Wolfenstein 3D - 1992

You wouldn't know by playing it now, but Wolfenstein 3D was groundbreaking. At least in my household. My dad installed it on our ancient computer and played for an hour or two, before he came to find me.

"The gun shots sound so realistic!" I remember his enthusiasm. And of course, me being me, I had to see and hear for myself.

It wasn't a side-scroller or a platformer. The doors opened and closed with (at the time) realistic sound effects. The gun blasts were loud and you could actually see, in your hand, first-person-style, the gun you were shooting. The AI responded accordingly and even zig-zagged to make it harder to aim. My first German words were "Mein Leben!" and "Halt da!" 

Every room could have held a secret treasure trove, health packs, food, and new, more powerful guns. When you grabbed a gun upgrade, the little man face at the bottom of the screen flashed a big, toothy grin. 

Another neat feature was being able to see that face at the bottom of the screen become more and more bloody as you were shot and bitten (because of course, German shepherds). I learned I really didn't need to keep an eye on my health bar, because just a glance at the man at the bottom would show all the damage quite succinctly. A little bloody - that's fine. Lots of blood? Oh, shit, find food or health. Anything to save yourself!

Another good lesson to learn quickly: after a shoot out, always reload! It's never a good situation to have to reload while being shot at. And of course, conserve bullets! How many times did I run out of ammo and have to rush a guard or three with only a knife in hand? 

And the best surprise of all? (Well, besides secret elevators that took you to the end from level 1). Cheat codes! I always played the levels at "Daddy, Don't Hurt Me," (I was six, give me a break), but God mode was my favorite. I would laugh in the face of an onslaught of bullets as I shot my way, unharmed, through levels: collecting ammo, ignoring health packs, and taking my time searching for those little hidden rooms you could discover by pressing against every inch of a given wall. In fact, that was one habit that was hardest to break: other games didn't hold as many secrets. It was pointless to look so methodically. 

Yeah, Wolfenstein 3D was a real game changer. It added realism with the technology of that time, and was the first of it's kind to do a lot of extra with it's controls, graphics, and fighting scenes. It also managed to tell a story through setting alone. Walking past jail cells with skeletal remains, finding Nazis and they're paraphernalia draped across levels. 

I think Wolfenstein 3D was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with gaming. And God mode.