Tech Throwback : Wolfenstein 3D

Its that time of the week I like to take a look at where I’ve been to evaluate where Im going. Technology is cyclical after all… wait no its not. That said I still like all the feels that come rushing back like a flood of nostalgia every time I get my hand on the tech I grew up with. I’m going to go back periodically and take a looking at the stuff that used to blow our hair back and get our minds rolling. Some of these device blew up and changed the world, some where ahead of their time and some just fell flat and became colossal failures. Today, with all the political non-sense going on, I am feeling the need to destroy some socialist. Let whip out the original PC gaming  legend Wolfenstein 3D.

The Original First-Person Shooter

Wolfenstein 3D is the first hardcore and bloody first-person shooter video game developed by id Software. Original released date of May 5, 1992 for MS-DOS and inspired by the classic 4 bit castle Wolfenstein. Wolfenstein 3D is the third and greatest installment in the Wolfenstein series. In Wolfenstein 3D, the player assumes the role of Allied spy William “B.J.” Blazkowicz during World War II as he escapes from the Nazi German prison Castle Wolfenstein and carries out a series of crucial missions against the evil socialist Nazis. Make your way through each of the game’s levels to find an elevator to the next level or kill a final boss, fighting Nazi soldiers, dogs, and other enemies with knives and a variety of guns.

This was a PC game mega hit. Wolfenstein 3D really was a critical and commercial success. With its numerous awards and selling over 200,000 copies by the end of 1993, it was a video game legend. It is credited with popularizing the sport of first-person shooter genre and establishing the standard of fast-paced action and technical prowess for many subsequent games in the genre, as well as showcasing the viability of the shareware publishing model at the time. There are an additional two episodes for the game, and Apogee released a pack of over 800 fan-created levels

Lets Play Wolfenstein 3D Again

I’m really excited to fire this baby back up. There is no eBay hoops to jump through for this tech throwback. Not today, Wolfenstein 3D can be easily downloaded from stream and installed on any computer post 1991. I step back in to this an instantly become an wide eyed 12 year old boy set to take on the freaking socialist. The graphics are slow and ridiculous. The back round and wall tapestries are so basic and glorious. Don’t forget to check each one for hidden doors.

The controls are pretty basic, I almost think intuitive but then I have to consider that this is the bases of controls for all first person shooters and trained us all on theses commands. Left Mouse Button: Fire Gun, Right Mouse Button (while held) while moving the mouse from right to left, Strafe to the left and right. Middle Mouse Button: Open doors, activate elevator exit switches, open secret doors, etc..

I love that there are just 4 distinct weapons, Knife, Pistol, Machine Gun and Chain gun. The Chain gun rules this game. This is my favorite weapon of all time in the Wolfenstein game. This weapon fires numerous shots in a short matter of time. Use this baby on both the non-boss and boss enemies as this weapon will tear anything away in its destructive path. The chain gun’s first appearance is in Episode 1 – Floor 2 so be sure to grab it in the early
levels. I love this weapon

The Final Wolfenstein 3D Thought

The game ends as The General gasps his last breath, and the free world is safe from the terrifying socialist Nazi chemical war. You return to Allied Headquarters, a Medal of Honor waiting for you. Then Allied command informs you of some nefarious activities around Castle Hollehammer. Something about some gray-skinned berserk soldiers…I can still here my dad bragging to his buddies about my 93% kill ratio.