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Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by Apogee Software. It was released on January 29, 1996 for the PC. It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee. An expansion pack, Plutonium Pak, was released in November 1996.
Duke Nukem 3D features the adventures of the titular macho Duke Nukem (voiced by Jon St. John), who fights back an alien invasion on Earth.
Reception of Duke Nukem 3D has been largely positive. Reviewers praised the interactivity of the environment and the humor within the game. However, the game's erotic elements and portrayal of women have incited controversy.
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As a first-person shooter, the gameplay of Duke Nukem 3D involves moving through levels presented from the protagonist's point of view, shooting enemies on the way.
The environment of Duke Nukem 3D is highly destructible; most props can be destroyed by the player. [1][2]
Levels were designed in a fairly non-linear manner such that players can advantageously use air ducts, back doors and sewers to avoid enemies or find hidden secrets, which makes the levels well suited to deathmatch. These locations are also filled with objects with which the player can interact, that either benefit the player in some form (light switches make it easier to see, while water fountains and broken hydrants provide some health points) or simply provide a touch of diversion (tipping strippers provokes a humorous quote from Duke and sometimes a provocative reveal from the dancer).
The game includes a range of lethal weapons, some of which, even today, are still unique to the Duke Nukem series. They range from Duke's "Mighty Boot", a basic melee attack, to a pistol, a Chain gun (similar in design to the Nordenfelt gun), a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, pipe bombs, freeze- and shrink-rays, laser trip mines and even very powerful rapid fire rocket launchers (one each hand) called the "Devastator".
Aside from weapons, Nukem's inventory also includes a series of items that can be picked up during play. A portable medkit allows players to heal themselves whenever they choose to. Steroids speed up player movement making transit through hostile territory easier, as well as instantly reversing the effects of the shrinker. Nightvision goggles allow players to see enemies in the dark. The "HoloDuke" device projects a hologram of Duke that can be used to distract enemies. Protective boots allow the player to cross dangerously hot or toxic terrain. Where progress requires more aquatic legwork, scuba gear (an aqua-lung) allows the player to take longer trips away from air. Perhaps most impressively, Duke's trademark jetpack allows the player to range fully in 3D, often to reach hidden weapons caches or extra health.
The game features a wide range of monsters, some of which are aliens, other mutated humans (the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Dept.) has been turned into "Pig-cops", a play on the derogatory term "pig" for police officers, with LARD emblazoned on their uniforms). As is usual for a first-person shooter, Nukem encounters a large number of lesser foes, and a small number of boss enemies (usually at the end of chapters). Like Duke, these enemies have access to a wide range of weapons and equipment (some weaker enemies have jet packs).
Duke Nukem 3D features multiplayer. At the time of its release, Internet-based gaming was just beginning. Duke Nukem 3D did not support the TCP/IP client/server model, instead basing its network play on the IPX LAN, modem or serial cable. Duke Nukem 3D players often either battled modem-to-modem, using the $20.00 IPX network utility Kali or the Total Entertainment Network (TEN) online pay service. Kali allowed users to connect to a chat room to host and join games. The Total Entertainment Network featured hundreds of Duke 3D players online at any given time and players had to pay a monthly fee (originally $5.00, gradually increased to $20.00). In 1996 TEN hosted a first of its kind, nationally participated in "online tournament" rewarding the champions with cash and prizes sparking an immediate surge in online gaming. Some of the first prizes were $500 cash and a lifetime membership to the service. The only Duke tournament was won by one of the first cyber athletes, Christopher S Carpentier, aka "Creamator", who battled over 14 thousand entries to claim the title of "One True Duke!" Most of these newly declared cyber athletes later went on to the PGL "Professional Gamers League" after TEN converted its business model to Pogo.
Duke's levels were often used as the battlegrounds for these encounters and users were even able to create their own levels (or maps) via the in-game build engine. The game also features co-operative play (co-op) which allows players to complete the story based single player mode together. In the Atomic version, a new game play mode was introduced: Duke Tag, a "capture the flag" style mode.
Duke Nukem multiplayer continues to exist through services such as YANG and Dukester X, thanks to fan made ports such as eDuke32 and xDuke.
Duke Nukem 3D is set on Earth "sometime in the early 21st century".[3] The levels of Duke Nukem 3D take the player outdoors and indoors through rendered street scenes, military bases, deserts, flooded cities, space stations, moon bases and Japanese restaurants.
The game contains several humorous references to pop culture, like some of Duke's lines that are drawn from movies like They Live, Evil Dead, Jaws, Dirty Harry, Pulp Fiction and Aliens[4]; the mutated women begging "Kill me" are also a reference to the latter. The player will encounter corpses of famous characters such as Luke Skywalker, Indiana Jones, the player of the game Doom, and a smashed T-800. During the second episode, the player can see The Monolith (from 2001: A Space Odyssey) on the Moon.
The game cover itself is a parody of Army of Darkness, while Duke poses as Ash Williams[5]
The back story involves Duke traveling back from his mission in Duke Nukem II only to have his shuttle shot down by aliens. Finding Los Angeles overrun, he sets out to once again defeat any alien menace.
There is little story in the game except for few cutscenes after the completion of an episode. During the game, Duke discovers that the aliens are capturing women. After he kills the first boss, Alien Battle Lord, he journeys to space, where he reaches the alien mothership and kills an Alien Overlord. He finally saves the day after he goes back to Earth and kills the leader of alien menace: Cycloid Emperor. The story continues in the Atomic Edition, in the fourth episode, The Birth. It is revealed that the aliens were capturing women to produce them a Queen, which could quickly give birth to alien drones. Duke is set out to find her lair and kill the Queen, thus thwarting the alien plot.
Various spin-offs and modifications to the original Duke Nukem 3D were produced in the following years of the game's initial launch.
Plutonium PAK/Atomic Edition: The Atomic Edition of Duke Nukem 3D was released in November 1996, and contained the original 3 episode game as well as a new eleven-level fourth episode. The Plutonium PAK was also released as an upgrade package to convert the original release of Duke Nukem 3D (v1.3d) to the new Atomic Edition (v1.4, later patched to v1.5). It introduces new enemies, a new final boss (The Queen), weapons, and changes to the script to make it easier to mod. Finally, the player can set up a multiplayer session against CPU bots.
EDuke: Following the release of the Doom source code in 1997, gamers wanted a similar source code release from 3D Realms. The last major game to make use of the Duke Nukem 3D source code was TNT Team's WWII GI in 1999. Its programmer, Matthew Saettler, obtained permission from 3D Realms to expand the gameplay enhancements done on WWII GI to Duke Nukem 3D. EDuke was released as a patch for Atomic Edition users on July 28, 2000, and included a demo mod made by several beta testers. [1]
Duke Caribbean: Life's a Beach: This is an authorized add-on developed by Sunstorm Interactive. Duke is relaxing on a tropical island when he discovers that the aliens are having their own "vacation". This unofficial add-on includes a sunny Caribbean atmosphere and theme such as beaches, vacation hotels. Charlie Wiederhold created several levels for this add-on. Wiederhold was later hired by 3D Realms to work on the sequel Duke Nukem Forever.
Duke it out in D.C.: In this storyline, President Bill Clinton is captured by alien forces, and Duke must save him. This expansion pack featured levels that were based on real-world locations, such as the White House, the FBI headquarters, the Smithsonian museum, and the Washington Monument and other places in Washington, D.C. This game was also developed by Sunstorm. The add-on was unofficial but was included in an official compilation called Duke Nukem: Kill-A-Ton Collection through business deals with 3D Realms.
Duke: Nuclear Winter (also called Duke Nukem: Nuclear Winter): This add-on was developed by Simply Silly Software and WizardWorks. In the storyline, Santa Claus is being mind-controlled by aliens into causing trouble on Earth. Several of the levels take place near the North Pole.
Duke Xtreme: An add-on developed by Sunstorm and contained 50 levels and various utilities.
Duke!Zone: A product called Duke!ZONE was once sold by WizardWorks, which included over 500 fan-made levels.
Duke!Zone II: WizardWorks later created an add-on called Duke!ZONE II, which contained three episodes of its own design.
Duke Assault: A further authorized add-on containing over 1500 levels for Duke Nukem 3D. Sold by WizardWorks and also created by fans of Duke Nukem 3D.[6]
Duke Nukem 3D was ported to many of the consoles of that time. All the ports featured some sort of new content.
Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown (titled simply Duke Nukem in Europe), the PlayStation version, contains all three original episodes, plus a new one, Plug 'n' Pray, which includes six extra levels and a secret level, the latter which was also included in the PC version. The new episode features several new enemies (including three new types of Pig Cops) and a new final boss, robot CyberKeef. The version also features remixed music, some rearranged from the PC version and some original, in streaming XA-Audio made by Mark Knight.[7]
Duke Nukem 3D (Sega Saturn) - the Sega Saturn version was ported by Lobotomy Software and published by Sega. It retains the original name and uses Lobotomy's SlaveDriver engine. This version uses the Sega NetLink for online gaming, and has built-in support for the Saturn's analog pad. It also includes a hidden multiplayer mini-game called Death Tank Zwei and an exclusive bonus level called Urea 51, accessed through the main level Fahrenheit.
Duke Nukem 64 is a port for Nintendo 64 which features a split screen 4-player mode. In-game music was removed, many items were renamed to avoid drug and sex references, and several levels were altered to include areas from the Plutonium Pak (such as a Duke Burger outlet being in the second level where there was not one in the original PC version). Game levels are played sequentially instead of as separate "episodes". Other changes included a fully 3D model for the final boss and new weapons. The Alien Beast monster seen in the Plutonium Pak also appears a few times in the standard levels where it wasn't in the original PC versions at all.
Duke Nukem 3D (Mega Drive) was released in 1998 by Tec Toy. The visuals were drastically simplified, being closer to early shooters like Wolfenstein 3D; also, it consists solely of Lunar Apocalypse, the second from the original game's three "episodes", which was heavely modified to suit the engine. This version was released in South America only.[8]
Duke Nukem 3D (Game.com) was released on January 1, 1997 in the USA only. Unlike every other version of the game, Duke Nukem cannot turn; he can only move forwards, backwards, and strafe left or right. Due to the Game.com's monochrome screen, it is also the only version to lack color.
Duke Nukem 3D (Xbox Live). The game was released on September 24, 2008 for Xbox Live. This version features the ability to "rewind" the game to any prior point upon dying, save clips of gameplay, and play co-operatively online, as well as the standard "Dukematch" online mode. The music received a slight quality upgrade with modern MIDI tools.[9]
Duke Nukem 3D (iPhone/iPod Touch). The game includes the primary 3 episodes and all of the main sound fx, but does not include background music in-game. There is no multiplayer option and the framerate tends to fall dramatically when multiple enemies are on-screen. Lacks mirror reflection effects and the ability to peer through windows to outdoor areas.
Duke Nukem 3D (Nokia N900). On December 29, 2009 Duke Nukem 3D was released for a Nokia SmartPhone[10]. As shown in a MaemoWorld's video[11], Duke is controlled using the Qwerty keypad and touchscreen.
Duke Nukem 3D is included in several compilations. A bundle called East Meets West includes the full versions of Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition and Shadow Warrior.[12] A bundle called Duke Nukem: Kill-A-Ton Collection features Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition, Duke Xtreme, Duke!ZONE II, Duke Nukem I (Duke Nukum), Duke Nukem II, and various other utilities. Earlier packages of Duke Nukem 3D also included the complete versions of Duke Nukem I and II as a bonus.
In 1998, 3D Realms filed a lawsuit against Micro Star over its add-on pack Nuke It and won.[13]
LameDuke is an early beta version of Duke Nukem 3D, which was released by 3D Realms as a "bonus" one year after the release of the official version. It has been released as is, with no support, and is currently available to download from the 3DRealms FTP.[14]
LameDuke features four episodes: Mrr Caliber, Mission Cockroach, Suck Hole and Hard Landing. Some weapons were removed and/or altered from the original versions.
The source code to the Duke Nukem 3D v1.5 executable, which uses the Build engine, was released as free and open source software under the GPL on April 1, 2003. The game content remains under a proprietary license. The game was quickly ported by enthusiasts to modern operating systems. As of 2007, these projects gave the game a second life in multiplayer games through the Internet and a growing community is still actively playing.
The first Duke Nukem 3D port was from icculus.org. It is a cross-platform project that allows the game to be played on BeOS, FreeBSD, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, and Windows rather than DOS. The icculus.org codebase would later be used as the base for several other ports, including Duke3d_w32 and the official Mac OS X port of the game.
Another popular early project was Jonathon Fowler's JFDuke3D, which in December 2003 received backing from the original author of Build, programmer Ken Silverman. Fowler, in cooperation with Silverman, released a new version of JFDuke3D using Polymost, an OpenGL-enhanced renderer for Build which allows hardware acceleration and 3D model support along with 32-bit color high resolution textures. Another project based on JFDuke3D called xDuke (unrelated to the xDuke project based on Duke3d_w32) runs on the Xbox. Silverman had since helped Fowler with a large portion of other engine work, including updating the network code and helping to maintain various other aspects of the engine, but with no updates in nearly four years it is suspected the project may never see another release.
EDuke was a semi-official branch of Duke Nukem 3D that was released to the Internet as Duke Nukem 3D v2.0 by 3D Realms in 2000;[15] it focused primarily on enhancing the CON scripting language in ways which allowed those modifying the game to do much more with the system than originally possible. Though a further version was planned, it never made it out of beta and was eventually canceled due to programmer time constraints. About a month after the release of the Duke Nukem 3D source code, Blood project manager Matt Saettler released the source code for both EDuke v2.0 and EDuke v2.1, the test version of what would have eventually become the next EDuke release, under the GPL.
While a few short-lived DOS based EDuke projects emerged, it was not until the release of EDuke32, an extended version of Duke3D incorporating variants of both Fowler's Windows JFDuke3D code and Saettler's EDuke code, by one of 3D Realms' forum moderators in late 2004 that EDuke's scripting extensions received community focus. Among the various enhancements, support for advanced shader model 3.0 based graphics was added to EDuke32 during late 2008-early 2009. In June 2008, EDuke32 became the only Duke Nukem 3D port to compile and run natively on 64-bit Linux systems without the use of a 32-bit compatibility environment thanks to significant porting contributions from the DOSBox team.
As of September 2009, the following Duke Nukem 3D source code porting projects are frequently used to play the game, ordered by most recent release:
Projects such as the Duke Nukem 3D High Resolution Pack[16] were started in order to take advantage of the various engine improvements and attempt to update Duke's graphical resources almost to the level of modern games. Plans are still in the works to include additional engine features as time goes on.
Upon the game's release in 1996, Lee Jackson 's theme song Grabbag quickly became an instantly recognizable classic. The track has elicited many spin-offs and remixes over the years by both fans and professional musicians alike, including an officially sanctioned studio version by the popular thrash metal outfit Megadeth. Perhaps the most notable version of the song was recorded by Chris Kline in August of 2005; his rendition caught the attention of millions, including 3D Realms founder George Broussard.[17] 3D Realms enjoyed this version so much that they featured it on the front page of their website and contracted with Chris to use it to promote their Xbox Live release of Duke Nukem 3D. [18]
Some parodies of Duke Nukem 3D were also based on the Build engine. For instance, Redneck Rampage employed the same engine and had a similar concept in the storyline except aliens invade a redneck setting instead of an inner-city LA setting. Duke Nukem makes an appearance in the Build engine title Blood, as a hanging corpse in the Carnival of Souls level. Caleb, the main character, then parodies some of Duke's lines.
The reviewers paid a lot of attention to the sexual content within the game. Their reception of this element varied: Tim Soete of GameSpot felt that it was "morally questionable",[2] while the Game Revolution reviewer noted that it was "done in a tongue-in-cheek manner and [he is] not personally offended".[19] IGN editor Cam Shea ranked it ninth on his top 10 list of Xbox Live Arcade games. He stated that it was as fun as it was in its initial release, and praised the ability to rewind to any point before the player died.[20]
The game has been heavily attacked by some critics, who allege that it promotes pornography and murder. Media Watch made the following comments about the game:
"Duke Nukem 3D moves the 'shooter' through pornography stores, where Duke can use XXX sex posters for target practice. Duke throws cash at a prostituted woman telling her to 'Shake it, Baby' his gun ever ready. In the game bonus points are awarded for the murder of these mostly prostituted and partially nude women. Duke blows up stained glass windows in an empty church or goes to strip clubs where Japanese women lower their kimonos exposing their breasts. Duke is encouraged to kill defenseless, often bound women.
— Media Watch, Teaching Boys To Kill
However, the game does not have a scoring or rewards system of any kind, either for players that kill these women or otherwise. Instead, the game spawns even more enemies if the player kills a woman. No weapons, items or power-ups are ever given to players in return for violence against women of any kind, nor any "encouragement" to kill such women.
As a response to the criticism encountered, censored versions of the game were released in certain countries to avoid having it banned altogether. A similar censored version was carried at Wal-Mart retail stores in the US.
In Australia, the game was originally refused classification on release. 3D Realms repackaged the game with the parental lock feature permanently enabled, although a patch available on the 3D Realms website allows the user to disable the lock and revert the game back to its original uncensored version. The OFLC then attempted to have the game pulled from the shelves, but it was discovered that the distributor had notified them of this fact and the rating could not be surrendered. Six months later, the game was reclassified and released uncensored with an MA15+ rating.
In Germany, the BPjM placed the game on the List of Media Harmful to Young People.
In 1999, Duke Nukem 3D was banned in Brazil, along with Quake, Doom and several other violent first-person shooters after a violent rampage in and around a movie theater was allegedly inspired by the first level in the game.
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Duke Nukem is a series of platform and First-person shooter computer games from Apogee Software.
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Also known as "Duke Nukum"
(From teaser trailer released December 19th 2007)
Duke Nukem 3D | Table of Contents | Walkthrough
| Duke Nukem 3D | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | 3D Realms |
| Publisher(s) | 3D Realms, GT Interactive |
| Engine | Build |
| Latest version | 1.5 |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| System(s) | MS-DOS, Mac OS, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Xbox Live Arcade, Game.com, iPhone |
| Players | 1-8 |
| Rating(s) |
ESRB:
 MatureBBFC:
 18PEGI:
 Ages 18+ |
| System requirements (help) |
  VGA graphics card |
| Website | 3D Realms website |
| Expansion pack(s) | Plutonium Pak (Atomic Addition) |
| Preceded by | Duke Nukem II |
| Followed by | Duke Nukem Forever |
| Series | Duke Nukem |
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter released by 3D Realms in 1996. Duke Nukem 3D was originally released for DOS, using the DOS4GW extender. It utilized Ken Silverman's Build engine. Later, following the release of the game's source code, Windows versions of Build and Duke Nukem 3D appeared. The DOS-based Eduke came first in 2000; the most common is the Jonathan Fowler version, JFDuke, which was released in 2003. JFDuke included the Silverman-written Polymost technology, which utilizes OpenGL for improved graphics. Following its last release in 2007, a group modified Fowler's code to create EDuke32, which includes the Polymost renderer and new, high-resolution artwork.
Duke Nukem 3D originally consisted of three episodes: L.A. Meltdown, Lunar Apocalypse, and Shrapnel City. A later version, the Atomic Edition, added a fourth, The Birth. This episode could be added to older releases via the Plutonium Pak add-on. Versions were released for Macintosh, Nintendo 64 (heavily modified; see Versions), Sega Megadrive (low-res graphics; Lunar Apocalypse only), game.com, Sega Saturn, and Sony Playstation (as Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown).
| Portal: Shooters |  |
Duke Nukem 3D at Duke Nukem Wiki |
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| Duke Nukem 3D | |
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| Developer(s) | 3D Realms |
| Publisher(s) | Apogee Software PC Macintosh GT Interactive Sega Saturn PlayStation Game.Com Tec Toy Sega Mega Drive |
| Designer(s) | George Broussard Todd Replogle |
| Engine | Build Engine |
| Release date | PC: January 29, 1996 (NA) Mac: May 25, 1997 (NA) Sega Saturn: 1997 (NA) PlayStation: September 30, 1997 (NA) Sega Mega Drive: 1998 (BR) Xbox Live Arcade: September 24, 2008 (NA) |
| Genre | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player Online Versus |
| Age rating(s) | N/A Sega Mega Drive ESRB: T Game.Com ESRB: M PC Macintosh Sega Saturn PlayStation Xbox Live Arcade |
| Platform(s) | PC Macintosh Sega Mega Drive Sega Saturn PlayStation Game.Com Xbox Live Arcade |
| Media | Compact disc PC Macintosh Sega Saturn PlayStation 85 Megabyte Download Xbox Live Arcade |
| Input | Sega Genesis Controller Sega Saturn Controller PlayStation Controller Xbox 360 Controller |
| Credits | Soundtrack | Codes | Walkthrough | |
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Tradition again continues from Duke Nukem I and Duke Nukem II in stage/episodic format, which facilitated shareware distribution.
10 weapons of varying degrees of lethality exist in Duke Nukem 3D, ranging from Duke's ever-present Mighty to the RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) which is mostly reserved for environment destruction (cracks in walls often lead to secret areas) and end-game 'boss' creature removal. Laser tripmines are perfect for hallways and small rooms, and are great multiplayer area denial weapons.
Monsters are unique and deadly in this installment, with mutated PigCops in the cities (L.A.R.D. is emblazoned on their uniforms, a play off of the Los Angeles Police Department) and sharks and enigmatic OctaBrains in the waters and flooded areas you will pass. All however, are based on the framework of an evil alien invasion on Earth supervised by Overlords (one of the boss-type creatures).
Duke Nukem 3D is first in the series to offer multiplayer game modes such as DukeMatch and co-op. Connectivity was mostly done via WON during it's lifetime, but other 3rd-party methods still exist, as well as serial connection.
The game is unique for a 3 dimensional game environment, especially since it was pioneering in it's time. The levels are designs in 2D using 'sectors' wherein ceilings and floors are determined and connected with other sectors. Each sectors lighting is unique and sectors are often subdivided to imitate where light would shine on floors, etc. 3 dimensions can be simulated by 'overlapping sectors'. A way to simply create multi-leveled areas is through the use of solid sprites as bridges which when given the proper texture blend perfectly with the level design. Game events such as earthquakes, explosions, lighting changes, can be triggered by sprites or entry into sectors.
 PC Boxart |
 Sega Mega Drive Boxart |
 Sega Saturn Boxart |
 PlayStation Boxart |
 Game.Com Boxart |
| Duke Nukem series |
|---|
| PC Games: |
| Duke Nukem I | Duke Nukem II |Duke Nukem 3D | Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project | Duke Nukem Forever (in development) |
| Console Games: |
| Duke Nukem 64 | Duke Nukem: Zero Hour | Duke Nukem: Time to Kill | Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes | Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown |
| Handheld Games: |
| Duke Nukem (Game Boy Color) | Duke Nukem Advance |
| Misc: |
| Duke Nukem 1 and 2 Equipment | DN3D Equipment | Duke Nukem 3D monsters Duke Nukem: Endangered Species |
| Characters |
| Duke Nukem |
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This article is a stub. You can help by adding to it.
Stubs are articles that writers have begun work on, but are not yet complete enough to be considered finished articles. |
| Duke Nukem 3D | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | 3D Realms |
| Publisher(s) | Apogee Software, Virgin Interactive (Playstation) |
| Designer(s) | George Broussard & Todd Replogle |
| Engine | Build |
| Platform(s) | PC (MS-DOS), Mac, PlayStation, Xbox Live Arcade, Sega Saturn, game.com, Sega Mega Drive (Brazil only), source ports to many other platforms |
| Release date(s) | PC: January 29, 1996 Mac: May 25 1997PlayStation: December 3, 1997Saturn: 1997Xbox 360 (XBLA): September 24, 2008 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: M OFLC: MA15+ BBFC: 18 |
| Media | CD-ROM, cartridge |
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game. It was made by 3D Realms and sold by Apogee Software. It was first sold on January 29, 1996. Duke Nukem 3D is based on the main character from the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II which were also published by Apogee. The character is voiced by Jon St. John.
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In the game, players control Duke Nukem, an action hero from Earth. Players must fight invading aliens that want to take over Earth. The game is made up of 28 levels spread over three chapters. An add-on pack called The Plutonium Pak, later added a fourth episode of 11 new levels, new enemies, and one new weapon.
The game is a first person shooter, so the player sees the game from Duke's eyes. Instead of following the character around like a third-person shooter, Duke Nukem is like being inside Duke, and the player can see Duke's hands and weapons on the screen. The player fights the aliens, most often by shooting at them with different guns, but Duke can also kick, and throw pipe bombs like grenades. The player must also sometimes solve puzzles to find the way through the level.
Duke Nukem 3D is set "sometime in the early 21st century", starting in a badly worn down Los Angeles. The game moves on to places such as lunar space stations.[1] An alien transgenic species has invaded Earth while Duke has been fighting in space. Duke crash lands back on Earth and finds most humans are gone. Only a few women remain as slaves for the aliens. America has been turned into a wasteland, and pornography has become the only entertainment.
The levels of Duke Nukem 3D take the player outdoors and indoors, on the street, inside military bases, deserts, flooded cities, space stations, moon bases and Japanese villas. Levels were designed with many routes so that players can climb through air ducts, back doors and sewers to avoid enemies or find hidden secrets. This makes the levels well suited to multiplayer deathmatchs. The secret items also include (light switches to make it easier to see, water fountains and broken hydrants provide some health points) or simply provide a touch of diversion and strippers who Duke tells jokes to and sometimes they open up their clothes.
The game includes a range of weapons, some of which, even today, are still unique to the Duke Nukem series. They range from Duke's foot for kicking, a pistol, a "Chain gun" (similar in design to the Nordenfelt gun), pipe bombs, freeze- and shrink-rays, and laser-trip-mines.
Aside from weapons, Nukem can also find 'medkits' to heal himself whenever the player chooses. Steroids make the player move faster, as well as removing the effects of the shrink-ray. Nightvision goggles allow players to see enemies in the dark. The "HoloDuke" device projects a fake hologram of Duke that can be used to trick enemies. Protective boots allow the player to cross dangerously hot or toxic floors. For underwater scenes, scuba gear (an aqua-lung) can be used to let Duke breathe. One of the favorite items is the jetpack which allows the player to fly up in the sky, often to reach hidden weapons or extra health. Many of the secret items such as the jetpack, the scuba gear and the night vision goggles only last for a short time. Weapons also have a limited number of ammunition.
There are many monsters in the game. Some of these are aliens, others mutated humans (the LAPD has been turned into monster pigs). Similar to many first-person shooter games, Nukem encounters a large number of weaker enemies, and a small number of boss enemies (extremely powerful). Like Duke, these "boss" enemies have a wide range of weapons and equipment (some weaker enemies have jet packs).
In 1996, at the time of the game's release, Internet-based gaming was just beginning and Duke Nukem 3D could be played on IPX LAN or modem. Duke Nukem 3D players often used the IPX network utility Kali or the Total Entertainment Network (TEN) online service. Kali allowed users to join a chat room to find opponents. The Total Entertainment Network had hundreds of Duke 3D players online at any time, but players had to pay money monthly for it. The game's levels are often used as the battlegrounds for these online players, bur users are able to create their own levels ("maps"). The game also features co-operative play (co-op) which allows players to fight against the aliens instead of each other. In the "Atomic" version, a new game play mode was introduced: Duke Tag, a "capture the flag" style mode.
Ken Silverman's Build engine allowed complicated levels. The game could use slopes in the floors. It also supports upwards and downwards mouse aiming (though aiming up and down distorts the graphics due to not havingperspective correction).
Duke Nukem 3D Build engine had doors/walls that can move sideways. The Build scripting system allows a whole string of moving and sliding parts with sound effects, such as buildings falling down, earthquakes, and walls that break apart when hit with explosives. One of the more advanced effects is the horizontal sliding platform that can move the player inside a small sliding room, which made it possible to create subway cars moving in a timed sequence around a ring-shaped track.
The Build engine makes horizontally moving platforms possible by allowing several objects to pass through the same 2D space. While inside one of these spaces, it is not possible to see into the other space, and so the Byuild 2.5D engine has no problem rendering one space or the other even though the map data literally shows the two areas to be occupying the same place. Several Duke Nukem 3D maps use this feature to create bizarre mind-bending maps where multiple large rooms all seem to be occupying one 3D space. One secret level in particular ("Lunatic Fringe" from episode 2, Lunar Apocalypse) has a map where the player can travel 720 degrees around a circle and not cross their path. This would be much more difficult to duplicate with modern true-3D map editors and engines.
An early beta (testing) version of Duke Nukem 3D called LameDuke was released by 3D Realms as a "bonus" one year after the release of the official version. It has been released as is, with no support, and is currently available to download from the 3DRealms FTP [1].
LameDuke features four episodes. Some weapons were removed and/or altered from the original versions.
Duke Nukem 3D is often thought of as one of the first videogames to have adult humor and sexual themes, especially in the first-person shooter genre. Jokes about American consumerism, Hollywood culture, and sex in the media are made all through the game. Duke's world is out of control and virtually all forms of entertainment in this future have been reduced to pornography by the aliens.
The game has been heavily attacked by some critics, who claim that it supports pornography and murder. Media Watch made the following comments about the game.
"Duke Nukem 3D moves the 'shooter' through pornography stores, where Duke can use XXX sex posters for target practice. Duke throws cash at a prostituted woman telling her to 'Shake it, Baby' his gun ever ready. In the game bonus points are awarded for the murder of these mostly prostituted and partially nude women. Duke blows up stained glass windows in an empty church or goes to strip clubs where Japanese women lower their kimonos exposing their breasts. Duke is encouraged to kill defenseless, often bound women.In reality, Duke Nukem 3D does not contain a "bonus points" system; even accidental shooting of innocents in the game is, sometimes, punished by a sudden group of enemies attacking. Duke Nukem 3D was banned in Brazil, along with Quake, Doom and several other violent first-person shooters. As a response to complaints, censored versions of the game were sold in some countries to avoid being banned. In Germany, the BPjM placed the game on the List of Media Harmful to Young People.— Media Watch, Teaching Boys To Kill
Many spin-offs and modifications to the original Duke Nukem 3D were produced after the game's initial launch.
Plutonium PAK/Atomic Edition: The Atomic Edition of Duke Nukem 3D was first sold in November 1996, and contained the original 3 episode game as well as a new eleven-level fourth episode. The Plutonium PAK was also sold as an upgrade package to convert the first available version of Duke Nukem 3D (v1.3d) to the new Atomic Edition (v1.4, later upgraded again to v1.5). It includes three new enemies: the Protector Drone, the Pig Cop Tank, and a new boss known as The Alien Queen. It also includes a new weapon, the Microwave Expander, with its own special ammunition. It also has several improvements to the software of the game, which allow the game's players to create new enemies and items. Also this version includes a computer controlled second player to simulate multiplayer games.
EDuke (Enhanced Duke Nukem 3D): created by Matthew Saettler was given away as a patch for Atomic Edition users on July 28, 2000. On this version 3D Realms removed the copyrights from the software so that players could do anything they liked with it and included a demo mod made by several beta testers. The demo included new Sector-Based Effects, Sprite-Based Elevators, Ladders, a Bouncing Particle Fountain, a Personal Teleporter, and a Sophisticated Translucent Water Effect. Saettler has kept records of his original Eduke site hee for reference.
Duke Caribbean: Life's a Beach: This is an add-on created by Sunstorm Interactive. Duke relaxes on a tropical island when he discovers that the aliens are having their own "vacation" there. This unofficial add-on has a sunny Caribbean atmosphere, nice beaches and hotels as well as some of the original Duke Nukem 3D stuff fit in. It includes levels created by Charlie Wiederhold, who later worked for 3D Realms to work on Duke Nukem Forever, the upcoming sequel to Duke Nukem 3D.
Duke it out in D.C.: In this storyline, President Bill Clinton is captured by alien forces, and it is up to Duke to save him. This pack has levels that are based on real locations of Washington DC, such as the White House, the FBI headquarters, the Smithsonian museum, and the Washington Monument and others. This game was also developed by Sunstorm Interactive.
Duke: Nuclear Winter: This one was developed by Simply Silly Software. In the storyline, Santa Claus is mind-controlled by aliens into causing trouble on Earth. Several of the levels take place near the North Pole. This game has sometimes been criticized for using content from the original Duke Nukem 3D.
Duke Xtreme: An add-on developed by Sunstorm Interactive and contained 50 levels and many items. This version had many technical problems.
Duke!Zone (Parts 1 and 2): Was sold by WizardWorks and had over 500 levels made by fans of Duke Nukem 3D. Duke!ZONE II, contained three episodes designed by WizardWorks.
Duke Nukem 3D has been included in several compilations. A bundle called East Meets West included the full versions of Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition and Shadow Warrior.[2] A bundle called Duke Nukem: Kill-A-Ton Collection featured Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition, Duke Xtreme, Duke!ZONE II, Duke Nukem I (Duke Nukum), Duke Nukem II, and various other utilities. Both of these compilations are no longer sold. Earlier packages of Duke Nukem 3D also included the complete versions of Duke Nukem I and II as a bonus.
In 1998, 3D Realms filed a lawsuit against Micro Star over its add-on pack Nuke It and won. [3]
The source code to the Duke Nukem 3D v1.5 executable, which uses the Build engine, was released as free software under the GPL on April 1, 2003. The artwork remains copyright protected. Many programmers altered so that it can be played on modern computers. As of 2007, these projects gave the game a second life in multiplayer games through the Internet and a growing community is still actively playing.
The first modern Duke Nukem 3D project was from icculus.org. It is a cross-platform project that allows the game to be played on BeOS, FreeBSD, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, Windows and prossibly others. The icculus.org software would later be used in the Rancidmeat, and later, the xDuke projects.
One popular project is Jonathon Fowler's JFDuke3D, which the original creator of 'Duke Nukem 3D, Ken Silverman, gave support to, in December 2003. Fowler and Silverman produced a new version of JFDuke3D using Polymost, an OpenGL software product for Build, which uses much more advanced 3D models, and 32 bit color. Another project JFDuke3D called xDuke (not related to the xDuke project by icculus.org/duke3d) was created for play on the Xbox.
Silverman has helped Fowler with a lot of other software work related to the game.
Here is a list of some of the most popular Duke Nukem 3D versions played in 2008:
Projects such as the Duke Nukem 3D High Resolution Pack [4] were started to give the game the same quality as modern games. There are plans to continue enhancing the 'Duke Nukem 3D software but no new versions of JFDuke3D have appeared since 2005.
A few projects have been created from the EDuke version (most notably WinEDuke and EDuke 2.1.1), but it was not until the release of Richard Gobeille's EDuke32 (a version of JFDuke3D using Saettler's EDuke software) in 2004 that EDuke became a the most popular with programmers. EDuke32 has been capable of playing OGG music since September 2007. A pack of music was compiled is planned to be part of future versions of the High Resolution Pack.[5] In June 2008, EDuke32 became the first Duke Nukem 3D project to be played as 64-bit software thanks to the DOSBox team.
In 1997, Duke Nukem 3D versions were sold for all the major consoles of the time.
The PlayStation version, Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown, includes six extra areas and a secret level, which was also included in the PC version. It has some music from the PC version, some from the original, in Streaming XA-Audio made by Mark Knight, new enemies and a new boss.[6]
The Sega Saturn version was created by Lobotomy Software and sold by Sega. It uses Lobotomy's SlaveDriver software. This version uses the Sega NetLink for online play, and is played with the Saturn's analog pad. It also includes a hidden multiplayer mini-game called Death Tank Zwei. The Nintendo 64 version was named Duke Nukem 64 and can be played by four players on a split-screen. There is no music in this version and many items have been renamed to avoid drug and sex references. Other changes include a fully 3D model for the final boss.
In 1998, a Sega Mega Drive version was sold by Tec Toy. The artwork is very simple and only one third of the original game was included. This version was sold in Brazil only.[7]
A version of Duke Nukem 3D was also released for the Game.com, Tiger's handheld system.
A Duke Nukem 3D version has been sold for Xbox Live since September 24, 2008. This version includes the ability to "rewind" the game to any point if Duke gets killed, video recording and online multiplayer games. The music is slightly better quality using modern MIDI tools.[8]
   | JFDuke3D - JonoF's Games and Stuff : JFDuke3D |
| | Official ''Duke Nukem 3D'' homepage - 3D Realms Site: Duke Nukem 3D Atomic Edition |
| | icculus.org/duke3d - Duke3D for Linux |
| | EDuke32 - EDuke32 - Enhanced Duke3D port for Windows and Linux |
| | archived his original Eduke site - Enhanced Duke Nukem 3D |
| | The ''Duke Nukem 3D'' High Resolution Pack - Duke Nukem 3D: High Resolution Pack |
| | Planet Duke (GameSpy) - Planet Duke - News, Screenshots, Previews, Reviews, Guides |
| | Review - PC Review: Duke Nukem 3D - ComputerAndVideoGames.com |
| | Review - Duke Nukem 3D (pc: 1996): Reviews |
| | Review - Duke Nukem 3D Review for PC - GameSpot |
| | Dukester X - Dukester X.Net :: Portal |
| | DukesterX - Dukester X.Net :: Index |
| | Download Mirror - SCIFINEWS.DE - Duke Nukem 3D - |
| | Page on ''Death Tank Zwei'' mini-game - Death Tank/Zwei |
| | 'Duke Nukem Forever' confirmed for 2008, coming to home consoles - 'Duke Nukem Forever' release possible in 2008, coming to home consoles - Dallas Business Journal: |
| | Category at ODP - Open Directory - Games: Video Games: Shooter: D: Duke Nukem Series: Duke Nukem 3D |
| | 3D Realms' ''Duke Nukem 3D'' Source Code forum - Duke Nukem 3D Modifications - 3D Realms Forums |
| | Duke Nukem 3D Multiplayer setup - Duke Nukem 3D Multiplayer Setup by VatVit 2005 |
| | JFZ - Duke Nukem 3D & Build |
| | Mark Knight's Gamesounds - Sound Designer and Music Composer for Games, TV and Film. |
| | JFZ - Sommaire Duke Nukem 3D - JFZ |
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