Super 3D Noah’s Ark is a first person shooter that is infamous for various reasons. Namely the subject matter of the game and the variety of myths based upon the development of the game. As title insinuates this game is upon the Noah’s ark story (more explicitly the Christian interpretation of the story.). Â This game was different to other rival games at the time such as Wolfenstein 3D or Doom. Since the game is alternative to other games on the market. Particularly for devout christians, concerned parents and children. As at the time there was a lack of first person shooters that were suitable for children. It also would appease parents concerned about games as well as adding another game to the wisdom tree brand.
Despite the fact that this game is a port of an old game. The port has received various technical upgrades. Visually the game can now play in 1080p with true 16:9 aspect ratio with no stretching present. The mouse controls used in the game don’t feel as limited as the original version and feels more fluid than versions previously released on the PC.
Whilst there is various ports of the game available the version I based this review on is the steam version. This version has achievements and trading cards on offer which I think is a nice addition to have. As many ports of older games don’t get this much in new content. Particularly as many ports are direct from original versions of the game with no new additions for modern requirements.
There were also talks of utilising the steam workshop so players could use the steam workshop to create new content for game. There was even an announcement made of multiplayer support being added into the game as it is a cool idea to play the story levels co operatively or even playing various game modes such as capture the flag. As of now there is no multiplayer in the game. Neither is there steam workshop support for the game. As of now there isn’t anything new announced about either of them.
Whilst gameplay wise it is exact to wolfenstein 3d and they have various familiar comparisons as they are both maze like when it comes to level design which I think is awkward when trying to navigate around each level. But one of the main (and obvious) differences between the rival games at the time is how both the aesthetic and sound design in the game are quite cheerful, cartoony and upbeat which most other shooters are not. The game itself is very innocent as you are using 4 different slingshot and fruit of varying styles to shoot at the animals (which have a snooze rather than die) with each slingshot acting as the equivalent of guns used in FPS games these being a pistol, machine gun, minigun and a rocket launcher as well as your fists if you have no fruit to fling.
However, unlike every other game within the genre you will find scrolls scattered though out the levels. The scrolls will ask you questions based on the biblical interpretation of Noah’s ark which are easy to do if you have read through the bible. Alternatively you could use a search engine/smart device to provide you with an answer. Nevertheless you are provided 3 answers to choose from so you can easily guess answers.
In some aspects I do feel that this game is superior in comparison to Wolfenstein 3D. Technically this game provides more content on offer. Namely that there is a larger amount of enemies that appears on the map. This makes the game harder and more action filled. I also feel that aesthetically the game is better as it doesn’t use assorted colours/textures to splatter across the levels. As I disliked the usage of bright colours and wood aesthetic used in Wolfenstein. However, this game uses a bright wood texture to predominately decorate the walls. There is also animal pictures and bars that have been broken used sparingly on the walls either as decoration or to hide secret areas.
Despite the fact that Super 3D Noah’s Ark was released in 1995. This game nonetheless holds up by today’s standards. Sure the cartoony graphics of this game have dated slightly overtime. However, the game consists of 2D sprites and it enables it appear better. By today’s standards it hasn’t aged too badly in comparison some ps1 era games for example. Despite that, the game may look dated I still think nonetheless the game is fun to play.
I do think that due to the objective of the game, as well as the subject matter of the game. Makes this game quite niche and meant for a targeted audience. Essentially, this a first person shooter that was suitable for the games target market with little consideration for other audiences. However, if you aren’t the games target market but old enough to remember the game. There is some nostalgia/curiosity value there. Particularly for those who played the game back in the 1990’s. Alternatively even those who like games within the genre it may still provide a few hours’ worth of fun.
Overall I feel that Super 3D Noah’s Ark is only worth playing for nostalgia. However, if you are a part of the games intended demographic. Then I would gladly recommend this game to you. But even then I would only recommend buying this game when it is on offer on steam.
