A picture posted online shows an ad in a gaming magazine from 1998 promoting the imminent release of 3D Realms’ then-upcoming shooter game,Duke Nukem Forever. AlthoughDuke Nukem Foreverwas one of the most highly anticipated games of the late 1990s, it wouldn’t be until 2011 that gamers would finally be able to get their hands on the long-awaited title.
First announced in 1997 by developer 3D Realms,Duke Nukem Foreverwas the follow-up to 1996’s commercial hit shooterDuke Nukem 3D.Duke Nukem 3Dwas the third entry in the PC series ofDuke Nukemgames, and the series’ first foray into the rapidly growing field of first-person shooters. Praised for its skewering of pop culture and the high level of interactivity of its game world when compared to contemporaries likeDoomandQuake,Duke Nukem3Dwas a hit with fans who soon began clamoring for a sequel. But due to a mix of feature creep, technical issues, and rumors of studio mismanagement,Duke NukemForeverwould eventually become one of themost-delayed AAA games in history.
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User xrayhearing shared a post on r/Gaming showing a magazine ad from 1998 for thePC release ofDuke Nukem Forever, and it serves as a perfect time capsule of the sometimes-bizarre game ads of the era. Showing a cutout of Duke Nukem alongside a gun-toting granny and others in Duke attire, the ad proclaims that gamers should “Accept No Substitute” when it comes to the realDuke Nukemand praises the then-upcomingDuke Nukem Foreveralongside the PlayStation 3rd-person shooterDuke Nukem: A Time To Kill. Many commenters joked that they’d love aDuke Nukemgame where players could take on the role of the Duke impersonators from the ad.
Several commenters on the post stated how disappointed they were withDuke Nukem Foreverwhen the game finally released in 2011 after being handed over to Gearbox Software from original developer 3D Realms. Met with largely negative reviews from critics and series fans upon release,Duke Nukem Foreverwas criticized for dated gameplay mechanics and cringe-worthy humor that often felt like a relic from the 90s. As a result of the game’s critical and commercial failure and legal troubles with the franchise, a plannedDuke Nukemorigin storygame in pre-production around the same time was never released.
A pitch-perfect blend of innovative gameplay and biting humor madeDuke Nukem 3Done of the most beloved shooters of all time, creating a legacy thatDuke Nukem Foreverwholly failed to live up to. As witnessed with the rise, fall, and meteoric rise again of real-world figures like Robert Downey Jr., though, people love a comeback story. Maybe one day soon Duke will get the proper return that fans of the wise-cracking, alien-blasting bad boy have been waiting for.
Duke Nukem Foreveris available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
