A brief history of Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem. The macho antihero. A legendary character by all accounts. Or perhaps he is more infamous these days. The ridiculously lengthy development of Duke Nukem Forever has turned many fans of the franchise into cynics. The recent announcement of Gearbox Software picking up the title might mean that the game finally sees a release. Whether or not it's any good remains to be seen, but it will at the least bring closure.

We take a look back at the happier Duke times.

Duke Nukem (July 1991)

Duke was birthed of Apogee Software, which would later develop under the name of 3D Realms. The macho man first appeared wearing a neon pink sleeveless hunting jacket. He was however brandishing huge muscles and a large gun, so nobody called him out about it.

Set in the 'near future' of 1997, Duke Nukem 1 was a side-scrolling action platform game, notable for its clever level design and destructible environments. The mad Dr. Proton is determined to take over the world with an army of Techbots. Duke won't stand for this. He chases Dr. Proton through a destroyed Los Angeles, to Proton's secret moonbase, and finally into the future where his schemes are brought to an end.

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