The Next Dimension

What was the first 3D game?

It can be difficult to say what the first 3D game was, as the first 3D game came in different forms. Rather than attempting to define what we call the first 3D game, today we’re just going to go over a few of the firsts in 3D gaming.

Starting with the first 3D games in any sense of the word, using itstillworks, we have “Maze War” and “Spasim,” which began 3D experimentation in 1974. “Maze War” is a very old-school shooter where, in true 3D gaming fashion, players could move forward, backward, left, and right. The goal was like modern shooters – to shoot enemies. “Spasim” was short for Space Simulation.

“In ‘Spasim’ you flew between space networks and saw other players flying around as well.”

–Joshua Laud, itstillworks

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Our next category will consist of the first “home computer 3D game,” also coming from itstillworks. This game was released in 1981, and called “3D Monster Maze.” This game used pseudo-3D graphics, which were also called 2.5D. “3D Monster Maze” appears to be considered one of the first horror games, and by looking at one image, it’s not difficult to see why.

This third category of 3D games is 3D racing games. This is where the modern-day racing game camera first saw its use (althought I’m sure it has evolved some). It was, according to itstillworks, “a rear-positioned trailing camera view.” An example of one of these games is a game called “Rad Racer,” which came out in 1987 on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System).

3D Games would continue to develop into the future, with games such as Wolfenstein, Quake, and Doom paving the way for future generations of first-person shooters. As computers and consoles get more powerful, graphical capabilities continue to increase, bringing more and more realistic games.

Fun Fact: While I have just mentioned Wolfenstein and Doom as being 3D games, they weren’t actually 3D (at least not the originals). These games trick the player into believing they’re 3D. In order to explain this, I’ll leave this video that I’ve personally really enjoyed from The Game Theorists: Doom WASN’T 3D! – Digressing and Sidequesting.

Landscape image from: Tom Archer

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