Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A full year before Wolfenstein 3D shook the gaming world, id Software released Hovertank 3D, arguably the first ever fast-paced first-person shooter.
In Hovertank 3D (also known as Hovertank One, or simply Hovertank) you must navigate mazelike levels in a--you guessed it!--hovertank, blasting away at enemies and trying to find and rescue all the civilians before fleeing through the exit portal.
Although it's been largely forgotten over the years, Hovertank 3D is still an important part of id Software's history and the first-person shooter genre as a whole. It was a crucial stepping stone to Wolfenstein 3D and despite being outdated and lacking a soundtrack, is still surprisingly fun to play to this day.
As a side note, Hovertank 3D was published by none other than Softdisk, the same company John Carmack, John Romero, and the rest of the original id Software crew worked at before going on to form id itself. Hovertank was in fact one of many games id Software made specifically for Softdisk in order to fulfill a contractual obligation.
For more info on Hovertank 3D, check out these links:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovertank_3D
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein_3D#Development
catacomb.miraheze.org/wiki/Hovertank_3D
Additionally, here's more info on id Software and Softdisk:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Id_Software
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softdisk
Unfortunately Hovertank 3D is unavailable on digital platforms like GOG and Steam and it's tough to say if it will ever be officially re-released. Since physical copies are virtually impossible to come by, your best bet is to download the game from a trustworthy "abandonware" website and play it using DOSBox.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:26 Zone 1: Langston Research Facility
01:44 Zone 2: Gardens of Marvin M. Mitchell
03:35 Zone 3: Caves, Brazos de la Madre
05:05 Zone 4: Fort Smith
07:30 Zone 5: Coyote Canyon
A full year before Wolfenstein 3D shook the gaming world, id Software released Hovertank 3D, arguably the first ever fast-paced first-person shooter.
In Hovertank 3D (also known as Hovertank One, or simply Hovertank) you must navigate mazelike levels in a--you guessed it!--hovertank, blasting away at enemies and trying to find and rescue all the civilians before fleeing through the exit portal.
Although it's been largely forgotten over the years, Hovertank 3D is still an important part of id Software's history and the first-person shooter genre as a whole. It was a crucial stepping stone to Wolfenstein 3D and despite being outdated and lacking a soundtrack, is still surprisingly fun to play to this day.
As a side note, Hovertank 3D was published by none other than Softdisk, the same company John Carmack, John Romero, and the rest of the original id Software crew worked at before going on to form id itself. Hovertank was in fact one of many games id Software made specifically for Softdisk in order to fulfill a contractual obligation.
For more info on Hovertank 3D, check out these links:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovertank_3D
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein_3D#Development
catacomb.miraheze.org/wiki/Hovertank_3D
Additionally, here's more info on id Software and Softdisk:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Id_Software
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softdisk
Unfortunately Hovertank 3D is unavailable on digital platforms like GOG and Steam and it's tough to say if it will ever be officially re-released. Since physical copies are virtually impossible to come by, your best bet is to download the game from a trustworthy "abandonware" website and play it using DOSBox.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:26 Zone 1: Langston Research Facility
01:44 Zone 2: Gardens of Marvin M. Mitchell
03:35 Zone 3: Caves, Brazos de la Madre
05:05 Zone 4: Fort Smith
07:30 Zone 5: Coyote Canyon
