Description
Inspired by the top-down infiltration game
Castle Wolfenstein, this groundbreaking episodic FPS puts the player in the boots of B.J. Blazkowicz, allied spy. There are six episodes (the first distributed complete as shareware), the second and the third available after registration and the three final missions (which happen before the events of the first episode) available in the "Nocturnal Missions" pack. However, they don't need to be played in sequence to be enjoyed!
In the first episode (
Escape from Wolfenstein), B.J. was captured, but overpowered a guard with the help of a concealed knife and managed to get out of his cell. Throughout the next 9 levels the player guides B.J. searching for an escape from Wolfenstein, guarded by Hans Grosse. After returning to Allied territory, B.J. is given the instructions to
Operation: Eisenfaust, where he has to stop Dr. Schabbs and his army of mutant prototypes before they are released into the battlefields. The final mission (
Die, Führer, Die!) has a simple goal: infiltrate the bunker under the Reichstag, and terminate Hitler (in a robotic suit) himself. The
Nocturnal Missions are focused on the Nazi plans for chemical warfare, and start with
Dark Secret, where B.J. hunts for lead researcher Dr. Otto Giftmacher. It's followed by
Trail of the Madman, where the goal is capturing the war plans guarded by Gretel Grosse, and the final episode
Confrontation, where B.J. meets General Fettgesicht, the planner for the chemical assault.
Each episode has 9 levels (eight regular and a final Boss level), plus a secret level activated by an hidden switch somewhere in the eight first levels. Regular levels often feature a maze-like appearance or large areas with many enemies (the number of them on each area depends on the difficulty level), where the player must reach the exit elevator. To do so, he must kill the enemies (while it's possible to move behind the guards' backs and even there's a slight bonus in attacking them from behind, most enemies have to be dealt with by fire power), and depending on the level, activate "push walls" and/or get silver and golden keys to open certain doors.
Many objects can be found in a level, from medikits, chicken meals and even dog food (to restore health), ammo and treasures, which solely exist for points. There are four weapons (knife, pistol, machine gun and Gatling), all of them using the same bullets except the knife. The knife and the pistol are given at the start of the level, while the machine gun is either found (usually in secret areas) or picked up from SS troopers and the Gatling is always dropped somewhere in the level. There are five kinds of enemies (excluding bosses) - Dogs (fast, but more a nuisance than life-threatening), Army Soldiers (dressed in regular brown outfit, not very powerful but usually found in large groups), Officers (dressed in white, armed with a very accurate pistol and tough to kill), SS Troopers (blue attire, armed with a machine gun and tough to kill) and Mutants (the rarest and toughest of regular enemies, pale-skinned troopers with green clothes and a machine gun stuck in their chest).
Unlike modern FPS games, the player has a number of lives, and once the player loses the last life, the game ends. To win extra lives, the player either has to find the 1-up item in the level, get 20 000 points by killing enemies and capturing treasures or completing a level below the "par" time and killing all enemies, finding all secrets (push walls) and collecting all treasure points.
Alternate Titles
- "WolfGS" -- Apple IIgs title
- "Wolfenstein 3-D" -- Shareware title
- "Wolf3D" -- Common abbreviation
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Trivia
On January 29, 1994,
Wolfenstein 3D, with the exception of the GBA version, was put on the infamous German index by the BPjS. The English GBA version followed November 29, 2003.
For more information about what this means and to see a list of games sharing the same fate, take a look here:
BPjS/BPjM indexed games.
Wolfenstein 3D is violating §86a of Germany's penal code (for using characteristics of unconstitutional organizations), therefore it is illegal to produce, distribute, import, export and use it in the public. This does not mean it is illegal to just own the game.
Despite this fact, the game's German distributor made this game available in Germany in January 1994 (that's why the game was put on the Index in the first place), so the reaction was a nationwide confiscation, which became effective January 25, 1994 (and statute-barred on January 25, 2004).
But this does not mean that the game can now legally be sold (and therefore actually be bought), because it
still violates the already mentioned §86a.
By the way, the charge for violating this paragraph is either a fine or a prison sentence of up to 3 years; and the distributor, who was responsible for all this (and the resulting common misconception) had to face one of these two.
