Favorite original Wolf3D episode

Mine is 6. Large (sometimes even sprawling), challenging levels - a real bang to end the game with.

Episode 6 for me as well. I was going to pick Episode 5, but I don't know. I don't care much for E6L2 but I love the rest. Likewise, I don't care for the small size of all Episode 5 maps, but I guess you can't have everything.

I'm really fond of the nocturnal episodes. It's like a world of its own, miles away from the doom and gloom of Episodes 1 & 2.

Episode 5! That's the first episode I finished.

I like episode 1 the most. Episode 1 has a classic feel to it. It is were the series started and took off from. Spear of Destiny might have been the prequel and Episode 4, 5, and 6 might have been a prequel to Episode 1, 2, and 3, but episode 1 is where the series started out. Episode 1 came first. Hans Grosse is my favorite boss. We are introduced to Castle Wolfenstein in 3d for the first time. Castle Wolfenstein first made its appearance in Castle Wolfenstein, which is a 1981 dos and apple 2 game.

I like episode 3 the best for design and feel though some of the maps are on the small side.

To me here's really how each episode stuck out the first time I remember playing the game through and through:

E1: Predictable levels, limited textures, a bit mazey (but not true mazes). Always a key then the elevator, and a grey ceiling on all but the secret level. You don't need to do full exploration, but all but the first and boss levels are actually quite large. It doesn't leave me with much of an impression, but it still gets the game started.

E2: Wow those mutants are tough! That definitely is what lights my fire most. Through E2L5, the levels themselves are standard design affairs, then E2L6 and E2L7 are quite bipolar, first a big maze and then a "WTF? Is that it?" situation. And of course who can forget the infamous Aardwolf maze; that being said, take that out and E2L8's just another normal level.

E3: Small, compact, but fun first five levels, then they get more extensive though only E3L8 really takes a while to beat. Obviously the maze to the secret exit is a huge sticking point, and the Pacman are a novelty. And of course Hitler's level can't be forgotten.

E4: Lots of large levels that can actually be completed fairly quickly. That said, levels 5, 6, and 8 don't fall in this category. E4L5 can be brutal if you don't know where to look for a secret, but for a mazey level I actually always thought it was well done. And yes, the first time I failed to kill a guard in the right part on E4L7, and ended up locking off the key, probably looking for around an hour before finally giving up. Can't forget the key trap on E4L9 either, though who would seriously think ID would let you get it by killing ONE guard? I always just dashed to the exit on the secret level.

E5: Back to the compact styles of E3 in a way, espeically the first half but none of the levels take up too big an area in the map. But I don't mind it; the size isn't a big imprint on quality, and a few later levels do take a little longer. Memorable boss since it's the only non-shareware one that doesn't end the game immediately. Forgettable secret level.

E6: HARD! That's the first thing that came to mind here. Mammoth levels (and no real big short-cutting in most of them) and lots of mazey layouts but the style of the mazes vary. I'd agree with Thomas E6L2 is the worst. E6L7, you can shortcut a lot of it. Always remember the officers in every alcove on E6L1, how you have to go through all that when you start across from the exit. Some of the mazes are creatively designed, like E6L3. Level 6 never fails to confuse me, yet I end up liking it anyways, and Level 8 is my favorite original level - long and very challenging, and not very mazey. Usually have to conserve a lot of ammo for the boss or I run out, but it is the end of the game if you play it consecutively. And the secret levels - well there's rewards but be prepared for a lot of fighting and really just about everything besides the kitchen sink. Sure makes up for E5's secret level. This *is* the test your skill episode. Boy must BJ have had an easy time in Castle Wolfenstein given he did this FIRST.

Oh and FWIW I happen to like SoD just as much as I like Wolf3D. It doesn't add much, and it uses it fast, but I don't care! It's like Wolfenstein had a double length 7th episode. And it's got plenty of large levels which like E6 is just how I like it. Lost Episode, OTOH, are another story: STINK. Don't play these, even if you happen to have the Super CD. You can practically pick a random third-party addon and it has a good chance of being much better. I don't know how I managed to like these even when I was very young.

Episode 6 - Confrontation. The most difficult scene in the game. When first playing Wolf 3D is immediately felt unlike the first level of the all previous episodes ..

Exactly, Akuul. Once you start Episode 6 you know something is not "as it should be". Bring it on!

E6L7 is by far my favorite of them all. The trio of E6L6-7-8 is just... Oh! I don't know. This is near sexual dimensions for me.

ANYWAY... I do believe, like jpb6891 that SoD prequels episodes 4, 5 and 6 and they likewise prequel episodes 1, 2 and 3. My goal is to make a mod one day which starts with SoD and goes over to Wolf via episodes 4, 5, 6, 1, 2 and then 3. I discussed it with Havoc but he was uneasy on the subject as the project would, certainly, compress all sprites, sounds, walls and content from the full Spear of Destiny as well as the full Wolfenstein 3-D. Apparently, when speaking copyrights, that's a no-go. Sad.

I have to say I really did enjoy episode 2 when I first played it. This was a Monday evening in the fall. It really suited the mood (at least of the first seven levels) like a glove. E2L8 was fine, but I spent way too long getting stuck in the stupid secret hell hole that makes no sense, Schabbs' level is a huge let-down, and E2L10 was all right but I could've done fine without it.

The blue ceiling of E2L5 makes you long for the brightness of Episodes 5 and 6. It's such a great playability, juxtapositions all over across episodes.

@Thomas Yes it's the same for me. I wouldn't say I dislike any Wolfenstein episode, but E6 just holds something above the others for me. Even most of the mazey levels didn't get on my nerves. I do like that they didn't make the ENTIRE maze in E6L7 mandatory though. I think they should have made you visit two of the four quadrants in the secret level rather than one, but oh well. Minor nitpick.

E6L2 is also my least favorite level, because the entire thing uses the same texture, and the maze can get tedious when you have almost no reference point at all and you're walking up and down those level-length corridors trying to find the key and then the door that uses it to get to the elevator.

And of course, the fact that it's easily the hardest episode in the game for difficulty is just more FTW.

I must give a call to E4L5 and E4L8, these two really feel like they would have been right at home in E6. Possibly an honorable mention to E4L6 as well. Sort of a preview, per se, more than anything in E5 is, even though the designs there do admittedly become a little less compact in the second half of the episode compared to the first half.