Duke Nukem 3D

From Sega Retro

For the 1998 Sega Mega Drive game by Tec Toy, see Duke Nukem 3D (Mega Drive).

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Duke Nukem 3D
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Developer(s) of original games: 3D Realms
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

















Number of players: 1-2 (2-7 for Death Tank Zwei)
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
US 		$49.9949.99[4] 81071
Sega Saturn
EU 		MK81071-50
Sega Saturn
AU 		FDUK00SSC
Sega Saturn
BR 		191x27

Duke Nukem 3D is a first person shooter on the PC created by 3D Realms. It received several console ports, including one for the Sega Saturn by Lobotomy Software in 1997.

In 1998, Tec Toy released a Mega Drive remake in Brazil with substantially different gameplay mechanics, levels, and a simplified engine; refer to that page for details.

Gameplay

The Saturn port also contains an exclusive level named "Urea 51."

Controls

"Duke Nukem 3D makes use of either the digital controller or the 3D Control Pad for more precise control. Since not all the actions could be mapped onto either controller, the game does not allow you to crouch. To look up or down, you hold the look button (X on default) and move the D-pad or analog stick. To access items or to toggle the map on or off, you must pause the game to activate those functions. In order to ascend or descend with the jet pack item or underwater, hold the Jump button (B on default) and hold either L to go down, or R to go up.

The game also features a hidden control scheme made just for the analog pad that is activated by entering the Jevons Control"" cheat. This feature is more reminiscent of modern dual joystick controlled games by mapping movement to the face buttons, and the analog stick used to look around. During gameplay, pause the game and then press Y, Y, Z, Z, X, X, Y, X, Z on the controller. It will then map the controller with these functions:"

  • A: Action Button
  • B: Move Backward
  • C: Strafe Right
  • X: Use Item
  • Y: Strafe Left
  • Z: Walk Forward
  • L: Shoot
  • R: Jump
  • Up or Down: Select item
  • Left or Right: Select Weapon

The drawback is that every time a level is reloaded, or if you advance to the next level, the code must be entered again.

Sega NetLink

Duke Nukem 3D was one of the few games that made use of the Sega Saturn's Sega NetLink modem for multiplayer between two players. Players had the choice of playing through the Single Player game cooperatively or competitively through "Dukematch" across all the levels in the game.

Death Tank Zwei

Duke Nukem 3D contains a mini game called Death Tank Zwei that can be accessed if you break every toilet and urinal in the game. It is also unlocked if you have save data from either Quake or PowerSlave/Exhumed. The supports up to 7 players by plugging a controller into Port 1 and using the 6 Player Adaptor in the second port. It's prequel, Death Tank, can be found on Powerslave/Exhumed. The game was later ported and improved on the Xbox 360.

History

Release

Duke Nukem 3D is part of Sega's Deep Water label to recognize games created for mature audiences.

Versions

Rather than running in Ken Silverman's original Build engine used to power the PC version of Duke 3D, the Saturn version runs on Lobotomy's own in-house 3D "SlaveDriver" engine, previously seen with PowerSlave/Exhumed and set to be seen again with Quake. Improvements to the SlaveDriver engine in this iteration include the ability to support larger maps, as well as more dynamic lighting.

Conversely, the Build engine was at its heart a 2D system making use of raycasting solutions (much like the earlier Wolfenstein 3D and Doom), leading to visible distortions when the player looks up or down. The converted maps of the Saturn version mean this is no longer an issue, and many other graphical quirks associated with raycasting are also eliminated.

Like most console conversions of the era, the game aims for a 30FPS frame rate but regularly misses its target. It does, however, perform more consistently than its rival PlayStation conversion, whose use of a Build-esque software rendering engine and unlocked frame rate causes gameplay to run between rare highs of 60FPS and lows of 10FPS, depending on the scene.

The Saturn version is also more accurate than the Nintendo 64 conversion, retaining more of the PC game's original graphics and offering an in-game soundtrack. However, the N64 port benefits from the system's analogue controls, smoother frame rate and split-screen multiplayer option.

Production credits

  • Executive Producer: Paul Lange, Brian McNeely
  • Project Managers: Dominick Meissner, Patrick Schreiber
  • Game and Stage Redesign: Dominick Meissner
  • Programming Lead: Patrick Schreiber
  • Programming Team: Patrick Schreiber, John Yuill, Ezra Dreisbach
  • 3D Engine: Ezra Dreisbach
  • Brew World Editing Tool: David Lawson
  • Additional Programming: Paul Haugerud, Kurt Pfeifer
  • Lead Artist: Troy Jacobson
  • Ambient Lighting and Object Editing: William Vallieres
  • Additional Art: Kevin Chung, Eric Klokstad
  • Sound Effect and Music Arrangement: Scott Branston
  • Quality Assurance: Tom Kristensen
  • Additional Stage Design: Ezra "Urea 51" Dreisback, Brian McNeely, David Lawson, William Vallieres, Tom Kristensen
  • Peepshow Animation Tool: Paul Schreiber
  • Art Processing Tools: John Yuill, Ezra Dreisbach, Patrick Schreiber
  • MIA: Kurt Pfeifer, John Schwab
  • Urea 51 Bonus Track: "Desolation Sound" By Madcap
  • Madcap: Troy Jacobson, Stefan Fritz, Steve Johnson, Jason Dolan, John Fujic
  • Special Thanks: Marjacq Micro Ltd., David Locke, Rick "The Ice Cream Man" Wheeler, Steve Hutchins, Mark "Sonic Jam" Maslowicz, Lloyd Kinoshita, Richard Leadbetta, Dan Jevons, Manny Granillo
Sega of America Staff:
  • Producer: David Locke
  • Assistant Producer: Richard Wheeler
  • Game Lead: Arnold Feener
  • Assistant Lead: Rick Greer
  • Testers: Mike Dobbins, Amy Albertson, Ferdinand Villar, Tony Borba, Jeff Junio, Howard Gibson, Karen Brown, Lloyd Kinoshita, Dennis Lee, Aaron Hommes, Dave Paniagua, Robert Amirkhan, Abe Navarro, Marcus Montgomery, Joe Damon

Magazine articles

Main article: Duke Nukem 3D/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

  • ES print advert

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) #25: "November 1997" (1997-10-15)
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
91 №69, p100/101[5]
100 №192, p60/61[2]
80 №51, p98[6]
75 №101, p205
75 №1999, p126
86 №61, p40/41
91 №68, p98/99[7]
94 №6, p68-71[8]
97 №24, p66/67[9]
80 №104, p122
Sega Saturn
 87
Based on
10 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Consoles + (FR) PAL
91
[5]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
100
[2]
Digitiser (UK) PAL
90
[10]
Edge (UK)
80
[6]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
75
[11]
Gambler (PL)
85
[12]
GameFan (US) NTSC-U
93
[13]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
90
[14]
Gry Komputerowe (PL)
79
[15]
Joypad (FR) PAL
91
[7]
Level (TR)
88
[16]
Mega Console (IT) PAL
95
[17]
Neo (PL)
80
[18]
Saturn Power (UK) PAL
94
[8]
Sega Power (GR)
94
[19]
Świat Gier Komputerowych (PL)
85
[20]
Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL
97
[21]
Strana Igr (RU)
100
[22]
Ultra Game Players (US) NTSC-U
80
[23]
Sega Saturn
 89
Based on
19 reviews

Duke Nukem 3D

Saturn, US
Dukenukem sat us backcover.jpgDukenukem sat us frontcover.jpg
Cover
Duke Nukem 3D Sat US disc.jpg
Disc
Dukenukem3d sat us manual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, EU
Dukenukem sat eu cover.jpg
Cover
DukeNukem3D saturn eu cd.jpg
Disc
DukeNukem3DSaturnEuManual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, AU
DukeNukem3D saturn AU Cover.jpg
Cover
DukeNukem3D saturn eu cd.jpg
Disc
DukeNukem3DSaturnEuManual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, BR
DukeNukem Sat BR cover.jpg
Cover

Technical information

Save data

Duke Nukem 3D makes use of the Saturn's internal battery back-up as the Saturn Backup Memory to save data for progress. This only works for the Single Player game. The game also keeps track of individual player stats for the Death Tank mini game. Death Tank can be unlocked with a game save from PowerSlave/Exhumed and/or Quake so long as they're stored on either the internal or external Back-Up Ram. To load and save data from the Ram Cart, the save file must be created on the internal battery back-up first, then moved over via the Memory Manager.

Duke Nukem 3D Save Data
Name Comment File Size
DUKENUKEM3D save games 14
_DEATHTANK_ stats 51
Quake Save Data
Name Comment File Size
LOBOQUAKE__ save games 23
Powerslave Save Data
Name Comment File Size
POWERSLAVE# save games 11

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.sega-europe.com/ (Wayback Machine: 1998-02-01 23:27)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 File:CVG UK 192.pdf, page 60 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 192.pdf_p60" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ Press release: 1997-06-19: DUKE NUKEM 3D AND QUAKE MAKE THEIR CONSOLE DEBUT ON SEGA SATURN
  4. ↑ 5.0 5.1 File:ConsolesPlus FR 069.pdf, page 100 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ConsolesPlus FR 069.pdf_p100" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ 6.0 6.1 File:Edge UK 051.pdf, page 98 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Edge UK 051.pdf_p98" defined multiple times with different content
  6. ↑ 7.0 7.1 File:Joypad FR 068.pdf, page 98 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joypad FR 068.pdf_p98" defined multiple times with different content
  7. ↑ 8.0 8.1 File:SaturnPower UK 06.pdf, page 68 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SaturnPower UK 06.pdf_p68" defined multiple times with different content
  8. ↑ File:SSM_UK_24.pdf, page 66
  9. ↑ Digitiser (UK) (1997-10-29)
  10. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1997" (US; 1997-1x-xx), page 194
  11. ↑ Gambler, "1/1998" (PL; 1998-xx-xx), page 1
  12. ↑ GameFan, "Volume 5, Issue 11: November 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 26
  13. ↑ GamePro, "December 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 178
  14. ↑ Gry Komputerowe, "1/1998" (PL; 1998-xx-xx), page 1
  15. ↑ Level, "2/98" (TR; 1998-xx-xx), page 1
  16. ↑ Mega Console, "Novembre 1997" (IT; 1997-xx-xx), page 64
  17. ↑ Neo, "Grudzień 1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 46
  18. ↑ Sega Power, "Dekémvrios 1997-Ianouários 1998" (GR; 1998-xx-xx), page 32
  19. ↑ Świat Gier Komputerowych, "12/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 51
  20. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "October 1997" (UK; 1997-09-17), page 66
  21. ↑ Strana Igr, "Avgust 1997" (RU; 1997-xx-xx), page 75
  22. ↑ Ultra Game Players, "December 1997" (US; 1997-1x-xx), page 122
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