Wolfenstein 3D celebrates 16th birthday

36 Comments by Alexander Sliwinski May 5th 2008 2:25PM
Filed under: Culture

Wired reminds us that that today is the 16th anniversary of when the ubiquitous first-person shooter genre really took off. Wolfenstein 3D celebrates its "sweet sixteen" in the firm knowledge that it not only helped springboard a genre, but also id Software, which went on to make the Quake and Doom series.

Although the FPS had been around since the '70s, Wolfenstein 3D is the game that most people (old enough) can point to being their first real experience with the genre. The game is also remembered for being one of the earlier instances of censorship, as it was banned in Germany for its non-educational use of swastika and Nazi music. As for the next time we'll re-return to castle Wolfenstein? The last we heard it's supposed to be later this year.

Update: Wait, it's 2008? So much for celebrating its quinceañera.

Tags: wolfenstein, wolfenstein-3d, wolfenstein3d

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

Evan: May 5th 2008; 2:31PM

Yep, Wolfenstein 3D was my first FPS.

Bleu: May 5th 2008; 3:01PM

I miss this game what a great game.

Lars: May 5th 2008; 6:17PM

Me too, unless you count Line Wars (which was multiplayer over a null-modem cable, woot).

I remember thinking "damn, these graphics and gameplay is amazing. How can games get any better than this?"

gperschbacher: May 5th 2008; 2:37PM

If Wolfenstein came out on May 5, 1992 and it's currently 2008 wouldn't that be the 16th anniversary?

Fernando Rocker: May 5th 2008; 2:40PM

That's right.

aristokrat: May 5th 2008; 2:52PM

Germany has banned the number 15 for non-educational purposes as well, so (like the 13th floor in some hotels) the press had to wait a year and then pretend like nothing happened. Nothing happened! We were all on vacation! Tea and cake were served!

Tim The Enchanter: May 5th 2008; 2:50PM

Well, that depends on your timezone. If you live, say 1 hour behind where it was created, and then most unscientifically compound that one hour per day over 16 years...

*and before the correcto-maniacs start messin' with this theory, be aware that it was a joke, and in no way meant to be realistic.

Poisoned Al: May 5th 2008; 2:51PM

HOORAY! I now feel really old! Thanks!

JayP: May 5th 2008; 3:00PM

I played the original Wolf on the C64.

That makes -me- old.

Poisoned Al: May 5th 2008; 6:48PM

Jet Set Willy.

Top that.

FOXHOUND: May 5th 2008; 2:53PM

LoL I think my first comment when playing that game ages ago was "Holy crap, he just ate dog food!" ...and then the violence that followed hooked my twelve year old self when this game was out.

It's crazy... I think I remember getting a copy on floppy disk shareware from a PC swapmeet. AOL(back when it was worth a damn)even had it on their FTP for awhile.

Professor Lario: May 5th 2008; 2:56PM

Played this, and the sci-fi based one, on my old 486... rocked my sox...

Cornelius: May 5th 2008; 3:02PM

Blake Stone was awesome as well... I liked the death animations for the blue guards.

Have you ever played ROTT? That game rocked.

Professor Lario: May 5th 2008; 4:10PM

Yes! Rise of the Triad was great! There has to be a freeware version floating around out there...

DangerMouse: May 5th 2008; 3:05PM

Great game. My first FPS, running it on a 386. Ran great, then i got Doom, which i remember having to drop the graphics to low or change the screen size to make it playable.

I grabbed Spear of Destiny of Steam, and beat it a while back. Quite tough and aggravating, but pretty fun if you can withstand the asshole graphics.

StrangeBum: May 5th 2008; 3:05PM

While I wasn't quite old enough to remember it's initial release. I do remember playing a few years after, maybe 1995 at a friend's house. Was definitely my first FPS game, and it was the one that got me hooked on the genre since.

Yourself: May 5th 2008; 3:12PM

It's almost old enough to play itself.

one i blind: May 5th 2008; 4:27PM

Actually Wolfenstein was given the PC-13 by id Software for "Profound Carnage". Perhaps it has been able to play itself for 3 years.

Martez: May 5th 2008; 3:24PM

Gonna spread my wings...

343 Guilty Fart: May 5th 2008; 3:27PM

Call me in 2 years when she's legal.

Donald: May 5th 2008; 4:05PM

Legal where I am. *shrug*

inb4haveaseat

Mr.ESC: May 5th 2008; 5:02PM

Inb4haveaseat is correct.

Why don't you take a seat over there...

In B4 cops take you away.

BlaqueBeird: May 6th 2008; 6:40AM

Are you Canadian? Isn't age of consent there 14? Ack.

Zeus.:God: May 5th 2008; 3:29PM

With a new Wolfenstein on the way (that is if they haven't ditched it) to the 360.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/8011.html

Captain_Hairy: May 5th 2008; 3:35PM

For something similar but altogether different at the same time, try http://voxelstein3d.blogspot.com/

Good fun, but weird.

h8rain: May 5th 2008; 3:40PM

I played W3D on a friend's PC. I (owning a Mac) played Marathon. Both great games. Nostalgia has set in (wonder if my LC2 still works.....or more importantly can I find a VGA adapter >.

emmzee: May 5th 2008; 3:40PM

If you want to relive some memories, you can download the original DOS Wolfenstein 3D (shareware version) here:

http://www.dosgames.com/g_3d.php
(Bottom of the page)

You'll likely need to run DOSBox to play it properly on modern PCs:

http://www.dosbox.com

Mr.ESC: May 5th 2008; 4:03PM

C'mon people we need more 1ups for this man.

Thanks for the link.

Tamachan87: May 5th 2008; 3:58PM

I remember playing this game off a floppy disc on my neighbours Windows 3.1 and thinking it was the absolute pinicle of technology. Good times.

Mr.ESC: May 5th 2008; 3:59PM

Feliz 5 de Mayo.

Me encanta ese juego.

For teh lulz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGQkszIEMiw

nmezib: May 5th 2008; 4:17PM

yow, and to think we went from Wolf 3D to games like Crysis in less than 16 years, just think of what'll come out 16 years from now! We'd be looking back at GTAIV and think, "yeah, those were the times... games back then were so simple!"

Wubbytoes: May 5th 2008; 4:57PM

Such an awesome game. I still play it every now and then just for the hell of it.

CJLopez: May 5th 2008; 6:11PM

My first FPS was Doom, years later i played Wolf3D, when I was like 16 or something 7 years. Man, this game scared me a lot, specially when I was able to configure the soundblaster awe 32 and got the sound on my speakers, that was awesome!!!!!

Man, what times

DangerMouse: May 5th 2008; 6:24PM

LMAO, i rank this up there as the scariest game ever. This was back before i had a sound card and had to rely on the PC speaker. My knee hit the desk so hard so many times when there was an unexpected guard behind me.

kastonie: May 6th 2008; 12:59AM

man dont forget about that distribution by apogee....

Ellyra: May 6th 2008; 4:24PM

Wow, I don't remember the game graphics looking so good! ;-) Happy birthday regardless, Wolfenstein 3D!

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