Duke Nukem 64

Lore & Background

The game is set on Earth 'sometime in the early 21st century'. Duke returns to Earth after the events of Duke Nukem II, but his ship is shot down over Los Angeles. He learns that aliens are attacking and have mutated the LAPD. Duke fights through Los Angeles, space stations, and the Moon, eventually killing the Cycloid Emperor. The Atomic Edition adds a fourth episode, 'The Birth', where Duke kills the Alien Queen. The 20th Anniversary World Tour adds a fifth episode, 'Alien World Order', where Duke defeats the Alien Queen.

In Their Own Story

The sky turns red. Sirens wail. Duke Nukem, fresh from a workout and still slick with sweat, hears the news on a crackling TV: aliens are everywhere. He doesn't wait for orders. He grabs his shotgun, kicks open the door of his penthouse, and steps into a warzone. Cars burn, buildings crumble, and a giant alien ship the size of a city block looms overhead. Duke spits out his cigar, the ember hissing on the asphalt. 'Time to kick ass and chew bubble gum,' he mutters, 'and I'm all out of gum.' The hunt begins.

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. Levels are non-linear, with air ducts, back doors, and sewers. Duke's arsenal includes the Mighty Foot, pistol, shotgun, chain gun, RPG, pipe bombs, freezethrower, shrink ray, laser land mines, and Devastator. The Atomic Edition adds the Expander; the 20th Anniversary World Tour adds the Incinerator. Items include medkit, steroids, night vision goggles, HoloDuke, protective boots, aqua-lung, and jet pack. Enemies include Pig Cops and various aliens.

Did You Know?

• The shareware version was released on January 29, 1996, and the full version on April 19, 1996.
• The Plutonium PAK expansion added a fourth eleven-level episode and was released on November 14, 1996.
• The Atomic Edition, a standalone version with 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.
• Duke Nukem 3D was developed on a budget of roughly $300,000 by a team of 8 to 13 people.