I heard about this game when I was much younger, now I'm 33 and getting to play this game for the first time. However I when I chose to start the game, I am in a boat, and I try and move forward. Unfortunately I got to a point where it seems like the end of the wall and the game just spins around in circles..

I apologize if this was already answered somewhere but its driving me up the wall. Perhaps I've had one too many Jack and Cokes this evening but there has to be something I am missing. More importantly like Duke Nukem 3D is there any Windows wrapper I can use to improve the graphics?

For the beginning of that level, you just have to wait until the boat finishes its journey and sinks before the invisible barrier around the boat disappears and you can move on. There's only one or two other similar sequences in the whole game, so don't worry about that.
As for other ports of the game that improve graphics, check out these threads:
http://www.gog.com/forum/shadow_warrior_complete/are_there_any_source_ports_for_shadow_warrior_complete
http://www.gog.com/forum/shadow_warrior_complete/shadow_warrior_complete_with_direct3d_pixelshader_nglide/page1

Thanks a bunch, later after I've had my coffee ill check this out some more. Quite a bargain for $2.99

Also, you might want to start with the demo levels... They won't really add anything, but they are four levels you won't find in the retail campaign. (And without playing them you'll be confused by Lo Wang's comment to the first boss. :-))

Ah, so you instantly chose the main Code of Honor campaign. IMHO you should start with the shareware campaign. The "shareware" thingy may confuse some people or even scare them off but it's as "shareware" as the first episode of Doom. It takes place before the Code of Honor, contains exclusive levels not found in the second campaign and should IMHO be played before it. I think it starts out a little easier and also you won't find several enemies and one weapon there that are available in the main campaign, so playing it afterwards would simply be weird.

no offense, but if you couldn't figure out how to get out of the boat in the FIRST level, you're gonna have a bad time with this game. It's not easy, in the slightest.