Duke Nukem 3D
1996 · First-Person Shooter · PC/DOS
Overview
Duke Nukem 3D (1996) is 3D Realms' first-person shooter set in an alien-invaded Los Angeles, known for its interactive levels, unusual weapons and Duke's one-liners. Its Build engine was written by Ken Silverman.
Deep Dive
Aliens have invaded an early 21st-century Earth, mostly Los Angeles, and turned the LAPD into "Pig Cops". The play resembles Doom, but much of the environment can be destroyed or used, and the non-linear levels hide air ducts and back routes. The arsenal includes a shrink ray and a freezethrower, and Duke can fly with a jet pack. Jon St. John voiced Duke's one-liners and pop-culture references.
Developer Story
3D Realms built the game on Ken Silverman's Build engine, with Greg Malone producing, Allen H. Blum III and Richard Gray designing, and Lee Jackson and Robert Prince composing. The shareware episode came out on 29 January 1996 and the full game on 19 April. It sold about 3.5 million copies.
Did You Know?
- Next Generation wrote that "Duke Nukem 3D has everything Doom doesn't."
- Its sexual content and portrayal of women drew criticism, and it was restricted in Germany and banned in Brazil in 1999.
- The source code was released under the GPL on 1 April 2003.
Sources & further reading
- Duke Nukem 3D — Wikipedia
