Top 10 Video Game Firsts
03. First 3D Shooter
It is hard to believe that the 3D first-person-view-shooter was not always a primary focus for video games, but hey, it wasn't. In fact until the release of Wolfenstein 3D in May of 1992 (I remember downloading it off of a BBS back when we just used the Internet for email) video games were either top-down or arcade-style second-person views.
When I'd released Wolfenstein 3D for the first time gamers not only got to view the world -- and kill things in it -- in the first person with a 3D perspective, they were also treated to the basic character-driven story-mode style of campaign play that endures to this day!
In W3D we took on the role of commando William J. "B.J." Blazkowicz, who was arguably the Allies' baddest armed hero (think Army Ranger, Navy Seal, and Green Beret all in one package with an SAS icing).Our mission? Infiltrate Castle Hollehammer -- a Nazi fortress in which the plans for Operation Eisenfaust were being secured. Guarded by a mixture of regular army, special soldiers, and the product of the Nazi medical community super-soldier program, we ultimately faced down a Hitler clone on steroids with weapons growing out of his.... Well, you know.
While a handful of games had some of the elements of W3D in them before it was released, it was W3D that put the whole package together in one very awesome title -- and set the stage for pretty much the entire shooter genres to follow - so well done Id!
Whats the first Human Simulation Game? Find out on the next page...
I was thrown off by the "First 3D shooter question, as it isn't necessarily accurate.
For one thing, it associates 3D to equate to FPS, which is incorrect. Considering the number of vector-based or even sprite-based flight games that started in the 80s, many of these had a step up on Wolfenstein as far as 3D engines go. I mean, Red Baron's vector graphics presented a much more real 3D "shooter" than Wolfenstein.
Secondly, if you ARE simply talking FPSes, while Wolfenstein 3D is the first widely honored game, the same engine was used for the older Catacombs 3D, featuring largely identical mechanics, minus the commercial success and recognize-ability.
Given your attention to detail in so much else on this article, this seems a rather strange area to veer away from the otherwise well-researched path.
turns out you can do good and still turn out evil. Just saying.
that descibes ea and activision