Operation Wolf is a single player game that began in the coin operated arcades and was converted to almost every conceivable format starting in the late eighties. It was played on the Amiga, Atari, Nintendo Entertainment System, Commodore 64, and the ZX Spectrum, as well as the personal computer running the MS-DOS operating system. The computer version was published by Ocean Software. Operation Wolf is a shooting gallery style of game that was both published and developed by Taito. It inspired three sequels: Operation Thunderbolt, Operation Wolf 3, and Operation Tiger.
All games played out from the first person perspective, making it a fairly early first person shooter.
The game is divided into six different stages, with each stage boasting a unique venue. The settings include a communications set up area (where the user will have to isolate the enemy by cutting off their communication lines); jungle (where the squad leader must be captured in order to learn the location of the concentration camp); village (where the villagers will help with medical treatments if they are freed from their oppressors); powder magazine (which cuts off the enemy’s supply line for firearms); concentration camp (to free the hostages); and the airport (where you and the hostages make your final escape). As each stage is completed, the
story will advance and the user will become closer and closer to rescuing the hostages from the concentration camp, which is the overall goal of the game. For example, after defeating the jungle area, the user will capture an enemy official who is able to reveal the location of the concentration camp, progressing the play. The stages have to be completed in order and there is a huge and heavily armored helicopter at the end of the airport level that will have to be destroyed in order to finish the game.
There were several ways to die within the game. Running out of health points or ammunition were the two most common ways to end the game prematurely. The player will also receive more score in the form of a huge (or not so huge) cash bonus based on the number of hostages he is able to successfully rescue with the number being anywhere from one to six.
Operation Wolf is what could be termed an impact game for the inspiration it provided for many shooters to come after it. It is a great game, especially for its day, and will give the user a taste of history as well as a solid play.
