Duke Nukem 3D (1996)

Lore & Background

The game features the adventures of the titular Duke Nukem, voiced by Jon St. John, who fights against an alien invasion on Earth. The story picks up after Duke Nukem II, with Duke returning to Earth and his ship shot down by aliens. Episodes include L.A. Meltdown, Lunar Apocalypse, Shrapnel City, The Birth (Atomic Edition), and Alien World Order (20th Anniversary World Tour).

Reader's Guide

As a first-person shooter, gameplay involves moving through levels from Duke's point of view, shooting enemies. Environments are highly destructible and interactive. The arsenal includes the Mighty Foot, pistol, shotgun, chain gun, RPG, pipe bombs, freezethrower, shrink ray, laser land mines, Devastator, and in the Atomic Edition the Expander, and in the 20th Anniversary World Tour the Incinerator. Items include medkit, steroids, night vision goggles, HoloDuke, protective boots, aqua-lung, and jet pack.

Did You Know?

• The shareware version was originally released on January 29, 1996.
• The full version of the game was released on April 19, 1996.
• The Plutonium PAK, an expansion pack, was released on October 21, 1996.
• The Atomic Edition, a standalone version including the Plutonium PAK content, was released on December 11, 1996.
• A fifth episode was released on October 11, 2016, with 20th Anniversary World Tour published by Gearbox Software.