There is no shortage of ways to play Duke Nukem 3D.
The classic first-person shooter, originally developed in Garland by 3D Realms (a separate publishing banner of of Apogee Software), turned 20 years old this year. Over the last two decades, the game has been revisited and re-released on a wide array of platforms, including the Nintendo 64, iOS, the Xbox 360 and, of course, its original home on the PC.
Not only was Duke Nukem 3D one of the earliest and best games in the then-new first-person shooter genre, it made waves for being highly controversial. Its violence, language and sexual content were beyond what most games offered. As a Dallas Morning News review of the game said at the time, "Cartoonish women bare their chests, fight against alien bondage and dance in sleazy nightclubs. And Duke has a mouth that would put Roseanne to shame.
The most recent release, Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour, adds a collection of new levels that come straight from some of the people that worked on the original game. (So if the name "Levelord" means something to you, you've come to the right place.)
World Tour comes from Frisco-based Gearbox Software (with development work from Richardson-based Nerve Software), which acquired the rights to the Duke Nukem series in 2010 — followed by some not-too-pretty legal drama concerning what they actually had the rights to. This drama, along with the generally negative reaction to the most recent game in the series, Duke Nukem Forever (which has more than enough drama of its own. Probably a book's worth), has soured Duke's legacy significantly in recent years.
It does, however, lack some of the improvements and extra content that were include in the last re-release of the game, Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition. This has been a sore spot for many Duke fans online, as the Megaton Edition is no longer available due to issues with the distribution rights.
But the fact of the matter is that even 20 years later, Duke Nukem 3D is a pretty great video game.
There are aspects of it that certainly feel dated. The titular hero's "edgy" one-liners felt novel back then but can be cringe-worthy now, and the occasional in-your-face sexuality feels like a relic that video games have largely moved away from. Graphically, of course, we've also progressed far past the 2D sprites that made up the game's enemies (though it's still a bit impressive how three dimensional they can look from the right angles), and FPS controls have improved by leaps and bounds.
But the core of the action — run, shoot, blow up, find a secret area, kick, shoot again, move on — is still both solid and satisfying. Even if you've never played Duke Nukem 3D before, there's something pure about the game's action.
If you have played it before, though, the $20 asking price may seem like way too much. Again, this is not a game that has been hard to come by over the years. If you've wanted to fulfill your need for nostalgia, chances are you've already done so -- and for cheaper than this.
But what you get for that money is pretty cool, provided you can look back fondly at dated visuals and gameplay.
Not only is there the new episode (made up of eight new levels), there is new music from the original composer, new lines of dialogue from the original voice of Duke, a new level and a re-mastered game engine.
The new levels fit right in with old school Duke. They're explosive and bloody and, hey, they often reuse the original game's assets, so they look familiar as well. One of the only problems (if you can even call it that) is that at the end of the final level, after working your way up to a somewhat underwhelming fight under the famous Hollywood sign, the game just sort of ... ends. You get where you're going, fight a huge, tough monster and then? Roll credits. Congrats! Now move along.
Still, it's not like Duke Nukem has ever been known for its engaging narrative or extracurricular activities. You're coming to these new levels just to have more stuff to kill. And to that end, the game succeeds.
