Editing Duke Nukem (video game)

{{Short description|1991 video game}}
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{{Infobox video game
| title = Duke Nukem
| image = DukeNukem1Titlecard.gif
| caption = Episode 1 title screen
| developer = [[3D Realms|Apogee Software]]
| publisher = Apogee Software
| director = 
| producer = [[Scott Miller (entrepreneur)|Scott Miller]]
| designer = [[Todd Replogle]]<br />Scott Miller<br />Allen H. Blum III
| programmer = Todd Replogle
| artist = [[George Broussard]]<br />Jim Norwood<br />Allen H. Blum III
| writer = 
| composer = Scott Miller
| series = ''[[Duke Nukem]]''
| platforms = {{cslist
| [[MS-DOS]]
| [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
| [[macOS|OS X]]
| [[Linux]]
| [[Evercade]]
}}
| released = {{Unbulleted list
| '''MS-DOS'''
| {{vgrelease|NA|July 1, 1991<ref name="APOGEEhistory">{{cite web|url=http://legacy.3drealms.com/history.html |title=3D Realms Site: History |publisher=[[3D Realms]] }}</ref>|EU|1992}}
| '''Windows, OS X'''
| {{vgrelease|WW|December 6, 2012<ref>{{cite web |title=Release: Duke Nukem 1+2 |url=https://www.gog.com/news/release_duke_nukem_12 |website=[[GOG.com]] |access-date=6 May 2019 |date=6 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Duke Nukem 1 and 2 now available for Mac on GOG.com |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/12/06/duke-nukem-1-and-2-now-available-for-mac-on-gog-com/ |website=[[Engadget]] |access-date=6 May 2019 |date=6 December 2012}}</ref>}}
| '''Linux'''
| {{vgrelease|WW|May 21, 2015<ref>{{cite web |title=Changelog post #1 |url=https://www.gog.com/forum/duke_nukem_series/changelog/post1 |website=[[GOG.com]] |access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref>}}
| '''Evercade'''
| {{vgrelease|WW|November 28, 2023}}
}}
| genre = [[Platform game|Platform]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
}}

'''''Duke Nukem''''' is a 1991 [[platform game]] developed and published by [[3D Realms|Apogee Software]] for [[MS-DOS]]. The 2D, multidirectional scrolling game follows the  adventures of fictional character [[Duke Nukem (character)|Duke Nukem]] across three episodes of ten levels each. The game's first episode was distributed as [[shareware]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Duke Nukem I (the original!) |url=https://legacy.3drealms.com/duke1/index.html |website=[[3D Realms]] |access-date=10 December 2023}}</ref> The name was briefly changed to '''''Duke Nukum''''' to avoid trademark issues.

''Duke Nukem'' was followed by the similarly-styled ''[[Duke Nukem II]]'', in 1993. The series made the jump to 3D graphics with ''[[Duke Nukem 3D]]'' in 1996, which became the most popular of the three games.

==Gameplay==
[[Image:Dukenukem1.png|thumb|left|Gameplay screenshot]]

The main objective of the game is to get to the exit of each level, while destroying enemies and collecting [[Score (game)|points]]. Many objects onscreen can be shot including boxes, obstacles and blocks. Besides points, some collectibles include health [[power-up|powerups]], gun powerups, and some inventory items with special abilities. The final level of each episode has no exit, and is instead completed by finding and defeating Dr. Proton.

At the end of every [[level (video games)|level]] (with the exception of the last level in each episode), the player can receive up to seven 10,000 point bonuses, earned by making certain [[Achievement (video games)|achievements]] in the level, such as destroying all [[closed-circuit television|cameras]].

==Plot==
The game is set in the year 1997. Dr. Proton is a madman, determined to take over the world with his army of Techbots. Duke Nukem, the eponymous hero, takes upon the task of stopping him. The first episode takes place in the devastated city of Los Angeles. In the second episode, Duke chases Dr. Proton to his secret moonbase. In the third episode, Dr. Proton escapes into the future, and Duke pursues him through time, to put an end to his mad schemes.

==Development and release==
According to programmer and co-creator Todd Replogle, [[John Carmack]] helped him program some low-level parts of the game code in [[assembly language]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Todd Replogle interview (from 2001)|url=http://www.strifestreams.com/ToddReplogleInterview2001|website=www.strifestreams.com|access-date=19 September 2017|language=en}}</ref> The game world scrolls by shifting 8x8 "blocks" rather than individual pixels. The game's original title was ''Heavy Metal'', but producer Scott Miller hated the name and chose to name it after the lead character, similar to comic books. He proposed Duke, which he felt sounded strong, and Replogle proposed Nukem as his last name.<ref name="dukefacts">{{cite web|url=https://www.apogeeent.com/devblog/duke-little-known-facts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525215820/https://www.apogeeent.com/devblog/duke-little-known-facts|title=Duke Nukem - Little Known Facts|url-status=dead|last=Miller|first=Scott|publisher=[[Apogee Entertainment]]|date=May 25, 2022|archive-date=May 25, 2022|access-date=May 25, 2022}}</ref>

After the game's release, [[Apogee Software]] became aware that the ''[[Captain Planet and the Planeteers]]'' animated series featured a character with the same name ([[Duke Nukem (Captain Planet)|Duke Nukem]]) and therefore to avoid a lawsuit, the [[software house]] renamed the 2.0 version of its game ''Duke Nukum''.<ref name="Nukum"/> It later turned out that ''Duke Nukem'' was not a registered name, so Apogee registered it and used the original Duke Nukem name in the sequels.<ref name="Nukum">{{cite web|url=http://legacy.3drealms.com/duke1/index.html |title=3D Realms Site: Duke Nukem I |access-date=June 21, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110115045/http://legacy.3drealms.com/duke1/index.html |archive-date=November 10, 2014 }}</ref> Apogee also received a legal letter from [[Duke University]] alleging trademark violation. Apogee successfully fought back, and agreed to use the full Duke Nukem name in all their marketing materials.<ref name="dukefacts"/>

''Duke Nukem Collection 1'', which includes remastered versions of ''Duke Nukem'' and ''[[Duke Nukem II]]'' alongside a port of ''[[Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown]]'', was released for the [[Evercade]] retrogaming console in November 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://evercade.co.uk/evercade-game-spotlight-duke-nukem-12-remastered/ |title=Evercade Game Spotlight: Duke Nukem 1+2 Remastered |first=Pete |last=Davison |date=November 28, 2023 |website=[[Evercade]] |access-date=March 5, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://evercade.co.uk/cartridges/duke-nukem-collection-1/ |title=Duke Nukem Collection 1 |website=[[Evercade]] |access-date=March 5, 2025}}</ref>

==Reception==
[[File:Dave gnukem (2) Game for OS-2.png|thumb|right|200px|''Dave Gnukem'' is an open source parody.]]

Scott Miller estimates that the game eventually sold between 60,000 and 70,000 copies.<ref name="20YearsGameUltra">{{cite web |title=20 Years Of Evolution: Scott Miller And 3D Realms |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/20-years-of-evolution-scott-miller-and-3d-realms |work=[[Gamasutra]] |publisher=[[UBM plc|UBM]] |first=Benj |last=Edwards |date=2009-08-21 |access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref> In 1995, [[Flux (magazine)|Flux]] magazine ranked the game 39th on their Top 100 Video Games writing: "Without a doubt, the best platform game for the pc ever created."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=April 1995 |title=Top 100 Video Games |url=https://archive.org/details/flux-issue-4/page/n29/mode/2up |journal=Flux |publisher=Harris Publications |issue=4 |pages=30}}</ref> A [[free software]] parody of the game was made by fans entitled Dave Gnukem.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Zymaris|first=Con|date=July 2001|title=The Open Source Lucky Dip|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=niCRTTknircC&dq=Dave+Gnukem&pg=PA52|magazine=AUUGN|location=[[Australia]]|publisher=[[AUUG]]|access-date=2023-02-06|quote=''Written by David Jaffe, Dave Gnukem is a 2D scrolling platform game, similar to Duke Nukem 1. It includes a sprite and level editor. It uses GGI and thus runs on the console as well as X, windowed or fullscreeen. It also runs on Windows, using DirectX. Download it and blow yourself away''}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://3drealms.com/catalog/duke-nukem-1_24/ Official ''Duke Nukem'' website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118085605/https://3drealms.com/catalog/duke-nukem-1_24/ |date=November 18, 2021 }}
*{{moby game|id=/duke-nukem}}

{{DNgames}}
{{Apogee Games}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Duke Nukem 1}}
[[Category:1991 video games]]
[[Category:Action-adventure games]]
[[Category:Apogee games]]
[[Category:DOS games]]
[[Category:Duke Nukem]]
[[Category:Games commercially released with DOSBox]]
[[Category:Linux games]]
[[Category:MacOS games]]
[[Category:Platformers]]
[[Category:Science fiction video games]]
[[Category:Shareware games]]
[[Category:Side-scrolling platformers]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Video games set in 1997]]
[[Category:Windows games]]