Duke still lives! And history reviewed
December 22nd 2007 01:12
Developer 3D Realms spoke of Duke Nukem’s existence to gaming news site MCV.
In one of the longest gaming cycles in video game history, First Person Shooter, Duke Nukem Forever trudged through development hell for the last 10 years.
CEO Scott Mill told MCV of Duke’s broad mindedness to reach out of the PC box to other consoles.
“We plan to have a multi-platform release if possible. We’re not nailing down a date yet, but we’re excited about the game’s progress.”
Blast from the 4-bit past
Duke is an old guy and hasn’t come out to play on any consoles for a good decade. So here is a quick recap for newer gamers on what the buzz is about.
Duke Nukem started off as a 2D side scrolling shooter where the main aim is to find coloured keys in order to advance to the next level. The quest for the 4-coloured keys encouraged the player to explore the well constructed world, where many secrets and cool power ups like the boost shoes make killing aliens and robots a blast. The highlight of the game was its keyboard sounds when something dies or is obliterated into 5 or so pixels.
Duke the Nuke returned in another 2D side scroller, Duke Nukem 2. This game introduced the character’s sense of humour and his parody on the muscle-bulging stereotype. It’s more of the same, but with improved graphics and a much more involving story (well, in the opening and ending cut scenes anyway).
Sex, one liners and killer pigs didn’t become integrated into the character until the First Person Shooter, Duke Nukem 3D, was produced. The game rivaled Quake at the time and was given positive reception.
Duke then made the jump to the original Playstation console in Duke Nukem: Time to Kill and, the most evidently gratuitous, Planet of the Babes. Shooting pig cops, banging babes and never asking questions later; he is not the type of character kids should be looking up to. But for adult (mostly male) gamers, there is no better alternative. He was blasting pigs left right and center in the 3rd person and it was fun (but not as fun as its FPS and 2D brethren: the pole was set high for the series).
But when will the fun start for his next outing? Will he ever step foot into the land where the pixels are a billion times more processed than in 1996? The release date for Duke Nukem Forever is still up in the air. It had been 10 long years since we last saw him, repopulating the world in Planet of the Babes, surely he would have completed his mission by now.
Duke Nukem made a great series, but people waited long enough not to care anymore. There are heaps of awesome FPS’s on the market, Call of Duty 4, Unreal Tournament 3, Medal of Honor: Airbourne, Crysis, Half Life 2 and its episodes among others. He is a legend that has remained a Hermit for the last decade, hopefully he will come out and say his trademark phrase way back in Duke Nukem 2: “I’m back!!”
*all pictures trademark of 3D Realms
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