Wolfenstein 3D

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 128.32.224.142 (talk) at 21:44, 28 April 2008 (→‎Reception: update mistakes). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D Atari Jaguar game cover
Developer(s)id Software, id Software, Inc., Stalker Entertainment
Publisher(s)Apogee Software (Windows, 3DO, Mac), Interplay Entertainment (SNES), BAM! Entertainment, Inc., Atari Corporation (Jaguar), MacPlay, Imagineer Co., Ltd.
Activision Blizzard/Valve Corporation (Steam)
Designer(s)John Romero, Tom Hall
EngineWolfenstein 3D engine
Platform(s)MS-DOS, Mac, Apple IIGS, Acorn Archimedes, NEC PC-9801, SNES, Jaguar, GBA, 3DO, Xbox
ReleaseMay 5, 1992 (DOS)
July 21, 1993, 1994 1995 (Source), 1998, 2002 2007 (Steam (content delivery))
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single player

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.

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.

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.

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.

Storyline

File:Wolfenstein 3D title screen.png
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.

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.

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.

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 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).

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.

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).

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 naming convention.

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 also 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 boss's 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]

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.

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[2].

Technical implementation

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.

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.

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.

"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.

Reception

Controversy

File:Wolf3d episode6 level3.png
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). Despite the fact that Nazis are portrayed as the enemy in Wolfenstein, the use of those 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)[3].

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. Two new weapons were added as well. The Super NES version was not as successful as the PC version.

Wolfenstein 3D and other violent video games have been blamed for nation-wide school shootings (President Clinton blamed games like Doom and Wolfenstein for contributing to the Columbine massacre), but recent research featured by Greater Good Science Center shows that the two are not closely related. Harvard medical school researchers Cheryl Olson and Lawrence Kutner found that violent video games did not correlate to school shootings. The U.S. Secret Service and Department of Education analyzed 37 incidents of school violence and sought to develop a profile of school shooters, they discovered that the most common traits among shooters were that they were male and had histories of depression and attempted suicide. While many of the killers- like the vast majority of young males- did play video games, this study did not find a relationship between game play and school shootings. In fact, only one eighth of the shooters showed any special interest in violent video games, far less that the number of shooters who seemed attracted to books and movies with violent content.

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; one of the discussed prize options was to be registered copies of all Apogee games for life.

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, or the grand prize even settled upon. The maze and the sign were left in the game as Easter eggs; 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 removed the sign and replaced it with graphics depicting a pile of bones.

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

File:Wolf3d 3do.png
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.

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.

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. Additionally, in Germany, the blood was turned green and the dogs replaced by giant rats.

In several of the ports (specifically, the Atari Jaguar, Mac, and 3DO versions) the game's sprites and textures are redrawn as 128×128 pixel sprites, rather than 64×64 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 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.

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.

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,[4] PocketPC, Dreamcast, Nintendo DS,[5] Sony PlayStation Portable, Palm OS, GP2X, Symbian, FreeBSD, and TI-83.

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. 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.[6]

Legacy

Wolfenstein 3D anticipated the first-person shooter games that continue to be popular today. There were few imitations or clones until Doom's release in 1993. The other most notable games are Rise of the Triad in 1994 and Duke Nukem 3D in 1996. Most of these games were distributed via the same shareware strategy as Wolfenstein 3D.

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 being playable over a network. It also provided 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 multiplayer mode: Deathmatch, which grew in popularity as online gaming became widespread.

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.

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.[7]
  • 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.[7]

Wolfenstein in other games

  • The official hint manual establishes that the protagonist of the Commander Keen series, Billy Blaze, is BJ Blazkowicz' grandson.[8][9]
  • In another id Software game, Doom 2, there are two secret levels that are based on 1-1 and 1-9 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.
  • 1-1 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.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Phoenix". October 13 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
  2. ^ Wolfenstein Trivia
  3. ^ Indizierungen - Beschlagnahmen und Einziehung (German) - Translate into English
  4. ^ "wolfenstein 3d". November 19 2005. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
  5. ^ "wolf3d". November 1 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
  6. ^ "TeamXbox".
  7. ^ a b Wolfenstein 3D FAQ. Official 3D Realms website. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
  8. ^ id Software. The Official Hint Manual for Wolfenstein 3D. Apogee Software.
  9. ^ The Apogee FAQ. Official 3D Realms website. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
  10. ^ Rise of the Triad FAQ. Official 3D Realms website. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.

External links

Ports and remakes

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wolfenstein_3D&oldid=208851651"