Happy 16th Anniversary to Wolfenstein 3D

Monday was Cinco de Mayo (even though, for some unknown reason, Google didn't create a doodle for it), but it was also the 16th anniversary of one of the defining moments in gaming history: May 5th, 1992, was the date that Wolfenstein 3D was released.

The game was developed by id Software and published by Apogee Software. The game still has a web page devoted to it at 3D Realms (originally created as a branding label in July 1994 for use by Apogee).

What I didn't know, but found out by looking at the 3D Realms site, is that the game can't be ordered by anyone in Germany. All such orders will be canceled, the site says. But a little research shows why: use of Nazi symbols such as the Swastika and the anthem of the Nazi Party, Horst-Wessel-Lied, are banned in Germany, and despite the fact this is a game ... well, you see the problem.

Many remember this game as a defining moment in FPS history. Will we ever see the like of it again? Well, there was Return to Castle Wolfenstein in 2001 - so why not? Of course, the last we heard anything about another Wolfenstein game was in 2005, and nothing since, so perhaps it's all just wishful thinking.