30 Years Later, One Of Gaming’s Edgiest Heroes Can’t Become Cool Again

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As a gamer, I’ve seen so many games and companies come and go. What’s huge one year can totally fade a few years later – a series that was awesome in the 2000s might not do so well now, and the big names today could be forgotten pretty quickly. But every now and then, something really special comes along. Certain characters, stories, or ideas just stick with you and feel like they’ll always be around, you know? They become timeless classics.

Certain game franchises, like Super Mario and DOOM, have an incredible staying power and remain popular even when new installments aren’t released frequently. This lasting appeal can also extend to creators and studios – think of Hideo Kojima or Naughty Dog – who continue to be well-known even as they work on different projects. Back in the early 2000s, many people would have predicted Duke Nukem would achieve this same level of enduring popularity, as it was often compared to DOOM and Quake. However, with younger gamers now unfamiliar with the series, it’s become apparent that Duke Nukem’s cultural impact has faded over time.

Who Is Duke Nukem?

The first Duke Nukem game arrived on MS-DOS in 1991, a 2D side-scrolling shooter inspired by arcade hits like Contra and Bionic Commando. However, the series didn’t become truly famous until the third game, which moved to a 3D first-person shooter perspective. Duke Nukem 3D (1996) is widely considered one of the best shooters of the 1990s and, along with games like Wolfenstein and DOOM, helped make the FPS genre incredibly popular.

I always thought the name Duke Nukem was cool, but apparently it was a whole drama to settle on! The developers originally changed it to Duke Nukum because they were worried it was too close to a character from Captain Planet. And get this – Duke University actually threatened to sue over the name too! It was a surprisingly complicated process just to land on the title we all know.

From the very beginning, the Duke Nukem series has been known for its over-the-top, often crude, humor. A good example of this is the way women were portrayed in games like Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes from 2000, which could be seen as either funny or offensive depending on the player. This very specific, somewhat controversial personality – similar to characters like Johnny Bravo and Leisure Suit Larry popular at the time – has made it difficult for Duke Nukem to make a comeback in modern gaming.

Why Hasn’t Duke Nukem Carved Out a Place for Himself in Today’s Gaming Landscape?

The most memorable video game heroes are usually well-rounded characters who can evolve over time. Take Kratos from God of War, a popular figure for over two decades. He’s not just violent; he’s also haunted by guilt and anger, which makes him a compelling character and allows writers to explore his growth. Conversely, DOOM‘s Doom Slayer is often presented as something beyond human – more of a powerful force than a person with relatable emotions or motivations.

Look, I’ve played a lot of games, and honestly, some characters just stick with you. These classic heroes are likable, which is something I really didn’t feel with Duke Nukem. He was cool back in the day, maybe when games were simpler, but in Duke Nukem Forever, it just didn’t work. All the attitude that might have been fun in the 90s felt…empty. He’s just kind of a gruff, one-note character who’s all about shooting things. I mean, edgy humor is great, but you need something to connect with. Characters like Kratos, Geralt, and Master Chief? They have depth. Kratos has his family and struggles, Geralt has a kind side, and Master Chief has a strong moral code. But Duke? What does he bring to the table besides shooting everything that moves?

Not only was Duke Nukem Forever unpleasant to play, but it’s widely seen as the absolute worst installment in the Duke Nukem series – and even one of the worst games ever made.

How Duke Nukem Could Come Back Into the Fray

Some Duke Nukem fans believe the character is meant as satire, or that his disturbing and unlikeable behavior is intentional. However, satire only works when a story actively critiques the ideas it’s mocking. Duke embodies a stereotypical, over-the-top version of American masculinity – the kind a teenager might imagine. He treats women as objects, lacks empathy, and never faces consequences for his actions or beliefs. Whether you have strong opinions about masculinity or not, it’s hard to see this character as compelling; he’s simply superficial and, frankly, embarrassing.

If Gearbox Software were to bring back the Duke Nukem series, they could look to two different approaches.

  • The God of War model: Reinvent Duke, and the Duke Nukem series by extension, through a more mature and story-focused game.
  • The DOOM model: Strip Duke down to his most basic elements, making him both a blank slate and a symbol.

I think the DOOM approach works better here. Unlike God of War, Duke Nukem never had a deep or meaningful story, so trying to reimagine its hero as complex wouldn’t make sense. It’s difficult to see how you could make Duke’s outdated and offensive humor – the sexism, suggestive jokes, and generally unfunny behavior – feel clever or acceptable today. Duke has always been meant as a joke, and the games seem to assume he knows he’s a joke. If he were to appear in a modern game, he’d be much better suited as a comedic villain than a hero. Maybe focusing on his tendency to mock other games, like Halo, could work, while leaving his problematic behavior behind. Ultimately, considering all the issues, it’s not surprising Duke hasn’t made a comeback.

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2026-01-15 22:38