirelessly for C.O.R.E.’s three multiplayer options. Team arena, capture the flag and a classic death match mode are included, and only one copy of C.O.R.E. is required. NoWay Studio didn’t include an online multiplayer mode, unfortunately, but the game’s single-card local multiplayer is a solid replacement and easily the highlight of C.O.R.E. But accurate controls and friendly frag-fests can only cover so many scars, and adding to derivative design, this C.O.R.E. has a few more bad seeds.

There are eight weapons to use, but none are particularly satisfying to fire. Early in the game, I was happy to find a shotgun, but I was disappointed by how slow the weapon fired and how weak it seemed. The fact that enemies won’t react to your bullets, no matter where your crosshairs are aimed, can also turn shooting into a game of guesswork — am I hitting him or not?

The game runs on a decent 3D engine for the Nintendo DS. The levels are dark, and the game’s narrow corridors convey a claustrophobic atmosphere to match the mood and setting. There is such a thing as too dark, however, and utterly void of color and light, C.O.R.E. walks close to that boundary. Its darkness issue is made more dire by the most frustrating aspect of the game — C.O.R.E. doesn’t offer a map. Not even a bad one. The levels can feel huge, and comprised of branching hallways, the game’s dark and grey surroundings can be indistinguishable. Expect to become disoriented and wander aimlessly until, by chance, you find the correct door or corridor, a problem that leaves you shamelessly begging for even a crude map.

It would’ve been easier to recommend C.O.R.E. had it released 15 years ago, as the game adheres, without alteration or additions, to an antiquated formula too old-fashioned for its own good. Yet the core of a decent shooter is in tact — no pun intended — and gamers who yearn to relive the good ol’ days of unrefined shooters may enjoy C.O.R.E., albeit only moderately. 

Provided they find the red keycard first.

Gameplay: 6.5
C.O.R.E. employs the same smooth, accurate touch controls as the best shooters on the platform, but the combat isn’t as satisfying as it should be. It’s also easy to become disoriented in the game’s indistinguishable halls.

Graphics: 6.0
The game runs on an adequate 3D engine, given the platform. The colors are too dark, however, and character design leaves much to be desired.

Sound: 5.0
Generic hard rock. Is Korn playing a free show inside the C.O.R.E.?

Difficulty: Hard
Keeping with the old-school traditions to which it clings, C.O.R.E. is a very tough game made more difficult by occasionally cheap enemy placement.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Easily the highlight of the package, C.O.R.E. includes several multiplayer options, all of which support single-card wireless play for up to four players. No online mode is included, unfortunately, but its local multiplayer is solid.

Concept: 7.0
I like the idea of a classic Doom and Wolfenstein-inspired FPS throwback, but C.O.R.E. ignores the refinements the genre has experienced since.

Overall: 6.0
C.O.R.E. is a bumpy trip down memory lane, an unrefined copy of seminal shooters from decades passed. It’s nostalgic, but it also feels anachronistic, a decent-but-outdated FPS that feels too old-fashioned for its own good.