Duke Nukem 3D Review
Come get some.
by Levi Buchanan
August 10, 2009 - MachineWorks Northwest has already proven itself with Prey Invasion for the iPhone, a first-person shooter for a platform that doesn't seem hospitable to the genre at first glance. Yet Prey Invasion was enjoyable thanks to its workable movement controls and tap-to-shoot alien-blasting. Now the developer has essentially taken lessons learned from Prey and applied them to their newest project: Duke Nukem 3D. A complete port of the PC original with all three episodes, Duke Nukem 3D will surely entertain the hell out of the over-the-top character's still loyal fanbase.
Duke Nukem 3D offers two control schemes. There is a traditional analog-style control that places two circles in the lower corners of the screen. Pushing your thumbs around these virtual pads moves Duke and looks around. Not a fan. Far better is the control bar setup that places four bars on the screen (that you can move as well as adjust their transparency). I have a much easier time moving and looking with these, especially with the tap-to-shoot mechanic. I find it much easier after tapping an alien to death to place my thumb back on a specific part of the control bars than a mushy circle and move exactly where I want to go.
However, Duke Nukem 3D uses a series of additional virtual buttons for additional moves like crouching and jumping. Yes, you can set the transparency of these buttons, too, but the screen is just a tad cluttered. Having to move your thumb around all these extra buttons actually reminds you that no matter how hard a developer works to replicate a traditional FPS set-up, the iPhone remains somewhat hostile.
As mentioned, Duke Nukem 3D includes all three episodes of the game: LA Meltdown, Lunar Apocalypse, and Shrapnel City. That's quite a bit of game. If you are familiar with the PC originals, you will be pleased with the fidelity of MachineWorks' port. Everything is exactly where you remember it, from the placement of weapons and health packs to aliens and secret areas. Duke still has his Evil Dead-inspired one-liners, too.
However, Machineworks has updated the visuals. Instead of aliens turning in fields of huge blocks when you get close for the boot-kicking kill, they are now smoothed out. Everything appears sharper, from Duke's hands when he reloads a gun to the texture work on buildings. And if you crank up the movement speed, Duke really screams through stages. It's quite impressive how fast the game moves. There is some slowdown here and there, though. Whether it happens in the same places as the original games I do not remember, but it's not a game-killing problem by any stretch. It's just more of an occasional nuisance.
MachineWorks has also retained the four difficulty levels for Duke Nukem 3D. Unlike many other games, these difficulty levels actually mean something. The 'piece of cake' setting is perfect for gamers that need a few minutes to get used to the control schemes MachineWorks offers. Once you're ready, definitely juice the game up to 'come get some' to get a real challenge. There are more aliens everywhere, and if you are not mindful of your shots, you will run out of ammo. Not that kicking an alien in the face isn't fun...
Unfortunately, there is no multiplayer here, which is a loss. Multiplayer was such a big part of the Duke Nukem 3D experience and MachineWorks was even able to get it up and running on their mobile port of the game. Hopefully, it will come along in an update to the game because I foresee a lot of Duke players being disappointed when they realize deathmatch is just not part of the equation. (In fact, the first person I mentioned the game to asked right away, "Is there multiplayer?")
Duke Nukem 3D was reviewed with version 1.0.
Closing Comments
Duke Nukem 3D is definitely of the old-school FPS mold, so Halo fans will likely wonder what all the fuss is about. But gamers that grew up with corridor shooters and the fine art of clearing room after room of aliens and monsters will enjoy the pacing of Duke Nukem 3D. The control schemes offered here are not for everybody -- they take some getting used to and even then, all of the buttons can be somewhat overwhelming. (I know that some players will never like the control bars set-up MachineWorks has devised here, but right now, they work better than any other iPhone FPS.) However, this is an extremely well-produced port of the classic Duke shooter for PC that fans of the series should celebrate and definitely use to fill the time between now and the eventual release of Duke Nukem Forever... whenever that is.
IGN Ratings for Duke Nukem 3D (iPhone)
Rating Description See Our Glorious Home Theater Setup!
out of 10 click here for ratings guideGet Ratings Information
7.5 Presentation
Some audio dropout and clipping problems here and there, but this is a nicely spruced up port.
8.0 Graphics
The classic game is refreshed with smoother, higher-res textures that look better close up.
7.5 Sound
All of the classic one-liners are back. Gun effects are just right, too. The audio will occasionally drop out, though.
8.0 Gameplay
Once you "get" the controls, Duke plays quite well. Some players will find the control bars a bit clunky, but at least they are accurate and the tap-to-shoot mechanic works well.
7.5 Lasting Appeal
There are three full episodes in here, so Duke fans will have several hours of play. Sadly, no multiplayer.
7.9
Good OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)
