Expansions are a loosely defined category of products that usually encompasses expansion packs, DLC, or other add-ons that expand the content found in the base game. Unauthorized user maps, mods, and total conversions may also be considered expansions, but these usually are not grouped together with authorized expansions, unless they have been manufactured and sold as commercial products.
Due to the immense commercial success of Duke Nukem 3D, many companies over the years have been interested in developing expansions for the game. Some of these expansions have been authorized by the game's copyright owners and are considered official products, while a larger number are unauthorized and may have been sold illegally.
Authorized[]
The following are authorized expansions for Duke Nukem 3D, published by GT Interactive and its budget subsidiary WizardWorks:
Duke Assault features over 1,500 levels made by fans. The selection of levels was drawn from free user maps that were downloaded indiscriminately, en masse from the Internet. Duke Assault is a perfect cross-section of the 1997 online mapping community, with a high proportion of unfinished scraps and "troll" maps.
Following the success of their previous Duke Nukem expansion, Sunstorm Interactive returns with another eight levels to expand the Duke Nukem universe. In Duke Caribbean: Life's A Beach, Duke Nukem is on a well-deserved vacation in the Caribbean when aliens suddenly attack. Duke seeks retribution against the aliens for ruining his vacation.
By Sunstorm Interactive. Aliens have kidnapped the president of the United States, so the EDF sends Duke Nukem to save him. In Duke It Out In D.C., Duke explores a number of famous Washington D.C. landmarks, including the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Smithsonian.
The Duke Nukem 3D Level Design Handbook is a guide for designing user maps in Duke Nukem 3D, with advice from the game's own level creators. Officially sanctioned by 3D Realms, the book comes packaged with a CD-ROM featuring editing utilities and 50 levels.
Duke Nukem's Penthouse Paradise is an official add-on level for Duke Nukem 3D, available from GT Interactive and Penthouse Magazine. In this one-level expansion, the aliens interrupt Duke's bawdy Penthouse photo shoot. Notably, this is the only sanctioned add-on that is available to download for free.
Duke Xtreme is another add-on developed by Sunstorm Interactive that includes 50 levels, two new enemies, three alternate weapon sprites, and various utilities for creating user maps. Many of the levels were created by the developers at Sunstorm Interactive, while others were made by fans.
In Duke: Nuclear Winter, by Simply Silly Software, aliens have invaded the North Pole, and Duke is tasked with rescuing Santa Claus. In addition to the standard aliens, Duke also confronts evil snowmen and elves. The expansion pack includes a brief tour through reprised maps from L.A. Meltdown in the original game.
Duke!ZONE is an add-on, once sold by WizardWorks, that contains over 500 user maps for Duke Nukem 3D. A condensed edition of Duke!ZONE was later released with only 150 levels, collectively named Duke!ZONE 150. WizardWorks later published another add-on named Duke!ZONE II, which contained three original episodes by Simply Silly Software as well as the same 500+ levels from the first release.
Disputed[]
The status of some expansions may be disputed. In particular, Duke It's Zero Hour was released for free as a non-commercial product. Misinformation has spread that the project was originally intended for retail sale, which would make it an authorized expansion like Duke Nukem's Penthouse Paradise. According to the claims, the project never materialized into a commercial product because a publishing deal with WizardWorks was never finalized, leaving the developers with an authorized product but no way to sell it. However, no evidence for these claims has ever been presented. Additionally, the 2010 asset purchase agreement between 3D Realms and Gearbox Software, which includes a complete list of "all contracts and agreements involving Duke Nukem IP assets," does not include any mention of ZeroHour Software.
Duke It's Zero Hour features an atmospheric, challenging set of original levels. The game's developers, ZeroHour Software, released it as freeware on November 1, 1997. Each level begins in a government base, and the player receives a mission briefing before being launched into the field of duty. The mod features 11 eye-catching levels, with all-new monsters, weapons, MIDI music, and sound effects. It is compatible with all versions of Duke Nukem 3D.
Unauthorized[]
Although user maps, mods, and total conversions may also be considered expansions, the following list only includes expansions that were never authorized but were still manufactured and sold as commercial products:
3D Nightmares
Contains a bundle of levels for Duke Nukem 3D, Command and Conquer, Doom, and more.
3D Violence 2 De Duke Nukem 3D Levels
Contains 423 levels for Duke Nukem 3D.
Arcade Explosion volume II
Contains 260 extra levels. Duke Nukem 3D v1.3D (shareware version), patch 1.1 to 1.3, screensaver & entertainment pack, cheat codes, wallpaper, 5 viewers to look at the pictures, FAQ, and help text on how to build your own levels. (Holland)
Beyond the Meltdown
Contains 212 levels for Duke Nukem 3D, and content for other games.
Chartbusters 9
Includes more than 1000 new level maps for the game, and also includes screensavers, wallpapers, Windows 95 theme, editors, utilities, patches, cheats, pictures and an FAQ with answers.
Come Get Some!
Come Get Some! (Softkey 1997) is a German CD contains around a thousand of new maps for Duke Nukem and some editing tools, as well as some help files for playing and creating levels.
Duke 3D Level CD
It is a simple unofficial Level CD with 100 new Levels for Duke Nukem 3D. Cover and CD label in German.
Duke Nukem 3D ADD-ONS
This is an extensive unofficial CD from Canada. The add-on offers: - over 700 new levels in 150 files - sounds - FAQs - Tools / Utilities - Patches - Editors. The CD is completely menu driven.
Duke 3D Mania
Contains over 700 single player, co-op and Dukematch levels. Features Remote Ridicule, configuration files & utilities. Also includes FAQs, cheats, hints, walkthroughs, editor tutorials, and demos.
Duke Nukem Mania
Newer addition of Duke 3D Mania. Contains over 1,000 levels, and only includes a translated DOS install menu for English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Knuke Out 3D
Contains over 1,200 new levels. (Brazil)
Level 02 Duke Nukem 3D
A typical add-on CD for games from the mid 90s. Includes: - over 400 new levels - Patches - Cheats - Editors. The CD is menu-driven origin: Austria / Austria.
Mega Duke
450 Levels. Auto Start menu driven. (German) The contents of this CD is also bundled in a compilation, "Best of Mega Edition" and "Universe of Levels".
Mega WAD Vol. 3
Has 800 levels for Duke Nukem 3D, plus more levels for other games.
More Duke
The CD contains 150 levels for single play and Dukematch, and a level editor.
The Nuke It series by Micro Star Software/CrystalVision includes Nuke It v2.0 (Original), Nuke It v2.01 (Reissue), and Nuke It 1000. Version 1.0 was never publicly distributed. Each Nuke It expansion offers over 300 new maps downloaded from the Internet. In a landmark court ruling that expanded the power of US digital copyright, 3D Realms sued Micro Star Software in 1996 and successfully halted further sales of the series by 1998.
Nuke's 3D
It offers more than 100 new levels, 10 TCs / modifications, cheats, a list of secret places and massive tips, tricks and tutorials for Duke-level editor. The CD has an Autostart and can use a graphical Interface to search.
Platoon is a total conversion (TC) add-on for Duke Nukem 3D created by the TNT Team and released in 1997; the original version (version 1.1) was made for version 1.3D of Duke Nukem 3D and released on August 4th, and a later version (version 1.1B) was made for the Atomic Edition and released on September 30th. The TC takes place in the Vietnam War. You are the lieutenant of the 2nd Platoon, Company B. Your tour of duty takes you from the fierce firefights in the jungle to the dark and booby-trapped underground tunnel systems.
Power Duke
Despite the name, Duke Nukem 3D content is only a small part of the compilation, with an undisclosed number of levels for Duke Nukem 3D.
PowerTools for: Duke Nukem 3D
It is a simple level-add-on 1,000 maps, cheats, editors and tools for Duke Nukem 3D. Contains CD 2 15 bonus games, including Duke Nukem I and II.
Quake 'Em
An undisclosed number of levels for Duke Nukem 3D, besides Quake and other games.
A German add-on featuring over 500 new levels for Duke Nukem 3D.
Superdead
Superdead (Microboss inc., 1996) is a CD compilation of the following: 1,100 levels: Duke Nukem 3D (150 files), Quake (30 files), Hexen (100 files), Descent 1 and 2 (150 files), Warcraft II (700 files). Also contains editors for them, too.
Super Duke - Volume 1
The CD contains more than 200 extra levels for Duke Nukem 3D. "Cool" CON files, example: Lizard Troopers with RPGs, Pig Cops with Laser rifles, exploding chaingun bullets, and a microwave expander that makes enemies 80 meters height. Secrets for Dukematch, with picture examples (.bmp) and cheats. Over 40 sound mods. (German)
Super Duke - Volume 2
Super Duke Volume II (CDV Software, 1996) has 180 new extra levels. There are also configurations to modify the difficulty, add more blood and violence, and more. There are also 43 sounds, new sounds for enemies & weapons, 4 updates which bring Duke Nukem 3D to the newest version, and 22 tips, tricks and cheats.
Super Duke - Volume 3
This CD contains over 600 new levels for Duke3D (380 Dukematch, 220 Single player levels). "Cool" CON files, for example: Drones became cheese (with new art and sound effects), the pistol became a MP5K SMG, on the toilet waits a new alien-creature. Duke3D SP level secret guides with amazing detail, tips for the level editor, sound-lists, palette list etc. Level-starter tools, new music and sound files (German).
Super Games Volume 1
An undisclosed number of levels for Duke Nukem 3D and other games.
The Resident Alien
173-level files each with a separate subfolder. A DOS start menu. Also a level editor, Duke Nukem 3D ScreenSaver as shareware. A tool to add animation, a "more blood" patch for more violence. (English/German)
The Q Files
Levels for Quake, as the title suggests, but also Duke Nukem 3D and other games.
Time of Reckoning
Contains 1,185 levels for Duke Nukem 3D, plus plenty more for other games.
Total Chaos Nukem 3D Pack
Contains 700 levels downloaded from the Internet, where over 160 are for single player, 500 for multiplayer along with a level loader, cheats, strategy guides and FAQs.
Toolkit for Duke Nukem 3D
Contains 314 levels, level/sound/graphic editors, tutorials for playing and making maps in the game and more.
Total Meltdown
Includes 500+ levels that were carefully tested and rated, along with some new textures, animations, sounds and 35 new characters to fight, topped off with a level customizing system. Designed for version 1.3D of Duke Nukem 3D.
Ultra-Level Add-On
An undisclosed number of levels for Duke Nukem 3D, among other games.
