Ages ago, an overhead view Apple II computer game called Castle Wolfenstein wiped out a mess of Nazis and became a huge hit in the process. Last year, Id Software updated the Nazi-nuking legend as a PC game with a first-person, over-the-barrel perspective called Wolfenstein 3D. It too became a huge hit.
Wolfenstein 3D is a first-person shooter developed by Id Software and published by Apogee Software in 1992 for DOS. It has since been ported for several systems including PC-98, Mac, Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game was inspired by the 1980s Muse Software video game Castle Wolfenstein, a top-down infiltration game. Download Wolfenstein 3D Classic Platinum and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Play the legendary original game that launched the First Person Shooter genre. You are OSA super agent B.J. Blazkowicz and you must escape from Castle Wolfenstein and defeat the twisted Nazi regime!
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a free multiplayer game based on the Return to Castle Wolfenstein game technology. A Macintosh version is now available for download. You don't need the original.
Now Id has teamed with Imagineer to bring Wolfenstein 3D to the SNES. Prediction: though it's changed somewhat from its predecessors, it will be a huge hit, too.
Guns, But No Roses
It's World War II, and you're the world-famous soldier, B.J. Blazkowicz. Your accomplishments are legendary, so much so that President Roosevelt has your phone number in his Rolodex -- and he uses it. The vile Staatmeister and his Master State are up to their dirty tricks again. It's your job to break into their fortresses and take them down.
You set off on 30 missions as a one-man wrecking crew. You're initially armed only with a pistol and a handful of bullets. Luckily, machine guns, flamethrowers, rocket launchers, and a ton of ammunition are spread in abundance throughout the game.
Wolfenstein's challenge will make you howl. Of course, the Master State is expecting you, so there are Guards, Elite Guards, Officers, and Mutant Attack Rats lurking everywhere. In later levels, you meet up with Frankenstein-like mutant soldiers that have guns mounted in their chests, chain guns for arms, and knives for hands.
It's obvious what comes next: You blast your way through the ranks to find the level exit as quickly as you can. If you take out all the enemies and snatch all the treasures in each level, you earn bonus points toward extra lives. You also earn bonus points for beating the level within a certain time limit and more points for finding secret rooms.
All Shot Up and Nowhere to Go
The controls in Wolfenstein are as simple to use as A-B-Start, but they take time to master. B shoots and A opens doors. Start displays a map of what you've seen so far. Even with this simplicity, the controls are a bit skittish, especially during intense firefights. Until you nail the directionals down, it's tough to swing your gun around quickly or stop on a dime to take a precise shot.
You can constantly monitor your health with a percentage display on-screen. Anything less than 100 percent means you've been hit. If you aren't into percentages, you can 'face' your health. A visual display of Blazkowicz's face starts to look downright nasty, with puffy eyes and bloodied lips when he's hurt.
ProTips:
- It's easy to get spun around and find yourself covering ground you've already conquered. Use the map frequently to analyze your progress.
- Learn to use L and R. Running into a room sideways can jet you a valuable jump on certain enemies.
- Some levels have more than one exit, which can give you a speed bonus if you get to one quickly. However, it's usually worth the time to find all secret rooms and treasures, and get rid of all enemies.
- When you run into uniform types, take out the dudes in white first, the ones in blue second, and the ones in khaki last.
- Map every detail of each level. This will help you grab every point and get out as quickly as possible.
- Check every wall for secret passages. Not only will this help your bonus score, but you'll also end up with a good cache of weapons.
- The boss levels all have large quantities of first aid and ammo available, usually hidden in secret rooms. Until you find them and know you can get to them quickly, stay clear of the big, bad boss.
- Master Staters hide behind every column.
- Your Auto-Map paints an incomplete picture, so look into every nook and cranny.
- Listen to the sounds carefully. Not only will you hear any off-sides threat, but the sound of opening and closing doors in the distance will alert you to approaching enemies, especially aggressive bosses.
- Try not to get caught with a door in front of you and behind you. Once the bullets start flying, you may find yourself in crossfire.
The Sights and Sounds of War
Outside of the wild action, Wolfenstein 3D has incredible audio accompaniment. Sure, the music is funky and upbeat for a war battle, but this is one of the few games where the sound can really help you -- particularly if you're hooked to a stereo system. For example, Guards shout 'Stop' and 'Halt.' Depending on how far the enemies are from you, the volume of their shouts varies. Similarly, if something's happening to the left of your character, you'll hear it more in your left speaker. The game's filled with other effects as well, like the snarls of the rats and the reverberating door slams.
It all builds intense realism.
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Overall, there's great attention to graphic detail. You get a big window on the action, and the screen updates are fast. Also, if you pick up a weapon, Blazkowicz's face puts on this greedy, 'look what I found' sneer. Cool. If you get killed, the screen freezes, then spins to show you who did the final deed.
The dramatic graphic drawbacks are the overly pixelated surroundings and character sprites -- it looks like you're fighting giant Lego people in a Lego castle. Even though the graphics are generally very blocky, the scaling of objects is good.
Cry 'Wolfenstein!'
Wolfenstein 3D is a major blast! It's one of those rare games that are simple in design, easy to control, and a heck of a lot of fun to play. You get all that and world war, too.