iPhone

Wolfenstein 3D

I really think that this is a must have iPhone app. Wolfenstein 3D helped me hit an iPhone milestone, which is longest time played on a single game in a day. Outside of the horribly addicting Fieldrunners, the most I had played an iPhone game continuously was around 30 min. I easily played Wolfenstein for an hour straight without as much as a water break. The iPhone is just waiting, begging almost, for a real length game to grace its glass screen, and I think that Wolfenstein 3D is the first step in the right direction. Buy this app now, you won’t regret it a bit. At $4.99, all you have to do is skip on going to Chipotle once, just once, for potentially hours of iPhone gaming fun. I only give 5 stars to my very favorite apps, and this one is well deserved of that title. I can’t wait for Doom to come out.

Though I’m excited that id Software has faithfully ported over Wolfenstein 3D to the iPhone, I’m even more excited about the future of the First Person Shooter genre on the iPhone. I can imagine classics like Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, and Doom working great using the blueprint found here. It’s easy to nitpick Wolfenstein 3D Classic by citing the fact there isn’t any multiplayer or any substantial graphical updates relative to the original, but those aren’t reasons to rob yourself of what’s unquestionably the best FPS on iPhone right now.

This game is 17 years old, and despite its dated look and feel, it’s the best FPS out there right now for iPhone!

If Wolfenstein is new to you, or retro gaming holds no appeal, then it'll still surprise you with its easy arcade action, though it's not going to get you as foamy around the mouth as it does the aging technophiles among us. But no one should overlook this vital piece of gaming history, brought back to life on the most important games platform of the current generation. It has a lot to offer all kinds of gamers. Now bring us Doom, Carmack.

Wolfenstein 3D is a throwback treat for fans of the classic FPS. Carmack lovingly recreates his original game, right down to the secret rooms and bizarro boss MechaHitler. The control schemes are hardly perfect, though, and require sacrifices that detract from the overall experience. Fortunately, the game is priced just right to make that jagged pill easier to swallow.

What's here, though, works fine so long as you move forwards/backwards/strafe with a on-screen d-pad and turn by physically tilting the iPhone. You'll never rotate fast enough to prevent being shot in the back by the tougher enemies, but with practice, you'll quickly speed through rooms and leave bodies in your wake. Sadly, the game lacks multiplayer and new levels, but it's hard to resist Wolfenstein 3D's old school charm, even at five bucks. Now all we need are DOOM and DOOM 2.