- Duke Nukem Mobile is the name of two games developed by MachineWorks Northwest.
- This page refers to the 3D first-person shooter. For the 2D side-scroller, see Duke Nukem Mobile (Side-Scroller).
Duke Nukem Mobile is a 3D first-person shooter that was originally released for the Tapwave Zodiac handheld console in May 2004. It was later re-released for mobile phones as Duke Nukem Mobile 3D in September 2005. At least four significantly different versions of the game have been identified, in addition to several ports and remakes.
Versions
There are at least four significantly different versions of Duke Nukem Mobile 3D that have been identified.
Complete editions
- The Tapwave Zodiac version titled Duke Nukem Mobile is the original version of the game.
- The BREW-based version for mobile phones has fully 3D enemies, instead of 2D sprites, and minor changes in the enemy composition and level design from the Tapwave Zodiac version.
- The original Java-based version for mobile phones is similar to the Tapwave Zodiac version but with minor differences in the enemy composition and level design.
Condensed edition
- A condensed edition of the Java-based version was released with fewer levels and a narrower selection of enemies.
Gameplay
Duke Nukem Mobile 3D is a first-person shooter that reuses weapon and enemy sprites from Duke Nukem 3D but features original levels. The game consists entirely of a singleplayer campaign in which the player progresses from one level to the next by killing all the enemies in the current level, until one of them drops a Key Card that will enable access to the next level.
Levels
Complete editions
There are 21 levels in the complete editions.
Note that the following level names are derived from the game's files, not from the text displayed in-game.
Episode 1
|
Episode 2
|
Episode 3
|
Condensed edition
There are only 9 levels in the condensed edition.
Episode 1
|
Episode 2
|
Episode 3
|
Enemies
The following are lists of enemies found in the complete and condensed editions of the game. Except for the Turrets, Octabrains, and bosses, all enemies drop Pistol Clips, Shotgun Shells, RPG Rockets, Pipe Bombs, or Key Cards when killed, though bosses also drop Key Cards.
Complete editions
The following list is based on the Tapwave Zodiac version.
Common
- Annihilator Sentry
- "AnniNotBoss" in the game's files
- The Annihilator Sentries are weaker versions of the third boss, The Annihilator.
- Assault Commander
- "FanMan" in the game's code and "ACom" in the game's graphics files
- The Assault Commanders have more health than other enemies and only hurt the player on contact.
- Assault Trooper
- "Cat" in the game's files, "Paratrooper" in Duke Nukem Arena, and "Catguy" in Duke Nukem Battlefields
- The Assault Troopers have blue armor and fire slow-moving green projectiles like the Shrinker.
- Enforcer
- The Enforcers are large, have more health than other enemies, and fire fast-moving red projectiles.
- Octabrain
- "Brain" in the game's files
- Pig Cop
- The Pig Cops deal damage via hitscan and can sometimes be found reading a newspaper.
- Pig Cop Tank
- "Tank2" in the game's files
- Small Enforcer
- "SEnforcer" in the game's files
- The Small Enforcers are smaller, faster-moving versions of the Enforcers.
- Turret
- Both in-game and in the game's files, the Turrets are referred to as "Roboguns."
Bosses
- Scorpion Tank
- "Tank1" in the game's files
- The Enforcer
- "Enforcer 2" in the game's code and "En" in the game's graphics files
- The Enforcer is a horned, green demon that shoots fireballs.
- The Annihilator
- "Anni" in the game's files
- The Annihilator is a horned, pink demon with guns for arms and a third gun between its legs.
- The Mutilator
- "Mut" in the game's files
- The Mutilator is an armored cyborg with six legs, two guns in its hands, and a third gun in its chest.
Unused
- Zombie Pig Cop
- Unused code but no graphics can be found in the Tapwave Zodiac game files for an enemy named "Zombie" that uses the Pig Cop's sound effects. This is likely the same enemy found in Duke Nukem Arena and Duke Nukem Battlefields that closely resembles both a zombie and a robot due to its completely silver hue. It is referred to as a "Robopig" in the game files for Duke Nukem Battlefields.
Condensed edition
The condensed edition uses a smaller selection of the same enemies described above:
- The Mutilator
Weapons
Weapons and their corresponding ammo all use identical sprites to their Duke Nukem 3D counterparts, except that the Shotgun ammo uses the sprite corresponding to the Chaingun Cannon ammo from Duke Nukem 3D.
Items
All items use the same sprites as their Duke Nukem 3D counterparts, except that the Large Medkits use the Portable Medkit sprite instead. Also, only two colors of Key Cards exist in this version of the game.
Ports and remakes
Duke Nukem Arena
Main Article: Duke Nukem Arena
An enhanced remake known as Duke Nukem Arena was released in June 2007. Duke Nukem Arena is based on Duke Nukem Mobile 3D, but it features new levels, new enemies, 3D enemy models, a new survival game mode, and multiplayer functionality.
Duke Nukem Battlefields
Main Article: Duke Nukem Battlefields
Duke Nukem Battlefields is a 2010 re-release of Duke Nukem Arena without the multiplayer functionality. The game was lost for nearly a decade without any surviving documentation of its existence, until it was rediscovered and leaked online in March 2020.
Duke Nukem DS
Main Article: Duke Nukem DS
In April 2020, an anonymous buyer on eBay discovered a development cartridge of Duke Nukem DS, an unreleased Nintendo DS port of Duke Nukem Arena.
Trivia
- The box cover art borrows heavily from Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project.
- It is also possible to run a source port of the original Duke Nukem 3D on the Tapwave Zodiac.
External links
- How to play the Java-based condensed edition on PC (with download links)
- Download the BREW-based complete edition (compatible with the Melange emulator for Android)