Wolfenstein 3D (1992) (4/12)

Although other FPS games existed before Wolfenstein 3D, a lot of people attribute this game with the start of the genre. Playing as the gun-toting spy BJ Blazkowicz, you’ll mow down waves of Nazis as you attempt to escape a prison camp. In comparison to modern games Wolfenstein 3D is pretty tame, but it was quite controversial during its time due to the level of violence.

Levels in Wolfenstein 3D are extremely maze-like in nature, with hidden rooms and various collectibles. The gameplay and movement is very quick, so the game lends itself well to speedruns. We can also thank Wolfenstein3D for popularizing the boss fight, as each “episode” in the game was punctuated by a gun-fight against a particularly intimidating foe.