This year it is time to celebrate 25 years with the only person in the universe to kick ass and chew bubble gum at the same time!

Despite many years went, Duke Nukem is still a very popular character amongst the older gamers and most certainly a character there many will never forget, and I am one of them. The 1980s-style action hero is as known for his fight against alien invasion as for visiting strip clubs and blowing stuff up.

While Duke Nukem 3D is the game most people associate with Duke Nukem there is two previous side-scrolling games from 1991 and 1993.

For anyone who don't know who Duke Nukem is, here is a little teaser:

Duke Nukem is a video game series starring Duke Nukem as the main character. Originally created by Apogee Software Ltd. / 3D Realms as a Video Game series for PC. in 2010 the franchise were acquired by Gearbox Software, who completed the development of Duke Nukem Forever and released it in June 2011.

Duke Nukem as Character

In his various attempts to defend the Earth from evil doers, Duke Nukem, the legendary American hero has emerged victorious which has seen him become a popular flagship character, so much so that he has an entire franchise named in his honor.

Like a true American hero, Duke is extremely fit physically. He has confidence in himself and what he is capable of. Through brute combat skills and supernatural achievement, he has achieved a lot of things that would be a tall order. Knowing that his heroic actions speak for themselves, he doesn’t care much about his detractors. He is generous with witty remarks and will more often than not be ready to speak his mind.

Duke has an impressive frame standing at 6’4” with an ability to press 600lbs on the bench. It isn’t hard to see the stark resemblance Duke has to both Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme. His strong physique gives him an overwhelming advantage over many of the inhuman foes that he encounters in gruesome battles; including the Pig Cops and robotic Dukeinators. As portrayed in Duke Nukem Forever, he is able to decapitate his adversaries with his Mighty Boot attack. His tough nature allows him to trek comfortably on the moon's hostile surface without any form of protection.

Duke tremendous skills enable him to use various types of firearms and explosives. He can handle anything from pipe bombs to assault rifles and pistols. Alien weapons and the futuristic experimental human weapons do not give him a hard time, whether it is the Shrink Ray or the destructively dangerous alien Enforcer Gun, he is sure to handle it expertly.

As for the outfit, he sure dresses the part. He is never without blue jeans, red tank-top, and signature sunglasses. Duke is not complete without a black military combat harness that holds utility pouches full of ammo and explosives close to the muscular body. In the collection of ammo, is also his treasured sidearm, the M1911 which is beautifully plated with gold and marked with the Nuke Logo, which is Duke's symbol of identity. To top it all, a military type hairstyle in a thorough platinum blond completes the look of an American Superhero.

The Duke Nukem Series

Since its inception, the Duke Nukem series has been popular thanks to Duke Nukem, Duke Nukem II and commander Keen who made the genre a favorite of many on the PC amidst competition from games like Super Mario.

Duke Nukem 3D launched the games from the shareware niche into a gamer fraternity on the mainstream game market, bringing the series right to the front seat of video game controversy. The game became one of the first to be comparable to Doom, alongside others like Star Wars: Dark Forces. The engine used for the development of the game has ever since become popular with game developers.

The main controversy that surrounded the Duke Nukem 3D was the explicit content that contained significant sexuality, porn, drug use, violence and obscene language. This has seen strict regulatory measures being imposed on the sale of the game in some countries, with others like Brazil imposing a total ban. The regulations and impositions notwithstanding, the game went on to become a successful hit in the 3D genre.

Duke Nukem I

This is the debut computer game for Personal Computers that saw the birth of the entire Duke Nukem franchise. At the time of its release in 1991, the game which was developed and published by Apogee software was set in a “futuristic” world in 1997, which was the near future then. The game features a scientist by the name Blunderwits becomes a radiation-Lobotomized madman – Dr. Proton- who is focused on taking over the world. His plan is to use his advanced army of Techbots, which are sophisticated robotic killing machines programmed for annihilation. The strategy is rolled out by taking Earth’s largest city as the first step. The military is no match for Dr. Proton’s army, which prompts the CIA to enlist the services of the no-nonsense alien destroyer Duke Nukem to deal with Dr. Proton once and for all.

Duke Nukem II

Released for Ms-Dos in 1993 Duke Nukem II is the sequel to Duke Nukem I. The game was also released for iOS in April 2013 and iOS X and Microsoft Windows in the July of the same year. In this exciting sequel, there is a plot by the evil Rigelatins to enslave the whole Earth. Duke Nukem is kidnapped while promoting his book “Why I am so great” on a talk show. In an impressive twist of heroic bravery, Duke breaks free and goes to save the world yet again.

Duke Nukem 3D

This is a first-person shooter game that was developed and published by 3D Realms. Duke Nukem 3D shareware version was released on the 29th January 1996 and the full version later on in May 1996 for the PC. The game idea was most probably birthed in 1994 and developed later in 1995 as shown by a closer look at the Concept Art pictures (Xbox Live Arcade Version). In this version, Duke Nukem who starred in the previous sequels Duke Nukem I and II is portrayed as a muscular womanizer who loves his guns as well. Duke, who is voiced by Jon St. Jon is rumored to be 29 years old in this game. His interests have changed, here he likes fine women, while in the previous first and second series, he seems to like The Oprah Winfrey Show and advertising his fictional book; “Why I am So Great” respectively.

Duke Nukem Forever

Duke Nukem is the sequel to the 1996 game Duke Nukem 3D and the fourth game in the main Duke Nukem series. It was released on June 10, 2011, globally and June 14, 2011, in North America by Gearbox Software and 2K Games. However, a two level demo was released to all First Access Club members on June 3, 2011. The game is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Play Station 3. Plans are underway to release it on the Mac OS. Duke Nukem became associated with vaporware due to extreme protraction in the development schedule, evident in the release of the game in 2011 which has been in development since 1996.

Conclusion

The Duke Nukem franchise has come a long way since its debut in 1991. One thing anyone who has played the game has to confess is that there has been consistent growth and development in various factors of the game including compatibility with various operating systems.

Zoomin games made this awesome video “Most memorable Duke Nukem moments ever” it’s definitely worth a watch!

Duke Nukem quotes

• It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all outta gum.
• You're an inspiration for birth control.
• I'll rip your head off and shit down your neck!
• Your face. Your ass. What's the difference?
• What are you waiting for? Christmas?
• Damn, those alien bastards are gonna pay for shooting up my ride.
• Groovy!
• Nobody steals our chicks... and lives!
• What are you? Some bottom-feeding, scum-sucking algae eater?
• Lucky son of a bitch!
• Die, you son of a bitch!
• Damn, you're ugly.
• I'm Duke Nukem. And I'm coming to get the rest of you alien bastards!
• Heh, heh, heh, what a mess!

Duke Nukem Trivia

• The voice of Duke Nukem is none other than Jon St. and he did the voicing in every Duke Nukem with one exception which is Duke Nukem II where Joe Siegler was the voice actor.
• Duke Nukem is often compared to 80s/90s action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Bruce Campbell, Kurt Russell, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Roddy Piper.
• Duke Nukem was subjected in an online series of Game Theory where most of the inspiration was founded for the character.
• The famous Quotes from Duke Nukem is inspired by many popular 80s/90s movies, most notably in Army of Darkness is Bruce Campbell's "Come Get Some!" and "Hail to the King baby" and from Roddy Piper's They Live came to the line "It's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum and I'm all outta gum!".
• Duke Nukem was the undisputed king of PC gaming back in 1996 where Duke Nukem 3D was revolutionary.
• Duke Nukem is considered the best character of all time and even got prizes to back it up.

Duke Nukem out!