FACTOID # 88: Venezuela is one of the happiest and most murderous places in the world.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RELATED ARTICLES
People who viewed "Wolfenstein 3D" also viewed:
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

FACTS & STATISTICS    Simple view

  1. Select countries to view: (hold down Control key and click to select several)

     

     

    Compare:

     

     

  1. Select fact or statistic: (* = graphable)

     

     

     

  2. (OPTIONAL) Compare to statistic: (both need to be graphable)

     

     

     

  3. View result as:

     

       
(OR) SEARCH ALL encyclopedia, stats & forums:   

Encyclopedia > Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D Atari Jaguar game cover
Developer id Software, id Software, Inc., Stalker Entertainment
Publisher Apogee Software, Interplay Entertainment, BAM! Entertainment, Inc., Atari Corporation, MacPlay, Imagineer Co., Ltd.
Designer John Romero, Tom Hall
Engine Wolfenstein 3D engine
Released May 5, 1992 (DOS)
July 21, 1993, 1994 1995 (Source), 1998, 2002 2007 (Steam (content delivery))
Genre First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single player
Ratings ESRB: M
OFLC: M
OFLC: MA15+ (re-rating)
Platform(s) MS-DOS, Mac, Apple IIGS, Acorn Archimedes, SNES, Jaguar, GBA, 3DO, Xbox
Media Download
Four 3½" floppy disks
CD
System requirements 80286 class CPU, 640 kB RAM
Input methods Keyboard, mouse, joystick, or game controller.

Wolfenstein 3D (originally Wolfenstein 3-D, commonly abbreviated to Wolf 3D) is a video game that is generally regarded as having popularized the first person shooter genre on the PC. It was created by id Software and published by Apogee Software. Released on May 5, 1992 for DOS, the game was inspired by the 1980s Muse Software computer games Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein. It has been ported to a wide variety of systems, including 3DO, Super NES, Game Boy Advance, Acorn Archimedes, Atari Jaguar, and the Apple IIGS. Fair use Wolfenstein 3D box cover. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... id Software (IPA: officially, though originally ) is an American computer game developer based in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. ... Corporate logo of Apogee Software Apogee Software, Ltd. ... Interplay original logo. ... For the concept Atari (当たり) in the board game of Go, see Atari (go term). ... MacPlay is a publisher of Macintosh computer games, founded in the early 1990s by Interplay. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... Alfonso John Romero (born October 28, 1967[1] in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is a well-known game designer, programmer, and developer in the video game industry. ... Tom Hall at Ion Storm, Dallas, 1999 Tom A. Hall (born September 2, 1964) is a game designer born in Wisconsin. ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... The Wolfenstein 3D engine is the engine that powers Wolfenstein 3D. The biggest part of the engine is programmed by John Carmack. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the family of closely related operating systems for the IBM PC compatible platform. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Source code (commonly just source or code) is any series of statements written in some human-readable computer programming language. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Steam is a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications platform developed by Valve Corporation. ... Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay. ... This article is about video games. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... The ESRBs logo. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software, which allows software to run. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... The first Macintosh computer, introduced in 1984, upgraded to a 512K Fat Mac. The Macintosh or Mac, is a line of personal computers designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Apple Computer. ... The Apple IIGS, the fifth model inception of the Apple II, was the most powerful member of the Apple II series of personal computers made by Apple Computer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. ... The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released in November 1993 to rival the Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a powerful next generation platform. ... “GBA” redirects here. ... 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (most commonly referred to as the 3DO) is a line of video game consoles which were released in 1993 and 1994 by Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar, among other companies. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... This article is about the computer terms. ... A floppy disk is a data storage device that comprises a circular piece of thin, flexible (hence floppy) magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic wallet. ... The CD-ROM (an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (ROM)) is a non-volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio compact discs, readable by a computer with a CD-ROM drive. ... The Intel 80286 is an x86-family 16-bit microprocessor that was introduced by Intel on February 1, 1982. ... CPU redirects here. ... Look up RAM, Ram, ram in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A 104-key PC US English QWERTY keyboard layout The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard layout A standard Hebrew keyboard showing both Hebrew and QWERTY. A computer keyboard is a peripheral partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard. ... Operating a mechanical 1: Pulling the mouse turns the ball. ... For other uses, see Joystick (disambiguation). ... A game controller is an input device used to control a video game. ... Computer and video games redirects here. ... A first-person shooter (FPS) is a computer or video game where the players on-screen view of the game world simulates that of the character, and there is some element of shooting involved. ... IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC, XT, or AT internal design, facilitated by various manufacturers... id Software (IPA: officially, though originally ) is an American computer game developer based in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. ... Corporate logo of Apogee Software Apogee Software, Ltd. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... Muse Software was a software and computer game publisher and developer for the first generation of home computers. ... Castle Wolfenstein is a computer game by Muse Software for the Apple II. It was released in 1981 and later ported to the PC for DOS, to the Atari 8-bit family, and to the Commodore 64. ... Beyond Castle Wolfenstein is a 1984 computer game by Muse Software. ... 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (most commonly referred to as the 3DO) is a line of video game consoles which were released in 1993 and 1994 by Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar, among other companies. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. ... “GBA” redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released in November 1993 to rival the Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a powerful next generation platform. ... The Apple IIGS, the fifth model inception of the Apple II, was the most powerful member of the Apple II series of personal computers made by Apple Computer. ...

Contents

Overview

In Wolfenstein 3D, the player is an American soldier named BJ Blazkowicz attempting to escape from the eponymous Nazi stronghold; there are many armed guards, as well as attack dogs. The building has a number of hidden rooms containing various treasures, food supplies, and medical kits, as well as three different guns and ammunition. Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         Nazism or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ... First aid kit of the French Army A first aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid, particularly in a medical emergency. ... This article is about the video game. ... Ammunition, often referred to as ammo, is a generic term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ...


Wolfenstein 3D was released as shareware, which allowed it to be copied widely. The shareware release contains one episode, consisting of 10 missions (levels). The commercial release consists of three episodes including the shareware episode, and a mission pack called "The Nocturnal Missions". Like the shareware episode, each commercial episode contains 10 levels, bringing the game to a total of 60 missions. Look up shareware in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In computer and video games, a level (sometimes called a stage, course, episode, round, world, map, wave, board, phase, or landscape) is a separate area in a games virtual world, in modern games typically representing a specific location such as a building or a city. ... An expansion pack is an addition to an existing game. ...


The episodes are:

  • The original trilogy:
1. "Escape from Wolfenstein" (shareware episode)
2. "Operation: Eisenfaust"
3. "Die, Führer, Die"
  • The Nocturnal Missions:
4. "A Dark Secret"
5. "Trail of the Madman"
6. "Confrontation"

The game was originally released on the PC and then ported to Macintosh computers, Apple IIGS, Acorn Archimedes, Super NES, Atari Jaguar, Game Boy Advance, and 3DO. The source code of the game was published by id Software on July 21, 1995 under a non-profit EULA, starting the long tradition at id Software of opening the entire source code (but not data) to an old game. Some unofficial and unstable ports to different platforms like Linux and add-ons have been developed. The first Macintosh computer, introduced in 1984, upgraded to a 512K Fat Mac. The Macintosh or Mac, is a line of personal computers designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Apple Computer. ... The Apple IIGS, the fifth model inception of the Apple II, was the most powerful member of the Apple II series of personal computers made by Apple Computer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. ... The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released in November 1993 to rival the Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a powerful next generation platform. ... “GBA” redirects here. ... 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (most commonly referred to as the 3DO) is a line of video game consoles which were released in 1993 and 1994 by Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar, among other companies. ... Source code (commonly just source or code) is any series of statements written in some human-readable computer programming language. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... A software license is a legal agreement which may take the form of a proprietary or gratuitous license as well as a memorandum of contract between a producer and a user of computer software. ... Open source refers to projects that are open to the public and which draw on other projects that are freely available to the general public. ... This article is about operating systems that use the Linux kernel. ...


Storyline

Wolfenstein 3D title screen

The first three episodes of the game focus on the character of William "B.J." Blazkowicz's attempts to escape from Castle Wolfenstein and overthrow the Nazi regime. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...


B.J., an Allied spy, had been captured while trying to find the plans for Operation Eisenfaust, and was imprisoned in Castle Wolfenstein. Initially armed only with a knife and a pistol (obtained by overpowering the guard in his cell), B.J.'s initial goal is merely to escape the castle prison. Taking on SS guards, stealing their machine guns and ultimately acquiring a chain gun, he eventually finds himself face to face with the Episode One boss, the ultimate prison guard Hans Grosse. In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ...


Having defeated Grosse and escaped the castle, B.J. moves on to Operation: Eisenfaust. B.J. finds out that the operation is real, and that the Nazis are creating a mutant army of undead zombies in Castle Hollehammer. When the episode begins, B.J. has just entered the castle; the walls are covered in mulch, and the first enemies found are mutants with third arms grafted into their chests holding pistols. The episode boss is the scientist Dr Schabbs, the creator of the zombies. His defeat signals the end of this biological war. In agriculture and gardening, mulch is a protective cover placed over the soil, primarily to modify the effects of the local climate. ...


Die, Führer, Die! is, chronologically, the final episode. Fighting through Nazi soldiers, and attacking the bunker under the Reichstag, the major centerpiece of the game is reached in the final mission, where the boss is none other than Adolf Hitler himself (equipped with a robotic suit). The Reichstag building. ... Hitler redirects here. ...


The Nocturnal Missions form a prequel storyline, focusing on the Germans' plans for chemical warfare (Giftkrieg). A Dark Secret deals with the initial pursuit of the scientist responsible for the development of the weaponry; B.J.'s task is to enter the weapons research facility and hunt down Dr. Otto Giftmacher (Poison Maker). Chemical warfare is warfare (and associated military operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate an enemy. ...


Trail of the Madman is a rather ornate episode taking place in clean and stylish Castle Erlangen. Ostensibly, the episode's goal is to find the maps and plans of the chemical war, guarded by Gretel Grosse (Hans' sister). Hitler's image appears throughout this episode, as posters and wall mosaics, symbolising his imminent rise to power. All levels are designed with fashion, much decoration, and opulence. Erlangen around 1915 Erlangen is a German city in Middle Franconia. ...


The story comes to a close in Confrontation, set in Castle Offenbach; a summation of everything that has gone before, including the mutants (in the secret level only), Hans Grosse (in the secret level only), and the overall "feel". The final battle is fought between B.J. and the leader of this war, General Fettgesicht (Fat Face). (river) main-bow Offenbach am Main is a city in Hessen, Germany, located on southside of the river Main. ...


Gameplay

The following section describes aspects of the original MS-DOS versions. The various ports often implemented changes.


Each episode features ten levels (or "missions") which have to be finished sequentially. Only nine levels need to be completed; hidden in one of the first eight missions was an entrance to the tenth, secret level. The secret level of the third episode was notable in that it recreated one of the original Pac-Man levels, complete with ghosts, seen by the player from Pac-Man's perspective. Wolfenstein 3D was the first game to use the ExMx map/level identity. Pac-Man is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution by Midway Games in 1979. ... In video games, ExMx (alternatively, ExLx) is a common format for naming levels. ...


Each episode has a different boss who has to be killed in the final mission in order to complete the episode. Unlike normal enemies, boss enemies are drawn from one angle instead of eight, so the player can't sneak up on them or take them by surprise. Bosses are also deaf, and won't notice the player, or become active until they see the player. When most bosses are killed, a replay (called a "deathcam") of the bosses' death is shown; the episode then ends. In the version released for the Macintosh, all the bosses, except the final boss, Adolf Hitler, drop a gold key which opens a door to the end of the level. Hitler was proclaimed the 15th greatest video game boss in history by The Phoenix.[1] Flag Ship from the video game Gorf In video games, a boss (sometimes called a guardian) is a particularly large or difficult computer-controlled character that must be defeated at the end of a segment of a game, whether it be for a level, an episode, or the very end... The first Macintosh computer, introduced in 1984, upgraded to a 512K Fat Mac. The Macintosh or Mac, is a line of personal computers designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Apple Computer. ... Flag Ship from the video game Gorf A boss is an enemy-based challenge in video games that, once encountered, stops the games progression until the player is able either to surmount the enemy or is thwarted by it. ... The Phoenix is an alternative weekly newspaper company based in Boston, Massachusetts that emphasizes arts and entertainment coverage, as well as alternative political viewpoints. ...


Despite the presence of Hitler as an episode boss, the game bears no resemblance to any actual Nazi plans or structures. Indeed, many of the level designs are highly fanciful; at least three levels heavily feature swastika-shaped room layouts and maps, going as far as having one level built entirely of a tessellation of them. This article is about the symbol. ... A tessellated plane seen in street pavement. ...


The early concept of the game included some innovative stealth concepts - dragging dead bodies, swapping uniforms with fallen guards, silent attacks, etc., like in the old 2D Wolfenstein games, which focused more on stealth than action. These ideas were dropped however, since they drastically slowed the game down and made the controls complicated. [1] Solid Snake hides behind a tank in Metal Gear Solid, a popular stealth video game. ...


Technical implementation

In-game screenshot
In-game screenshot

To render the walls in pseudo-3D, the game used ray casting, a special case of ray tracing. This technique sent out one ray for each column of pixels, checked if it intersected a wall, and drew textures on the screen accordingly, creating a one dimensional depth buffer against which to clip the scaled sprites that represented enemies, powerups, and props. Image File history File links Wolf3d_pc. ... Image File history File links Wolf3d_pc. ... 3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that utilize a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. ... In computer graphics, Ray-casting is a pseudo-3D rendering technique, a special case of ray tracing. ... A ray traced scene. ... Spherical texture mapping Texture mapping is a method, pioneered by Edwin Catmull, of adding detail, surface texture, or colour to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. ... Z-buffering is a term in computer graphics which refers to management of image depth coordinates in 3-d graphics, mainly used in hardware, more seldom in software. ... In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional/three-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. ...


Before Wolfenstein 3D, the technology had already been used by id Software in 1991 to create Hovertank 3D and Catacomb 3D for Softdisk, albeit using only EGA 16-color graphics (which the game was designed to use, early in development). Other games using the Wolfenstein 3D game engine or derivatives of it were also produced, including, Blake Stone, Corridor 7, Operation Body Count, Super Noah's Ark 3D, Rise of the Triad, Shadowcaster, and Hellraiser. Hovertank 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by id Software and published by Softdisk in April, 1991 that is sometimes claimed to be the first first-person shooter or even the first 3D game for MS-DOS (inaccurately - it was preceded by several years by Elite amongst... Catacomb 3D, is a series of computer games from id Software, published by Softdisk publishing that was released in November 1991. ... Softdisk is a software and Internet company based in Shreveport, Louisiana. ... The Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) is the IBM PC computer display standard specification located between CGA and VGA in terms of graphics performance (that is, colour and space resolution). ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Blake Stone was one of the lesser-known cousins of the game Wolfenstein 3D. While it used the game engine, it added many new features, and started the idea of going back and forth between levels that the game HeXen used later. ... Corridor 7: Alien Invasion is a computer game based on the Wolfenstein 3D engine that was published by CapStone in 1994. ... We dont have an article called Operation Body Count Start this article Search for Operation Body Count in. ... Super Noahs Ark 3D is a video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and for DOS released by the biblical video game producer Wisdom Tree. ... Rise of the Triad: Dark War (acronym is ROTT) is a first-person shooter video game that was first released on February 17, 1995 and developed by Apogee Software (now known as 3D Realms). ... Shadowcaster is a first-person shooter/role-playing computer game from 1993 developed by Raven Software and id Software. ...


According to id Software programmer John Carmack, the game's engine was inspired by a technology demo of Looking Glass Studios'/Origin's first-person CRPG, Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss from 1991. Carmack claimed he could make a faster renderer. In this he was successful. The Wolfenstein engine lacks many features present in the Underworld engine, such as height changes, sloped floors and lighting, but it runs well on relatively weak hardware. John D. Carmack II (born August 20, 1970) is a widely recognized figure in the video game industry. ... Looking Glass Studios was a computer game development company during the 1990s. ... Origin Systems, Inc. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ultima Underworld is a series of two computer role playing games published by Origin Systems in the early 1990s. ...


"Holo-walls" are walls created by mapmakers using a glitch in the PC version's engine. They are walls that the player can walk through, and are used in some total conversions to simulate windows that players can climb through, and hedges that players can walk through. One way of creating holo-walls is to place a dead guard in a wall. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...


Reception

Controversy

A Wolfenstein 3D level viewed in a level editor shows the level is made almost entirely of swastikas
A Wolfenstein 3D level viewed in a level editor shows the level is made almost entirely of swastikas

Due to its use of Nazi symbols such as the Swastika and the anthem of the Nazi Party, Horst-Wessel-Lied, as theme music, the PC version of the game was confiscated in Germany in 1994, following a verdict by the Amtsgericht München on January 25, 1994 (Az. 2 Gs 167/94); the use of these symbols is a federal offense in Germany unless certain circumstances apply (see articles 86 StGB and 86a StGB (in German)). Similarly, the Atari Jaguar version was confiscated following a verdict by the Amtsgericht Berlin Tiergarten on December 7, 1994 (Az. 351 Gs 5509/94). [2] Image File history File links Wolf3d_episode6_level3. ... Image File history File links Wolf3d_episode6_level3. ... Sandbox Editor for Crysis UnrealEd is the level editor for Epics Unreal series of first-person shooters. ... This article is about the symbol. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: , or NSDAP, commonly known as the Nazi Party), was a political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945. ... The Horst Wessel Lied (Horst Wessel Song), also known as Die Fahne Hoch (The flag on high, from its opening line), was the anthem of the NSDAP of Germany, chosen to glorify Horst Wessel as a Nazi martyr. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released in November 1993 to rival the Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a powerful next generation platform. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...


Due to concerns from Nintendo of America, the Super NES version was modified to not include any swastikas or Nazi references; furthermore, blood was replaced with sweat to make the game seem less violent, and the attack dogs in the game were replaced by giant mutant rats. The dogs were removed due to complaints from animal-rights activists that it was immoral to have a game in which the player is required to kill dogs. Employees of id Software are quoted in The Official DOOM Player Guide about the reaction to Wolfenstein, claiming it to be ironic that it was morally acceptable to shoot human beings and rats, but not dogs. Three new weapons were added as well. The Super NES version was not as successful as the PC version. Many reviewers and Wolfenstein enthusiasts believed that the censorship of elements regarding Adolf Hitler and Nazis made the title incomplete and almost an entirely different game. Nintendo Corporation, Limited (Japanese: 任天堂; Ninten is translated roughly as leave luck to heaven or in heavens hands, do is a common suffix for names of shops or laboratories; TSE: NTDOY) was originally founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ...


Aborted contest attempts

Level 2-8 features a giant hidden "pushwall" maze consisting of 181 nearly identical 2x2 rooms. Depending on the path taken through the maze, the player is eventually led to treasure, an extra life, or a surprise encounter with Hans Grosse. One and only one correct path leads to a room containing a sign saying "Call Apogee Say Aardwolf." (In some versions there is also an extra life in this room.) This was to have been part of a contest, where the first person to find the sign and carry out its instructions would have won a prize. The actual prize was never decided upon. Binomial name Proteles cristatus Sparrman 1783 Aardwolf range The Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) is a small insectivorous hyena, native to Eastern and Southern Africa. ...


However, because the first level editors and cheat programs for the game were released within days of the full version of Wolfenstein 3D, many players were able to find the sign with minimal effort, and so the contest was abandoned before it was ever officially announced. One of the discussed prize options was to be registered copies of all Apogee games for life, but the contest was scrapped before any executive decisions had been made. The maze and the sign were left in the game; a text file included with the registered version distributed by Apogee explained the story behind the "Aardwolf" sign and asked gamers not to call in and say it (many did anyway). A 1997 commercial re-release by Activision, however, removed the sign and replaced it with graphics depicting a pile of bones, evidently to remove any reference to Apogee. Activision, Inc. ...


After completing an episode, the player is given a three-letter code in addition to a total score and time. This was part of a high-score contest that was abandoned for similar reasons to the "Aardwolf" one; the code would have been used to verify that a player got that score legitimately, without use of cheat codes.


Ports

Official

Redrawn character sprites as seen in the 3DO version
Redrawn character sprites as seen in the 3DO version

The game was ported to the Super NES, Atari Jaguar, Mac OS, 3DO, Apple IIGS, Acorn Archimedes, and GBA. Many of the ports had different sounds, graphics, and levels. Some didn't even use the DOS version's episode format. Image File history File links Wolf3d_3do. ... Image File history File links Wolf3d_3do. ... 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (most commonly referred to as the 3DO) is a line of video game consoles which were released in 1993 and 1994 by Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar, among other companies. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. ... The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released in November 1993 to rival the Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a powerful next generation platform. ... This article relates to both the original Classic Mac OS as well as Mac OS X, Apples more recent operating system. ... 3DO can refer to: The 3DO Company, a developer of computer and video game software and hardware 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, the name of a number of video game consoles based on specifications created by above company This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that... The Apple IIGS, the fifth model inception of the Apple II, was the most powerful member of the Apple II series of personal computers made by Apple Computer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the family of closely related operating systems for the IBM PC compatible platform. ...


Some of the ports were derived from other ports and not from the original game. Both the Atari Jaguar and the Mac versions were based on the code of the Super NES port. However, both were developed independently of one another; the Jaguar port by id Software under the cooperation of Atari and the Mac port by MacPlay (The 3DO port was also developed by this team, making it mostly identical to the Mac version). The Apple IIGS port was in turn based on the Mac port. MacPlay is a publisher of Macintosh computer games, founded in the early 1990s by Interplay. ...


The Super NES version of the game is notable for being heavily censored and edited, due to the Nintendo of America's censorship policy at the time. Due to this, most of the blood in the game was replaced with sweat (save for B.J.'s face becoming progressively bloodier as health dropped), and Nazi references were removed. Adolf Hitler, who was a character in the game, had his moustache removed and was renamed "Staatmeister" as well. Nintendo Corporation, Limited (Japanese: 任天堂; Ninten is translated roughly as leave luck to heaven or in heavens hands, do is a common suffix for names of shops or laboratories; TSE: NTDOY) was originally founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in... National Socialism redirects here. ... Hitler redirects here. ...


In several of the ports (specifically, the Atari Jaguar, Mac, and 3DO versions) the game's sprites and textures are redrawn as 128x128 pixel sprites, rather than 64x64 pixel sprites, allowing more detail in the game's characters and objects. However, they are drawn from one angle, like the bosses, eliminating the stealth element of the game. In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional/three-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. ...


In the Atari Jaguar port, the status bar was removed, with only displays for health, the head of BJ, ammo, and keys. Since there was no score, the treasure added to the player's health. There was also a flamethrower, rocket launcher, pistol and chaingun which were based on graphics from Doom. Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ...


The Mac port and all derivative versions are the only ones to use authentic German voices and speech, recorded by native Germans. The other versions contain broken German phrases, with incorrect article and adjective usages, mostly stemming from the misunderstanding of the gender of the nouns.


Unlike the other ports, the Game Boy Advance port closely resembled the PC version of the game. Differences to the PC version included the removal of music and a change in the save system: the player has to complete a floor before they can save, but they can have up to 4 save games on one cartridge. It also used strong mipmapping which made objects and walls in the distance very pixellated. “GBA” redirects here. ...


Unofficial

The game's popularity and historical significance has driven a large number of unofficial ports to platforms on which commercial releases were not considered, including the Amiga, Atari ST,[2] PocketPC, Dreamcast, Nintendo DS,[3] Sony PlayStation Portable, Palm OS, GP2X, Symbian, and FreeBSD. This article is about the family of home computers. ... The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was commercially popular from 1985 to the early 1990s. ... A Pocket PC is a computer in a handheld size that runs a variation of the operating system Windows CE. It has many capabilities of modern desktop PCs. ... The Dreamcast , code-named White Belt, Black Belt, Dural, Dricas, Vortex, Katana, Shark and Guppy during development) is Segas final video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... DS, Ds or dS can mean: Nintendo DS, a handheld gaming device made by Nintendo Several games for Nintendo DS whose titles use the abbreviation DS in their title: Advance Wars: Dual Strike Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Digimon Story Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy Guilty Gear: Dust Strikers Mr. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $66. ... The PlayStation Portable , officially abbreviated as PSP) is a handheld game console released and currently manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. ... Palm OS is an embedded operating system initially developed by U.S. Robotics owned Palm Computing, Inc. ... The GP2X is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and media player created and sold by GamePark Holdings of South Korea. ... Symbian OS is an operating system with associated libraries, user interface frameworks and reference implementations of common tools, produced by Symbian. ... FreeBSD is a Unix-like free operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) branch through the 386BSD and 4. ...


Sequels

Wolfenstein 3D was followed by several related games:

  • Spear of Destiny, a prequel to Wolfenstein 3D, released a short time after the original game, using the same engine.
  • Return to Castle Wolfenstein (RtCW), a first-person shooter sequel to Wolfenstein 3D, released in 2001. The gameplay and the setting are similar to the original, but the graphics and audio elements receive an upgrade due to the Quake III Arena rendering engine. RtCW begins as the first game does, but from there the two games' storylines diverge. Overall, RtCW bears little resemblance to its predecessor, beyond the title and the setting. A small bit of nostalgia is available to players of RtCW with a console command. Activating 'cg_uselessnostalgia' via the in-game console overlays a replica of the original game's interface across the bottom of the screen. However, as the name of the command implies, this interface does not keep track of vital game statistics, such as the player character's health or remaining ammunition. The Xbox version of RtCW contains the full emulated version of Wolfenstein 3D as a bonus for beating the game, while the PC version of RtCW-Game-of-the-Year-Edition features the game as a bonus.
  • Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, a spinoff to RtCW, released in 2003. It is a free full-version multiplayer-only game, featuring elements from RtCW.

Also, a new Castle Wolfenstein game has been announced for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Possibly Return to Castle Wolfenstein 2. It is currently under development by Raven Software (who also created the latest in id Software's 'Quake' series.) It is scheduled to be released some time in 2008.[4] Spear of Destiny, often also called Spear, Wolfenstein: Spear of Destiny or just SoD, was first published on September 18, 1992 by FormGen Corporation and is the prequel to id Softwares first person shooter Wolfenstein 3D. In this game, like in Wolfenstein 3D, the player assumes the role of... A prequel is a work that portrays events which include the structure, conventions, and/or characters of a previously completed narrative, but occur at an earlier time. ... Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC) is a first person shooter computer game published by Activision and released on November 20, 2001. ... For other uses, see Sequel (disambiguation). ... Quake III Arena or Quake 3, abbreviated as Q3A or Q3, is a multiplayer first-person shooter computer and video game released on December 2, 1999. ... The console in a Source engine game, NightFall (a mod for Half-Life 2). ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (ET) is a freeware first-person shooter (FPS) computer game, and a standalone sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, created by Splash Damage. ... “Windows” redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... The PlayStation 3 , trademarked PLAYSTATION®3,[3] commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment; successor to the PlayStation 2. ... Raven Software is a computer game software developer based in Madison, Wisconsin. ... id Software (IPA: officially, though originally ) is an American computer game developer based in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. ...


Legacy

Wolfenstein 3D is generally credited as being responsible for the first-person shooter craze that continues to this day. There were surprisingly few clones until Doom's release in 1993, the most notable being Rise of the Triad in 1994 and Duke Nukem 3D in 1996. Most of these games were distributed via the same shareware strategy as the original. Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ... Rise of the Triad: Dark War (acronym is ROTT) is a first-person shooter video game that was first released on February 17, 1995 and developed by Apogee Software (now known as 3D Realms). ... Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by Apogee Software. ...


The game's success ensured that id Software quickly became a high profile developer. id's development efforts were closely watched by fans of the game, and when it released its next first-person shooter, Doom, it was guaranteed a receptive audience. Rather than rely on the technology that made Wolfenstein a hit, however, Doom introduced several technological leaps over Wolfenstein 3D. Doom's technology outdid that of Wolfenstein 3D by providing different levels of height (while Wolfenstein 3D didn't have any stairs or platforms at all), a lighting system (Wolfenstein 3D only had full brightness), multiple levels of detail and characters with more detail and animation than those in its predecessor; it also added a new multiplayer mode: Deathmatch, which grew in popularity as online gaming became widespread. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video or computer games. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ...


Recently, a Wolfenstein 3D total conversion requiring the ZDoom engine, but not an installation of Doom, was released. This modification aims to replicate the behavior and look of the original as close as possible using the features of ZDoom. Note that the latest version on the home page requires the latest ZDoom SVN version to run. ZDoom is a port of the official Doom source code. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ... ZDoom is a port of the official Doom source code. ... ZDoom is a port of the official Doom source code. ...


Influences and connections

Cultural

  • Secret level 3-10 is a replica of the maze from the arcade game Pac-Man, complete with ghosts which chase the player. The ghosts cannot be killed, and drain health from the player when touched (on easier difficulty settings, they don't do any damage). The dots are replaced with treasure items and the power pills are replaced with extra lives. To exit the level, the player must find and enter one of the two side tunnels, both of which lead to standard exit rooms. The red Pac-Man ghosts can also be found in secret level 6-10.[5]
  • In some levels during Episodes 3 and 6, a monotonal "beeping" sound can be heard underneath the background music. This is a Morse Code message; when translated, it reads as the following:
TO: BIG BAD WOLF
DE: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
ELIMINATE HITLER
IMPERATIVE: COMPLETE MISSION WITHIN 24 HOURS
OUT

"DE," in this context, is telegraphic shorthand for "From." This music is played in levels 3-1 and 6-1.[5] Pac-Man is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution by Midway Games in 1979. ... 1922 Chart of the Morse Code Letters and Numerals Morse code is a method for transmitting telegraphic information, using standardized sequences of short and long elements to represent the letters, numerals, punctuation and special characters of a message. ... Telegraph and Telegram redirect here. ... Shorthand is an abbreviated, symbolic writing method that improves speed of writing or brevity as compared to a normal method of writing a language. ...


Wolfenstein in other games

  • The official hint manual establishes that the protagonist of the Commander Keen series, Billy Blaze, is BJ Blazkowicz' grandson.[6][7]
  • In another id Software game, Doom 2, there are two secret levels that are based on E1M1 and E1M9 of Wolfenstein 3D. The blue SS soldiers make a guest appearance, demons take the place of the guard dogs and the Cyberdemon takes the place of Hans Grosse.
  • E1M1 was recreated as a level in Rise of the Triad. However, it wasn't released with the game, because id Software already did the same thing in Doom 2. It was later released as an add-on level.[8]

Yorp redirects here. ... The cover artwork for Doom II, painted by fantasy artist Gerald Brom, depicts the Doom space marine firing a shotgun at a gigantic Cyberdemon. ... SS redirects here. ... For enemies in Doom 3 and Resurrection of Evil, see List of enemies in Doom 3. ... Rise of the Triad: Dark War (acronym is ROTT) is a first-person shooter video game that was first released on February 17, 1995 and developed by Apogee Software (now known as 3D Realms). ...

See also

Maze War (also known as The Maze Game, Maze Wars or simply Maze) was the first networked, 3D multi-user first-person shooter game. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... The Xerox Alto monitor has a portrait orientation. ... Spasim (space simulation) was a 32-player 3D networked game involving 4 planetary systems with up to 8 players per planetary system, it was released in March 1974 and is claimed to be the very first first-person shooter and a reward of US$500 is put up to anyone... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... PLATO, an apronym for Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operation, was one of the first generalized computer-based teaching systems, originally built by the University of Illinois and later taken over by Control Data (CDC), who provided the machines it ran on. ... 3D Monster Maze is a computer game developed by Malcolm Evans in 1981 for the Sinclair ZX81 platform with the 16KB memory expansion. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Kens Labyrinth is a first-person shooter DOS game, released in 1993 by Epic Megagames (now called Epic Games), and was mostly coded by Ken Silverman, who went on to design the Build engine that was used in Apogee Softwares Duke Nukem 3D. It consisted of three episodes... Title Screen Super 3D Noahs Ark is a video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and for DOS released by the biblical video game producer Wisdom Tree. ...

References

  1. ^ The Phoenix (October 13, 2006).
  2. ^ wolfenstein 3d (November 19, 2005).
  3. ^ wolf3d (November 1, 2006).
  4. ^ TeamXbox.
  5. ^ a b Wolfenstein 3D FAQ. Official 3D Realms website. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
  6. ^ id Software. The Official Hint Manual for Wolfenstein 3D. Apogee Software. 
  7. ^ The Apogee FAQ. Official 3D Realms website. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
  8. ^ Rise of the Triad FAQ. Official 3D Realms website. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.

is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... id Software (IPA: officially, though originally ) is an American computer game developer based in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. ... 3D Realms is the name of a computer game publisher and developer based in Garland, Texas. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

MobyGames is a website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present. ...

Ports and remakes

  • WinWolf3D - Windows port using DirectX
  • NewWolf - Port for OpenGL (discontinued)
  • Wolfenstein 3D on Doom III engine
  • Wolfenstein 3D for Atari ST
  • Wolfenstein 3D for Apple IIGS
  • Wolf3D S60 - Port for S60 mobile phones
  • Wolfenstein 5K - Port in 5K of JavaScript
  • WolfenDoom Home Page - Remake on Doom
  • Unofficial GP2X Port
  • Unofficial ZX Spectrum Port
  • ZDoom Wolfenstein 3D TC Home Page and its thread on the ZDoom forums

  Results from FactBites:
 
Wolfenstein 3D - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2656 words)
Wolfenstein 3D (commonly abbreviated to Wolf 3D) is a video game that is generally regarded as having popularized the first person shooter genre on the PC.
Wolfenstein 3D was originally released as shareware, which allowed it to be copied widely.
Wolfenstein Mods - At the Mod DB Wolfenstein 3D at MobyGames
MindlessGames.com - Mindless Games Reviews (1308 words)
I have been a huge fan of Wolfenstein 3D since it was new to the scene, but I have to admit, I haven't played the game in at least 4 years.
Wolfenstein 3D is the epitomy of that term.
Wolfenstein 3D is a average port of the original classic.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.