Wolfenstein 3D

And while I enjoyed Doom, there was something about it that was missing. There was just a lack of interest developed by killing random monsters on some unknown, alien world. When I later played Quake on my PC, I had the same feeling.

While I had to move forward on my PC to get what I was missing - the game SWAT 3 took first-person shooting inside real homes, motels, banks and other environments - I would have to go backwards to get that feeling on my Jaguar with Wolfenstein 3D, the game that came before Doom. But just because Wolfenstein predates Doom doesn't mean you shouldn't have it - this game is a must have for any Jaguar owner.

Because it's older, Wolfenstein's graphics are somewhat inferior to Doom, most notably in the plain gray ceiling only occasionally broken up by a light fixture, and it's not truly 3D. But it's the story that in my opinion makes Wolfenstein a far more interesting and engaging game to play. You're not just blasting some fantasy alien - you're killing Nazis and, if you can survive, Hitler himself, although he at first won't look like you remember him from the history books.

The game casts you as William J. "B.J." Blazkowicz, a top operative for the Allies. You'll make your bloody way through six missions and 30 levels, encountering SS guards, mad scientists, German shepherds and mutant experiments with machine guns grafted to their chests. There's nothing more chilling than being in one room, firing your gun, and hear a guard who heard you in another room shout "Achtung!" and come after you! You start the game armed with a pistol, and as you go you can increase your firepower by picking up a machine gun, flamethrower, chain gun and rocket launcher. Unlike other versions of the game, this Wolfenstein was not censored or made politically correct - there's lots of pictures of Hitler on the walls and Nazi swastikas, behind some of which are secret rooms filled with treasure, first aid and ammunition. On some levels you'll need to pick up a silver or gold key, or both, to get into certain rooms. The game has three save slots, accessed via the 1-2-3 buttons on the joypad, but be careful not to hit them accidentally while playing. The "5" button will bring up a useful map.

While Wolfenstein is a great, fun game, it does have its problems. One it shares with Doom, in that sometimes the speed at which you move is too fast - pressing the A button while moving makes you go even faster, which I just can't see a need for. Also, the music in the game, while appropriate and mood fitting, can be rather harsh, so it's advisable to turn down the music volume a bit.

Wolfenstein is the kind of game that should not be overlooked or discarded for its age. While it may have come early in the first-person shooting craze, it's still a fun game, and a Jaguar best.