Demo Recording Recommendation #7: Iditarod Map02
Download Iditarod here | Nomonsters Demo (Speed Route)
Nomonsters Demo (Max Route) | My best UV Speed run so far

     Game mode: Doom 2; Map02.
     Executable: No port needed.
     Recommended Categories: UV Speed (or: UV Max, UV Fast Max or maybe NM).
     Difficulty Rating: 4 (Health is a problem, and some tricky jumps; Max is easier).
     Par Times: UV Speed: 1:25; UV Max: 3:00.
     Impressive Times: UV Speed: 1:05; UV Max: 2:20.

     After last week's marathon map, here is a short quick one, but Iditarod Map02 should be tricky enough to get you swearing quite loudly.

     Iditarod is a ten-level wad by T. Elliott Cannon (aka Myscha the Sled Dog). He made a number of high-quality wads in the mid-1990s before getting a job in the gaming industry, where he worked on such games as Unreal. His contributions to Unreal included ISV-Kran Decks 1-4, Chizra - Nali Water God Temple, The Ceremonial Chambers and Bluff Eversmoking - all fantastic works of art, IMO (click here if you need a memory-jog).
     I was considering several of Myscha's other maps for this DRR before opting for this one. The others on the shortlist were Odyssey Map05 (nice, but a bit linear, and UV Max is the only category I felt I could recommend) and Diabolos (I found a fairly simple trick to make UV Speed a lot faster than UV Max, but had major problems trying to run the map quickly without dying - it "needs more work"...). The only serious glitch I found in Myscha's wads was in Odyssey Map02, where the exit switch can be pressed immediately ("w00t! Check out my 1337 0:00 NM Pacifist Reality demo!!!11!!").
     Iditarod's ten maps are all nice to play, and quite demo-friendly, though most of the later maps are rather large and have some tricky puzzles (switches, jumping, timing, etc.). Here we shall focus on Map02, which is fairly small, but nevertheless offers quite a challenge.
     The main problem you will face in this map is low health. Early on, there are plenty of lead-slinging enemies around you, a close encounter with a bunch of spectres, and a couple of cacos that need careful handling.
     My principal recommendation is UV Speed. I have found a nice route through the later stages that makes it possible to get the time quite close to 1 minute (who knows, it might even go under a minute). The first important point is the jump across from the lowering platform just after the red-key door (first screenshot). It's not a difficult jump in itself, but the timing needs to be spot-on, and you will be under fire. Then there is another jump (second screenshot) across to the yellow key (easy as long as nothing gets in the way). Next you head for a little teleporter box. In reaching this teleporter, you have crossed a linedef that lowers the platform the BFG is on. You can ride this platform up, and thus reach the exit (using the yellow key you have just picked up). The two switches in the "hellish" cavern aren't needed at all.
     I mentioned that the two cacos need careful handling. This is, in particular, because they can block your way to the BFG, or else kill you as you pick it up. When you pick up the SSG, you have an important decision to make. If you stay on the high ground, the cacos will see you, and so move towards you. If you jump down, they won't. I think it is probably best to wake them. This does cause some problems in the short term, but means that they are far less likely to foul you up just before you exit, because they will be trapped on the other side of the red-key door.
     Regarding weapon use, I think it is best to skip the shotgun at the start - it is not worth the time, and the weapon-switching works against you if you do collect it. Use the pistol on the chaingunner, and them use his chaingun on the next few baddies until you get a shotgun. Change to the chaingun to tackle the demons, and as soon as you can, head for the lift to get you to the red-key area. That bit will be tricky, since you will have demons biting at you from behind, an imp in front of you, and a chain of exploding barrels to shoot. Once you get the SSG, you'll probably want to stay with that through the rest of the run, until you get the BFG - and you'll doubtless fire that as soon as you pick it up (third screenshot), for rather obvious reasons. :)
     It is quite a nice map for UV Max and UV Fast Max. Again, I think it is best (and probably essential for UV Fast Max) to use the chaingun on the spectres, and this means majoring on the shotgun for the other enemies early on. I think it is best in a Max run not to wake the two tricky cacos, since it will be quicker to kill them at close quarters with the SSG. You may still want to use the yellow key jump, especially since while you are on the raised area, you can collect the plasma gun and a few other things. Alternatively, you can make a run direct for the BFG: jump straight down to ground level from the lowering platform, head for the teleporter box, and then get the BFG. To get the yellow key (and all the other goodies), you will need to press the switch near the teleport's destination. On balance, the jump seems the better option in UV Max, but you don't need to abandon the run if you miss it. In UV Fast Max, I suspect the jump is just too risky, and you're better off using a cautious approach to pick off the monsters.
     Other categories? I can't quite imagine Tyson or Pacifist being feasible, but Nightmare! might just about be possible, but extremely difficult. You'd have a nice "ammo factory" early on, but health would be horribly tight.