Duke Nukem
Before the title character became synonymous with first-person shooters, one-liners, and Jon St. John, Duke Nukem was a very different hero. Well, maybe Duke himself wasn’t different, but his games were.
Duke Nukem first starred in a game titled, well, Duke Nukem. Developed by Apogee Software, this game features Duke saving the world by platforming in 2D environments. Moreover, instead of collecting iconic weapons, Duke gathers powerups such as grappling hooks and high-jump sneakers.
While the game received a sequel in 1993, Duke himself didn’t enter the limelight until Duke Nukem 3D, which blasted him into the FPS genre and introduced his iconic one-liners, weapons, and enemies.
However, Duke Nukem 3D wasn’t the end of Duke’s genre-hopping story. He truly entered the realm of 3D with Duke Nukem: Time to Kill, a third-person shooter for the PlayStation that, while decent, isn’t as kick-ass as Duke Nukem 3D.
While Duke continued to adventure in the third dimension until 2002 with Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, none of his third-person games ever reached the lofty heights of Duke Nukem 3D. Then again, neither did Duke Nukem Forever
