Vault 1541: Wolfenstein 2d to 3d

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Wolfenstein 2d to 3d

With the upcoming release of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus this Friday I thought it would be fun to take a look at some reviews of id Software's first Wolfenstein game. Since I've said numerous times that I do aim for a family friendly environment at Vault 1541 I should point out that the most recent Wolfenstein games are rated M largely due to violence. The first release of Wolfenstein 3d and the games I'll mention from the '80s do pre-date the ESRB and that's what I am focusing on here but all of the games are violent as they are set during World War II.

Well before there was id's Wolfenstein 3d, developer Muse Software released a game called Castle Wolfenstein in 1981 and a sequel, Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, in 1984. Muse's games are what inspired id but they play quite differently as the two Muse games are viewed from a 2D side perspective and while you can shoot enemies, the best course of action is typically to blend in and sneak past the enemy guards whenever possible. Developed by id and published by Apogee Software in 1992 for DOS computers, Wolfenstein 3d is a first-person shooter where players control Allied soldier B.J. Blazkowicz. Both of Muse's games, as well as Wolfenstein 3d, require players to escape from the castle.

Wolfenstein 3d has since appeared on numerous platforms, including the Macintosh computer, Atari Jaguar, 3DO, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) during the '90s. Later the game was ported to the Game Boy Advance, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and mobile platforms. I've got one review each for the DOS, SNES, and 3DO versions, and two for the Jaguar. As is often the case, I did some edits on the scans from Electronic Gaming Monthly (to line up with the Review Crew) and Video Games & Computer Entertainment (multiple pages turned into one).