Duke Nukem is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

and

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

of the ''

Duke Nukem ''Duke Nukem'' is a video game series named for its main character, Duke Nukem. Created by the company Apogee Software Ltd. (now 3D Realms) as a series of video games for personal computers, the series expanded to games released for various co ...

'' series of video games. The character first appeared in the 1991 video game ''

,'' developed by

Apogee Software 3D Realms Entertainment ApS is a video game publisher based in Aalborg, Denmark. Scott Miller founded the company in his parents' home in Garland, Texas, in 1987 as Apogee Software Productions to release his game '' Kingdom of Kroz''. In the ...

. He has since appeared in multiple sequels developed by

3D Realms 3D Realms Entertainment ApS is a video game publisher based in Aalborg, Denmark. Scott Miller (entrepreneur), Scott Miller founded the company in his parents' home in Garland, Texas, in 1987 as Apogee Software Productions to release his game ' ...

. Most recently, he starred in ''

Duke Nukem Forever ''Duke Nukem Forever'' is a 2011 first-person shooter game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is the fourth main installment in the ''Duke Nukem'' series and the sequel to ''Duke ...

'', released by

Gearbox Software Gearbox Software is an American video game development company based in Frisco, Texas. It was established as a limited liability company in February 1999 by five developers formerly of Rebel Boat Rocker. Randy Pitchford, one of the founders, se ...

, which now owns the rights and

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

. The character was created by

Todd Replogle Todd Jason Replogle (born 1969) is an American video game programmer best known as the co-creator of the ''Duke Nukem'' series. He wrote six 2D action games for MS-DOS released as shareware by Apogee Software between 1990 and 1993. This included ...

George Broussard George Broussard is an American video game producer and designer, one of the creators of the '' Duke Nukem'' series ( Todd Replogle, Allen Blum, and Scott Miller being the others). Broussard released his early games under the name Micro F/X. In ...

, and Scott Miller of Apogee Software. Duke Nukem was redesigned as the present tough guy incarnation by George Broussard and Allen Blum for the

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

game ''

Duke Nukem 3D ''Duke Nukem 3D'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by 3D Realms. It is a sequel to the platform games ''Duke Nukem'' and ''Duke Nukem II'', published by 3D Realms. ''Duke Nukem 3D'' features the adventures of the titular Duke Nuke ...

''. A sequel to ''Duke Nukem 3D'', ''Duke Nukem Forever'', was released in 2011, after remaining in development since 1997.

Personality and appearance

In the original game, Duke Nukem barely spoke and was portrayed as a disgruntled TV viewer hired by the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...

to save Earth from the mad scientist Dr. Proton, whom he took offense to for interrupting his soap opera. In the second game, he began to evolve into a more traditional

action hero An action hero (sometimes action heroine for women) is the protagonist of an action film or other form of entertainment which portrays action, adventure, and often violence. Other media in which such heroes appear include swashbuckler films, We ...

, but remained mostly silent. Since the third game, Duke's personality has been that of a confident, aggressive,

politically incorrect ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...

, wise-cracking,

hyper-masculine Hypermasculinity is a psychological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behavior, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, and sexuality. This term has been used ever since the research conducted by Donald L. Mosher a ...

man. Although not

superhuman The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...

, Duke manages to achieve incredible physical feats of violence and conquest through sheer

machismo Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as hav ...

and expertise with

automatic firearm An automatic firearm is an auto-loading firearm that continuously chambers and fires rounds when the trigger mechanism is actuated. The action of an automatic firearm is capable of harvesting the excess energy released from a previous discharg ...

s. In ''Duke Nukem Forever'', his massive ego is somehow capable of functioning like a shield from physical damage. His missions generally involve killing

aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...

that have invaded Earth. He is apparently sexually adept and irresistible to females, and circumstances often find him surrounded by many buxom women. However, he frequently mentions an estranged love interest named "Lani", and she becomes the basis for many of his jokes. This is widely believed to be a reference to

Lani Minella Lani Jean Minella (born July 28, 1950) is an American voice actress, voice director, and producer mostly working in the games industry. She is also the founder and owner of the voice-acting agency, AudioGodz. Career After college, Minella starte ...

, a voice actress who did several voices for ''Duke Nukem 3D''. Duke Nukem's current character is a

pastiche A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it ...

of a number of Hollywood

es, including

Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates ...

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

, and

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

. Many of his lines are taken from the movie ''

Army of Darkness ''Army of Darkness'' is a 1992 American comedy horror film directed, co-written and co-edited by Sam Raimi, co-produced by Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell and co-written by Ivan Raimi. Starring Campbell and Embeth Davidtz, it is the third i ...

'', and his most famous line is from the movie ''

They Live ''They Live'' is a 1988 American science fiction action horror film written and directed by John Carpenter, based on the 1963 short story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" by Ray Nelson. Starring Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster, the film ...

'' with

Roddy Piper Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for hi ...

saying, "I have come here to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all out of bubble gum." Duke's appearance resembles that of

The Boz Brian Keith Bosworth (born March 9, 1965), nicknamed "The Boz," is an American former American football, football linebacker and actor who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. A two-time Dick ...

as well as characters played by

Dolph Lundgren Hans Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957), better known as Dolph Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in ''Rocky IV'' as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lu ...

and

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the a ...

. Voiced by Jon St. John since the third game, Duke's voice is based on that of

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

. Duke is best known for his trademark

jet pack A jet pack, rocket belt, or rocket pack is a device worn on the back which uses jets of gas or liquid to propel the wearer through the air. The concept has been present in science fiction for almost a century and became widespread in the 1960s. ...

, his golden IMI Desert Eagle pistol or golden

Colt M1911 The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge (firearms), cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Calibe ...

, and Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, which completely conceal his eyes and which he has been seen wearing even at night since ''Duke Nukem 3D.'' His other trademark is a

blond Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...

military-style

flattop A flattop is a type of haircut where the hair on the top of the head is cut and styled upright to form a flat profile when viewed from the front or side. Styling In the most classic and mainstream style of flattop for men and boys, the hair ...

haircut which has existed since the first game, and the radioactive trefoil symbol, which is found on his belt-buckle, the side of his signature pistol, and numerous other locations throughout the games. He usually wears a red tank top (pink in the first game), military tactical harness, blue jeans and black army boots — in some of the games, Duke executes a maneuver known as the "Mighty Boot," which is simply a strong

front kick The front kick in martial arts is a kick executed by lifting the knee straight forward, while keeping the foot and shin either hanging freely or pulled to the hip, and then straightening the leg in front of the practitioner and striking the targe ...

. He is also notable for constantly smoking a

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

. In ''Duke Nukem II'', Duke wrote an

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

titled ''Why I'm So Great'' which he later autographed in ''

''. In ''Duke Nukem Forever'', he's achieved immense fame and fortune since saving the Earth, now owning a casino on the

Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of ...

called The Ladykiller, in which the ''Damn! ... It's Late Show'' (hosted by Johnny O'Lenoman){{efn, A

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsJohnny Carson, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.{{Citation needed, date=December 2022 is taped, and the Museum of Duke is housed, as well as a burger restaurant chain called Duke Burger. He is also linked to the EDF (Earth Defense Forces), answering to General Graves. In a news conference held at the end of ''Duke Nukem Forever'', he announces his intention of running for

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

, which would make him the 69th U.S. president. According to the stats provided by the ''Duke Nukem Character Memory Card,'' he is 6'4" (1,93 m)''Duke Nukem Character Memory Card''
{{webarchive , url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426055921/http://media.gameswag.com/image/CB84eBrsBXR2w3bdasdb0068/original_0HyBcWrhbGfw8Fl0FaKjtw8tLKZUmshm.jpg , date=April 26, 2012 and at a body fat percentage of 8%, weighs 240 lbs. (109 kg).

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

, Allen H. Blum III, and Jim Norwood. Duke was not voiced, but spoke through on-screen text. In the

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

, ''Duke Nukem II'', which was released two years later, 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. For ''Duke Nukem 3D,'' the character of Duke Nukem was dramatically redesigned by George Broussard and Allen Blum as the more familiar

macho Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as hav ...

, wise-cracking character of today. ''Duke Nukem 3D'' was one of the most controversial games at the time due to its strong violence, cultural stereotypes, strong language, and sexual content. ''Duke Nukem 3D'', as well as the dozen or so subsequent Duke Nukem games, feature Jon St. John as the voice of Duke Nukem. ''Duke Nukem 3D'' was the first game in which the character has a significant speaking role. In March 2018, it was announced that

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...

will star in a ''Duke Nukem'' movie for

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

Platinum Dunes Platinum Dunes is an American production company founded in November 2001 by filmmakers Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form. The company produces horror films, such as ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'', ''The Purge'', ''Friday the 13th (20 ...

. However, in January 2019, Duke Nukem voice actor

Jon St. John Jon St. John (born December 19, 1960) is an American voice actor, former radio personality and ordained minister. He is best known for his voice roles such as Duke Nukem in the ''Duke Nukem'' video game series and Big the Cat and E-123 Omega i ...

stated that no movie was in development. In a press statement announcing Embracer Group's acquisition of Gearbox Software, however, production of the film was reconfirmed.

Games with Duke Nukem as a protagonist

* ''

'' (temporarily "Duke Nukum") – 1991 –

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

* ''

Duke Nukem II ''Duke Nukem II'' is a 1993 platform game developed and published by Apogee Software. The game consists of four episodes (of eight levels each), the first available as shareware. It is the follow-up to 1991's ''Duke Nukem'', and followed by ''Du ...

'' – 1993 – MS-DOS, iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad * ''

'' – 1996 – MS-DOS, Mac OS, Sega Saturn, Mega Drive, Game.com, Xbox Live Arcade, iPhone/iPod Touch, Nokia N900,

Source port A source port is a software project based on the source code of a game engine that allows the game to be played on operating systems or computing platforms with which the game was not originally compatible. Description Source ports are often cr ...

s, 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 * ''

'' – 1999 –

Game Boy Color The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...

* '' Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes'' (temporarily "Planet of the Babes") – 2000 – PlayStation * '' Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project'' – 2002 –

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

, Xbox Live Arcade * ''

Duke Nukem Advance ''Duke Nukem Advance'' is a video game in the ''Duke Nukem'' series, released for the Game Boy Advance. Although it is a first-person shooter and many of the graphics and sounds have been ported from ''Duke Nukem 3D'', the game has an original sto ...

'' – 2002 –

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...

* ''

Duke Nukem Mobile ''Duke Nukem Mobile'' is the name given to two different games in the ''Duke Nukem'' series developed by American studio MachineWorks Northwest and produced by 3D Realms. Duke Nukem Mobile on Tapwave Zodiac This is a first-person shooter that was ...

'' – 2004 –

Tapwave Zodiac The Tapwave Zodiac is a mobile entertainment console. Tapwave announced the system in May 2003 and began shipping in October of that same year. The Zodiac was designed to be a high-performance mobile entertainment system centered on video games, ...

* ''

'' - 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 The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

* ''

'' – 2011 – Microsoft Windows,

Mac OS X macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. Within the market of ...

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

* '' Duke Nukem 3D: World Tour'' – 2016 – Microsoft Windows,

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...

Other appearances

* '' Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure'' - 1992 - MS-DOS * '' Death Rally'' - 1996 - MS-DOS * '' Balls of Steel'' - 1997 - Microsoft Windows * ''

Blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

'' - 1997 - MS-DOS * ''

Serious Sam 2 ''Serious Sam 2'' is a first-person shooter video game released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox and the sequel to the 2001 video game ''Serious Sam''. It was developed by Croteam and was released on 11 October 2005. The game was initially publish ...

'' - 2005 - Microsoft Windows, Linux, Xbox * '' Death Rally'' - 2011 - Microsoft Windows,

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

* '' 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 ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality ga ...

'' - 2018 - Film * ''Duke Nukem'' - TBA - Film

Reception

Duke Nukem has been listed on many "Best Characters" and "Best Heroes" lists over the years, including being listed as number one in

ScrewAttack Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC is an American digital media company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman, Rooster Teeth is a subsidiary of Warner ...

's "Top 10 Coolest Video Game Characters" list in 2007. Featuring him in the section "top ten forces of good" in their 2004 list of top 50 retro game heroes, ''

Retro Gamer ''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' soon became ...

'' called Duke "the ultimate cheese hero, and a true remnant of 80’s action flicks." He was listed at number 27 in the "Top 50 Video Game Characters" list by ''

Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

2011''.

GameDaily GameDaily (GD) was a video game journalism website based in the United States. It was launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads. The site changed its business model from a flat fee ...

also ranked him sixth on their list of best anti-heroes in video games. In 2011, ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' ranked him as the 20th greatest video game character, calling him "one of the best action characters ever devised" and adding that "Film might have

Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

, but Gaming's got Mr Nukem".{{cite web, url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/Default.asp?film=2- , title=The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters - 20. Duke Nukem , work=

, access-date=August 2, 2013 , first1=James , last1=Dyer , first2=David , last2=McComb , first3=Alastair , last3=Plumb , first4=David , last4=Scarborough , date=May 26, 2010 , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005020051/http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/Default.asp?film=2- , archive-date=October 5, 2013 Reception of the character by the time of ''Duke Nukem Forever'''s release was mostly mixed. Dan Whitehead of

Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...

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.{{cite web, url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-12-duke-nukem-forever-review?page=3 , title=''Duke Nukem Forever'' Review , author=Dan Whitehead , publisher=

, date=June 11, 2011 , access-date=June 11, 2011 , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615041244/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-12-duke-nukem-forever-review?page=3 , archive-date=June 15, 2011 Charles Onyett of

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

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 "

lay Lay may refer to: Places *Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada *Lay, Loire, a French commune *Lay (river), France *Lay, Iran, a village *Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community People * Lay (surname) * ...

with the idea of Duke as an anachronism".{{cite web, url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1175639p1.html , title=''Duke Nukem Forever'' Review - Xbox 360 Review at IGN , author=Charles Onyett , publisher=IGN , date=June 11, 2011 , access-date=June 11, 2011 , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615005045/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1175639p1.html , archive-date=June 15, 2011 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."{{cite web , url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/duke-nukem-forever-review , title=''Duke Nukem Forever'' Review for PC, 360, PS3 from 1UP.com , author=Ryan Winterhalter , work= 1UP.com , date=June 14, 2011 , access-date=June 14, 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203143744/http://www.1up.com/reviews/duke-nukem-forever-review , archive-date=February 3, 2012 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).{{cite web, url=http://palgn.com.au/19171/duke-nukem-forever-review , title=Duke Nukem Forever , author=Cian Hassett , website=PALGN , date=June 11, 2011 , access-date=June 11, 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612062441/http://palgn.com.au/19171/duke-nukem-forever-review/ , archive-date=June 12, 2011

Notes

{{notelist

References

{{Reflist, 30em {{Wikiquote, Duke Nukem {{Duke Nukem series {{DEFAULTSORT:Nukem, Duke Action-adventure game characters Duke Nukem Fictional alcohol abusers Fictional American people in video games Fictional cannabis users Fictional characters from California Fictional gamblers Fictional gunfighters Fictional super soldiers Fictional mercenaries in video games First-person shooter characters Male characters in video games Video game characters introduced in 1991 Video game characters with accelerated healing Video game mascots Video game protagonists