Wolfenstein 3D [GBA]

Let's see, we've already got Ecks vs. Sever, Dark Arena, Backtrack, and even a conversion of Doom in the Game Boy Advance's first year. So why not the game that started it all, Id Software's Wolfenstein 3D, right? Hey, classic arcade and SNES games are flooding to the GBA, so there's definitely a spot for at least the nostalgia of the titles of gaming's past, so having a handheld version of Wolfenstein 3D does make a bit of sense. The problem with this game is that it's just not as tight the other, more advanced first-person shooters on the system; all of the PC's classic, simplistic game design is here, but the engine isn't nearly as smooth as it should be...especially when it's not pushing nearly the same amount of graphic detail.

Features

• Six episodes
• Sixty levels
• Four difficulty levels
• Cartridge save (four slots)
• Only for Game Boy Advance

Wolfenstein 3D, in case you missed out on the revolution back when it was released over a decade ago, is a corridor shooter set in World War II Germany...you're B.J. Blazkowitz, an allied soldier trapped within the walls of Castle Wolfenstein, and it's your task to get out of the fortress alive. The Game Boy Advance version features all six 10-level episodes of the PC's full, non-shareware version, completely unedited for content. You're still blasting nazi soldiers, officers, and guards, German Shepard guard dogs, and a few mutants and freak bosses that'll turn you into Swiss cheese if you're not fast on the controller. By killing soldiers you can score extra ammo or weapons...and of course, you'll be able to scoop up some conveniently placed food for extra health when you need it.

The game design was created in the pre-Doom era, so the engine isn't very spectacular -- rooms are constructed of cubes, with no ceiling or floor textures...sprinkled throughout the rooms are furniture and other items to give the surroundings a bit of class. Walls are decked out with Nazi decorations, swastikas, and Hitler paintings (this is a German fortress, after all) and by pushing up against certain walls you'll uncover hidden rooms with extra treasure to snag.

It's definitely not surprising to see Wolfenstein 3D on the Game Boy Advance, considering Id Software released the source code to the public domain a few years ago...any ambitious GBA coder could port the game over to the system. But the conversion isn't as clean as it should be; after seeing Doom running on the handheld, with its lightsourcing, floor and ceiling textures, varying wall sizes, and staircases, it's a little...no, a lot disappointing to see the GBA Wolfenstein 3D, with its square walls and empty rooms, chug along at its less-than-satisfying framerate. The game is playably smooth in close quarters, but when you run into an open room, the engine sputters...and this makes it extremely difficult to zero in your aim on a nazi guard or three because of the choppy spin rate. And since this is a direct port, the game doesn't feature any extras beyond what was offered in the original PC version...so, in essence, this marks the first FPS title on the GBA without link cable support.

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