Forget debating over whether the latest Call of Duty game is better than the latest Battlefield in gaming's most popular genre. It all began with an ambitious title - one made by id Software called Wolfenstein 3D. Twenty years have passed since that game revolutionized the industry, and id Software and Bethesda are celebrating properly, by re-releasing the original game for everyone to play.

Rather than releasing the game as a downloadable title on XBLA or PSN however, id Software and Bethesda have decided to allow players to play the game for free via their web browser. By going to wolfenstein.bethesoft.com, one can play through the original PC version of Wolfenstein 3D, no downloads required.

Alternatively, a special re-release of the game called Wolfenstein 3D Classic Platinum will be available for download via iTunes for the iPhone, iPad, and iTouch. The game will be free for a limited time only, so it's recommended that players download the title as soon as possible.

To further commemorate this special occasion, Bethesda has released a director's commentary of Wolfenstein 3D on their YouTube channel as part of their Bethesda podcast. You can view the commentary below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amDtAPHH-zE

It truly is amazing to see how far gaming has come since the days of Wolfenstein 3D, let alone the FPS genre. Just the fact that it proudly has the term '3D' in the title - which was a brand new idea at the time - shows how things have changed. What started off as a simple game of one man killing Nazis has evolved into an entirely different beast. Gaming concepts such as online play, ranking boards, and achievements may not have arisen were it not for this one game.

Do you have any fond memories of Wolfenstein 3D? Will you be playing either version released today?