Difference between revisions of "Wolfenstein 3-D"

From TheAlmightyGuru
Jump to: navigation, search
(32 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
[[Image:Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|Original North American box art.]]
 
[[Image:Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|Original North American box art.]]
  
'''''Wolfenstein 3-D''''' is a World War II themed first-person shooter developed by [[id Software]] and published by [[Apogee Software]] for [[MS-DOS]] on 05-05-1992, then ported to several other platforms. The game is the first to use the [[Wolfenstein 3-D Engine]]. The game is based on a much older game, ''[[Castle Wolfenstein]]'', and, like the original, you play a prisoner of war who must escape from a Nazi dungeon. Additional episodes were added where you infiltrate Nazi strongholds and kill Hitler and fictional Nazi leaders. ''Wolfenstein 3-D'' is a video game milestone being one of the first widely popular FPSs.
+
'''''Wolfenstein 3-D''''' is a World War II themed [[first-person shooter]] developed by [[id Software]] and published by [[Apogee Software]] for [[MS-DOS]] on 1992-05-05, then ported to several other platforms. There are effectively three versions of the game: the original MS-DOS release, the SNES and Apple IIgs port, and the Macintosh, 3DO, and Jaguar port. The game is the third game in the [[Wolfenstein (universe)|''Wolfenstein'' series]], and the first to use the [[Wolfenstein 3-D Engine]]. It's also a video game milestone as it was one of the first widely popular FPSes.
  
I first played ''Wolfenstein 3-D'' in the early 1990s and was really impressed, not just by the 3D perspective, but also the gratuitous violence and digital speech. My favorite animation is the liquefaction death of Hitler. I rarely played the game fairly, usually relying on cheats to skip through most of the game, but I have played four of the episodes properly and have the feel of the game.
+
The game is based on a much older game, ''[[Castle Wolfenstein]]'', and, like the original, you play a prisoner of war trying to escape from a Nazi dungeon. Additional episodes were added where you infiltrate Nazi strongholds and kill Hitler and fictional Nazi leaders.
 +
 
 +
==Personal==
 +
I first played ''Wolfenstein 3-D'' in the early 1990s and was really impressed, not just by the 3D perspective, but also the gratuitous violence and digital speech. My favorite animation is the liquefaction death of Hitler. I rarely played the game fairly, usually relying on cheats to skip through most of the game, but, on 2022-01-18, I finished playing through all six episodes at Bring 'Em On difficulty.
  
 
This was also one of the first games I spent a lot of time trying to modify. Before I had Internet access, I was able to get my hands on a map editor, and I made several custom maps for the game.
 
This was also one of the first games I spent a lot of time trying to modify. Before I had Internet access, I was able to get my hands on a map editor, and I made several custom maps for the game.
  
 
==Status==
 
==Status==
I own Wolfenstein 3-D on Steam. I have beaten the first four episodes at Bring 'Em On difficulty.
+
I own Wolfenstein 3-D on Steam. I have beaten all six episodes at Bring 'Em On difficulty.
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 4/10
+
{{Video Game Review|4|5|7|6|6|DOS}}
* '''Best Version:''' DOS
 
  
 
{{Spoilers}}
 
{{Spoilers}}
Line 18: Line 20:
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
 
* The game, for its time, is a beautiful example of a first-person shooter done right.
 
* The game, for its time, is a beautiful example of a first-person shooter done right.
* Though cartoonish, the graphics are well-drawn and attractive.
+
* [[John Carmack]]'s 3D engine is lightning fast, it even worked on medium-level hardware of the time.
 +
* Though cartoonish, the graphics are well-drawn and attractive. [[Adrian Carmack]]'s pixel art is top-notch.
 
* The enemy AI is pretty dumb, but it does sometimes cause some rather shocking results when they inadvertently sneak up on you from behind and strafe to avoid your gun fire.
 
* The enemy AI is pretty dumb, but it does sometimes cause some rather shocking results when they inadvertently sneak up on you from behind and strafe to avoid your gun fire.
* [[Bobby Prince]]'s incorporation of Nazi and American political music was a nice touch. And the soundtrack overall is really good.
+
* [[Bobby Prince]]'s soundtrack is really good, and his incorporation of Nazi and American political music was a fitting touch.
* The sliding secret doors is a really cool addition.
+
* The sliding secret doors is a really cool addition. [[Tom Hall]] was right to nag John Carmack until he added them.
 
* The addition of a secret 3-D Pac-Man level was pretty cool.
 
* The addition of a secret 3-D Pac-Man level was pretty cool.
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
* The game tends to become monotonous. After the third episode, you've seen nearly everything the game has to offer save the remaining bosses.
+
* The game becomes monotonous pretty quickly. After the third episode, you've seen nearly everything the game has to offer, save the remaining bosses.
* The player turns far too slowly.
+
* The player turns too slowly.
* The use of lives and points doesn't really fit the game's theme.
+
* Enemies, even dogs, are able to shoot through the corners of walls and through barely opened doors even when their guns aren't visible.
* Many of the levels have a ridiculous layout. While this makes the game more playable (a realistic map would be dull), it also hurts immersion.
+
* In several levels NPCs will open a locked door before you get the key allowing you to short-cut large sections of the map or get stuck.
* In several levels NPCs will open a locked door long before you can get the key short-cutting large sections of the map.
+
* The use of lives and points doesn't really fit the game's theme and serves no measurable purpose.
* NPCs are able to shoot around corners even when their guns are clearly behind the wall.
+
* Many of the levels have a ridiculous layout. While this makes the game more playable (a realistic map would be dull), it also hurts immersion. Also, the boss levels are usually pretty small and boring.
* Allowing [[save scumming]] kind of defeats the difficulty, but, if you try to play without saving, the game is ridiculously hard.
 
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
* Nothing.
+
* Allowing [[save scumming]] kind of defeats the difficulty, but, if you try to play without it, the game is ridiculously hard. So, unless you've memorized where all the enemies are, you're kind of forced to use it.
 +
* There are several levels that require you go through long twisting mazes which are just obnoxious.
 +
* A large portion of the secrets have no hints as to where they are. This means, if you want to uncover 100% of the secrets, you'll have to check every wall in every map, a tedious task.
  
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
Line 42: Line 46:
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - USA.jpg|This is the original US mail-order art by [[Ken Rieger]]. It was later reused for the Shareware copies and the digital release. BJ looks like a roided out murderous psychopath, especially when the only notion he's killing Nazis is the helmet of the dead guard. Still, it's well-painted, and I like the logo. This is my favorite.
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - USA.jpg|This is the original US mail-order art by [[Ken Rieger]]. It was later reused for the Shareware copies and the digital release. BJ looks like a roided out murderous psychopath, especially when the only notion he's killing Nazis is the helmet of the dead guard. Still, it's well-painted, and I like the logo. This is my favorite.
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - USA - Revision.jpg|This is the US box art used in stores, by [[Julie Bell]]. BJ is just as much a body builder, but a little less insane. The guards look even less like Nazis than before, although the top guard is reminiscent of the cover of the original ''[[Escape From Castle Wolfenstein]]''. This art was reused for the Game Boy Advance, iOS, and modern emulated platforms.
+
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - USA - Revision.jpg|This is the US box art used in stores, by [[Julie Bell]]. BJ is just as much a body builder, but a little less insane. The guards look even less like Nazis than before, although the top guard is reminiscent of the cover of the original ''[[Castle Wolfenstein]]''. This art was reused for the Game Boy Advance, iOS, and modern emulated platforms.
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - UK.jpg|The UK release went all out with swastikas and Hitler, too bad it's amateurishly painted.
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - UK.jpg|The UK release went all out with swastikas and Hitler, too bad it's amateurishly painted.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
Line 48: Line 52:
 
===Documentation===
 
===Documentation===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Manual.pdf|DOS Manual.
+
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Manual.pdf|Manual - MS-DOS.
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Manual - Australia.pdf|DOS Manual (Australia).
+
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Manual - Australia.pdf|Manual - MS-DOS - Australia.
 +
Wolfenstein 3D - 3DO - Manual.pdf|Manual - 3DO.
 +
Wolfenstein 3D - JAG - Manual.pdf|Manual - Jaguar.
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Official Hint Manual.pdf|Official Hint Manual.
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Official Hint Manual.pdf|Official Hint Manual.
Wolfenstein 3D - 3DO - Manual.pdf|3DO Manual.
+
Masters of Doom - Hardcover - USA.jpg|''[[Masters of Doom]]''. Describes the development process.
Wolfenstein 3D - JAG - Manual.pdf|Jaguar Manual.
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
Line 63: Line 68:
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Map - Episode 5.png|DOS - Episode 5.
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Map - Episode 5.png|DOS - Episode 5.
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Map - Episode 6.png|DOS - Episode 6.
 
Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Map - Episode 6.png|DOS - Episode 6.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 +
===Screenshots===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Wolfenstein 3-D - DOS - Screenshot - Title.png|Title.
 +
Wolfenstein 3-D - DOS - Screenshot - E1M1 Start.png|The start of episode 1, mission 1.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
Line 85: Line 96:
  
 
===Videos===
 
===Videos===
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV34y9p079g youtube.com/watch?v=LV34y9p079g] - John Carmack's commentary.
+
{{YouTube|w6t7R_VQHlY|Did You Know Gaming?}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6t7R_VQHlY youtube.com/watch?v=w6t7R_VQHlY] - Did You Know Gaming?
+
{{YouTube|x8o0a5ntxfc|Longplay - Bring 'Em On difficulty.}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8o0a5ntxfc youtube.com/watch?v=x8o0a5ntxfc] - Longplay, bring em on difficulty.
+
 
 +
* [https://nl.ign.com/doom-4/50308/video/wolfenstein-3d-20th-anniversary-directors-commentary-with-john-carmack John Carmack's commentary]
  
 
==Download==
 
==Download==
 
* [[Media:Wolfenstein 3-D v1.4 - Shareware.zip|Download]] ([[:File:Wolfenstein 3-D v1.4 - Shareware.zip|Info]]) - Version 1.4, shareware.
 
* [[Media:Wolfenstein 3-D v1.4 - Shareware.zip|Download]] ([[:File:Wolfenstein 3-D v1.4 - Shareware.zip|Info]]) - Version 1.4, shareware.
 +
* [[Media:Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Utilities.zip|Download]] ([[:File:Wolfenstein 3D - DOS - Utilities.zip|Info]]) - Editors.
  
 
==Credits==
 
==Credits==
Line 132: Line 145:
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 +
[[Category: 1992 Video Games]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - First-Person Shooter]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Shooter]]
 +
[[Category: Media Theme - World War II]]
 
[[Category: Acorn 32-bit Games]]
 
[[Category: Acorn 32-bit Games]]
 
[[Category: DOS Games]]
 
[[Category: DOS Games]]
 
[[Category: Game Boy Advance Games]]
 
[[Category: Game Boy Advance Games]]
 
[[Category: iOS Games]]
 
[[Category: iOS Games]]
[[Category: Macintosh Games]]
+
[[Category: Macintosh Classic Games]]
[[Category: PC-98 Games]]
+
[[Category: PC-9800 Games]]
[[Category: First-Person Shooter]]
+
[[Category: Video Games I've Beaten]]
[[Category: Action]]
+
[[Category: Software Distribution Model - Shareware]]
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
+
[[Category: Software Distribution Model - Open Source]]
[[Category: World War II]]
+
[[Category: Video Games That Fail the Bechdel Test]]

Revision as of 16:48, 7 March 2022

Original North American box art.

Wolfenstein 3-D is a World War II themed first-person shooter developed by id Software and published by Apogee Software for MS-DOS on 1992-05-05, then ported to several other platforms. There are effectively three versions of the game: the original MS-DOS release, the SNES and Apple IIgs port, and the Macintosh, 3DO, and Jaguar port. The game is the third game in the Wolfenstein series, and the first to use the Wolfenstein 3-D Engine. It's also a video game milestone as it was one of the first widely popular FPSes.

The game is based on a much older game, Castle Wolfenstein, and, like the original, you play a prisoner of war trying to escape from a Nazi dungeon. Additional episodes were added where you infiltrate Nazi strongholds and kill Hitler and fictional Nazi leaders.

Personal

I first played Wolfenstein 3-D in the early 1990s and was really impressed, not just by the 3D perspective, but also the gratuitous violence and digital speech. My favorite animation is the liquefaction death of Hitler. I rarely played the game fairly, usually relying on cheats to skip through most of the game, but, on 2022-01-18, I finished playing through all six episodes at Bring 'Em On difficulty.

This was also one of the first games I spent a lot of time trying to modify. Before I had Internet access, I was able to get my hands on a map editor, and I made several custom maps for the game.

Status

I own Wolfenstein 3-D on Steam. I have beaten all six episodes at Bring 'Em On difficulty.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
4 5 7 6 6

Best Version: DOS

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game, for its time, is a beautiful example of a first-person shooter done right.
  • John Carmack's 3D engine is lightning fast, it even worked on medium-level hardware of the time.
  • Though cartoonish, the graphics are well-drawn and attractive. Adrian Carmack's pixel art is top-notch.
  • The enemy AI is pretty dumb, but it does sometimes cause some rather shocking results when they inadvertently sneak up on you from behind and strafe to avoid your gun fire.
  • Bobby Prince's soundtrack is really good, and his incorporation of Nazi and American political music was a fitting touch.
  • The sliding secret doors is a really cool addition. Tom Hall was right to nag John Carmack until he added them.
  • The addition of a secret 3-D Pac-Man level was pretty cool.

Bad

  • The game becomes monotonous pretty quickly. After the third episode, you've seen nearly everything the game has to offer, save the remaining bosses.
  • The player turns too slowly.
  • Enemies, even dogs, are able to shoot through the corners of walls and through barely opened doors even when their guns aren't visible.
  • In several levels NPCs will open a locked door before you get the key allowing you to short-cut large sections of the map or get stuck.
  • The use of lives and points doesn't really fit the game's theme and serves no measurable purpose.
  • Many of the levels have a ridiculous layout. While this makes the game more playable (a realistic map would be dull), it also hurts immersion. Also, the boss levels are usually pretty small and boring.

Ugly

  • Allowing save scumming kind of defeats the difficulty, but, if you try to play without it, the game is ridiculously hard. So, unless you've memorized where all the enemies are, you're kind of forced to use it.
  • There are several levels that require you go through long twisting mazes which are just obnoxious.
  • A large portion of the secrets have no hints as to where they are. This means, if you want to uncover 100% of the secrets, you'll have to check every wall in every map, a tedious task.

Media

Box Art

Due to the Nazi imagery, Apogee used their logo as the cover art in several European countries.

Documentation

Maps

Screenshots

Graphics

Fan Art

Videos

Did You Know Gaming?
Longplay - Bring 'Em On difficulty.

Download

Credits

Role Staff
Chief Operating Officer Jay Wilbur
Director Tom Hall
Designers Tom Hall, John Romero
Writer Tom Hall
Engine Programmer John Carmack
Programmer John Romero
Additional Programming Jason Blochowiak
Graphics Adrian Carmack
Music, Sound Effects Robert Prince
Sound Driver Jason Blochowiak
Voices Tom Hall, John Romero, Scott Miller
Documentation Kevin Cloud

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-VGMPF.png  Link-ModdingWiki.png  Link-TCRF.png