| Duke Nukem 3D | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | 3D Realms |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) | Todd Replogle |
| Artist(s) |
|
| Composer(s) | |
| Series | Duke Nukem |
| Engine | Build |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | January 29, 1996
|
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Duke Nukem 3D is a 1996 first-person shooter developed by 3D Realms and published by FormGen. It is the third Duke Nukem game, following Duke Nukem II (1993), and departs from the platform gameplay of its predecessors. Controlling the hypermasculine action hero Duke Nukem, the player battles an alien invasion across Earth and space. The single-player game spans various levels featuring nonlinear environments where the player shoots alien enemies. In multiplayer modes, players work together to complete the game cooperatively or compete in a deathmatch.
Following lackluster sales of Duke Nukem II, which was released only a week before Doom, the series' co-creator George Broussard decided that the third Duke Nukem game needed to be a 3D first-person shooter. Development began in 1994 and lasted a year and a half, using the Build game engine.
A shareware version, containing only the first episode, was released in January 1996, while the full game, containing three episodes, was released the following April for MS-DOS. Duke Nukem 3D sold 3.5 million copies, becoming 3D Realms' bestselling game, and received acclaim. Reviewers praised its interactive environments, gameplay, level design, and risqué humor. However, it incited controversy for its violence, erotic elements, and portrayal of women. An expansion pack adding a fourth episode was released in November 1996, while alternate versions and ports were released for Game.com, Mac OS, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Sega Genesis between 1997 and 1998.
Alongside Wolfenstein 3D (1992) and Doom (1993), Duke Nukem 3D helped popularize first-person shooters, which became the most commercially viable video game genre in the 2000s. It continues to receive acclaim, often considered one of the greatest video games of all time. It has been rereleased for various platforms; a fifth episode was developed for a 20th anniversary edition released in 2016. A sequel, Duke Nukem Forever, spent over 14 years in development hell before it was finally released in 2011 to negative reviews.
Gameplay
editUnlike Duke Nukem (1991) and Duke Nukem II (1993), which were side-scrolling platform games, Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter presented with 3D computer graphics. Set in the early 21st century and shortly after the events of Duke Nukem II, Duke Nukem 3D begins when the hypermasculine action hero Duke Nukem (voiced by Jon St. John) arrives in Los Angeles, only to discover the city besieged by aliens. Duke, the player character of the single-player game, vows to stop the alien invasion. Duke's arsenal includes a basic kick attack, a pistol, a shotgun, a triple-barrelled chain gun, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, pipe bombs, freeze and shrink rays, laser land mines, and a rocket launcher.
The player must complete 29 levels spread across three named episodes; they traverse environments such as streets, military bases, deserts, a flooded city, space stations, Moon bases, and a Japanese restaurant. The environments are populated by interactive props, such as switches and doors, and enemies, which include aliens and mutated humans.
Multiplayer
editDevelopment
edit- https://www.pcgamesn.com/duke-nukem-3d/the-making-of-duke-nukem-3d
- https://www.wired.com/2009/12/fail-duke-nukem/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_i3-aoHnww
- https://www.gamespot.com/articles/as-duke-nukem-3d-turns-20-co-creator-shares-his-or/1100-6434322/
- Eurogamer interviews
- https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/05/20/interview-with-george-broussard
- https://www.shacknews.com/article/125422/3d-realms-scott-miller-interview-talking-25-years-in-the-games-industry
- https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/20-years-of-evolution-scott-miller-and-3d-realms
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdMgmdwuYh8
Conception
editDuke Nukem 3D was conceived by Duke Nukem co-creator George Broussard,[1] who worked at his longtime friend Scott Miller's company Apogee (renamed 3D Realms in 1994). 3D Realms rose to prominence by pioneering the shareware model[2]
Duke Nukem II underperformed in comparison to its predecessor, as it was released just a week before Doom. Recognizing that the industry was veering away from side-scrolling video games, Broussard decided that the next Duke Nukem game had to be 3D.[1]
After Broussard and Miller assembled a team of seven, development began in 1994 and lasted for a year and a half,[2] until mid-1996.[1]
Design
edit3D Realms "initially set out just to feature clone Doom," since they were "in uncharted territory" and did not have any other points of reference.[1] "None of us had ever made a 3D game before so all we could do was study Doom and veer off the path and see where it led us," Broussard explained.[1]
Unlike other early first-person shooters, which featured somber and self-serious tones, Broussard envisioned Duke Nukem 3D as humorous, bombastic, and colorful.[2]
3D Realms sought to retain what made Doom fun while excising elements they found did not work, and sought to surpass Doom by adding "slopes, lots of big moving sectors, jumping, ducking, jetpacking[,] and interactivity."[1] Once these features were defined, Broussard said the game began to take shape.[1]
Broussard described Duke Nukem 3D's development as a trial-and-error process, and features like Duke's dialogue and real-world settings were not added until late in development. The wall blowouts were added to make multiplayer matches more enjoyable, while the bar pool table was added only three weeks before the shareware version shipped.[1]
Music
editRelease
editAlternate versions and ports
editSales
editReception
editControversy
editPost-release
editAftermath
editExpansion packs
editRereleases
editLegacy
editRetrospective assessments
editInfluence
editNotes
edit- ^ Released under the Deep Water brand name in North America.