Duke Nukem (character)
Encyclopedia
Duke Nukem is a fictional character and action hero who has been the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...

 in over a dozen video games.

The character first appeared in the 1991 video game Duke Nukem (also temporarily known as "Duke Nukum") developed by Apogee Software
Apogee Software
Apogee Software, LLC is a video game publisher based in Garland, Texas, established in 2008 as a spin-off of 3D Realms .- History :The original Apogee Software was established in 1987 as Apogee Software Ltd. In 1994, Apogee established its 3D Realms brand for publishing 3D video games distributed...

. He has since starred in multiple sequels developed by 3D Realms
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...

, and presently by Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software, LLC is an American video game development company based in Plano, Texas.-History:Gearbox Software was founded in January 1999 by five members of the content team from the defunct developer Rebel Boat Rocker: Randy Pitchford, Brian Martel, Stephen Bahl, Landon Montgomery, and Rob...

 who have since bought the rights to Duke Nukem and own the intellectual property. The character was created by video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...

s Todd Replogle
Todd Replogle
Todd Jason Replogle is a video game programmer, best known as the co-creator of the Duke Nukem series. Replogle graduated from Soquel High School in Soquel, California as a member of the class of 1986....

, Jim Norwood, George Broussard, and Scott Miller
Scott Miller (programmer)
Scott Miller is an American entrepreneur best known for founding Apogee Software, Ltd. in 1987.- Personal life :...

 of Apogee Software. The character was redesigned into the present tough guy incarnation by George Broussard and Allen Blum for the 1996
1996 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*January 29 — Duke Nukem 3D, successor to the simple side-scrolling originals, and a genre-redefining title for first person shooters....

 game Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...

. In the dozen or so Duke Nukem games since Duke Nukem 3D, this incarnation of the character has been constant, and voiced by voice actor Jon St. John
Jon St. John
Jon St. John is an American voice actor and singer. He started his career in voice work in 1975, when he was a Top 40 radio DJ in North Carolina. Because of his vocal talent and technical skills, he was hired as a production director for several US radio stations in cities including: Norfolk, New...

. A sequel to Duke Nukem 3D, Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by 3D Realms and Triptych Games and finished by Gearbox Software and Piranha Games...

, had been in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...

 since at least 1997. The game was released in the US on June 14, 2011 and was released worldwide on June 10, 2011.

Personality / appearance

In the original two games Duke Nukem barely spoke and was portrayed as a self-proclaimed hero, initially hired by the CIA to save Earth from Dr. Proton. According to the information from the backside of the Duke Nukem Character Memory Card he is 6'4" (1,93 m) and weighs 240 lbs. (109 kg). Duke's personality in all his games since the third game in the series, Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...

, has been that of a wise-cracking, hyper-masculine
Hypermasculinity
Hypermasculinity is a psychological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behavior, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, body hair, body odor, and virility. This term can be pejorative, though it is also used when examining the behavior dispassionately.One of the first...

 tough guy. It should be noted that in Duke Nukem II he starts to move more into the direction of a traditional action hero. His missions generally involved killing aliens
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...

 that had invaded Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

. He is apparently sexually adept and irresistible to women, and circumstances generally find him surrounded by many buxom women. He does, however, frequently mention an estranged love named "Lani" in numerous games, although she is never elaborated on and seems to be the butt of many of his jokes. (Indeed, in Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...

, it is shown that he has a tattoo of her name on one of his buttocks.) This is widely believed to be a reference to Lani Minella
Lani Minella
Lani Minella is a voice actress who has voiced in over 500 computer and video games as well as several TV and anime series. She is best known for voicing Nancy Drew, Millie Strathorn, Loulou the Parrot and Freddie in the Nancy Drew computer games, Ivy Valentine in the Soulcalibur video game...

, a voice actress that has done several voices for Duke Nukem 3D.

Duke Nukem's character is a pastiche of a number of Hollywood action hero
Action hero
An action hero is a character, usually a protagonist, in an action-adventure novel, film, television show, or game.-Further reading:*Osgerby, Bill, Anna Gough-Yates, and Marianne Wells. Action TV : Tough-Guys, Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks. London: Routledge, 2001.*Tasker, Yvonne. Action and...

es, such as those played by John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...

, Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...

 in Death Wish
Death Wish (film)
Death Wish is a 1974 crime thriller film loosely based on the novel Death Wish by Brian Garfield. The film was directed by Michael Winner and stars Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, a man who becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter is sexually assaulted by muggers.The film was...

, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

 in Commando
Commando (film)
Commando is a 1985 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vernon Wells, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Dan Hedaya and James Olson. It was directed by Mark L...

, Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...

 as Rambo
John Rambo
John Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...

, Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...

 as John McClane
John McClane
John McClane is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series, portrayed by Bruce Willis.-Development and description:...

 in Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...

, Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...

 as Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 American martial arts comedy film directed by John Carpenter. It stars Kurt Russell as truck driver Jack Burton, who helps his friend Wang Chi rescue Wang's green-eyed fiancee from bandits in San Francisco's Chinatown...

, Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...

's character Nada from They Live
They Live
They Live is a 1988 science fiction/horror film directed by John Carpenter, who also wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym Frank Armitage ....

, and Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...

 as Ash Williams
Ash Williams
Ashley J. "Ash" Williams is the protagonist in the Evil Dead horror film franchise, played by Bruce Campbell, and created by director Sam Raimi. Throughout the series, Ash has to face off against his loved ones inside an abandoned cabin as they are possessed by "deadites", the evil souls of the dead...

 from The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead is a 1981 horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, and Betsy Baker. The film is a story of five college students vacationing in an isolated cabin in a wooded area...

series. Even his most famous line "It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum, and I'm all out of gum" came from the movie "They Live" with Roddy Piper saying "I have come to chew bubble gum and kick ass and I'm all out of bubble gum". His appearance resembles characters played by Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...

 and Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...

.

Voiced by Jon St. John
Jon St. John
Jon St. John is an American voice actor and singer. He started his career in voice work in 1975, when he was a Top 40 radio DJ in North Carolina. Because of his vocal talent and technical skills, he was hired as a production director for several US radio stations in cities including: Norfolk, New...

 in all incarnations in which the character speaks (with the exception of Duke Nukem II
Duke Nukem II
Duke Nukem II is a platform game developed by Apogee Software and released December 3, 1993. The game consists of four episodes , the first available as shareware...

), Duke's voice is based on that of Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...

 as Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....

.

Like the characters often played by Schwarzenegger and Stallone, Duke is a confident, aggressive, and frequently politically incorrect
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...

 muscle man, who, although not superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...

, nonetheless manages to achieve incredible physical feats of violence and conquest through sheer machismo and expertise with automatic firearms. (However, a poster in the "barracks" in Episode 4, Level 1, suggests Duke Nukem may have been genetically engineered.) Other than a wide array of automatic firearms, explosives, and energy weapons, Duke is best known for his trademark jet pack
Jet pack
Jet pack, rocket belt, rocket pack, and similar names are various types of devices, usually worn on the back, that are propelled by jets of escaping gases so as to allow a single user to fly....

, which gives him the ability to fly short distances in quick bursts. He is also known for his golden Colt 1911 Pistol and sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...

, which completely conceal his eyes and which he has not been seen without (even at night) since Duke Nukem 3D, his leathers, his motorbikes, and his platinum blond, military-style haircut, which is existent since the first game. In every game, he traditionally wears a red tank top and blue jeans. In some of the games, Duke has a melee attack known as the "Mighty Foot", which is basically a strong kick to the face.

In Duke Nukem II
Duke Nukem II
Duke Nukem II is a platform game developed by Apogee Software and released December 3, 1993. The game consists of four episodes , the first available as shareware...

, it is shown that Duke wrote an autobiography entitled Why I'm So Great. This will later become autographed by Duke in Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by 3D Realms and Triptych Games and finished by Gearbox Software and Piranha Games...

.

Like the character played by Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...

, Nukem is also a smart-mouth (although Duke's humor is somewhat less sarcastic and more straightforwardly aggressive, a few of Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...

s phrases are taken directly from the Campbell vehicle
Army of Darkness
Army of Darkness
Army of Darkness, also known as Evil Dead III: Army of Darkness or simply Evil Dead III, is a 1992 horror comedy fantasy action film directed by Sam Raimi. It is the third and final installment in The Evil Dead trilogy. The film was written by Raimi and his brother Ivan, produced by Robert Tapert,...

; Campbell has expressed anger at not being consulted or paid for the use of these phrases), and his sneering visage is often found speaking one-liners while slaughtering his enemies.

First games

Duke Nukem was initially created in the late 1980s by chief programmer Todd Replogle
Todd Replogle
Todd Jason Replogle is a video game programmer, best known as the co-creator of the Duke Nukem series. Replogle graduated from Soquel High School in Soquel, California as a member of the class of 1986....

 of Apogee Software (now 3D Realms) as the protagonist for the video game he was designing entitled Heavy Metal set in the then near future of 1997. After hearing the character's name, producer and founder of Apogee, Scott Miller
Scott Miller (programmer)
Scott Miller is an American entrepreneur best known for founding Apogee Software, Ltd. in 1987.- Personal life :...

, suggested the game should have the same name. Miller helped design the character around his thoughts about the name. Artwork was done by George Broussard
George Broussard
George Broussard is a game producer and designer known in the PC game community as one of the creators of the Duke Nukem series ....

, Allen H. Blum III, and Jim Norwood. However, the character was somewhat different in this original incarnation. Although he was still blonde and stocky, in the original game Duke Nukem was a self-proclaimed hero hired by the CIA, to stop madman Dr. Proton, who has sieged Earth's largest city with his robotic servants, the Techbots.

The original game was released as Duke Nukem in 1991
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....

 as a two dimensional platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...

. This game was written for the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...

 compatible, and featured 320×200, 16-color EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter is the IBM PC computer display standard specification which is between CGA and VGA in terms of color and space resolution. Introduced in October 1984 by IBM shortly after its new PC/AT, EGA produces a display of 16 simultaneous colors from a palette of 64 at a...

 graphics with vertical and horizontal scrolling. The original game had three episodes, the first distributed as shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...

. Duke wasn't voiced, but spoke through on-screen text.

The sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...

,
Duke Nukem II
Duke Nukem II
Duke Nukem II is a platform game developed by Apogee Software and released December 3, 1993. The game consists of four episodes , the first available as shareware...

, was released two years later
1993 in video gaming
-Events:*March — In Sweden, the Swedish video game magazine Super PLAY starts. The original name is Super Power.*Midway Games embroiled in controversy for its game Mortal Kombat from 1992 when the game is launched for video game consoles in 1993....

 and the same mostly-silent incarnation of the character was used, although he is now a hailed American hero. Duke Nukem must protect Earth from an army of Rigelatins who plan to imprint his brain patterns on their war computer. The sequel was over four times larger and took advantage of 256-color VGA
Video Graphics Array
Video Graphics Array refers specifically to the display hardware first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, but through its widespread adoption has also come to mean either an analog computer display standard, the 15-pin D-subminiature VGA connector or the 640×480 resolution...

 graphics, MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...

 music, and digitized sound. Only 16 colors were actually used on-screen at once; however, three different 16-color palettes were used. Duke Nukem II features an intro with one line spoken by Joe Siegler ("I'm Back"), and a death scream by character co-creator Todd Replogle.

Title problems

The first Duke Nukem game was titled
Duke Nukem, but Apogee learned that this name might have already been trademarked for the Duke Nukem character in Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Captain Planet is the title character of the series. In the beginning of the series, Gaia assembles a modern-day team of "Planeteers" from several nations...

, so they changed it to Duke Nukum for the 2.0 revision. The name was later discovered not to be trademarked, so the spelling Duke Nukem was restored for Duke Nukem II and all successive Duke games.

3D era

The third game in the series was the first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...

 entitled
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...

and was released in 1996
1996 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*January 29 — Duke Nukem 3D, successor to the simple side-scrolling originals, and a genre-redefining title for first person shooters....

. Like most FPS games of the day, the game featured three-dimensional environments with two-dimensional sprites standing in for weapons, enemies, and breakable background objects.
Duke Nukem 3D was released for MS-DOS, Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...

, PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...

, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...

, game.com
Game.com
The Game.com is a handheld game console released by Tiger Electronics in September 1997. It featured many new ideas for handheld consoles and was aimed at an older target audience, sporting PDA-style features and functions such as a touch screen and stylus...

, Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...

, Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...

, and later re-released in 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...

 and for the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...

/iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...

 and Nokia N900
Nokia N900
The Nokia N900 is a smartphone made by Nokia. It supersedes the Nokia N810. Its default operating system, Maemo 5, is a Linux-based OS originally developed for the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. It is the first Nokia device based upon the Texas Instruments OMAP3 microprocessor with the ARM Cortex-A8...

 in 2009.
Duke Nukem 3D is perhaps the most recognized Duke Nukem game, with over a dozen expansion packs.

For
Duke Nukem 3D the character of Duke Nukem was dramatically redesigned by George Broussard
George Broussard
George Broussard is a game producer and designer known in the PC game community as one of the creators of the Duke Nukem series ....

 and Allen Blum to become the macho
Macho
Macho typically refers to machismo. Other uses include:*Macho , a short-lived disco group in the late 1970s*Pique macho, Bolivian dish*Macho Man , a 1978 disco song performed by the Village People...

, wise-cracking
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...

 character better known today.
Duke Nukem 3D was one of the most controversial games at the time due to its strong language, sexual content, cultural stereotypes, and strong violence.

Duke Nukem 3D, and the dozen or so subsequent Duke Nukem games, feature Jon St. John
Jon St. John
Jon St. John is an American voice actor and singer. He started his career in voice work in 1975, when he was a Top 40 radio DJ in North Carolina. Because of his vocal talent and technical skills, he was hired as a production director for several US radio stations in cities including: Norfolk, New...

 as the voice of Duke Nukem.
Duke Nukem 3D was the first game in which the character has a significant speaking role.

Games with Duke Nukem as a protagonist

  • Duke Nukem (temporarily "Duke Nukum") – 1991 – MS-DOS
    MS-DOS
    MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...

  • Duke Nukem II
    Duke Nukem II
    Duke Nukem II is a platform game developed by Apogee Software and released December 3, 1993. The game consists of four episodes , the first available as shareware...

    – 1993 – MS-DOS
  • Duke Nukem 3D
    Duke Nukem 3D
    Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...

    – 1996 – MS-DOS, Mac OS
    Mac OS
    Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...

    , Sega Saturn
    Sega Saturn
    The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...

    , Mega Drive
    Sega Mega Drive
    The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...

    , Game.com
    Game.com
    The Game.com is a handheld game console released by Tiger Electronics in September 1997. It featured many new ideas for handheld consoles and was aimed at an older target audience, sporting PDA-style features and functions such as a touch screen and stylus...

    , Xbox Live Arcade
    Xbox Live Arcade
    Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...

    , iPhone
    IPhone
    The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...

    /iPod Touch
    IPod Touch
    The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...

    , Nokia N900
    Nokia N900
    The Nokia N900 is a smartphone made by Nokia. It supersedes the Nokia N810. Its default operating system, Maemo 5, is a Linux-based OS originally developed for the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. It is the first Nokia device based upon the Texas Instruments OMAP3 microprocessor with the ARM Cortex-A8...

    , Source port
    Source port
    A source port is a software project based on the source code of a computer game's engine that allows the game to be played on operating systems or computing platforms with which the game was not originally compatible. Source ports are created by fans after the original developer hands over the...

    s, Android
  • Duke Nukem 64 – 1997 – Nintendo 64
    Nintendo 64
    The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...

  • Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown – 1997 – PlayStation
  • Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
    Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
    Duke Nukem: Time To Kill is a third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation.-Gameplay:The gameplay and controls are very similar to those of Tomb Raider, a fact humorously referenced throughout the game...

    – 1998 – PlayStation
  • Duke Nukem: Zero Hour
    Duke Nukem: Zero Hour
    Duke Nukem: Zero Hour is a third-person shooter video game in the Duke Nukem series, developed by Eurocom for the Nintendo 64. The game uses a relatively large 32 megabyte cartridge and could also utilize the Expansion Pak to allow for better graphics but slowing down the frame rate...

    – 1998 – Nintendo 64
    Nintendo 64
    The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...

  • Duke Nukem GBC – 1999 – Game Boy Color
    Game Boy Color
    The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...

  • Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes
    Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes
    Duke Nukem: Land of The Babes is a third-person shooter video game in the Duke Nukem series of video games. This game is a direct sequel to the 1998 title, Duke Nukem: Time to Kill.-Plot:...

    (temporarily "Planet of the Babes") – 2000 – PlayStation
  • Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
    Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
    Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is a platform game developed by Sunstorm Interactive, produced by 3D Realms, and published by Arush Entertainment. It was released on Microsoft Windows on May 14, 2002 in North America and on June 14, 2002 in Europe...

    – 2002 – Microsoft Windows
    Microsoft Windows
    Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

    , Xbox Live Arcade
    Xbox Live Arcade
    Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...

  • Duke Nukem Advance
    Duke Nukem Advance
    Duke Nukem Advance is a portable video game in the Duke Nukem series. Although it is a first-person shooter and many of the graphics and sounds have been ported from Duke Nukem 3D, the game has an original storyline and levels....

    – 2002 – Game Boy Advance
    Game Boy Advance
    The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...

  • Duke Nukem Mobile
    Duke Nukem Mobile
    Duke Nukem Mobile is the name given to two different games in the Duke Nukem series developed by MachineWorks Northwest and produced by 3D Realms.-Duke Nukem Mobile on Tapwave Zodiac:...

    – 2004 – Tapwave Zodiac
    Tapwave Zodiac
    The Zodiac is a mobile entertainment console, launched on 5 May 2003, and released in October 2003 by Tapwave, a former private company that was based in Mountain View, California....

  • Duke Nukem Mobile
    Duke Nukem Mobile
    Duke Nukem Mobile is the name given to two different games in the Duke Nukem series developed by MachineWorks Northwest and produced by 3D Realms.-Duke Nukem Mobile on Tapwave Zodiac:...

    - 2004 - Cellular Phones (2D port of the Zodiac version)
  • Duke Nukem Mobile II: Bikini Project – 2005 – Cellular Phones
  • Duke Nukem Mobile 3D – 2005 – Cellular Phones (Updated port of the original Zodiac version with enhanced graphics)
  • Duke Nukem Arena - 2007 - Cellular Phones (Updated port of Duke Nukem Mobile 3D that included an Arena style multiplayer)
  • Duke Nukem: Critical Mass
    Duke Nukem: Critical Mass
    Duke Nukem: Critical Mass is a platform game developed by Apogee Software and published by Deep Silver for the Nintendo DS.-Story:...

    – 2011 - Nintendo DS
    Nintendo DS
    The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

  • Duke Nukem Forever
    Duke Nukem Forever
    Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by 3D Realms and Triptych Games and finished by Gearbox Software and Piranha Games...

    – 2011 – Microsoft Windows
    Microsoft Windows
    Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

    , Xbox 360
    Xbox 360
    The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

    , PlayStation 3
    PlayStation 3
    The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...


Other appearances

  • Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure
    Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure
    Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure is a video game programmed by Todd Replogle and published by Apogee Software in 1992. It is a two-dimensional side-scrolling platform game produced for the PC platform, and features 16-color EGA graphics at 320×200 screen resolution...

    - 1992 - MS-DOS
    MS-DOS
    MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...

  • Death Rally
    Death Rally
    Death Rally is a top-down perspective racing video game developed by Remedy, published by Apogee and distributed by GT Interactive. It was released on September 6, 1996...

    - 1996 - MS-DOS
    MS-DOS
    MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...

  • Balls of Steel - 1997 - MS-DOS
    MS-DOS
    MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...

  • Blood (video game) - 1997 - MS-DOS
    MS-DOS
    MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...

  • Death Rally
    Death Rally
    Death Rally is a top-down perspective racing video game developed by Remedy, published by Apogee and distributed by GT Interactive. It was released on September 6, 1996...

    - 2011 - iOS
  • TobyGames - 2011

Cancelled games

One of the first projects to be announced after the smashing success of Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...

 was a return to Duke’s 2D side-scrolling, platforming roots in a game called Duke Nukem 4Ever. The project was led by Keith Schuler, the lead designer and programmer on Paganitzu
Paganitzu
Paganitzu is a tile-based, CGA/EGA computer game created by Keith Schuler and published by Apogee Software in October, 1991. It is the sequel to Chagunitzu. The game is a 2D puzzle game comparable to Chip's Challenge. It requires the player to solve various puzzles to complete the game.Paganitzu...

 and Realms of Chaos, and a level designer on the Plutonium Pak. Schuler wanted to create a Duke Nukem title that used the same graphical techniques as Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...

. He also wanted to bring back Dr. Proton, Duke’s original nemesis. Proton returned to unhatch a plan involving setting off explosives along the San Andreas Fault
San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental strike-slip fault that runs a length of roughly through California in the United States. The fault's motion is right-lateral strike-slip...

 to separate California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 from the US mainland, and renaming it Proton Island. The US president is apathetic, happy to be rid of California, but Duke Nukem steps in, having recently purchased a condo in Malibu. The 2D Forever was planned to mesh many of new concepts of Duke Nukem 3D with the old style play of the first two games in the series. Duke’s look, personality and armory from the recent shooter would be matched up with run and gun platforming, with a few new objects like a cloaking device and five piece weapon called the Heavy Barrel added in. Players would face off against Dr. Proton’s minions, the Protonite cyborgs, along with other level-specific grunt enemies. Each episode would end with a boss fight, with the last one being against Proton himself. Development on Duke Nukem 4Ever stalled in the middle of 1996 when Keith Schuler was reassigned to work on maps for the Duke Nukem 3D expansion pack. The game’s cancellation wasn’t publicly announced until 1997, at such a time where 3D Realms had decided to reuse the name for their sequel to Duke Nukem 3D. After cancellation the game went on to become a new game called Ravager, that project was then sold to a developer called Inner Circle Creations who renamed and released the title as Alien Rampage in 1996.

Duke Nukem: Endangered Species was announced in January 2001. It was to be a hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

 game where the player could hunt everything from dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...

s to snakes, using an improved version of the engine used in the Carnivores
Carnivores (series)
The Carnivores games are a series of hunting simulation video games featuring prehistoric species ranging from dinosaurs to Quaternary mammals . The first three games were developed for the PC by Action Forms and released by WizardWorks Software between 1998 and 2001...

series. The game was cancelled in December of that year. The company that had been developing the game, Ukraine-based developer Action Forms, went on to develop its own game, Vivisector: Beast Within (originally titled Vivisector: Creatures of Doctor Moreau) instead.

A PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

 game called Duke Nukem D-Day (also known as Duke Nukem: Man Of Valor), was announced in 1999, renowned for having one of the longest development cycles of any title in the PlayStation 2's considerable history. Long rumored to implement the same technology that powered the PC version of Unreal
Unreal
Unreal is a first-person shooter video game developed by Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes and published by GT Interactive in May 1998...

, the game sometimes erroneously referred to as Duke Nukem Forever PS2 (this console title was not to be a part of the PC game, and instead was a new creation by developer n-Space
N-Space
n-Space is an American video game developer founded in 1994 by Erick S. Dyke, Dan O'Leary, and Sean Purcell. n-Space is focusing mostly on Nintendo consoles since 2001...

) consistently battled crippling delays; often putting in question its status as an active or cancelled game. The project was finally abandoned in 2003.

Legal wrangling between 3D Realms and Take 2 Interactive over the non-delivery of Duke Nukem Forever after 3D Realms laid off all development staff in 2009 revealed that the two companies had agreed on the production of a console targeted Duke game in October 2007. 3D Realms accepted the deal in exchange for a $US2.5 million dollar advance on royalties in order to continue to fund development of Duke Nukem Forever. Gearbox was later revealed to be the developer of the game.

Very few details exist on what Duke Begins actually is. From what one can deduce from the name of the game and the court filings, the title was intended to be an origin story, showing how Duke came to be the ridiculous ego-driven ass kicker that he is. The status of Duke Begins is not clear. Development on the title began within two months of the October 2007 agreement with the intention of a mid 2010 release. 3D Realms alleged in court filings that the title was put on hold in April 2009 in order to deny them royalties to pay back the $2.5 million advance. Whether Duke Begins was put on hold after 3D Realms approached Take 2 to request $US6 million to finish Duke Nukem Forever is yet to be confirmed.

Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software, LLC is an American video game development company based in Plano, Texas.-History:Gearbox Software was founded in January 1999 by five members of the content team from the defunct developer Rebel Boat Rocker: Randy Pitchford, Brian Martel, Stephen Bahl, Landon Montgomery, and Rob...

 has since shifted to working on Duke Nukem Forever after finalising a deal with 3D Realms to acquire the unfinished game and the rights to the Duke Nukem franchise.

When Duke Nukem Trilogy was announced in 2008, it was intended for release on the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

 and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

. Each game in the series was to have two versions that shared the same story – the Nintendo DS game was a side scrolling affair, while the PSP version was to be a third person shooter not unlike Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
Duke Nukem: Time To Kill is a third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation.-Gameplay:The gameplay and controls are very similar to those of Tomb Raider, a fact humorously referenced throughout the game...

. The PSP version was said to be the more adult-oriented of the two games. It is not determined exactly when the PSP versions of the Duke Nukem Trilogy games were cancelled, but one can safely say that the drawn out development of the title, low quality of the game and the poor sales of PSP software since 2008 were certainly factors.

An HD remake of Duke Nukem II
Duke Nukem II
Duke Nukem II is a platform game developed by Apogee Software and released December 3, 1993. The game consists of four episodes , the first available as shareware...

 was also planned at one point.

Duke Nukem Forever

The most recent installment in the video game series, Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by 3D Realms and Triptych Games and finished by Gearbox Software and Piranha Games...

, was in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...

 for over a decade after being announced in early 1997. DNF was announced in April 1997, and promotional information for the game was released in one form or another in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Due to this, the title was subject to intense speculation and won several vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...

 awards.

The development team was terminated in May 2009, but according to 3D Realms, the project was not officially cancelled and the game was still in development. Although Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...

 owned the publishing rights to the game, they did not have an agreement with 3D Realms to provide funding for its continuation. A lawsuit was filed by Take-Two Interactive against 3D Realms over their failure to finish development of the game. The lawsuit reached a "settlement" in May 2010.

Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software, LLC is an American video game development company based in Plano, Texas.-History:Gearbox Software was founded in January 1999 by five members of the content team from the defunct developer Rebel Boat Rocker: Randy Pitchford, Brian Martel, Stephen Bahl, Landon Montgomery, and Rob...

 bought the rights and intellectual property of the franchise and started work on the project in 2009. A playable demo was shown at PAX
Penny Arcade Expo
The Penny Arcade Expo is a semi-annual gamer festival held in Seattle and Boston. PAX was created by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, the authors of the Penny Arcade webcomic, because they wanted to attend a show that gave equal attention to console gamers, computer gamers, and tabletop...

 where the release timeframe was announced as May 3, 2011 in the US, and May 6 internationally on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

On January 21, an official release trailer was unveiled by 2K Games
2K Games
2K is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games. 2K Games is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, which also owns Rockstar Games notable for the Grand Theft Auto series...

 with a confirmed release date of May 3, 2011 for North America.

On March 24, 2K Games
2K Games
2K is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games. 2K Games is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, which also owns Rockstar Games notable for the Grand Theft Auto series...

 sent out a statement that "Duke Never Comes Early" to announce a delay until June 10 in North America.

On May 5, 2011, the Steam network started selling the game with June 14 as the advertised availability date.

Duke Begins

The October 2011 edition of the Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...

 reports that Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software, LLC is an American video game development company based in Plano, Texas.-History:Gearbox Software was founded in January 1999 by five members of the content team from the defunct developer Rebel Boat Rocker: Randy Pitchford, Brian Martel, Stephen Bahl, Landon Montgomery, and Rob...

 plans to reboot the Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem is a video game series focusing on its protagonist, Duke Nukem. Originally created by Apogee Software Ltd./3D Realms as a series of video games for the PC, the franchise expanded to games released for various consoles by third party developers...

 franchise once Aliens: Colonial Marines is complete and out the door. The series, which began back in 1991 with the original Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem is a video game series focusing on its protagonist, Duke Nukem. Originally created by Apogee Software Ltd./3D Realms as a series of video games for the PC, the franchise expanded to games released for various consoles by third party developers...

 PC game developed by Apogee Software
Apogee Software
Apogee Software, LLC is a video game publisher based in Garland, Texas, established in 2008 as a spin-off of 3D Realms .- History :The original Apogee Software was established in 1987 as Apogee Software Ltd. In 1994, Apogee established its 3D Realms brand for publishing 3D video games distributed...

, will relaunch with the long-discussed Duke Begins (possibly) on an unspecified date.

Soundtracks

Several Duke Nukem games contained popular tracks from well known bands, a greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...

 album, entitled Duke Nukem: Music to Score By, was released in 1999, with the following track listing:
  1. Duke Nukem Theme - Megadeth
    Megadeth
    Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

  2. Cinnamon Girl
    Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young song)
    "Cinnamon Girl" is a song by Neil Young. It debuted on the 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, which was also Young's first album with backing band Crazy Horse...

     - Type O Negative
    Type O Negative
    Type O Negative was a gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York City. The band also incorporated elements of doom metal and thrash metal. Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "The Drab Four"...

     (previously unreleased in U.S.)
  3. What U See Is What U Get
    What U See Is What U Get
    "What U See Is What U Get" is the first single from Xzibit's second album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz. In its first week the song reached #50 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains Xzibit's highest charting single as it peaked at #3 on Hot Rap Singles. This song was considered to be his biggest hit by fans,...

     - Xzibit
    Xzibit
    Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...

  4. Blisters - Coal Chamber
    Coal Chamber
    Coal Chamber is an American alternative metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Prior to Coal Chamber, Dez Fafara and Meegs Rascón formed the band She's In Pain in 1992. The two decided to create Coal Chamber. They disbanded in 2003 after ten years together, but announced a reunion in...

     (previously unreleased in U.S.)
  5. Song 10 - Zebrahead
    Zebrahead
    Zebrahead is an American punk rock band from Orange County, California, which fuses elements of Rapcore, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, and Funk Metal.-1996–98: Formation:...

  6. The Thing I Hate - Stabbing Westward
    Stabbing Westward
    Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...

  7. Push it - Static X
  8. It's Yourz - Wu-Tang Clan
    Wu-Tang Clan
    The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...

  9. Screaming from the Sky - Slayer
    Slayer
    Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

  10. New World Order
    New World Order (Megadeth song)
    "New World Order" is a song by American heavy metal band Megadeth. It was written by Dave Mustaine, Dave Ellefson, Marty Friedman and Nick Menza during the Clash of the Titans Tour in 1991, and a demo was made for Countdown to Extinction, However, it was not released on either Countdown to...

     - Megadeth
    Megadeth
    Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

     (previously unreleased)
  11. Stone Crazy
    Stone Crazy
    Stone Crazy is the second full-length album by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released on June 24, 1997 by Relativity Records and Epic Records in later pressings. It is the first album released by The Beatnuts after rapper Kool Fashion left the group to pursue a solo career...

     - The Beatnuts
    The Beatnuts
    The Beatnuts are a New York-based hip hop group and production duo from Queens, New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu is Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les is a Colombian American from Jackson Heights...

  12. Land of the Free Disease - Corrosion of Conformity
    Corrosion of Conformity
    Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm...

     (previously unreleased)


The pre-release game trailer of Duke Nukem Forever uses "The Stroke
The Stroke
"The Stroke" is the title of a song written and recorded by American rock artist Billy Squier. It was released in May 1981 as the debut single from his 1981 album Don't Say No....

" by Mickey Avalon
Mickey Avalon
Mickey Avalon is an American rapper from Hollywood, California. His debut self-titled solo album was released Nov. 7, 2006 on Interscope/Shoot to Kill Records in association with MySpace Records...

.

Proposed feature film

In the late 1990s, it was announced that Hollywood film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...

 Lawrence Kasanoff (Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (film)
Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American action and adventure film directed by Paul Anderson. Based on the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, the film was the first part of the Mortal Kombat film series...

, Class of 1999
Class of 1999
Class of 1999 is a 1990 science fiction film directed by Mark L. Lester. It is the director's follow-up to his 1982 film Class of 1984.-Synopsis:...

) was working on a Duke Nukem film. The plot was to feature aliens invading Duke's favorite strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....

. However the Kasanoff's Nukem film never got past the pre-production
Pre-production
Pre-production or In Production is the process of preparing all the elements involved in a film, play, or other performance.- In film :...

 phase for numerous reasons, mainly funding issues.

Plans for a live action Duke Nukem movie to be produced by Kasanoff's company Threshold Entertainment
Threshold Entertainment
Threshold Entertainment is a Hollywood intellectual property management and production company.The company develops, manages, produces, and publishes intellectual properties in all media including feature films, television shows, live stage tours, animation, video games and websites...

 were announced in 2001, but the film never made it to production.

In 2008, Max Payne
Max Payne (film)
Max Payne is a 2008 noir action film based on the 2001 video game of the same name by Remedy Entertainment. It was written by Beau Thorne and was directed by John Moore. The film stars Mark Wahlberg in the title role as Max Payne, Mila Kunis as Mona Sax, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Jim Bravura and...

producer Scott Faye has revealed to IGN.com that he is planning to bring Duke Nukem to the big screen. Faye, who runs production company Depth Entertainment, said he hopes to compliment these with "a Duke film scenario that will compel a studio to finance a feature version... Certainly, there's a large audience that knows and loves this character." He went on: "We're expanding Duke's 'storyverse' in a very significant major way without abandoning or negating any element that's being used to introduce Duke to the next-gen platforms." This can be found here http://movies.ign.com/articles/908/908697p1.html

During mid 2009 an interview on Gamasutra revealed that a Duke Nukem movie is currently in pre-production.

Merchandise

Duke Nukem was a short-lived toy line from defunct toy company ReSaurus. Primarily centered around Duke Nukem 3D, the line featured three versions of Duke (with a fourth "internet only" Duke that came with a CD-ROM and freezethrower accessory), the Pigcop, Octabrain, and Battlelord. The toys were prone to breakage (Duke's legs were held on by a thin plastic rod which was easy to snap and the Octabrain had numerous fragile points). More toys were planned to coincide with the release of Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by 3D Realms and Triptych Games and finished by Gearbox Software and Piranha Games...

, but the game's delay halted these toys, and ReSaurus eventually went out of business. As of Toyfair 2011 however, NECA revealed a new series of Duke Nukem Forever action figures with more details and articulation than the previous series from 1997.

Critical reception

Reception of the character by the time of Duke Nukem Forever's release was mostly mixed. Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...

 elaborated on Duke Nukem's decreased relevance since 1996, and added that the character's "half-hearted digs" at rival franchises were ill-advised due to the game's datedness. Charles Onyett of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 likened Duke Nukem's maturity to a "twelve-year old boy with internet access" and expressed disappointment in the character's datedness and the missed opportunity on the developers' part to "[play] with the idea of Duke as an anachronism". Ryan Winterhalter of 1UP.com noted that Duke Nukem had become "a caricature of his former self. He's crossed the line from charmingly foul-mouthed to obnoxious and embarrassing." Cian Hassett of PALGN
PALGN
The PAL Gaming Network is an Australian based video game news and reviews website that focuses on the videogame industry and culture in PAL territories, particularly Australia and the UK. It was launched in 2003 by a group of PAL forum members on the IGN message boards who were disenfranchised by...

was more positive of the character and found him to be "genuinely hilarious" due to his tongue-in-cheek rejection of video game traditions (such as finding a key to open a door or wearing a special suit of armor).

External links

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