Duke Nukem 3D (1996)

4.02 from 158 votes
Kill countless aliens while rescuing babes as Duke Nukem in this critically acclaimed first-person shooter.
First released
Jan 29, 1996
Aliases
Duke3D, Duke Nukem 64, Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown
Franchises
Duke Nukem
Developed by
3D Realms Entertainment, Eurocom Entertainment Software, Tec Toy Indústria de Brinquedos S.A., Lobotomy Software, Inc.
Published by
Tec Toy Indústria de Brinquedos S.A., Apogee Entertainment, GT Interactive Software Corp., Tiger Electronics, Inc., Devolver Digital
Platforms
Genesis, Mac, PlayStation, Saturn, Nintendo 64, Game.Com, Xbox 360 Games Store, PlayStation Network (PS3), PC, iPhone, iPad, Android, PlayStation Network (Vita), Linux
Genres
First-Person Shooter
Themes
Sci-Fi, Comedy
Rating
ESRB: M, BBFC: 18, PEGI: 18+
Releases
  • GCOM - Duke Nukem 3D United States
  • GEN - Duke Nukem 3D United States
  • GEN - Duke Nukem 3D United States
  • IPAD - Duke Nukem 3D SE United States
  • IPHN - Duke Nukem 3D United States
  • MAC - Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition United States
  • MAC - Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition United Kingdom
  • MAC - Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition Australia
  • N64 - Duke Nukem 64 United States
  • N64 - Duke Nukem 64 United Kingdom
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D United States
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Kill a Ton Collection United States
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D United Kingdom
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Kill a Ton Collection United Kingdom
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition United States
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition United Kingdom
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition (Good Old Games) United States
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Premier Collection United Kingdom
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition United States
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition Australia
  • PC - Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition United Kingdom
  • PS1 - Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown United States
  • PS1 - Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown United Kingdom
  • PS1 - Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown Japan
  • PS3N - Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition United States
  • PSNV - Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition United States
  • SAT - Duke Nukem 3D United States
  • SAT - Duke Nukem 3D Japan
  • XBGS - Duke Nukem 3D United States
  • XBGS - Duke Nukem 3D United Kingdom

Community reviews

 
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*Warning: spoilers* All time classic that never gets old.
Duke Nukem 3D was one of the first games I ever played, and what a game to start with. As a kid, I was not skilled enough to finish this epic game, but as an adult, I finally finished the game in 2017. It did not disappoint and it was a ride full of joy and nostalgia.

Duke Nukem 3D is a simple game with a simple story. Aliens invade the earth and are abducting all the woman, or “babes”. Duke is on vacation after the events of Duke Nukem I and II, but is called to earth via a distress signal.

You start in L.A. and see the devastation that has ravaged the city. You fight your way through the alien horde, desperately seeking and rescuing the women that have been abducted. Throughout the four episodes, you fight an Alien Battle lord, infiltrate an alien mothership to discover that the women are being “incubated” by the aliens. But then, you discover they were just a distraction to lure Duke away from earth, while the aliens launch a full invasion of the earth. This is a great example of the simple mind of a man. Lure him away with beer and/or titties and he will follow like a dog.

Anyway, you return to earth, fight the Cycloid Emperor and save the day, or so you think. However, in the next episode, you learn that one of the incubated women from the mother ship is used to “give birth” to the Alien Queen. You get your gun and go to work once again. You venture through “Babe Land”, a parody of Disneyland, Duke Burger, and even Area 51. You kill the Alien Queen but learn that there is another invasion that takes place all around the world. In the last episode, you liberate world capitols like Amsterdam, Paris, London, the pyramids of Giza, Rome and end your ass kicking back in Los Angles. You defeat the Cycloid Incinerator and stop the alien threat once and for all.

In terms of graphics, I still think Duke Nukem 3D looks great. Many items, furniture and walls are destructible, giving this game a realistic look, even back then. The many different areas, regions, unique buildings and settings makes this game stand out in comparison to Doom and Wolfenstein in my opinion.

Sound wise, Duke Nukem 3D is on par with Doom. Gunfire, enemy grunts and explosions all sound great. But of course, the best part of Duke Nukem, is its rocking soundtrack.

You can collect many different items in Duke Nukem 3D. New weapons, portable health kits, speed boosting steroids, holograms and many more. The inclusion of those items give this game an RPG feeling. Most of them are hidden away so exploring the levels thoroughly is a rewarding experience.

The humour and references to pop culture are hilarious. Many of them, I could not understand as a kid, but when growing up, many of these jokes and parodies are still as dark or funny as they were back then. When I found the corpse of the Doom Guy in one of the many secrets in the game, I could do nothing more than love the game even more.

The best part of Duke Nukem 3D, is the controversy that it spawned when it came out, something I did not understand as a kid, but which is somewhat hilarious in hindsight. The fact that you dope yourself up with steroids for extra boosts, the fact that Duke is actually a horny playboy/pimp that does not give a crap about people, except hot babes, and the foul jokes that I could finally understand when I grew up learned the English language.

Definitely recommend this gem.
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