Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D is a video game that consists of 9 releases
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Overview
Wolfenstein 3D was created by iD Software and released on May 5, 1992. Wolf 3D, which was inspired by the 1980's games Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, is best known for popularizing the first-person shooter genre. Originally created for MS-DOS, the game has been ported to the Apple IIgs, Super Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, Atari Jaguar, 3DO, iPhone, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network.
The DOS version of this game was released as shareware, meaning a small portion of it could easily and legally be shared with many people. The shareware version contained the entire first episode of the game. The commercial version contained the first three episodes, as well as the three-episode prequel mission pack, "The Nocturnal Missions," which could also be ordered separately through iD. Each episode contained 10 levels, giving the game a total of 60 levels.
Due to the use of Nazi symbols -- pictures of Hitler and swastikas decorate the levels, with some maps even containing swastika shapes in the floor plan -- and the Horst-Wessel-Lied, the anthem of the Nazi Party, as theme music, the game is banned in Germany.
The Original Trilogy
On June 21, 1995, ID software published the Wolfenstein 3D source code under a non-profit EULA; since 1995, ID Software has released the source code to many of their old games. With the source code to Wolfenstein 3D, many people have created unofficial add-ons and unstable ports to different platforms such as Linux and various handheld devices. Wolfenstein 3D is currently available for Steam. Wolfenstein 3D Classic, the version for iPhone and iPod Touch, was released on March 23, 2009. On June 3, 2009, Wolfenstine 3D was made available on Xbox Live Arcade for 400 Microsoft points and on the PSN for $4.99 (USD).
You play as William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an American solider trying to escape from a Nazi stronghold. Escaping, however, is easier said than done; there are many armed guards, attack dogs, and more roaming through each level. The building contains various treasures, food supplies, medical kits, ammunition, and secret rooms.
The game bears no resemblance to the old top-down stealth game Castle Wolfenstein, where the player attempted to escape the castle through sneaking and disguises. This is, instead, the grandfather of all First Person Shooters, and set may systems in place. This is a much simpler version, with no verticality to it. Just walk, rotate, and shoot, using a variety of weapons, on your mission to stop the Nazis and escape the castle.
Knife - Used when bullets run to Zero
Luger - Basic Starting weapon, a single shot pistol
MP40 - Rapid Fire weapon
Chain Gun - Fires two bullets at a time and has a high rate of fire.
Flamethrower - Fires through enemies and has its own unique ammo.
(exclusive to Macintosh version)
Rocket Launcher - Like the Flamethrower, it fires through enemies and has its own unique ammo. (exclusive to Macintosh version)
All of the weapons in Wolfenstein 3D (except for the Flamethrower and Rocket Launcher in the Macintosh version) use the same type of Bullets. Therefore, if you shoot 15 rounds from the MP40, that would be 15 less rounds you could use with any of the other weapons. The player can carry a maximum amount of 99 bullets at any given time. Ammo is dropped by any weapon-carrying enemy, as well as found lying in certain rooms.
Also lying around the castle are caches of Nazi gold (goblets, crosses, and chests of coins). Though at first glance they may seem just collectibles, picking up a piece will result in a 1 HP health boost. It isn't much at first, but a large stash of treasures could net BJ an 50 extra health points, a little more stamina for his battles against the Nazis.
Used often in this game (and repeated in such games as Doom and Duke Nukem 3D) is the idea of sliding, secret wall panels that open up into new rooms. Often there are no hints of where these areas might be, so completionists may waste hours hitting the 'open' command on every surface in the game until they find everything. This idea was put sorely to the test in one of the Nocturnal mission, where a push-wall maze can trap the player, close off the way to get to the easter egg that id soft hid inside it ("Call Apogee and say "Aardwolf"!), or just get the player terribly lost until they restart the level.
Historical Accuracy?
Wolfenstein 3D (and, indeed, the entire Wolfenstein series after this entry) has neve
r been the greatest source for historical accuracy. Rather than present a straight, realistic look at W orld War II, Wolfenstein ditches all pretenses and adds in a thrill of the supernatural and occult. Though the first episode is more or less down to earth, things start to get weird starting in Operation: Eisenfaust, when the game begins to throw in gun-chested, knife-wielding "zombie" looking Nazis created through strange genetic experimentation. Perhaps the strangest, and most well remembered, is the Mecha-Hitler who crops up as the final boss to the original missions, in Episode 3: Die, Fuhrer, Die! This battle has 2 stages, in which Hitler flies at you, in a long priest rope, shooting fireballs and teleporting away when he takes too much damage. He finally seems to get fed up of this and gets into a turret-mounted mech suit and begins stalking B.J. through the halls, until it is destroyed and he finally melts away. Later, there is even an encounter with a woman in a futuristic battle suit.
In addition, some of the secret levels are thrown in merely for a bit of fun, such as the hidden Pac-Man level. Though it may not be a very realistic game, it's touches like these that have made the series so beloved to many.
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The Tale Of Wolfenstein 3D
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Wolfenstein 3D was one of the very first of the first-person shooters, it pitted William "B.J." Blazkowicz against the legions of Nazi Germany, from common SS soldiers to hideous mutant experiments and even der Fuehrer himself.
Overview 
front cover
Wolfenstein 3D was created by iD Software and released on May 5, 1992. Wolf 3D, which was inspired by the 1980's games Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, is best known for popularizing the first-person shooter genre. Originally created for MS-DOS, the game has been ported to the Apple IIgs, Super Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, Atari Jaguar, 3DO, iPhone, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network.
front cover
The DOS version of this game was released as shareware, meaning a small portion of it could easily and legally be shared with many people. The shareware version contained the entire first episode of the game. The commercial version contained the first three episodes, as well as the three-episode prequel mission pack, "The Nocturnal Missions," which could also be ordered separately through iD. Each episode contained 10 levels, giving the game a total of 60 levels.
Due to the use of Nazi symbols -- pictures of Hitler and swastikas decorate the levels, with some maps even containing swastika shapes in the floor plan -- and the Horst-Wessel-Lied, the anthem of the Nazi Party, as theme music, the game is banned in Germany.
Episodes:
The Original Trilogy
Boss battle against Adolf Hitler after you destroy his robotic suit.
- "Escape from Wolfenstein" (Shareware)
- "Operation: Eisenfaust"
- "Die, Führer, Die"
- "A Dark Secret"
- "Trail of the Madman"
- "Confrontation"
Releases
On June 21, 1995, ID software published the Wolfenstein 3D source code under a non-profit EULA; since 1995, ID Software has released the source code to many of their old games. With the source code to Wolfenstein 3D, many people have created unofficial add-ons and unstable ports to different platforms such as Linux and various handheld devices. Wolfenstein 3D is currently available for Steam. Wolfenstein 3D Classic, the version for iPhone and iPod Touch, was released on March 23, 2009. On June 3, 2009, Wolfenstine 3D was made available on Xbox Live Arcade for 400 Microsoft points and on the PSN for $4.99 (USD).
Gameplay
The game bears no resemblance to the old top-down stealth game Castle Wolfenstein, where the player attempted to escape the castle through sneaking and disguises. This is, instead, the grandfather of all First Person Shooters, and set may systems in place. This is a much simpler version, with no verticality to it. Just walk, rotate, and shoot, using a variety of weapons, on your mission to stop the Nazis and escape the castle.
Weapons
Knife - Used when bullets run to Zero
The Chain Gun
Luger - Basic Starting weapon, a single shot pistol
MP40 - Rapid Fire weapon
Chain Gun - Fires two bullets at a time and has a high rate of fire.
Flamethrower - Fires through enemies and has its own unique ammo.
The Luger.
Rocket Launcher - Like the Flamethrower, it fires through enemies and has its own unique ammo. (exclusive to Macintosh version)
All of the weapons in Wolfenstein 3D (except for the Flamethrower and Rocket Launcher in the Macintosh version) use the same type of Bullets. Therefore, if you shoot 15 rounds from the MP40, that would be 15 less rounds you could use with any of the other weapons. The player can carry a maximum amount of 99 bullets at any given time. Ammo is dropped by any weapon-carrying enemy, as well as found lying in certain rooms.
Also lying around the castle are caches of Nazi gold (goblets, crosses, and chests of coins). Though at first glance they may seem just collectibles, picking up a piece will result in a 1 HP health boost. It isn't much at first, but a large stash of treasures could net BJ an 50 extra health points, a little more stamina for his battles against the Nazis.
Used often in this game (and repeated in such games as Doom and Duke Nukem 3D) is the idea of sliding, secret wall panels that open up into new rooms. Often there are no hints of where these areas might be, so completionists may waste hours hitting the 'open' command on every surface in the game until they find everything. This idea was put sorely to the test in one of the Nocturnal mission, where a push-wall maze can trap the player, close off the way to get to the easter egg that id soft hid inside it ("Call Apogee and say "Aardwolf"!), or just get the player terribly lost until they restart the level.
Historical Accuracy?
Wolfenstein 3D (and, indeed, the entire Wolfenstein series after this entry) has neve
(Right) Sorry to bother you, but I have this growth on my chest...
In addition, some of the secret levels are thrown in merely for a bit of fun, such as the hidden Pac-Man level. Though it may not be a very realistic game, it's touches like these that have made the series so beloved to many.
| Game Name | Wolfenstein 3D |
| Platform(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Genres |
|
| Themes |
|
| Original US Release |
May 5, 1992
need a fuzzy date? |
| Original US Release |
know the real date? |
| Aliases | Wolf3D, Wolf 3D, Wolf, Wolfenstein |
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