Duke Nukem Manhattan Project on XBLA June 23rd

[George Broussard]

Hope you guys like the game. It originally came out in 2002 and at the time was PC only. We pushed for to be on PS2 but couldn't get it done. This game should have always been on a console with a controller and it plays very well on the 360. I'm glad we were able to bring it to the 360.

The original development team, Sunstorm, did a great job nailing the Duke Nukem vibe and attitude. I've always considered this the best externally created Duke Nukem game.

The trial version is pretty long and we fell back to our shareware roots in giving you a lot of game to evaluate. It goes beyond the normal little trial demos that developers give you these days.

I hope you guys check it out and enjoy it. There should be a video you can watch in the dashboard, but here are links if you've never seen the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kox5J6oATJ4

---------- Post added at 05:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:21 PM ----------

/Wondering if we should have a separate Manhattan forum, or just leave it all here?

[Altered Reality]

We pushed for to be on PS2 but couldn't get it done.
So, was it supposed to be on PS2 ONLY, but you couldn't get it done and you decided for a PC release instead?

[MegaMustaine]

Thanks for getting this game onto XBLA. I think there should be a separate forum for the game. It will help eliminate clutter.

---------- Post added at 04:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:40 PM ----------

So, was it supposed to be on PS2 ONLY, but you couldn't get it done and you decided for a PC release instead?

No, they wanted a separate PS2 release after the original PC version came out.

[George Broussard]

So, was it supposed to be on PS2 ONLY, but you couldn't get it done and you decided for a PC release instead?
It was PC only at first but was pretty clear that it'd make a great console game and that was a better home for it than PC, which in 2002 was the height of FPS and nobody was much interested in 3D side scrollers.

[Altered Reality]

Anyway, I still prefer the PC version, because I can play it in stereoscopic 3D. *And* use the Xbox 360 controller, which, I agree, is perfect for it.

[WarThrash]

Glad it's coming to a console, honestly. I have it on PC and it controls fine more or less, but I can see myself having much more fun with it on a console. It's sidescrolling platformer for one, and those always handle better on a console for me personally. Gotta get some points in the Account :cool:

Also George are there any plans for new themes/gamerpics? Since the old Xbox dashboard has been updated to the "New Xbox Experience" design, my old Duke 3D theme is pretty much cut in half with that big silver dome on the bottom of the screen. It's also slightly stretched out, horizontally. Good news is I can still see most of his upper body.

God, I really wish they'd put in the option to revert it back to the blade dashboard

[Damien_Azreal]

I can't wait to grab this up on LIVE. :D I need to get me some points on my Live account though....

[GrimWoman]

Good thing i got some points yesterday, i wanted to get this the first day it comes out. :)

Wondering if we should have a separate Manhattan forum, or just leave it all here?

You should just make a Duke Nukem XBLA forum, for both Duke Nukem 3D and Manhattan project.

[8IronBob]

Sweet, will download that one as soon as I swap my Premium out for a Slim Elite.

[Commando Nukem]

You should just make a Duke Nukem XBLA forum, for both Duke Nukem 3D and Manhattan project.

This right here seems like the best course of action.

[George Broussard]

Official links to the game:

Forums on Xbox.com: http://forums.xbox.com/2494/ShowForum.aspx

Xbox.com page:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/d/dukenukemmpxbla/default.htm (go there and toss a 5 star rating on the game and video?)

[WarThrash]

Nice. I have a feeling this will finally get the attention it deserves now

Off topic: I see you've been playing K&L recently on your Xbox pic. Been playing online at all? If you have, I'm surprised I haven't ran into you what with the small community that's still playing. Still trying to net those online achievements until the sequel comes out.

[The Dukenator]

The trial version is pretty long and we fell back to our shareware roots in giving you a lot of game to evaluate. It goes beyond the normal little trial demos that developers give you these days.

The entire first episode?

/Wondering if we should have a separate Manhattan forum, or just leave it all here?

http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15596


On a side note, I had played the hell out of the demo. Then I got the full game and played the hell outta that.
I need to get in touch with prowler45 again about the editing site.

[Damien_Azreal]

Tomorrow. :D Really looking forward to getting this game on live. :D

[WarThrash]

We're gonna need a 200/200 club for this one too.

[mide7]

So, does it come out tonight (tomorrow technically) at midnight?

[MegaMustaine]

Microsoft usually releases their games around 2AM pacific time.

[George Broussard]

So, looks like another hour and a half. Guess I'll wait up :)

[Sharpie]

100 points short. :( Damn Microsoft and their uneven point bundling structure. I'll hopefully have the required points all ready by tomorrow.

Couldn't be happier to help out and throw my money at another quality duke game. Let's just hope the money it makes helps a good development cause.

I'm actually quite excited about Manhattan Project as I missed out on the experience the first time it was released on PC. Looks like it is back to good old shareware for me today. :)

[NUKEMDAVE]

Hey George, this is off-topic, but is there still going to be an update to Duke Nukem 3D XBLA's ranked matches as mentioned a while back?:)

http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=33168

[The Dukenator]

Now available. Go get it.

[KaiserSoze]

Don't see it up yet. :confused: I'm in Michigan and it's 7am Wednesday morning. The updates are usually up by now. No Duke for now.

[NUKEMDAVE]

I already unlocked the Duke Nukem avatar t-shirt!:D

I like it! The controls are great! I didn't even have to get used to them. The menu and leaderboards are just like Duke3D XBLA. Same font, spinning nuke symbols, etc. Heh heh, no sign of any DNF screenshots so far. I'll finish beating it and unlocking all achievements later today. Been up all night waiting for it. Time for bed. :insomnia:

[Nukkus]

I'm not seeing it yet x_X

Does Canada get the updates later in the day?

[EDIT]: Now it's up! Downloading the trial, I'll have to nip out and pick up a points card after. I see it's the same size roughly as the PC version. I've always loved the fact that i can keep all my Duke PC games on a single 1gb usb stick.

[KaiserSoze]

It's up and it's bought! :cool:

[Nukkus]

not liking the controls at all. who was the one who decided the fire button should be B instead of X?

[Nacho]

not liking the controls at all. who was the one who decided the fire button should be B instead of X?

My controlls are nothing like that. You do have multiple control options in the settings menu.

I'm not having any issues at all.

I am a little disspointed that there is not any unlockable content outside of avatar items. It would of been nice to have concept art and stuff like that like in the Duke Nukem 3D release for Live however I do understand the game was not developed by 3D Realms so that content probably isn't readily available.

[WarThrash]

Wow...

George wasn't lying went he said this should have aways been on consoles. I am able to play this so much better than on the pc. Once I got my health over 100, I don't think it ever dropped below that number because I was kicking so much ass at such a faster pace and with much better precision. The controls are excellent now that I'm able to shoot using the right trigger, which wasn't compatible on the pc version. Truly great port indeed.

[Nukkus]

My controlls are nothing like that. You do have multiple control options in the settings menu.

I'm not having any issues at all.

I am a little disspointed that there is not any unlockable content outside of avatar items. It would of been nice to have concept art and stuff like that like in the Duke Nukem 3D release for Live however I do understand the game was not developed by 3D Realms so that content probably isn't readily available.

Multiple means 2 options sadly. I hope they can patch in custom controls. I'm used to controls styled like Earthworm Jim. A=Jump, X=Shoot etc.

[Damien_Azreal]

Guess I need to buy some points...

[KO Gilligan]

I have it for PC in the original jewel case in perfect condition. Found it at a second hand store. Perhaps I should load it up and play it tonight. I wonder if I'll get it working right in the 64 bit OS - gotta find my knock-off XBox style controller :D


I never played it. Like George said, FPS games were where it was at.

[Damien_Azreal]

George also said it's the best third party Duke game. And it is... it's absolutely badass.

[Commando Nukem]

George also said it's the best third party Duke game. And it is... it's absolutely badass.

Hmm, I'll take Zero Hour over MP any day, but I still love DNMP. :cool:

[WarThrash]

I have a nostalgiac attachment to Time to Kill, so I like it slightly more, but MP sure is badass. Awesome one-liners, weapons, and action.

[Damien_Azreal]

Hmm, I'll take Zero Hour over MP any day, but I still love DNMP. :cool:

Yes, Zero Hour is badass. I like both of them about the same. IMO, they are the only third party Duke games worth getting.

[KO Gilligan]

I know this is off topic, but it runs great on Win7 64bit.
I'm playing now.

1024 x 768 max, but it actually looks good stretched out on a widescreen.


http://i50.tinypic.com/1532w5f.jpg

[The Dukenator]

I have it for PC in the original jewel case in perfect condition. Found it at a second hand store. Perhaps I should load it up and play it tonight. I wonder if I'll get it working right in the 64 bit OS - gotta find my knock-off XBox style controller :D

I still have my copy. Currently installed on XP.

[Damien_Azreal]

I know this is off topic, but it runs great on Win7 64bit.
I'm playing now.

1024 x 768 max, but it actually looks good stretched out on a widescreen.


....

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11034

[PukeBurger]

I haven't fired up this game since 2002, might give it a shot with that widescreen fix :D

[Nukkus]

The XBLA version's widescreen is far superior, it adds more at the sides rather than cropping the top and bottom to fit the screen. Finally getting used to firing with the trigger.

[KO Gilligan]

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11034

Thanks. You do indeed lose a bit of the vertical, but the perspective is a bit distant anyway, so it's OK to zoom in a bit. I think I'll run it at 1280 x 720. Seems to be a good balance of not stretching and not losing much vertical for PC play.

---------- Post added at 08:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:45 PM ----------

The XBLA version's widescreen is far superior, it adds more at the sides rather than cropping the top and bottom to fit the screen. Finally getting used to firing with the trigger.

Firing with the L alt key blows. Definitely superior on a controller. It has a great feel on my PC controller, no problem getting use to the buttons.

[WarThrash]

Thanks. You do indeed lose a bit of the vertical, but the perspective is a bit distant anyway, so it's OK to zoom in a bit. I think I'll run it at 1280 x 720. Seems to be a good balance of not stretching and not losing much vertical for PC play.

---------- Post added at 08:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:45 PM ----------



Firing with the L alt key blows. Definitely superior on a controller. It has a great feel on my PC controller, no problem getting use to the buttons.

Even if you don't use a controller you don't have to fire with the left alt key. I use the spacebar if I'm too lazy to plug in my xbox controller

[MegaMustaine]

Anybody else noticing big V-Sync issues with the game? This port should run perfect on the 360 and IMO it doesn't. Still a great game, and I don't regret spending the points.

[The Dukenator]

Anybody else noticing big V-Sync issues with the game? This port should run perfect on the 360 and IMO it doesn't. Still a great game, and I don't regret spending the points.
Come to think of it, I think the PC version had a similar issue.

[GrimWoman]

Hey George, this is off-topic, but is there still going to be an update to Duke Nukem 3D XBLA's ranked matches as mentioned a while back?:)

http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=33168

That would be a nice update to have, but probally not going to happen.

Anyway, DN:MP plays way better on the Xbox then the PC. Also i got 200/200 already :D

[MegaMustaine]

Come to think of it, I think the PC version had a similar issue.

My PC runs the game much better. It isn't that bad when you get used to it though.

[KO Gilligan]

LOL - come to think of it, the PC I had in 2002, compared to my Quad Core :)

Probably a huge difference from what it would have run like back then.

Looks real good to me, just a little dated.

[NUKEMDAVE]

Completely finished the game and unlocked everything. The avatar jetpack looks alot like Duke3D's jetpack, but a little different. Maybe they modeled it after DNF's jetpack.:D

[Carnivol]

Grabbed this one yesterday, and although I at first was a bit skeptical at the visuals being "left as is," 'cause I feel 3D doesn't always age as well as pixelated stuff, but I suddenly did a 180' and embraced it all with much love.

Only given it a test spin so far and I like what I see and how it works, but there's one thing I'd like to be a little picky about;


The controls. Maybe I just missed something, but I've never been much of a fan of shooting with the Right Trigger in 2D/2.5D platforming games games. It just doesn't feel right. Manhatten Project's optional controller setting seem to follow a weird design choice of making A the Jump Button (OK!) and B the Shoot Button (Not OK!). I don't quite get this. I remember a few games in the NES days that did the same (Werewolf, I'm looking at you. With your NES PAD A for attack and NES PAD B for Jump.)

I'm currently playing with the RT for shooting setup, but I hope that if we see a title update for Manhatten Project, that you'll find it in your hearts to add some additional controller layouts (or a controller config screen, maybe?)

Personally, I'm a fan of A for Jump, X for Shoot (which is pretty much the standard design for most games, I suppose... given how the thumb rests over those two buttons in such a natural way) and, well, B or Y doesn't matter too much in regards to which gets Stomp and which is Pipe Bomb (though, Capcom's BC:R had B for grenades, but I know most shooters like to have B for melee). Know a lot of people would probably also embrace B for Jump, Y for Shoot (Super Metroid used this, iirc), and then X/A for Pipe bombs and stomps or something.

Another tiny observation is that when climbing on pipes and such, the analog input for up/down seems to be overly sensitive and cause a lot of accidental drops. Some form for expanded center deadzone could be nice (or higher tolerance for vertical input on the pipes when using analog input)


Anyway, just a couple of controller suggestions. :)

Keep on rockin' and thank you for Manhatten Project XBLA. Will probably be fighting my way through it this weekend!

[crunchy superman]

Good to see this happen - MP was solid and I enjoyed it. Actually rather surprised it didn't make a 360 appearance years ago.

I've not played it in forever. Might re-install over the weekend.

[Another Duke Fan]

Instant buy. Can`t stop playing it for the XX time. This is my 4th copy of the game and I am simply lovin`it.

[thunderPIN]

I have to agree with MegaMustaine. I find the PC version runs smoother then the XBLA version. I have noticed that sometimes the game pauses for a very quick second just before an explosion goes off as the Pig Cops run out of the holes in the wall. Also noticed a few instances of slow down in certain areas. It's nothing bad though. Well worth the 800 Microsoft points. The addition of leaderboards and avatar items is really appreciated. Highly recommended for anyone who hasn't tried the game yet. Thanks 3DR! :D

[BubbleZ]

Love this game! Reminds me of the good ol' days all over again. IGN gave a stupid review of it though:

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/110/1101628p1.html

[MegaMustaine]

Love this game! Reminds me of the good ol' days all over again. IGN gave a stupid review of it though:

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/110/1101628p1.html

Sounds as though "He is too mature" Duke. :doh:

[thunderPIN]

Duke should rip that reviewer a new one :cool:

He obviously has no idea what he is talking about. A 4/10 is an insult!

[fast-1]

Hey guys I listened to this guys review and he was harsh, no way is this game a 4/10.

This games brilliant, he sounded like a kid. He should of gave it 10/10.

[WarThrash]

Duke's personality has also grown tiring. The chauvinistic, all-things-manly dialogue of Duke occasionally elicited a smile, but what was hilarious a decade ago sounds mostly idiotic now. Duke's jokes are stale, delivered poorly, and immature in a way that even someone like me, who still laughs at farts, can no longer appreciate.

"Get that crap outta here!"

5.0 - Graphics
In 2002 this might have looked alright, but nowadays it just looks sad and tired.

No shit sherlock. :rolleyes: If the game came out in 2002, you judge the graphics as you would have in 2002, not compare it to todays graphics.

[Kray]

I've been playing it and having fun. Just wish there was a good guide showing all the secrets and nukes, I keep missing stuff. :doh:

[8IronBob]

I know this is off topic, but it runs great on Win7 64bit.
I'm playing now.

1024 x 768 max, but it actually looks good stretched out on a widescreen.


http://i50.tinypic.com/1532w5f.jpg

Well, I just retuned my dual-boot setup. Although I do run Steam on Win 7 x64, and play most recent games on that, most of my gaming still takes place on my Win XP 32-bit hard drive for legacy, pre-Vista/7 games.

[George Broussard]

LOL that IGN review is a joke and imo shows the piss poor state of gaming journalism.

Newsflash - DNMP is a retro game, for a budget price on XBLA. Most reviewers are too young and inexperienced to consider such complex concepts such as "context".

You really can't price things lower than 800pts on XBLA anymore, so it is what it is. Seems like the game is a solid 7.5 for the most part and anything below that is just reviewer bias creeping in.

[Commando Nukem]

LOL that IGN review is a joke and imo shows the piss poor state of gaming journalism.

Newsflash - DNMP is a retro game, for a budget price on XBLA. Most reviewers are too young and inexperienced to consider such complex concepts such as "context".

You really can't price things lower than 800pts on XBLA anymore, so it is what it is. Seems like the game is a solid 7.5 for the most part and anything below that is just reviewer bias creeping in.

Thats factoring in an age inflation too. The game is probably closer to an 8.8.

[WarThrash]

I recall the game getting a decent number of good reviews when it was initially released. 7s through 8s. I think maybe a couple of 9s

[8IronBob]

Hmm...never thought of it that way. Good to know. Wonder if there's a chance that there'll be a metascore review system in place for XBLA anytime soon, kind of like what Steam does.
Of course, I don't even think that DNMP is even registered through Steam for the PC version, so that may be something that may be calculated somewhere else.

[BubbleZ]

I wrote a review of the game myself at Metacritic (I gave it a much better 8 out of 10, being that I've been a fan of Duke from the get-go :) ), and so far it seems to be the only user vote for the XBLA version on the site. I don't think my review pops up unless a few others comment on it though. Kinda annoyed because I put a lot of time in that review, probably a lot more than that Anthony Gallegos idiot from IGN.

[Duke's New Chainsaw]

LOL that IGN review is a joke and imo shows the piss poor state of gaming journalism.


He sounds like a jaded fan trying to be cool. :p

I played the trial and I thought it was fun. :cool:

[thunderPIN]

IGN must have picked up that reviewer from Gamespot because that review sounds like something Gamespot would post on their site.

[mide7]

If the game came out in 2002, you judge the graphics as you would have in 2002, not compare it to todays graphics.

There is one thing I noticed on IGN, both doom games got at least a 7.5 (Doom - 8.0 Doom 2 - 7.5.) However, both duke games had crap scores for the ratings even though they had equal or greater graphics. :confused:

[GrimWoman]

There is one thing I noticed on IGN, both doom games got at least a 7.5 (Doom - 8.0 Doom 2 - 7.5.) However, both duke games had crap scores for the ratings even though they had equal or greater graphics. :confused:

Its probably because the reviewer is very bias and shouldn't be reviewing any games if he acts that way.

[George Broussard]

Yeah, I mean Doom /Doom 2 at 8 and 7.5 is a joke. I know they are old but considering their classic natures they should score higher. I for one am very glad to have them on 360 or else I may not would play them again. I don't see how a classic that was a 9-9.5 is less than an 8-8.5, once you factor in price and context of it being an xbla game.

Just mind boggling. It's like some of these young reviewers review the classic games right next to the latest and greatest Unreal powered XBLA game like Shadow Complex. You really just can't do that. Likewise, just because they are old and dated visually does not mean they are a 4-7.5 rating, ya know?

Oh well, who cares?

[WarThrash]

Gamespot also had the nerves to say "Character movement and aiming feel dated" for the port of Doom 2 to XBLA.

Because, y'know, I really expected the movement and aiming from a 1994 game to be on par with Modern Warfare 2. I feel so cheated! :rolleyes:

Well, actually I can't feel cheated because I didn't buy DOOM 1/2 on XBLA. I already have both of them on the collector's edition of DOOM 3, but you get my point

[Subliminal Surgeon]

I played the trial. Loved it. Got a friend to love it as well and also got him into DN3D. And George, don't listen to IGN. They are crap reviewers and even give false information sometimes. They're the Fox News of gaming. They give amazing games crap scores all the time.

[Stevey Boy]

That review was the funniest thing Iv read all week, he obviously should stick to reviewing game like Halo and CoD:doh:

[Dukefan24]

Haha yeah, one thing a reviewer must learn is to review a game for what it is. That will avoid them from comparing DOOM to Modern Warfare 2. Too bad those reviewers forgot.

And I got the game the day it came out, I'm in the subway system now! ;)

[KO Gilligan]

Damn, talk about taking it out of context. Even more amazing is that people will listen to those idiots. It is their loss. Too bad it also reflects on sales revenue, DNMP is better than most of those old games on GOG.COM.

[Nukkus]

Well sadly my brand new Xbox 360 "S" just croaked. Red light on the console and the PSU, won't boot. Took it back to bestbuy and they had like a dozen other units to be sent back with the same problem. Still, i'm glad i got to play partway through Manhattan project.

[WarThrash]

Well sadly my brand new Xbox 360 "S" just croaked. Red light on the console and the PSU, won't boot. Took it back to bestbuy and they had like a dozen other units to be sent back with the same problem. Still, i'm glad i got to play partway through Manhattan project.

Those new slims? Aren't they supposed to...NOT red ring?

Or did you have different kind of red light?

[Nukkus]

Those new slims? Aren't they supposed to...NOT red ring?

Or did you have different kind of red light?

The normally green light in the center of the power button was red.

[WarThrash]

So they fixed the red ring problem....by moving it to the center?

Bwahahahaha!

[KaiserSoze]

Just finishing up the first level taking on the pig cop helicopter pilot. I probably should have finished the game by now but it's the combination of a ton of great games(Red Dead, Split Second, BF:BC2, God of War 3) and very limited amounts of playtime. I think my 1337 leet video gaming skillz are also suffering a slight bit of slow down at the ripe age of 38.

As for that IGN review, I'd love to see the kid rate some classic Atari 2600 games and then knock them because of graphics, eh Crunchy? ;) These young whipper snappers think it's all about the looks. Sigh.

Back to DN:MP and finishing off the first level. :)

[KO Gilligan]

So they fixed the red ring problem....by moving it to the center?

Bwahahahaha!

Your avatar says to me: "This is my 5th XBox!"

[WarThrash]

Your avatar says to me: "This is my 5th XBox!"

Not far from the truth. I'm actually on my 4th to this day ;)

I used to replace them with new ones from Walmart by switching the serial number stickers and telling customer service that I had never opened the boxes (had to be really careful peeling off stickers). It worked each time. I got full refunds and new Xbox's. That's what Microsoft gets for trying to jip me 3 times in a row.

[The Dukenator]

Committing fraud, were you?

[WarThrash]

Microsoft sure doesn't mind doing it

[Subliminal Surgeon]

Microsoft sure doesn't mind doing it

So true.

[Nukkus]

The type "S" was my 13th.

[KO Gilligan]

The type "S" was my 13th.

That's messed up. Seems like every XBox owner I know has had at least 4 or 5 go bad.

There's a group called the PIRGs (Public Interest Research Group) , they do surveys and studies on behalf of US consumers. The PIRGs are responsible for some of the most sensible recalls and warning labels on problem products.

They have also been known to research console makers for price fixing that has resulted in predatory and unfair practice towards smaller distributors who would like to offer price breaks but would suffer consequence by the manufacturer for selling too cheap.

I think they should survey XBox owners and publish the average number of replacements they've had to get. Might be a fun console, but it's definitely in the realm of a lemon product.

[Joe Siegler]

A bit off topic, eh?

[WarThrash]

to get back on Manhattan Project:

Is there going to be (or is there already?) a walkthrough that specifies where all the Nukes are? I keep missing like one or two every level. Also it'd be nice to know where all the secret areas are.

[fast-1]

I had loads of problems with my Playstation 2.

Yeah they had a watch dog problem, it's a type of consumer rights TV show. They showed the PS3 and Xbox360 had some problems. If you move the Xbox360 when it's on it causes a serious malfunction.

Back on topic, I noticed with Manhattan project, when reviewers review old games they always compare them to new releases, no way.

[Nukkus]

A bit off topic, eh?
Sorry sorry! <sets the topic back on it's rails>

Anyway, was there any work at all done to the textures? because to me it looked like everything was a bit more detailed than the pc release.

[Nacho]

to get back on Manhattan Project:

Is there going to be (or is there already?) a walkthrough that specifies where all the Nukes are? I keep missing like one or two every level. Also it'd be nice to know where all the secret areas are.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/473156-duke-nukem-manhattan-project/faqs

[KO Gilligan]

A bit off topic, eh?

type "S" happens

hehe

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------

on topic, what the hell is up with those irritating flying robot camera bombs? Seriously, in some places you don't even see them coming.

---------- Post added at 09:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:24 PM ----------

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/473156-duke-nukem-manhattan-project/faqs

As a noble and virtuous gamer, I relish those moments where I become disoriented (especially after saving and coming back the next day) and go trekking back to the beginning of the level on accident. No walkthroughs for me, thanks. :D

[WarThrash]

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/473156-duke-nukem-manhattan-project/faqs

http://cometbranding.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/thumbs-up-low-res.jpg

[crunchy superman]

As for that IGN review, I'd love to see the kid rate some classic Atari 2600 games and then knock them because of graphics, eh Crunchy? ;) These young whipper snappers think it's all about the looks. Sigh.

Indeed. I'll take Demon Attack or Kaboom! over 90% of games these days. Damn kids, get the hell off my lawn!!

That guy was way off base with that review. DNMP was a kickass title - everything a AAA Duke game should have - Action, Attitude and . . . oh yeah . . Availability.

[BubbleZ]

Indeed. I'll take Demon Attack or Kaboom! over 90% of games these days. Damn kids, get the hell off my lawn!!

The Game Room is pretty good for playing classic games like those, I think Kaboom! came out this week for it as a matter of fact. Very fun game.

EDIT: I find it sorta weird that there's still only one review for it, like no-one wants to talk about Duke anymore :(

[Nacho]

Most live titles don't get reviews.

[WarThrash]

Gamespot usually reviews them. They recently did DOOM 2 and they also did Duke 3D but they got nothing for MP at the moment

[Yatta]

While we're on the topic of reviews, I did one myself. Overall I think it was a solid port but the faked widescreen and lack of extras is a bit disappointing. At least the Duke3D XBLA port had bonus content and a timeline/rewind feature. All you get with DNMP is two T-shirt avatars, one gamerpic, and a bunch of uncreative achievements.

---------- Post added at 10:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 PM ----------

The XBLA version's widescreen is far superior, it adds more at the sides rather than cropping the top and bottom to fit the screen. Finally getting used to firing with the trigger.
Looks faked to me. Felt cropped and the HUD is stretched.

[WarThrash]

While we're on the topic of reviews, I did one myself. Overall I think it was a solid port but the faked widescreen and lack of extras is a bit disappointing. At least the Duke3D XBLA port had bonus content and a timeline/rewind feature. All you get with DNMP is two T-shirt avatars, one gamerpic, and a bunch of uncreative achievements.


There wasn't much they could do. 3DR didn't develop this game, Sunstorm did. Any extras such as concept art relating to the game might have been in the hands of someone who never worked for 3DR so that probably wasn't available to them.

HD Widescreen was never a resolution for the original game so putting those thin black bars on top/bottom is perfectly fine considering what 3DR had to work with. You forget that there is no actual development team at 3DR, but rather 3 guys who did this port themselves.

[George Broussard]

Yatta,

I don't believe the widescreen was faked. If you have an HD tv you should see more left/right of the screen than you did on a pc. The HUD art might have been stretched, I don't recall that. I do recall that we specifically supported 16:9 aspect ratio.

Extras? what extras? the rewind system wasn't 1) suitable, codewise, for DNMP and 2) DNMP had a nice checkpoint system in there already that was pretty modern. There wasn't much more to add to the game. As it was we added rumble to the controller and die more the things like Time Trial mode than we had to.

We didn't think that the concept gallery in Duke 3D was that big a hit, so we left it out.

re: Achievements...they were kept easy on purpose. It's a $10 XBLA game. How much effort should be required to get 200/200? IMO, simply finishing the game and dedicating 7-8 hours to it should be enough effort :)

[KareBear]

Yatta,

I don't believe the widescreen was faked. If you have an HD tv you should see more left/right of the screen than you did on a pc. The HUD art might have been stretched, I don't recall that. I do recall that we specifically supported 16:9 aspect ratio.

Extras? what extras? the rewind system wasn't 1) suitable, codewise, for DNMP and 2) DNMP had a nice checkpoint system in there already that was pretty modern. There wasn't much more to add to the game. As it was we added rumble to the controller and die more the things like Time Trial mode than we had to.

We didn't think that the concept gallery in Duke 3D was that big a hit, so we left it out.

re: Achievements...they were kept easy on purpose. It's a $10 XBLA game. How much effort should be required to get 200/200? IMO, simply finishing the game and dedicating 7-8 hours to it should be enough effort :)

I really liked the cocept art gallery its cool you still have those.Can you release more old concept art please like for example Prey?

http://img36.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=tcbeast.gif

Do you still have this stuff?

[Yatta]

Thanks for the response. :)

Yatta,

I don't believe the widescreen was faked. If you have an HD tv you should see more left/right of the screen than you did on a pc. The HUD art might have been stretched, I don't recall that. I do recall that we specifically supported 16:9 aspect ratio.
I thought it was faked because of the stretched HUD, but I stand corrected. However, the HUD does appear stretched to me.

Extras? what extras? the rewind system wasn't 1) suitable, codewise, for DNMP and 2) DNMP had a nice checkpoint system in there already that was pretty modern. There wasn't much more to add to the game. As it was we added rumble to the controller and die more the things like Time Trial mode than we had to.I only meant to use the rewind feature as an example, not necessarily something that'd be applicable to DNMP. The checkpoint system is indeed great and the Time Trial mode is a great bonus as well.

We didn't think that the concept gallery in Duke 3D was that big a hit, so we left it out.Does that mean DNMP had concept art that was left out? That'd have been cool to see. :)

re: Achievements...they were kept easy on purpose. It's a $10 XBLA game. How much effort should be required to get 200/200? IMO, simply finishing the game and dedicating 7-8 hours to it should be enough effort :)
Yeah but the Duke3D XBLA achievements felt more creative in comparison. :o


P.S. I updated my review to include a mention of the rumble, Time Trial, and support for 16:9.

[WarThrash]

yea concept art was something I enjoyed from Duke 3D as well. I assumed there was none at hand, but if there really is it'd be interesting to see. Not gonna break any legs over it, but having some is always nice.

re: Achievements...they were kept easy on purpose. It's a $10 XBLA game. How much effort should be required to get 200/200? IMO, simply finishing the game and dedicating 7-8 hours to it should be enough effort

Also, this is a good thing for me. In an arcade style game that really only gives you 200 points total, I really don't want any achievements that are too time consuming. The ones on Duke 3D were fine but killing 500 people online just to get a full 200/200 didn't seem all too worth it. Luckily the MP on Duke 3D was actually fun otherwise I may not have taken the time to actually get it.

[Steve]

I enjoyed the art that came with 360 version of Duke3d. Still remember getting a shock while browsing it ;)

[Micki!]

I do remember seeing some few pieces of DN:MP concept art, but if there was more than that, i'd have loved to see it ..!
Seeing what the game artists had in mind, and just generally what the games original foundations look like are some of the coolest extras i know of...

It's one of the reasons why i go for a games Collectors Editions for a game in the first place, just to check the selected concept art for the game... Prey had some pretty sweet stuff, weapons and enemy designs that gradually changed over time until the final version that was used in the game, it gives you so much more of an insight-view, of how the game shaped up until it ended up looking like it does in the end... Especially removed characters, locations or previous model designs are interesting to look at, more so if there are notes tagged along with them...

I love game art, i'd love to see more of that from any Duke game to be honest, to see how well the developers captured the essence of the character and style, or how far off they were, before they set things right later on... Cool stuff like that are treats for fans... :)

[Bryan3DR]

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/473156-duke-nukem-manhattan-project/faqs


I was on that page EVERY day during the last couple weeks of testing. It had been years since I did it all and there was not any way for me to remember where all the nukes were. Of course I only finished with ALL the nukes one time.

[WarThrash]

On the chance that George come back to this thread, is there any particular reason this isn't on Playstation Network? It's not really a big deal but I just prefer sidescrollers on the PS. Was it just programming difficulties or what? I don't really know anything about how game ports are done, but from what I hear it's a bit more difficult to do on the Playstation.

[The Dukenator]

Nobody gives a f*ck about PSN. Even Croteam said games on PSN isn't worth it.

[WarThrash]

Wrong, you are.

[Nacho]

Anyone ever beat that extra boss thing? Was it even real or was it just fake? I've seen a video of someone getting to it but never beating it... wanted to know if their was something special after it.

On the subject of concept art, I am ALWAYS fascninated on cut content when it comes to video games, pretty much the creative process in general. I loved Uncharted for this reason, so much behind the scenes stuff it blows me away. It would be cool if we saw any of it, if it does exist

[Kalki]

On the subject of concept art, I am ALWAYS fascninated on cut content when it comes to video games, pretty much the creative process in general.

http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=28359
http://www.marshalls-art.com/pages/pcreatures/creattures7.htm

[KO Gilligan]

http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=28359
http://www.marshalls-art.com/pages/pcreatures/creattures7.htm

You mean we almost had Larry Flynt as Duke Nukem ? :insomnia:

http://i46.tinypic.com/t9b9sj.jpg

[Dukesnuke]

Don't take any notice of Yatta George, you made the right choice about achivments.

[Yatta]

Don't take any notice of Yatta George, you made the right choice about achivments.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion on achievements, but if you look at most successful Xbox Live Arcade games you'll see that only a small percentage of their achievements consist of tasks requiring you to complete levels.

In my opinion, achievements are supposed to be fun and creative. Why only reward the player for something they'd do ANYWAY (IE passing levels) instead of making it a little more interesting (ex. kill 3 pig cops with one pipebomb)?

[Dukesnuke]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on achievements, but if you look at most successful Xbox Live Arcade games you'll see that only a small percentage of their achievements consist of tasks requiring you to complete levels.

In my opinion, achievements are supposed to be fun and creative. Why only reward the player for something they'd do ANYWAY (IE passing levels) instead of making it a little more interesting (ex. kill 3 pig cops with one pipebomb)?

Why? Because that gets your score up quicker and you can then brag about it.

[Micki!]

Not much to brag of to be honest...
I personally also think that achievements should be there to motivate players to perform special cool tasks...

I mean anyone can perform a simple task as beating a game... And i agree that it's nice to get points as a reward for that alone... But i always saw the ideas behind achievements as a challenge for players, a creative gameplay hint, added by the developers for the player to do something cool that they otherwise may not have thought of, and additionally rewarding them for trying it... And it's also a great reason to replay levels or the entire game, just to beat these certain achievements...

I understand that the reason behind it ending up like it is of course, George himself explained it earlier... That doesn't change the obvious fact that it would be great to have some challenging achievements, and give them more of a reason to replay the game and actually try performing something cool that's worth bragging of, as DukeSnuke puts it...

But yeah, it's not like that, they had a reason for it, and it's acceptable, of course, but that doesn't change that fact (i'm repeating myself) that it would STILL be nice to have had it differently...

Guess i'm saying there's always room to improve things, but there's not always an opportunity for it... It's still a valid thing to bring up and discuss, i think...

[RuskiSnajper.]

LOL that IGN review is a joke and imo shows the piss poor state of gaming journalism.

Newsflash - DNMP is a retro game, for a budget price on XBLA. Most reviewers are too young and inexperienced to consider such complex concepts such as "context".

You really can't price things lower than 800pts on XBLA anymore, so it is what it is. Seems like the game is a solid 7.5 for the most part and anything below that is just reviewer bias creeping in.

IGN is owned by News Corporation , it isn't weird at all.

I never read ign,gamespot,gametrailers .... it's equivalent of fox news and cnn.



On the other hand, how much did it sell until now?

[Dukesnuke]

Not much to brag of to be honest...
I personally also think that achievements should be there to motivate players to perform special cool tasks...

I mean anyone can perform a simple task as beating a game... And i agree that it's nice to get points as a reward for that alone... But i always saw the ideas behind achievements as a challenge for players, a creative gameplay hint, added by the developers for the player to do something cool that they otherwise may not have thought of, and additionally rewarding them for trying it... And it's also a great reason to replay levels or the entire game, just to beat these certain achievements...

I understand that the reason behind it ending up like it is of course, George himself explained it earlier... That doesn't change the obvious fact that it would be great to have some challenging achievements, and give them more of a reason to replay the game and actually try performing something cool that's worth bragging of, as DukeSnuke puts it...

But yeah, it's not like that, they had a reason for it, and it's acceptable, of course, but that doesn't change that fact (i'm repeating myself) that it would STILL be nice to have had it differently...

Guess i'm saying there's always room to improve things, but there's not always an opportunity for it... It's still a valid thing to bring up and discuss, i think...

No Its not a gameplay hint, those sort of achivments are often nigh on impossible to do for a very small amount of points. So you might as well get the points by doing an easy task that you are going to do anyway.

[Micki!]

The there isn't much to brag about then, is it..?
Bragging rights come from doing things that were challenging but were achieved anyhow...

Hell, anyone can come by and say they beat the game, it's part of playing the game in the first place isn't it..?
Might as well put achievements in there to have other things to try out while you're at it... You're heading for a goal afterall, which is to beat the game, there's nothing wrong with adding few tasks in between and rewarding you from beating them as well...

The hypothetical examples that were made don't necessarily have to be what i had in mind, it could be anything simple... Something ridiculously silly even... Kill a cockroach by stepping on it, or kill one by using 8 pipebombs for an overkill... That's not hard, that's silly, but it's possible... Makes the player try and do things he wouldn't necessarily have thought of while attempting to beat the game...

While were at it, jumping on an enemy till they die would be a neat achievement too, it's possible, try it... Even beating a certain kind of boss within a certain amount of time, that's a neat challenge, a realistic amount of time of course... I think that's better than just beating them as such...

Done is done of course, it's not like they'll change it, and they had a reason too, but that doesn't change how i think achievements should be used in games, that's just my personal opinion of course, some may agree and others disagree, that's a pretty common thing on the internet, now isn't it..? It's not like we need to change each others minds for the greater good or something, it's just a goddamn opinion in the end...

[Damien_Azreal]

Nobody gives a f*ck about PSN. Even Croteam said games on PSN isn't worth it.

Wrong.
The publisher, Digital Devolver, made the call not to put the Serious Sam HD games on the PSN. They didn't feel that it would bring in the funding needed to pay for a PS3 port.

Croteam even encouraged the fans to show their desire for the game on PS3.

[GOGO]

Just got the points I needed to download it. I have never played Manhatten Project before, but after beating the first couple of levels I definitely had a lot of fun. It just has all those classic Duke lines in there that you just can't help but smile when you hear them, eg "There's only two ways this can end, and in both of them you die!"

[thunderPIN]

WOW! I just witnessed the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. I was watching Reviews On the Run and Victor Lucas and Scott Jones reviewed Manhattan Project. Victor gave it a 0.5/10!!!!! What the hell was he smoking?? Scott gave it a 2/10. This is just absolutely pathetic. I know people are allowed to have their own opinions but that just made me throw up in my mouth. Sometimes here and there they do these reviews with games getting -0.5 scores and stuff like that which makes themselves look so very unprofessional. After seeing that I really have no interest in watching the program anymore lol. also to add insult to injury, Victor claimed Duke is dead and should not come back.

[robotman5]

awesome the first duke nukem game i played now on the xbox sweet :).

[SleazyCowboy]

Because of the mentality of people today. People need to understand this game came out in the early 2000s! lol. As if its a new title. Its classic Duke and its great. I still havnt completed it.

[WarThrash]

WOW! I just witnessed the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. I was watching Reviews On the Run and Victor Lucas and Scott Jones reviewed Manhattan Project. Victor gave it a 0.5/10!!!!! What the hell was he smoking?? Scott gave it a 2/10. This is just absolutely pathetic. I know people are allowed to have their own opinions but that just made me throw up in my mouth. Sometimes here and there they do these reviews with games getting -0.5 scores and stuff like that which makes themselves look so very unprofessional. After seeing that I really have no interest in watching the program anymore lol. also to add insult to injury, Victor claimed Duke is dead and should not come back.

Judging by that comment, I'd say he's biased in favor of someone other character. Master Chief, Gordon Freeman, Marcus Phoenix, Soap....take your pick. It just seems that an unbiased video gamer would never say a comment like that. Criticizing the game is one thing, but bashing the character is extremely uncalled for. The only excuse I see for it is that he's just a fanboy for some other video game character, and is just biased against Duke himself. Very unprofessional.

[thunderPIN]

Yeah I can answer that question for you. Victor is a big fanboy when it comes to anything Batman, Indiana Jones and Star Wars. I didn't really mind the show till I seen that review. Like, what is so bad about Manhattan Project that it deserves a 0.5/10? Nothing. It's not like the game is incomplete or has something wrong with it where it's not possible to complete the game. These guys just completely miss the point of a re-release of a 9 year old game for a value price of $10.

[X-Vector]

How is $10 a value price?

Manhattan Project was a budget game ($25) (http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/361/361107p1.html) to begin with.
The PC version was on sale for $3-$5 over five years ago: http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15568
It currently is sold as a downloadable version by 3DR and GoG (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/duke_nukem_manhattan_project) for $6.
Also consider the games priced under €5 (http://store.steampowered.com/browse/under5) ($5 in the US?) in the Steam store and the much more recent and bigger titles going for €10 (http://store.steampowered.com/browse/under10) or less.

[WarThrash]

Because, as George stated, XBLA doesn't really sell games for less than $10 anymore. Probably because they usually have weekly sales where they cut down the price by half.

[thunderPIN]

Yeah exactly. 800 MS points is pretty reasonable for a new release XBLA game. I think 1200 points is usually the highest amount for a new release. If I'm wrong, somebody correct me.

[Mighty Boot]

I just can't justify the 10 dollar price tag no matter how you look at it and no matter what other games are sold for. I agree with every point X-Vector made. Even if I didn't already own the PC version, there just isn't a whole lot of value in this package. I'm not saying Manhattan Project isn't fun, I'm just saying that I might have bought it if it was only $5.

Duke 3D was worth $10 on XBLA. MP is not.

[thunderPIN]

For any of you that wanted to see that horrendous review I was talking about here's the link:

http://www.reviewsontherun.com/watch/9/108/1/0

It's the first game that they review on the episode. I even posted a comment about my dislike of the review.

[Jeager1999]

You can find compilations of his quotes on youtube except for the console games WFT? I liked hearing him say Lizard Lizard Lizard or So much for the new boots. Some one should do that, make a full compilation.

---------- Post added at 06:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:41 PM ----------

except if you buy a game on demand, you can select if you want to buy with points and they are around 34'000 points or more.

[Trendnet18]

are you guys going for a ps3 version :D?

[Nacho]

are you guys going for a ps3 version :D?

There have been talks about interest in porting Duke Nukem 3D and Manhatten Project to the PS3 but nothing concrete as of yet.

[Rapture_Rising]

There have been talks about interest in porting Duke Nukem 3D and Manhatten Project to the PS3 but nothing concrete as of yet.

The day DN3D and DNMP will come on to the PSN will be the day i go out and buy a xbox360.

[Kristian Joensen]

Why? That makes no sense.

[Steve]

Yes it does. It's his version of "when hell freezes over"

[Jeager1999]

Needs work. I have both.

[Rapture_Rising]

Why? That makes no sense.

Ok i might be over excaggerating a little but i am thinking of buying an Xbox360 soon and when i do DNMP or DN3D will soon be released on the PSN.

Yes it does. It's his version of "when hell freezes over"

You making me sound like some crazy sony fanboy :D

[evilemperorzorg]

http://www.reviewsontherun.com/watch/9/108/1/0#
1:35 Thats what i have to say to him
YOUR ASS SHOULD GO AWAY OTHERWISE DUKE IS GONNA HIT HIM IN 3D{Realms and Duke 4EVER} MAY ANYWAY!!!!!!!!