Duke Nukem (character)
Duke Nukem | |
---|---|
Voiced by | English: Joe Siegler (Duke Nukem II) Todd Replogle (Duke Nukem II) Jon St. John[1] Japanese: Fumihiko Tachiki |
In-universe information | |
Nationality | American |
Duke Nukem is a fictional character and
The character was created by
Conception and design
While working on a title originally called "Heavy Metal", Apogee Software founder Scott Miller expressed his disdain for the title, feeling it should be named after a protagonist instead, taking inspiration from American
The character's name caused some legal troubles for Apogee, first from Duke University, and later from the Turner Broadcasting System. In the case of the former, the University claimed their trademark was violated; however Apogee's lawyer countered that there were no conflicting video games, and the two were unlikely to be confused for one another. Apogee agreed to use the character's full name in all advertising for the game, which satisfied the University's legal team. In the case of Turner Broadcasting on the other hand, their cartoon Captain Planet and the Planeteers featured a character also called "Duke Nukem", which caused Apogee to for a time change the game and character's name to "Duke Nukum". However, Turner had not filed for a trademark on their character's name, and their lawyer noted they were not competing in the same market as a video game. The name was changed back, and Turner's legal team did not pursue.[2]
While working on
Appearances
Duke Nukem was initially created in 1987 by chief programmer Todd Replogle of Apogee Software (now 3D Realms) as the protagonist for the video game he was designing titled Metal Future, which was set in the then-near future of "one decade later from now" in 1997. After hearing the character's name, producer and founder of Apogee, Scott Miller, suggested the game should have the same name, and he helped design the character. Artwork was produced by George Broussard, Allen H. Blum III, and Jim Norwood. Duke was not voiced, but spoke through on-screen text.
In the sequel, Duke Nukem II, which was released in 1993, the same mostly-silent incarnation of the character was used, although he was now an American hero. 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.[5]
For Duke Nukem 3D, the character of Duke Nukem was dramatically redesigned by George Broussard and Allen Blum
In March 2018, it was announced that John Cena will star in a Duke Nukem movie for Paramount Pictures & Platinum Dunes.[7][8] However, in January 2019, Duke Nukem voice actor Jon St. John stated that no movie was in development.[9] In a press statement announcing Embracer Group's acquisition of Gearbox Software, however, production of the film was reconfirmed.[10]
Games with Duke Nukem as a protagonist
- Duke Nukem (briefly "Duke Nukum") – 1991 – MS-DOS
- Duke Nukem II – 1993 – MS-DOS, iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad
- Duke Nukem 3D – 1996 – MS-DOS, Mac OS, Sega Saturn, Mega Drive, Game.com, Xbox Live Arcade, iPhone/iPod Touch, Nokia N900, Source ports, Android, iPad
- Duke Nukem 64 – 1997 – Nintendo 64
- Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown – 1997 – PlayStation
- Duke Nukem: Time to Kill – 1998 – PlayStation
- Duke Nukem: Zero Hour – 1998 – Nintendo 64
- Duke Nukem – 1999 – Game Boy Color
- Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes (temporarily "Planet of the Babes") – 2000 – PlayStation
- Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project – 2002 – Microsoft Windows, Xbox Live Arcade
- Duke Nukem Advance – 2002 – Game Boy Advance
- Duke Nukem Mobile – 2004 – Tapwave Zodiac
- Duke Nukem Mobile - 2004 - Cellular phones
- 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 – 2011 - Nintendo DS
- Mac OS X, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
- Duke Nukem 3D: World Tour – 2016 – Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Other appearances
- Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure - 1992 - MS-DOS
- Death Rally - 1996 - MS-DOS
- Balls of Steel - 1997 - Microsoft Windows
- Blood - 1997 - MS-DOS
- Serious Sam 2 - 2005 - Microsoft Windows, Linux, Xbox
- iOS
- Choplifter HD - 2012 - Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
- Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition - 2017 - Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Rad Rodgers: Radical Edition - 2018 - Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Wild Buster: Heroes of Titan - 2018 - Microsoft Windows
- Ready Player One - 2018 - Film
- Duke Nukem - TBA - Film[11]
Reception
Duke Nukem has been listed on many "Best Characters" and "Best Heroes" lists over the years,
Reception of the character by the time of Duke Nukem Forever's release was mostly mixed. Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer 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.[20] Charles Onyett of IGN likened Duke Nukem's maturity to a "12-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".[21] 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."[22] Cian Hassett of PALGN was more positive about the character, finding 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).[23]
Notes
References
- ^ IMDb
- ^ a b Miller, Scott (May 25, 2022). "Duke Nukem - Little Known Facts". Apogee Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ Tripoli, Jeff (2023-10-13). "George Broussard interview". Adventure Game Hotspot. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- Complex. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ "3D Realms Forums - View Single Post - Jon St. John Confirmed To Be Back In DNF!". Forums.3drealms.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ "Duke Nukem history - 3D Realms Forums". Forums.3drealms.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ McNary, Dave (27 March 2018). "John Cena Confirmed For Upcoming Duke Nukem Film". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ Ruppert, Liana (December 11, 2018). "'Duke Nukem' Movie Draws 'Assassin's Creed' Producer". Variety. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "Duke Nukem Voice Actor Claims No New Game, Movie Is Happening". ScreenRant. 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Embracer Group Merges with The Gearbox Entertainment Company and Form a Seventh Operating Group". Embracer. 3 February 2021.
- ^ Busch, Jenna (22 January 2018). "Duke Nukem: John Cena in Talks to Star in Film Based on the Game Franchise". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- ^ "Best Heroes of All Time". UGO.com. 2010-01-21. Archived from the original on 2013-01-10. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ "The Top 10 Male Badasses in Gaming". VGRC. 2010-06-17. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ "Top 10 Biggest Gaming Bad Asses". CraveOnline. 2007-10-17. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ "Top Ten Coolest Characters - The Last Boss". Archived from the original on 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ Retro Gamer, page 37.
- ^ "Guinness World Records Top 50 Video Game Characters - Voodoo Extreme". Ve3d.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ "Top 25 Anti-Heroes". GameDaily. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
- ^ Dyer, James; McComb, David; Plumb, Alastair; Scarborough, David (May 26, 2010). "The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters - 20. Duke Nukem". Empire. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
- ^ Dan Whitehead (June 11, 2011). "Duke Nukem Forever Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- ^ Charles Onyett (June 11, 2011). "Duke Nukem Forever Review - Xbox 360 Review at IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- 1UP.com. Archived from the originalon February 3, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- ^ Cian Hassett (June 11, 2011). "Duke Nukem Forever". PALGN. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2011.