Wolfenstein 3D Retrospective

Welcome back to the Nostalgia Train! This month’s entry will focus on an old gem from the PC world – we’re talking MS-DOS. Of course, following its release, this first-person shooter (FPS) was ported to various computer systems and video game consoles. This game made killing Nazis an art form; it is the one and only, awesome, adrenaline pumping Wolfenstein 3D.

Covert spy, William B.J. Blazkowicz, is attempting to escape from Castle Wolfenstien. This game basically set the standard for the genre of shoot and run, while greasing a few Hitlers in the process. Armed with a gun and a huge…talent, William is on a mission to escape and stop potential chemical warfare.

Break on Through This Rusty Cage

Wolfenstein 3D is the

The objective of the game revolves around killing enemies, collecting treasure for points, and gathering any artillery laying around. Gamers are pitted against enemies of varying strength and equipment. These enemies could be lurking behind hidden walls, around corners, or they could blitzkrieg you as soon as you open a door. The goal is to reach the exit with as much health and gold as possible in order move on to the next level. So players best find the keys and the exit door, or Will might end up among the bodies on the floor.

It’s a good idea to watch the health percentage; as a gamer takes damage, the toll is shown on poor Will’s face. Though incredibly alert when 100% healthy, as players take damage, over time his visage will slowly deteriorate.

Storming the Castle

Gamers

Unlike normal enemies, a boss cannot be ambushed. These baddies are located at the end of each episode on the final mission. Even Hitler himself will face off against Will toting four chain guns. With that type of fire power, gamers should hope they have enough health for that final boss.

Players can acquire a few different guns: the pistol, a submachine gun, and a rapid-firing chain gun. Unfortunately, Will is a captive, so he only begins the game with a pistol and his knife. A positive is that all the guns use the same ammunition. Through exploration, gamers can find new guns, collect ammunition and health, or obtain extra lives. For each episode, players start with three lives; it is possible to obtain more, and besides finding ‘extra life’ tokens, there’s another way get them. To add additional challenge to the game, it’s possible to collect treasure for points. When players grab enough points, 40,000 to be exact, they get an extra life.

Oh, If These Walls Could Talk

Of course, there are many wonderful things to search for in this game, and it is a maze which adds a fair amount of challenge. If that isn’t enough, many of these objects can be found out in the open, but there are other ways players can earn points. The easiest way is grabbing treasure, but at the end of each level there are certain challenges gamers can complete. Each of these tasks brings a twinkle to a completionist’s eye, as he or she realizes that hitting the following goals can earn additional points: 100% kills, discovering 100% of the secrets, finding all of the treasure, or having the lowest record time.

The secrets could be anywhere, so part of the fun is searching the rooms, walls, and swastikas for a secret compartment that may lead to hidden treasure.

Killing You until You Die From It

A wonderful thing about Wolfenstein 3D is your ability to pick the difficulty: How tough are you?

[caption id=attachment_3903" align="aligncenter" width="788] Well...when you put it that way...[/caption]

Of course, the more docile the answer, the less challenging the game will be. If that isn’t enough, there are secret codes available – like so many other games back in the day.

Simply pushing I –L – M simultaneously grants a player all guns, ammo, and keys, while entering the command “goobers” open the world up to endless cheats such as: warping, god mode, removing health, boosting weapons and health, even slow motion. However, these codes don't work on the most difficult setting. Whatever amount of challenge you prefer, this game offers it.  If you're interested in shooting Nazis, Wolfenstein 3D is available on Steam, the PlayStation Network, and iPhone.  Stay tuned for the next trip on the Nostalgia Train.