NoLifeKing
03-30-2005, 05:46 AM
After reading through the forums a couple of stray thoughts formed themselves into a topic in my head.
Gamers who don't know about Duke Nukem (yes, they DO exist ^_^) are usually amazed at the impressive fanbase and dedication the fans of the Duke Nukem franchise display even so many years after the release of "Duke Nukem 3d" and the long wait for its sequel.
A question i have been asked fairly often, mostly by younger gamers is: " There is nothing here I haven't seen in other FPS. Even if at the time it was released it was very innovative, it was nothing completely groundbraking or revolutionary. What makes Duke Nukem so special?."
My answer is: "The one thing no other game has: Duke Nukem."
There are a lot of memorable characters in the virtual world of games but in the FPS genre no one and no thing is as catchy and unforgettable as Duke Nukem. Even if there are some good ones out there, for example the characters from MDK, none of them stay in the back of your head for long.
Only Duke Nukem seems to remain.
Why is that?
What kind of character is Duke Nukem that makes him so captivating. He is no deep charakter from a role playing game with a long and colorful history, with flaws and merits that make his personality complex and endearing.
In truth he is a shallowbrained macho with an ego big as a mountain who doesn't show more emotion than being somewhat irritated at an alien race trying to conquer earth; and this irritation alone justifies their extinction courtesy of Dukes guns and size 13 boots. How can you like such a character?
There are many answers for this phenomenom.
Firstly there is the matter of presentation. Duke Nukem lives a great deal of its own brand of humor, self irony. Nothing of the bloodshed or the impending doom of humanity strikes you as serious. It is almost like old fashioned Tom and Jerry style cartoon violence, something you can show to your kids, but with an adult flavored touch and humor.
I believe the reason this works so well is connected to the very nature of FPS games.
A game is supposed to be fun. In an FPS games you basically venture around killing tons of enemies. Killing living beings is not something which is morally considered to be "adequate fun" even if the beings are virtual.
Duke Nukem takes away all those little nagging things that could gnaw at your conscience and spoil your fun. That is what makes him truly the gamer's hero. You instinctively know not to take anything to serious including Duke himself and in our heads the massacre on the screen quickly turns into something almost like a childish innocent play like Cowboys and Indians among kids.
All thanks to Duke's seemingly shallow character. Duke Nukem never shows fear, he never shows disappointment. He is a definite macho but he doesn't deem women to be below him, doesn't expect them to come begging for a piece of his attention. He is arrogant but not delusionally so. He doesn't show real loathing towards his enemies, no emotional outbreaks where he goes berserk in a flash of rage. It's more like taunting between rivals, similiar to behavior on LAN - Parties. All in good fun.
Duke Nukem is in a way a flawless, innocent character. Too much character development would ruin him. Or would it?
How about the future Duke? Would you want him different from the old one? I for one welcome changes, but I doubt that I would dare to do more than subtle development.
Must Duke evolve? Must he stay the same?
Please comment.
Gamers who don't know about Duke Nukem (yes, they DO exist ^_^) are usually amazed at the impressive fanbase and dedication the fans of the Duke Nukem franchise display even so many years after the release of "Duke Nukem 3d" and the long wait for its sequel.
A question i have been asked fairly often, mostly by younger gamers is: " There is nothing here I haven't seen in other FPS. Even if at the time it was released it was very innovative, it was nothing completely groundbraking or revolutionary. What makes Duke Nukem so special?."
My answer is: "The one thing no other game has: Duke Nukem."
There are a lot of memorable characters in the virtual world of games but in the FPS genre no one and no thing is as catchy and unforgettable as Duke Nukem. Even if there are some good ones out there, for example the characters from MDK, none of them stay in the back of your head for long.
Only Duke Nukem seems to remain.
Why is that?
What kind of character is Duke Nukem that makes him so captivating. He is no deep charakter from a role playing game with a long and colorful history, with flaws and merits that make his personality complex and endearing.
In truth he is a shallowbrained macho with an ego big as a mountain who doesn't show more emotion than being somewhat irritated at an alien race trying to conquer earth; and this irritation alone justifies their extinction courtesy of Dukes guns and size 13 boots. How can you like such a character?
There are many answers for this phenomenom.
Firstly there is the matter of presentation. Duke Nukem lives a great deal of its own brand of humor, self irony. Nothing of the bloodshed or the impending doom of humanity strikes you as serious. It is almost like old fashioned Tom and Jerry style cartoon violence, something you can show to your kids, but with an adult flavored touch and humor.
I believe the reason this works so well is connected to the very nature of FPS games.
A game is supposed to be fun. In an FPS games you basically venture around killing tons of enemies. Killing living beings is not something which is morally considered to be "adequate fun" even if the beings are virtual.
Duke Nukem takes away all those little nagging things that could gnaw at your conscience and spoil your fun. That is what makes him truly the gamer's hero. You instinctively know not to take anything to serious including Duke himself and in our heads the massacre on the screen quickly turns into something almost like a childish innocent play like Cowboys and Indians among kids.
All thanks to Duke's seemingly shallow character. Duke Nukem never shows fear, he never shows disappointment. He is a definite macho but he doesn't deem women to be below him, doesn't expect them to come begging for a piece of his attention. He is arrogant but not delusionally so. He doesn't show real loathing towards his enemies, no emotional outbreaks where he goes berserk in a flash of rage. It's more like taunting between rivals, similiar to behavior on LAN - Parties. All in good fun.
Duke Nukem is in a way a flawless, innocent character. Too much character development would ruin him. Or would it?
How about the future Duke? Would you want him different from the old one? I for one welcome changes, but I doubt that I would dare to do more than subtle development.
Must Duke evolve? Must he stay the same?
Please comment.