History VideoGame / Wolfenstein3D

* FictionalMysteryRealPrize: The game had the "Aardwolf" contest organized by Apogee Software: by finding deep in a secret area a sign saying "Call Apogee Say Aardwolf" and following this instruction, players could win a prize. The contest was abandoned, however, since cheat programs popped up within days of the game's release, allowing anyone to see the sign without effort.

''Wolfenstein 3D'' is a {{shareware}} game developed by Creator/IdSoftware in just two months, and published by Creator/ApogeeSoftware in May of 1992. Often regarded as the first true FirstPersonShooter; although very primitive entries in the genre had been available since 1973 (Including Creator/IdSoftware's own ''VideoGame/Hovertank3D'' and ''[[VideoGame/CatacombFantasyTrilogy Catacomb 3-D]]''), it's the TropeCodifier, and any modern FPS traces its gameplay lineage back to it (Apogee's ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad'' was the most direct successor, being built on top of the Wolf 3D codebase).

Console ports include the Super NES, Game Boy Advance, Jaguar, [=3DO=], Xbox 360 and [=PS3=] (as a downloadable title on the latter two platforms). It is also included as a GameWithinAGame in ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'', but with a PerspectiveFlip twist: titled "Wolfstone 3D", players assume the role of Elite Hans fighting rebels in order to kill "Terror Billy".

** The box art for the SNES port in particular makes it look like a game set during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, including BJ holding an M16 and a Beretta 92 while also having an Uzi hanging off of him. At the same time, you're actually fighting Staatmeister's forces in this port so the setting is presumably more forward in time.
** The Atari Jaguar port tried to "upscale" several of the sprites, which in the case of the basic pistol happened by [[PropRecycling taking the sprites]] for ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''[='=]s Beretta-esque pistol and chopping off several columns of pixels to both sides of the barrel to make it very vaguely resemble a Walther P38.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: While not every boss is a High Value Target[=/=]commander, every one of them is a huge, hulking badass, even the scientist characters.

** The Episode 3 secret level is pretty brutal, but brilliant fun too, while the Episode 4 secret level is practically a death trap unless you know the exact route to the exit (or are just plain crazy!). Episode 6's secret level is fairly easy if you just want to exit quickly, but if you are seeking [[HundredPercentCompletion 100% completion]], it is arguably the hardest map in the entire game.

** Mutants are completely silent until they attack, making them good at ambushing the player, and they don't need to raise and aim their guns like the other enemies, but can open fire immediately and just keep shooting as long as they see you.

* HundredPercentCompletion: The game scores you on enemies, treasure and secrets found in each level, although getting all 100%/100%/100%s is physically impossible on at least one level ([=E2M8=] due to a lot of mutually exclusive secrets) and technically impossible on a few ([=E5M5=], [=E5M8=], [=E6M2=], [=E6M7=] and [=E6M8=] all have secret walls that, due to an engine bug, push a square too far, either blocking off an area containing treasure or parking on the treasure itself, rendering it inaccessible). It is possible to circumvent the bug with some trickery by pausing the game just as the pushback wall moves two spaces; if done correctly it should stop.

** Just barely counts as an example in the [=DOS=] port. The knife, [[CoolGuns/{{Handguns}} Luger]], and [[MoreDakka MP40]] are all things you could reasonably expect someone to carry all at once. The [[GatlingGood Chaingun]]? Not so much.

** The Nocturnal Missions of Episodes 4-6 have you shutting down Nazi plans to engage in ''giftkrieg'' ("poison war" in German) or chemical warfare. But in actual history, while the Nazis did develop and use deadly poison gases such as Zyklon B, none of those gases were used as weapons of war by Hitler's own insistence (like many soldiers of the Great War, he had experienced the effects of chemical weapons firsthand). Instead, they were put to much worse use in the Death Camps that were used to murder over 2.7 million of the more than eleven million victims of UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust.

** The Nocturnal Missions of Episodes 4-6 have you shutting down Nazi plans to engage in ''giftkrieg'' ("poison war" in German) or chemical warfare. But in actual history, while the Nazis did develop and use deadly poison gases such as Zyklon B, none of those gases were used as weapons of war by Hitler's own insistence (like many soldiers of the Great War, he had experienced the effects of chemical weapons firsthand). Instead, they were put to much worse use in the Death Camps that were used to murder 2.7 million of the more than eleven million victims of UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust.

** The Nocturnal Missions of Episodes 4-6 have you shutting down Nazi plans to engage in ''giftkrieg'' ("poison war" in German) or chemical warfare. But in actual history, while the Nazis did develop and use deadly poison gases such as Zyklon B, none of those gases were used as weapons of war by Hitler's own insistence (like many soldiers of the Great War, he had experienced the effects of chemical weapons firsthand). Instead, they were put to much worse use in the Death Camps used to murder 2.7 million of the more than eleven million victims of UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust.

** The Nocturnal Missions of Episodes 4-6 have you shutting down Nazi plans to engage in ''giftkrieg'' ("poison war" in German) or chemical warfare. But in actual history, while the Nazis did develop and use deadly poison gases such as Zyklon B, none of those gases were used as weapons of war by Hitler's own insistence (like many soldiers of the Great War, he had experienced the effects of chemical weapons firsthand), but instead were put to [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust much worse use]].

* SchmuckBait: [=E4L9=] has a trap with a lone Guard guarding two keys and three doors nearby. Killing the Guard alerts up to approximately 33 troops composed evenly of [=Officers=] and [=SS=], giving you one of the most heated battles in the game. However, you can bypass this by taking an identical set of keys from behind a nearby pushwall.

* SchmuckBait: [=E4L9=] has a trap with a lone Guard guarding two keys and three doors nearby. Killing the Guard alerts up to approximately 33 troops composed evenly of [=Officers=] and [=SS=], giving you one of the most heated battles in the game.

** The cross artifacts look roughly similar to The Cross of Coronado from ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade''. The chalices are also reminiscent of a fake Holy Grail.

* ThoseWackyNazis: This game started the trend of Wolfenstein characters being able to wield absurdly massive weapons, along with [=BJ=] foiling some sort of super-science scheme. There are bosses who can DualWield [[GatlingGood miniguns]] like they're pistols, the Death Knight's PowerArmor with both dual miniguns ''and'' twin shoulder rocket launchers, and Hitler's minigun mecha. The Macintosh-Family ports upgraded Dr. Schabb's with ''"rocket-syringes"'' to go with his dead-raising serum and mad science. The Nazis have even captured the Spear of Longinus and it's up to [=BJ=] to recover it.

* ThoseWackyNazis: This game started the trend of Wolfenstein characters being able to wield absurdly massive weapons. There are bosses who can DualWield [[GatlingGood miniguns]] like they're pistols, the Death Knight's PowerArmor with both dual miniguns ''and'' twin shoulder rocket launchers, and Hitler's minigun mecha. The Macintosh-Family ports upgraded Dr. Schabb's with ''"rocket-syringes"'' to go with his dead-raising serum and mad science.

* ThoseWackyNazis: This game started the trend of Wolfenstein characters being able to wield absurdly massive weapons. There are bosses who can DualWield [[GatlingGood miniguns]] like they're pistols, the Death Knight's PowerArmor with both dual miniguns ''and'' twin shoulder rocket launchers, and Hitler's minigun mecha. The Macintosh-Family ports upgraded Dr. Schabb's with ''rocket-syringes'' to go with his dead-raising medical expertise.

* ThoseWackyNazis: This game started the trend of Wolfenstein characters being able to wield absurdly massive weapons. There are bosses who can DualWield [[GatlingGood miniguns]] like they're pistols, the Death Knight's PowerArmor with both dual miniguns ''and'' twin shoulder rocket launchers, and Hitler's minigun mecha. The Macintosh-Family port upgraded Dr. Schabb's with ''rocket-syringes'' to go with his dead-raising medical expertise.

%%* ThoseWackyNazis

** In the Mac-family ports, there's a chance that the bosses may not have their attack state toggle, leading to absurd situations like the Death Knight just walking towards you without even trying to fire a shot while you unload your guns into him and win without even being in their line of fire.

* CoversAlwaysLie: The box art is usually a reasonable depiction of the game's content but the UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} cover depicts a Franchise/{{Rambo}}-like guy dressed and kitted out like a [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam-era]] commando, while the in-game title screen shows a much more accurate representation with shirtless and muscular [=BJ=] firing a [[GatlingGood huge minigun]] at an unseen target.
* CriticalHit
** On occasion, if you manage to shoot a Nazi before he is alerted, you can kill him in 1-2 shots. This is especially noticeable with [[EliteMooks SS Guards]] who normally require several hits to die, as they have about twice the HitPoints of most guard types. Enemies that have not been alerted do indeed take extra damage. This works both ways unfortunately. If an enemy gets the drop on you and shoots you at point-blank range, you will almost certainly lose over half your health. The Mutants are the most infamous for doing this because of their total lack of an "aiming" state (they'll immediately skip to shooting instead of having to pull out and aim their weapon, since they have a third hand grafted into their chest that's always holding a pistol). They're also good at getting said drop on you owing to their utter silence.

** No lighting effects.