Duke Nukem 3D - Xbox Live Arcade review

Landmark shooter hasn’t aged so well

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

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    New XBLA functions

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    Controls work well

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    Tongue-in-cheek humor

Cons

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    A mess online

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    Archaic design choices

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    Poorly-aged graphics

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Duke is a relic of a bygone age – a parody of eighties action heroes, powered by mid-nineties technology, and a game that’s aged harder and uglier than even Doom. It’s a fine port, though. The new Live Arcade functions are a great demonstration of just how an old game should be brought to XBLA. The controls work beautifully, and the new rewind function lets you pick a safe moment to respawn following death. Online, it’s a mess, and oddly, a far cry from the fun we had in online Dukematches back on the trusty old 56K modem.

But it’s Duke’s ambition that makes it feel so aged. Back in 1996, the interactive toilets, projectors, video cameras, and er… exotic dancers made Duke feel as though it was a herald of the future. Twelve years on, and the impact is utterly lost. Those same tricks, implemented as poorly as they are in real-world locations still built like Doom maze maps, make Duke 3D seem sillier than straight, basic shooters like Doom or Quake – also from 1996. It’s a relic, but one worth playing to see both its influence on modern games, and the archaic design choices, since thankfully cast into the ether.

Oct 17, 2008

More info

GenreShooter
DescriptionThe classic FPS finally comes to Xbox Live Arcade. It's a mess online and has archaic design, but the controls work well and the tongue-in-cheek humor still gets a laugh.
Franchise nameDuke Nukem
UK franchise nameDuke Nukem
Platform"Xbox 360"
US censor rating"Mature"
UK censor rating"Rating Pending"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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