Work Avoidance Wednesday: Wolfenstein 3D

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is out this week – so what better time to get nostalgic about BJ’s first 3D FPS experience. Yes, it’s time to travel all the way back in in time to 1992, and the release of iD’s seminal shooter, Wolfenstein 3D.

The episodic shooter was released as shareware (remember shareware…and demos?) in 1992, featuring ten levels from the first episode. It was free to copy and distribute, only requiring cash to change hands if players wanted the full experience. The game saw the square-jawed William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, mount an escape from a Nazi prison:  Castle Wolfenstein. It was for most people, their first first-person-shooter experience. It was certainly mine, and I spend many, many hours tracking down keys, killing nazis and generally feeling rather ill as my brain tried to adjust to the blocky and pixelated FPS. It’s the game that made Rockstars out of John Carmack and John Romero – and I’ll never forget the robotic, mini-gunning Hitler’s cries of “Eva, Auf Wiedersehen” as I put the final bullet in him.

And now you can play it, right here! Just click the “on button” in the embed below, and you can be transported all the way back to 1992. Remember, L+M+S is for losers. You will need to remap your keys if you favour using mouse and keyboard, and it’s quite startling just how far FPS games have come in 23 years – but it’s great for a nostalgic kick.

Last Updated: May 6, 2015