1980s
Wizard of Wor
1981 · Shooter · Arcade
Overview
Wizard of Wor is a classic 1980s shooter game developed by Dave Nutting Associates for Arcade.
Deep Dive
Wizard of Wor is a classic 1980s shooter game developed by Dave Nutting Associates for Arcade.
Developer Story
Wizard of Wor was developed by Dave Nutting Associates and published by Midway in 1981. It was one of the first dungeon maze games to support two simultaneous players who could cooperate or accidentally shoot each other. The eponymous Wizard appeared periodically to taunt players and shoot at them, while the maze walls gradually disappeared to remove hiding spots.
Did You Know?
- Wizard of Wor was one of the first arcade games to allow two simultaneous players who could shoot each other — friendly fire was always on.
- The Wizard himself appeared periodically, teleporting around the screen and firing at both players.
- Maze walls gradually disappeared as players progressed, turning a strategic cover-based game into an open-field shooting gallery.
- The synthesised speech for enemy names and the Wizard's taunts was remarkably clear for 1981 technology.
