Beyond Wolfenstein is a mod for registered Wolfenstein 3D, made by Nate Smith. It was released on June 16, 1999.
Description[]
The mod features only one playable episode, with episodes 2-6 being blocked out. It features 10 levels, with the secret level being accessed from level 8.
The mod starts with the killing of a guard without the player firing a shot, a feature unique to the mod at the time. Also featured is separate ammo for the shotgun, which replaces the pistol. It is possible to get up to 99 bullets for the shotgun. The machine gun and chaingun is featured with its regular ammo, the rate of which has been raised to 150. Health has likewise been raised too, and it is now possible to obtain 115 % as full health.
Other coding changes, praiseworthy for their time, are featured as well. On level 1, the officer guard drops a gold key. Furthermore, Otto Giftmacher appears in level 5 and drops a silver key and obviously has no death cam feature. Hans Grosse is present throughout the mod and drops both the gold key as well as a chaingun.
All SS guards drop their machine guns when killed.
Dead guard sprites are randomized, akin to what also appeared in Totengraeber sometime after. This is likely the first mod to utilize this particular feature.
Though the ammo rate has been changed, the status bar could not contain the extra digit.
Layout[]
Mapping design is very much in style with original Wolfenstein 3D with not too many changed wall textures. Some textures from the Lost Episodes are featured, in addition to the mutant being replaced with the green suited guard from that game. The game plays as a standard episode, with the only change being the location of the secret level access, and the music order has been slightly altered too; level 5 plays Wondering About My Loved Ones, the menu music. Additionally, the boss level plays The Ultimate Challenge rather than March to War. This is fitting, as the final boss is a slightly edited General Fettgesicht now sporting a dark gray suit and dropping the silver key.
Secret level[]
Level 10 is accessed from level 8, but is in many ways a trap. The level features several Otto Giftmachers and there are also various Hitler ghost replacements (flamethrower guards) and Hans Grosse makes the odd appearance as well. Upon killing one Otto Giftmacher, another one respawns immediately in his place, making the level impossible to complete at 100 % kills. Furthermore, though ammo is plenty and health is easy to retain, the player gets transported back to level 2 upon completion. This was most likely intentional, as level 10 all in all feels like a challenge and a tease.
Once killed, Giftmacher respawns on the spot. This only happens on the infamous level 10.
Whether or not the respawning was intentional is up for debate. In other levels of the mod where Giftmacher appears, he dies instantly. If the respawning was intentional, it once again underlines the fact that Nate Smith's ideas and execution thereof greatly exceeded his peers of 1998/1999.
Aftermath[]
The mod was well received upon release, and praised for its coding changes. Some of the levels were later featured in altered form for the following two versions.
Along with its two sequels, this mod was withdrawn by request from Todd Hollenshead of id Software on February 3, 2001.
An SDL port, first in beta then a full version, was released in the second half of 2015 by Officer-Michael John.
External links[]
- Download Beyond Wolfenstein (DOS) at DropBox | MediaFire
- Download Beyond Wolfenstein (SDL; Beta): Dropbox | Mediafire
- Download Beyond Wolfenstein (SDL; Full): Dropbox | Mediafire
- SDL conversion thread at DieHard Wolfers
- SDL conversion thread at Haven
- SDL conversion beta thread at Haven
- SDL conversion release thread at Haven
- YouTube videos: Protokol Cateko