Wolfenstein 3D, which can be played here, is considered one of the earliest first-person shooters, and the game that made the genre popular on PC. It was developed by John Carmack at id Software and published by Apogee Software in 1992. The game originally was released for free as shareware, but then was later released as a paid PC game and on several consoles.
The browser version is the full release of Wolfenstein 3D; you play an American soldier in WWII attempting to escape from the Nazi stronghold of Castle Wolfenstein. You must navigate the 3D maze while fending off Nazi soldiers, attack dogs and mutant monsters.
Wolfenstein 3D was not the only stop for Carmack and designer John Romero; the duo later developed DOOM, the mega-popular 1993 FPS that was downloaded by 10 million people in the first two years.
Bethesda Software also announced they would be dropping the price of the iOS version of Wolfenstein 3D (iTunes link) to commemorate the anniversary. For a limited time, gamers will be able to pick up the classic for free on their iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on Wednesday..
Are you excited about the rerelease of Wolfenstein 3D? Do you have fond memories playing the title when it came out 20 years ago? Let us know in the comments.
BONUS: Classic Games to Play Online
Below, check out our list of official remakes, ports and offers of classic video games that found new life on social platforms and free sites.
The game that made dysentery fun was released as a Facebook app last February, much to the delight of grown-up school children everywhere. It's now social, of course, but the decision whether to ford the river is all your won.
From the people who brought you The Oregon Trail comes another classic bout of edutainment. That criminal mastermind Carmen Sandiego is on the loose again, this time on Facebook, and it's up to you and your friends to use geographical knowledge to bring her to justice.
Also, now you've got Rockapella in your head.
The Sims was a blockbuster franchise that kicked off in 2000 and spawned no less than a bajillion sequels, add-on packs and spin-offs.
Add a Facebook game to that list. The Sims Social quickly became the fastest-growing game on the network when it launched last summer.
The Mac Daddy of strategy gaming landed on Facebook over the summer, this time with a social twist.
While you could always play other Civilization games online with friends, the unique social layer of Civ World makes it imperative that you optimize your research, diplomacy and military efforts in tandem with Facebook pals.
The venerable Age of Empires franchise from Microsoft hit the company's LIVE gaming platform this year, and you can join the real-time strategy melee for free.
While some stalwart fans lamented the offering's "cartoonish" graphics, the social features and horde of new gameplay options satisfied many players looking for a free strategy fix.
Id Software, the company that defined the modern first-person shooter with games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, also had a mega hit with Quake in 1996.
Quake's online community remains passionate to this day, and id breathed new life into the aging title with Quake LIVE, a free, web-based portal where fans can frag each other online to their hearts' content.
Forgotten Realms is a longstanding game world for tabletop Dungeons & Dragons that found its digital legs in 2002's Neverwinter Nights from BioWare.
After a successful sequel and the birth of a strong modding community, the franchise has made the leap to Facebook with an experience more reminiscent of the board games than the PC versions.
Beloved multiplayer FPS Team Fortress 2 was made free-to-play by Valve last summer, and new players flocked to the addictive title.
The game is supported by downloadable content: hats and other accessories that let you customize your character, but don't affect the competitive balance.
Atari has been busy getting its classic back catalog onto the web. A free portal lets you play updated versions of the old console standbys, including the inertia-bending Asteroids.
You can also check out the free iPhone and iPad app, Asteroids: Gunner.
Perhaps a "modern classic," depending on your perspective (the game was released in 2004, after all), Blizzard announced last summer that new adventurers could play for free up to level 20.
Tread with caution, though. It may not be so easy to quit when it comes time to pay-up for a subscription.
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