Showing posts with label wolfenstein 3d. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wolfenstein 3d. Show all posts
Friday, June 7, 2019
Friday, May 31, 2019
Friday, May 24, 2019
Friday, May 17, 2019
Friday, January 25, 2019
Friday, January 11, 2019
Friday, January 4, 2019
Friday, November 2, 2018
Friday, October 26, 2018
Friday, October 19, 2018
Friday, October 12, 2018
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Why Id Software Had Balanced Hard Difficulty
If you have played a first person shooter that was released between 2004 and today, you will know of the choices in difficulty. Call of Duty is probably the most famous with veteran, the hardest single player difficulty. When some people say it is next to impossible, they don't exaggerate. About two to three shots and you're dead. Some games try to cheapen the experience by adding more damage required to kill an enemy like Duke Nukem Forever. If there is one game that did hard difficulty justice, it was Doom and Wolfenstein 3D.
Id Software knew how to deal with making a game worthy of picking up and playing, as well as making it a challenge without ruining the experience. What helped them with their early efforts was that there was no need to double an enemy's health or require more shots put into them. Taking down an imp with one shot from a shotgun will always be one shot. Or two depending on how far you are. There was always a strategy on how to defeat them and find a way to get through it unscathed. There was no cheap shots to them and you know what you were getting into.
It's a philosophy that has been largely ignored for a long time in favor of going the Call of Duty and Halo route of a couple shots and you're gone. Even Goldeneye, which came out long before those two, had that kind of cheap difficulty combined with a few other cheap factors. The closest to what Doom did was the early Medal of Honor games up until Frontline, Duke Nukem 3D, and maybe Half Life. At least that's what I can think of. Third person games kind of have that same mentality of Halo and Call of Duty, but they are not as bad as those two. And I say that as someone that has beaten a handful of the Call of Duty games on Veteran, and those have a lot of very cheap moments.
If developers want to know how to be pleasing to all audiences, Id's early games are a good indicator. There's a reason Wolfenstein 3D and Doom are considered some of the greatest games ever.
Id Software knew how to deal with making a game worthy of picking up and playing, as well as making it a challenge without ruining the experience. What helped them with their early efforts was that there was no need to double an enemy's health or require more shots put into them. Taking down an imp with one shot from a shotgun will always be one shot. Or two depending on how far you are. There was always a strategy on how to defeat them and find a way to get through it unscathed. There was no cheap shots to them and you know what you were getting into.
It's a philosophy that has been largely ignored for a long time in favor of going the Call of Duty and Halo route of a couple shots and you're gone. Even Goldeneye, which came out long before those two, had that kind of cheap difficulty combined with a few other cheap factors. The closest to what Doom did was the early Medal of Honor games up until Frontline, Duke Nukem 3D, and maybe Half Life. At least that's what I can think of. Third person games kind of have that same mentality of Halo and Call of Duty, but they are not as bad as those two. And I say that as someone that has beaten a handful of the Call of Duty games on Veteran, and those have a lot of very cheap moments.
If developers want to know how to be pleasing to all audiences, Id's early games are a good indicator. There's a reason Wolfenstein 3D and Doom are considered some of the greatest games ever.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Wolfenstein 3D (PS3) Review
With Thanksgiving out of the way, it's time to get back on track with new blogs and reviews. Wolfenstein 3D made its way to the PlayStation 3 around 2009. The closest version that resembled the PC original was the Game Boy Advance version in 2001, but suffered quite a bit in a few aspects. While this isn't a perfect port, it's a great one considering how well some of the Doom ports were handled on other systems and that not many played the other versions.
As in the original, you are B.J. Blazkowicz. A spy for the Allies in World War II, he is thrown into a prison cell. Now he must find a way out of Castle Wolfenstein and finish his mission of stopping a new form of weapon capable of Germany winning the war. He also had other missions, which included stopping a general hell bent on wanting chemical warfare. Id Software has never been good with stories, but it's doable here and competent without sounding over the top.
Nothing changed with Wolfenstein 3D's graphics. Everything is the same. The textures, enemy appearances, and animations all follow the PC original. It looks a little primitive today, but still a technical achievement considering how computers were back around 1991 and 92. Audio, while the same, is a bit different. The music goes at a slower pace, and the sound effects and voices are lower pitched. That's the thing with porting over computer games from a long time ago. You don't know how well they will be on modern systems. It's not anything to worry, but purists might not like it. Still, it's not as big as Doom, so caution is needed when encountering enemies since they can attack from behind without you knowing.
As for the gameplay itself, nothing changed. As Blazkowicz, you have to find your way out of a floor by finding an elevator exit. Typically, there is a key or multiple keys to find scattered in a level. Find those and you can get out and do the same thing again and again. There are six episodes with 60 levels altogether. Nine regular levels are in each one and a secret one as well. The end of each episode features a boss and defeating it either gets a key to finish the level or you get an interesting death cam showing the boss dying again.
The controls are simple. Analog sticks control your movement. Upper shoulder buttons allow running and using weapons. Face buttons switch weapons and do stuff like open doors, push walls, and exit a level. All four weapons are present. The guns share the same ammo, so caution is needed and strategy is important before holding down the button and going on a rampage of 10 plus bad guys. Speaking of which, the roll call includes dogs, officers, and SS. There are a few other interesting ones, but overall, you're seeing the same ones over and over. You got health and lives, so healing includes medkits, (which were altered because of the Red Cross complaining) dinner plates of chicken, and even dog food. There are a few other methods of healing, but it's usually when health is very, very low. Lose a life, you are stuck with a pistol and 8 rounds. Lose all lives and you are sent back to the title screen It plays like most other genres since you're scoring points for beating the par time, collecting treasure that is scattered around, killing enemies, and how well you did a level. Do well enough, (which you will) and you can put your name on the high score list.
Wolfenstein 3D's level designs are not altered. They are the same as they were in 92. Anybody with excellent memory will know where the enemies are and when to attack. You do feel like you are in the bowels of Germany. There are a lot of Nazi stuff on the walls, which is a big negative for the country. It has a labyrinth look at times, but it's smart with placing enemies, their movements and when they go after you if they hear shots. Finding all the secrets gives the game a little bit of replayability. Maybe the first time, you didn't get everything, but you could the second time or whenever you want to play. Options include changing volumes of music and sounds, screen size change, and loading and saving games.
As I said, it's not a perfect port. It's still easy to get lost, especially in some of the later levels of the game. There might be times where the game is unforgiving, but it's not like they deliberately made it that way. I noticed the movement being a little slower, but I'm not too bothered by it. Other than those complaints along with maybe enemies sneaking up on you, it's still a great port. You are going to get some hours out of this, whether just going through the levels, trying to beat the par times, or seeing how quick you get 100 percent on every level. Check out Wolfenstein 3D on PS3. It's very cheap for a digital download. You will not be disappointed with the content.
As in the original, you are B.J. Blazkowicz. A spy for the Allies in World War II, he is thrown into a prison cell. Now he must find a way out of Castle Wolfenstein and finish his mission of stopping a new form of weapon capable of Germany winning the war. He also had other missions, which included stopping a general hell bent on wanting chemical warfare. Id Software has never been good with stories, but it's doable here and competent without sounding over the top.
Nothing changed with Wolfenstein 3D's graphics. Everything is the same. The textures, enemy appearances, and animations all follow the PC original. It looks a little primitive today, but still a technical achievement considering how computers were back around 1991 and 92. Audio, while the same, is a bit different. The music goes at a slower pace, and the sound effects and voices are lower pitched. That's the thing with porting over computer games from a long time ago. You don't know how well they will be on modern systems. It's not anything to worry, but purists might not like it. Still, it's not as big as Doom, so caution is needed when encountering enemies since they can attack from behind without you knowing.
As for the gameplay itself, nothing changed. As Blazkowicz, you have to find your way out of a floor by finding an elevator exit. Typically, there is a key or multiple keys to find scattered in a level. Find those and you can get out and do the same thing again and again. There are six episodes with 60 levels altogether. Nine regular levels are in each one and a secret one as well. The end of each episode features a boss and defeating it either gets a key to finish the level or you get an interesting death cam showing the boss dying again.
The controls are simple. Analog sticks control your movement. Upper shoulder buttons allow running and using weapons. Face buttons switch weapons and do stuff like open doors, push walls, and exit a level. All four weapons are present. The guns share the same ammo, so caution is needed and strategy is important before holding down the button and going on a rampage of 10 plus bad guys. Speaking of which, the roll call includes dogs, officers, and SS. There are a few other interesting ones, but overall, you're seeing the same ones over and over. You got health and lives, so healing includes medkits, (which were altered because of the Red Cross complaining) dinner plates of chicken, and even dog food. There are a few other methods of healing, but it's usually when health is very, very low. Lose a life, you are stuck with a pistol and 8 rounds. Lose all lives and you are sent back to the title screen It plays like most other genres since you're scoring points for beating the par time, collecting treasure that is scattered around, killing enemies, and how well you did a level. Do well enough, (which you will) and you can put your name on the high score list.
Wolfenstein 3D's level designs are not altered. They are the same as they were in 92. Anybody with excellent memory will know where the enemies are and when to attack. You do feel like you are in the bowels of Germany. There are a lot of Nazi stuff on the walls, which is a big negative for the country. It has a labyrinth look at times, but it's smart with placing enemies, their movements and when they go after you if they hear shots. Finding all the secrets gives the game a little bit of replayability. Maybe the first time, you didn't get everything, but you could the second time or whenever you want to play. Options include changing volumes of music and sounds, screen size change, and loading and saving games.
As I said, it's not a perfect port. It's still easy to get lost, especially in some of the later levels of the game. There might be times where the game is unforgiving, but it's not like they deliberately made it that way. I noticed the movement being a little slower, but I'm not too bothered by it. Other than those complaints along with maybe enemies sneaking up on you, it's still a great port. You are going to get some hours out of this, whether just going through the levels, trying to beat the par times, or seeing how quick you get 100 percent on every level. Check out Wolfenstein 3D on PS3. It's very cheap for a digital download. You will not be disappointed with the content.
Friday, May 5, 2017
Wolfenstein 3D (DOS) Review
Quick warning before reading this for anyone in Germany. The blog may have sensitive material that may not be readable in that country. I apologize if you can't read this in that country. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Impressions go a very long way. With their big publisher in Apogee for support in distribution, Id Software unleashed Wolfenstein 3D to the masses on May 5, 1992. While not the first first person game, it is the first person shooter to get people interested in a genre that would grow to mass popularity within two years. Does the game hold up after 25 years, though? I say it does, but it definitely has some rough edges.
Wolfenstein was actually a series made in the early 80s by Muse Software. The two titles that preceded 3D were a lot different in that you had to sneak your way past guards through disguises and passes, kind of like some levels of Medal of Honor. Muse would shut down in 1987 and Id was able to get the copyright for Wolfenstein.
You are B.J. Blazkowicz, He is one of the allies top spies in World War II. Some of his adventures include stopping chemical war to escaping a castle to figure out what Hitler's planning with whatever crazy schemes he was cooking up. One thing I'll say with Id is that they are not the best when it comes to making stories. That being said, it was decent enough back in 92.
With the engine John Carmack had, Wolfenstein 3D shows the amount of progress made going back to Hovertank. More detail was put into the enemy sprites, though they are 2D. The bosses are pretty big. The walls have decent detail and color while plastered with Nazi swastikas and Hitler pictures. Like the other 3D efforts, there isn't any walls or ceilings, but that's a given. It overall looks fantastic.
While not the first time they did a soundtrack, Robert Prince's music for Wolfenstein 3D is excellent. There is that sense of action with certain themes and others with that dreary and suspenseful sense. It really fits with some of the levels. Sound effects are minimal but acceptable. It's mostly doors opening, enemies shouting German phrases and guns firing. This game doesn't use audio like successors such as Doom and Quake, which I'll explain in a little bit. Nevertheless, it's amazing what Id could do with DOS hardware.
Id followed a formula that stood out in the 90s and what others tried to make better or worse. For Wolfenstein 3D, the formula is basic enough. As Blazkowicz, you are looking for keys to get access to locked doors. That's where exits are in most of the game. Alone, there hundreds upon hundreds of Nazis awaiting to put you in the afterlife. From Guards to dogs, they will damage you pretty bad up close to where gunshots can net almost all your health.
The game is pretty similar to platformers like Sonic the Hedgehog and even Id's Commander Keen. Unlike succeeding first person shooters, you kill enemies, you earn points. Scattered throughout levels are treasure which grants you even more points. Getting 40 thousand nets you an extra life, which will seem very strange if you play this for the first time in today's age. Lose all your lives or finish an episode, you can potentially put your name on the high score list.
There are 60 levels with six episodes. For each one, there are nine regular levels and a secret one. They start off small, but as you gradually get through the levels and game, they get bigger and bigger with quite a bit of complexity. Secrets are a plenty in Wolfenstein. Getting all kills, secrets and treasure get you bonus points, as well as beating the par time if you are quick enough in some levels. Each episode ends with a boss, which provide you quite a bit of ammo and health.
Only four weapons are in the game, with a knife and pistol as your only firepower. You can upgrade to a machine gun and chaingun with ammo up to 99 rounds. My only complaint is losing a life resulting in only having a pistol and eight rounds. Health pickups are common. From dog food to medkits, you can healed pretty well. Extra lives are useful, and double as treasure.
As far as options go, there isn't too much. You can load and save games anytime. Due to this being on Windows 3.1 at the time, screen size can be changed due to operating systems not always being the strongest. Sound effects can be changed from digital to PC Speaker ones or off. There is a read this section that explains the game a little bit like the manual, but also how to order the game in certain countries, what Id is, and quotes from some of the people making the game at the time. Quitting to the DOS line will result in messages trying to persuade players to get back to playing it.
Wolfenstein 3D is a great game, but there are only a few things I would complain about. Without a map, some levels are next to impossible due to either complexity or reusing the same walls and textures. It's easy to get lost sometimes The getting killed part as mentioned earlier is frustrating sometimes. Audio is more of a very minor nitpick in that you won't know where certain enemies are and it will scare you hear a gunshot from someone behind you and you lose a good chunk of your health. Other than that, it's a very solid game.
The difficulty is good to a little hard. You're going to get 8 to 12 hours of play or more. Value is there in replaying certain levels and trying to get a better score. Check out Wolfenstein 3D. Unless you get it for Steam, it isn't too common or cheap. Let's celebrate 25 years of one of the great titles to kick off a genre that would get better as the decade went on.
Final Score: 8 out of 10
Impressions go a very long way. With their big publisher in Apogee for support in distribution, Id Software unleashed Wolfenstein 3D to the masses on May 5, 1992. While not the first first person game, it is the first person shooter to get people interested in a genre that would grow to mass popularity within two years. Does the game hold up after 25 years, though? I say it does, but it definitely has some rough edges.
Wolfenstein was actually a series made in the early 80s by Muse Software. The two titles that preceded 3D were a lot different in that you had to sneak your way past guards through disguises and passes, kind of like some levels of Medal of Honor. Muse would shut down in 1987 and Id was able to get the copyright for Wolfenstein.
You are B.J. Blazkowicz, He is one of the allies top spies in World War II. Some of his adventures include stopping chemical war to escaping a castle to figure out what Hitler's planning with whatever crazy schemes he was cooking up. One thing I'll say with Id is that they are not the best when it comes to making stories. That being said, it was decent enough back in 92.
With the engine John Carmack had, Wolfenstein 3D shows the amount of progress made going back to Hovertank. More detail was put into the enemy sprites, though they are 2D. The bosses are pretty big. The walls have decent detail and color while plastered with Nazi swastikas and Hitler pictures. Like the other 3D efforts, there isn't any walls or ceilings, but that's a given. It overall looks fantastic.
While not the first time they did a soundtrack, Robert Prince's music for Wolfenstein 3D is excellent. There is that sense of action with certain themes and others with that dreary and suspenseful sense. It really fits with some of the levels. Sound effects are minimal but acceptable. It's mostly doors opening, enemies shouting German phrases and guns firing. This game doesn't use audio like successors such as Doom and Quake, which I'll explain in a little bit. Nevertheless, it's amazing what Id could do with DOS hardware.
Id followed a formula that stood out in the 90s and what others tried to make better or worse. For Wolfenstein 3D, the formula is basic enough. As Blazkowicz, you are looking for keys to get access to locked doors. That's where exits are in most of the game. Alone, there hundreds upon hundreds of Nazis awaiting to put you in the afterlife. From Guards to dogs, they will damage you pretty bad up close to where gunshots can net almost all your health.
The game is pretty similar to platformers like Sonic the Hedgehog and even Id's Commander Keen. Unlike succeeding first person shooters, you kill enemies, you earn points. Scattered throughout levels are treasure which grants you even more points. Getting 40 thousand nets you an extra life, which will seem very strange if you play this for the first time in today's age. Lose all your lives or finish an episode, you can potentially put your name on the high score list.
There are 60 levels with six episodes. For each one, there are nine regular levels and a secret one. They start off small, but as you gradually get through the levels and game, they get bigger and bigger with quite a bit of complexity. Secrets are a plenty in Wolfenstein. Getting all kills, secrets and treasure get you bonus points, as well as beating the par time if you are quick enough in some levels. Each episode ends with a boss, which provide you quite a bit of ammo and health.
Only four weapons are in the game, with a knife and pistol as your only firepower. You can upgrade to a machine gun and chaingun with ammo up to 99 rounds. My only complaint is losing a life resulting in only having a pistol and eight rounds. Health pickups are common. From dog food to medkits, you can healed pretty well. Extra lives are useful, and double as treasure.
As far as options go, there isn't too much. You can load and save games anytime. Due to this being on Windows 3.1 at the time, screen size can be changed due to operating systems not always being the strongest. Sound effects can be changed from digital to PC Speaker ones or off. There is a read this section that explains the game a little bit like the manual, but also how to order the game in certain countries, what Id is, and quotes from some of the people making the game at the time. Quitting to the DOS line will result in messages trying to persuade players to get back to playing it.
Wolfenstein 3D is a great game, but there are only a few things I would complain about. Without a map, some levels are next to impossible due to either complexity or reusing the same walls and textures. It's easy to get lost sometimes The getting killed part as mentioned earlier is frustrating sometimes. Audio is more of a very minor nitpick in that you won't know where certain enemies are and it will scare you hear a gunshot from someone behind you and you lose a good chunk of your health. Other than that, it's a very solid game.
The difficulty is good to a little hard. You're going to get 8 to 12 hours of play or more. Value is there in replaying certain levels and trying to get a better score. Check out Wolfenstein 3D. Unless you get it for Steam, it isn't too common or cheap. Let's celebrate 25 years of one of the great titles to kick off a genre that would get better as the decade went on.
Final Score: 8 out of 10
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Catacomb 3D: Id's 2nd 3D try
With Hovertank, Id Software knew that things could get better if you keep working at your projects and get better with the technology. The capabilities was there. It was just a matter of fine tuning it to where you can outline a future project and do so much more and convince people to get computers. Catacomb 3D takes the first person approach, but in human format where you only see your hand on screen. This isn't a review. Maybe down the road, I will give a detailed one, but these are quick thoughts.
As I said in the Hovertank review, (http://sullivanentertainment.blogspot.com/2017/04/hovertank-dos-review.html) John Carmack was a genius with engines. Whatever he did with Catacomb 3D, there was decent improvements. It's the little details like the walls actually having textures and not being random colored walls. Enemies looked a bit more detailed and the hand sprite is not bad.
The way the game plays, it's like a lot of Id games. Part of it is like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and though published by them, Heretic. You have ways to heal yourself, use special weapons. There are lots of secrets with enemies. Like the Commander Keen games before this, you're hunting for keys. It feels like a big blueprint for how to be successful and be one of the most recognized companies in the world. Everything feels set up so that when Id did make Wolfenstein, they knew what worked and what didn't.
On May 5th, a review of Wolfenstein will be uploaded to this blog to commemorate 25 years of its original release in 1992. Hope to see you then. Do check out Catacomb 3D.
As I said in the Hovertank review, (http://sullivanentertainment.blogspot.com/2017/04/hovertank-dos-review.html) John Carmack was a genius with engines. Whatever he did with Catacomb 3D, there was decent improvements. It's the little details like the walls actually having textures and not being random colored walls. Enemies looked a bit more detailed and the hand sprite is not bad.
The way the game plays, it's like a lot of Id games. Part of it is like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and though published by them, Heretic. You have ways to heal yourself, use special weapons. There are lots of secrets with enemies. Like the Commander Keen games before this, you're hunting for keys. It feels like a big blueprint for how to be successful and be one of the most recognized companies in the world. Everything feels set up so that when Id did make Wolfenstein, they knew what worked and what didn't.
On May 5th, a review of Wolfenstein will be uploaded to this blog to commemorate 25 years of its original release in 1992. Hope to see you then. Do check out Catacomb 3D.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Hovertank (DOS) review
You can owe a few things to Id Software. In between the time from the first set of Commander Keen games to Wolfenstein 3D, they had to still oblige to the last place they were at, Softdisk Publishing. The result were some games that were secondary type stuff. Some of it has what would set the tone for eventually their Wolfenstein series and other franchises. Hovertank, from early 1991, is an indicator that computers were able to do things that you wouldn't think otherwise on any format back then for consoles and computers.
So the basic gist of Hovertank is that you are saving people from death. That's it. You are in a nuclear war trying to save all sorts of individuals and eradicating all sorts of demons and tanks and several other enemies.Your tank can do everything as long as you don't get hit a few times.
John Carmack is a genius when it comes to game engines. Commander Keen was able to scroll a screen, putting DOS computers up to par with what an NES or Sega Master System could do back in 1990. Hovertank showed that 3D was very possible. That being said, it is a tech demo. There isn't too many animations, but there is some distinctive colors on the walls and enemies. The humans look like a prototype for what the later Commander Keen human characters would look like Sound effects are minimal and there isn't any music. Then again, what DOS games didn't back then?
Hovertank is rinse and repeat gameplay. There are 20 levels where you rescue people and defeat any enemies that get in the way. These bad guys can kill humans. Each time you save one you earn money, which is ten grand per saved person. A time limit is in the game. Whatever is left will grant you more money. You do have health, which can be depleted by being shot or touched. Get hit three times, you're finished. Once all the humans that are left alive are rescued, a teleportor will open to take you back to base for money and fixing the tank if any damage was taken.
I really don't have much to complain about. Your mileage may vary on the repetitiveness. You might feel a little sick with the tank bobbing up and down like a ship, so I wouldn't recommend playing it for too long. I'd say take a break after every 20 to 30 minutes of play. It does keep track of how far you have gotten and can go to the last level you were on. If you interested in how Carmack and the rest of the Id crew got their start in 3D, then this is worth checking if you are a fan.
Final Score: 6 out of 10
So the basic gist of Hovertank is that you are saving people from death. That's it. You are in a nuclear war trying to save all sorts of individuals and eradicating all sorts of demons and tanks and several other enemies.Your tank can do everything as long as you don't get hit a few times.
John Carmack is a genius when it comes to game engines. Commander Keen was able to scroll a screen, putting DOS computers up to par with what an NES or Sega Master System could do back in 1990. Hovertank showed that 3D was very possible. That being said, it is a tech demo. There isn't too many animations, but there is some distinctive colors on the walls and enemies. The humans look like a prototype for what the later Commander Keen human characters would look like Sound effects are minimal and there isn't any music. Then again, what DOS games didn't back then?
Hovertank is rinse and repeat gameplay. There are 20 levels where you rescue people and defeat any enemies that get in the way. These bad guys can kill humans. Each time you save one you earn money, which is ten grand per saved person. A time limit is in the game. Whatever is left will grant you more money. You do have health, which can be depleted by being shot or touched. Get hit three times, you're finished. Once all the humans that are left alive are rescued, a teleportor will open to take you back to base for money and fixing the tank if any damage was taken.
I really don't have much to complain about. Your mileage may vary on the repetitiveness. You might feel a little sick with the tank bobbing up and down like a ship, so I wouldn't recommend playing it for too long. I'd say take a break after every 20 to 30 minutes of play. It does keep track of how far you have gotten and can go to the last level you were on. If you interested in how Carmack and the rest of the Id crew got their start in 3D, then this is worth checking if you are a fan.
Final Score: 6 out of 10
Monday, April 24, 2017
Wolfenstein 3D Homebrew: Sega Genesis Demo Impression
Over the last few years, Wolfenstein 3D has gotten some treatment from a YouTube user who has shown some stuff he has done for a Sega Genesis port he is developing. He has put up a new demo recently for the first time in two years which allows players to do the first episode similar to shareware, but also have an opportunity to play the second episode by beating the first. Credit has to be given to gasega68k for getting it to work on a stock Genesis and to play surprisingly well. Here is a link to his YouTube channel and his topic on Sega-16.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyrLCLBRUDofXRHxBdIlDQ
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?25663-wolfenstein-3d-demo-for-sega-genesis
Wolfenstein 3D has not been a widely ported game. After it's debut on DOS computers in May of 1992, console versions wouldn't come until 1994. A widely censored SNES port and Jaguar port would release that year, followed by a 3DO version a year later. All three were their own set of levels, witht the 3DO version having the original 60 levels Mac computers would get their own version based on the console ports. A very long time would pass before releases on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 would have exact ports of the DOS version. Lots of people tinker with the idea of what systems could potentially do at their limits and gasega68k was able to get the DOS version to not only work, but not be plagued with issues.
Obviously, graphics and audio are going to take a hit when going on to a Genesis system. Yet, Wolfenstein looks fantastic on it. Other than some pixelation up close and some blurryness, it doesn't come off as an eyesore. The animations are all there. Color palette wise, it does well on the Genesis. Some colors are either washed out or dull looking, but it's to be expected and this guy has did the best to his abilities of what was capable. The same can be said for the audio. Gasega68k put up the best at handling the audio capabilities of the system. Sound effects are very good on the guns, doors and enemies with them being identical. Other ones replicate stuff like collecting treasure and keys with the system's soundchip. The music is very good. DOS and Genesis music have some similarities and some tracks show that. Some of them feel a bit more livelier (some are good, some are decent) but still retain that run and gun attitude and getting out alive.
As of the latest updates, it is about as close to the PC as you can get from a gameplay perspective. Options are there to load and save games along with checking high scores. You can pick your episodes (which will be the case whenever this is finished), difficulty, and get on with the episode chosen. It plays very well. This can be played with three or six buttons to run, fire, strafe and open doors and passageways. Nothing is altered. Everything is in their original locations. Enemies, ammo, walls that can be pushed, you name it. There isn't any slowdown or framerate issues. It'll take a level or two to get used to the controls, but by the end of an episode, you will play like a pro like on DOS computers.
I do have my concerns a little bit with at least one level of the game. One in particular will be the secret level of Episode 4 where 75 officers come after you once you fire a shot. The PC version glitches out at a certain number of enemies in one area. Other than that, it's the same Wolfenstein that you grew up and loved, which I have since 1995 on Windows 95 with a demo of it. I wish the best of luck to gasega68k and his efforts. I look forward to seeing this and the other episodes.
Demo Final Score: 8.5 out of 10
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyrLCLBRUDofXRHxBdIlDQ
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?25663-wolfenstein-3d-demo-for-sega-genesis
Wolfenstein 3D has not been a widely ported game. After it's debut on DOS computers in May of 1992, console versions wouldn't come until 1994. A widely censored SNES port and Jaguar port would release that year, followed by a 3DO version a year later. All three were their own set of levels, witht the 3DO version having the original 60 levels Mac computers would get their own version based on the console ports. A very long time would pass before releases on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 would have exact ports of the DOS version. Lots of people tinker with the idea of what systems could potentially do at their limits and gasega68k was able to get the DOS version to not only work, but not be plagued with issues.
Obviously, graphics and audio are going to take a hit when going on to a Genesis system. Yet, Wolfenstein looks fantastic on it. Other than some pixelation up close and some blurryness, it doesn't come off as an eyesore. The animations are all there. Color palette wise, it does well on the Genesis. Some colors are either washed out or dull looking, but it's to be expected and this guy has did the best to his abilities of what was capable. The same can be said for the audio. Gasega68k put up the best at handling the audio capabilities of the system. Sound effects are very good on the guns, doors and enemies with them being identical. Other ones replicate stuff like collecting treasure and keys with the system's soundchip. The music is very good. DOS and Genesis music have some similarities and some tracks show that. Some of them feel a bit more livelier (some are good, some are decent) but still retain that run and gun attitude and getting out alive.
As of the latest updates, it is about as close to the PC as you can get from a gameplay perspective. Options are there to load and save games along with checking high scores. You can pick your episodes (which will be the case whenever this is finished), difficulty, and get on with the episode chosen. It plays very well. This can be played with three or six buttons to run, fire, strafe and open doors and passageways. Nothing is altered. Everything is in their original locations. Enemies, ammo, walls that can be pushed, you name it. There isn't any slowdown or framerate issues. It'll take a level or two to get used to the controls, but by the end of an episode, you will play like a pro like on DOS computers.
I do have my concerns a little bit with at least one level of the game. One in particular will be the secret level of Episode 4 where 75 officers come after you once you fire a shot. The PC version glitches out at a certain number of enemies in one area. Other than that, it's the same Wolfenstein that you grew up and loved, which I have since 1995 on Windows 95 with a demo of it. I wish the best of luck to gasega68k and his efforts. I look forward to seeing this and the other episodes.
Demo Final Score: 8.5 out of 10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)