History VideoGame / CastleWolfenstein

''Castle Wolfenstein'' (1981) was a computer game written by Silas Warner for the UsefulNotes/AppleII, IBM home computers, UsefulNotes/Atari8BitComputers, and the UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}}. It is regarded as one of the [[TropeMakers first stealth-based games ever]], and began the long-running ''VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}}'' series.

* GratuitousGerman: The original ''Castle Wolfenstein'' was noted for its unprecedented use of digitized German voices.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[Franchise/MetalGear Solid Snake's]] grandpa at work.]]

''Castle Wolfenstein'' (1981) was a computer game written by Silas Warner for the UsefulNotes/AppleII, IBM home computers, UsefulNotes/Atari8BitComputers, and the UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}}. It is regarded as one of the [[UrExample first stealth-based games ever]], and began the long-running ''VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}}'' series.

* OptionalStealth: The original ''Castle Wolfenstein'' and ''Beyond Castle Wolfenstein''. It was a good idea to sneak through as much of the castle(s) as possible, because fighting German soldiers was a good way to get killed. However, you ''could'' fight them if you wanted to, and at times it was actually necessary (e.g. before you got a uniform or passes, or to "clean out" the room where the alarm box was located).

%%* Intoxication Mechanic: Your character can find alcoholic beverages (such as liebfraumilch wine or schnapps) in chests. Whenever your character drinks them, the direction your gun is aiming can't be reliably controlled for a while.

* IntoxicationMechanic: Your character can find alcoholic beverages (such as liebfraumilch wine or schnapps) in chests. Whenever your character drinks them, the direction your gun is aiming can't be reliably controlled for a while.

* WeaponOfIntimidation: A common tactic is to stick up a guard with an empty gun, rob the guard for any bullets, then shoot him immediately afterwards.

* BrandishmentBluff: A common tactic is to stick up a guard with an empty gun, rob the guard for any bullets, then shoot him immediately afterwards.

The player is an unnamed U.S. soldier during World War II; he has been captured by the Nazis and imprisoned in Castle Wolfenstein. When the game starts, he has managed to get a gun and ten bullets from a dead cellmate. Once the player starts moving, he attracts the attention of the guards, who will try to shoot or apprehend him. The player's objective is to avoid being captured or killed, find the secret war plans, and escape alive. The player can wear uniforms to sneak past (some) guards, ambush patrols, and find helpful items such as keys, food, drink, bullets, grenades, and bulletproof vests. The game is played from a top-down perspective, but the characters are seen from a side view.

* DoNotRunWithAGun: Averted. The protagonist and the Nazis can all move while firing their guns at the same time. They can even walk in one direction while shooting at targets in another direction at the same time.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Castle_Wolfenstein_789.gif]]

* LoadingScreen: The game (except in the DOS port) displays four pages of unskippable introductory text (as shown in the page quote) while loading.

* DressingAsTheEnemy

* DoNotRunWithAGun: Averted. The protagonist and the Nazis can all move while firing their guns at the same time.

-->''Welcome to Castle Wolfenstein, mate! The Nazis brought you here to get information out of you before they kill you. That's what this place is for -- if you listen you can hear the screams. They've already worked me over and I'll never get out alive, but maybe you can with this gun. It's standard issue -- each clip holds 10 bullets, and it's fully loaded.\\

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness
** 2D top-down perspective, stealth-based gameplay, RandomlyGeneratedLevels, Atari-esque graphics, and [[DamnYouMuscleMemory twin joystick controls]]? Not something you'd expect from the series that helped put the first-person shooter genre on the map.

%% * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness

* CutAndPasteEnvironments

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness

* EquipmentBasedProgression: The UrExample for FPS games.

* FlipScreenScrolling

* OneManArmy: Somewhat averted; it's entirely possible to play the game ''without'' killing every Nazi in sight.