Da Game, Man

Gameplay is limited to running from point A to point B. There are locked doors and (shudder) key cards in-between, not to mention many jumps, thugs and strange green substances, but this is a platformer after all. However, the gameplay, for what it is, manages to remain enjoyable and borders on stellar throughout the entire game. When the pace seems to slow down, the designers throw something different at the Duke, be it an end boss or a jet pack or a carefully constructed series of encounters, or even a well-hidden babe. There are many secrets to uncover, aforementioned babes to rescue, and baddies to toast.

In its clever use of 3D, the game is very comparable to a strange little platformer on the PS2 called Klonoa 2. Duke Nukem Manhattan Project, despite its 3D engine, is a 2D platformer at heart. Duke makes clever use of the 3D, allowing the player to run into and out of the screen, around corners, and give the illusion of a true 3D game, even though there is really no depth to it, just a curving of the terrain, or a twisting of the corridor, and the camera spinning to give the game a more cinematic feel. The 3D makes the 2D platforming all the more exciting, and the new engine is rarely wasted.

Duke humor.	Gun-toting pigs.

Da Stupid Baddies

Point gun, shoot. On occasion, the baddies might duck, then point gun, then shoot. There's very little here in the way of AI, just basic player character location on the part of the baddies, and shooting. There's no real aiming either, they just shoot in one direction or the other. The bosses are a bit smarter, but only because they're scripted better, not because there's any real AI working behind the pretty colors. This isn't bad-considering the type of game, it's expected-so in the end it's not really a ding against the game, unless one is expecting a revolutionary platformer for under thirty bucks.

Da End

I can heartily recommend Duke Nukem Manhatten Project to any who are looking for a fun, inventive platform romp through the pseudo streets of Manhattan. It's nothing new, but it is Duke and all of his inherent mannerisms and one-liners. Certainly worth a look, even if its just filler for Duke Nukem Forever, whenever it might finally make its way to shelves.

System Requirements

All screenshots captured exclusively with HyperSnap-DX by Hyperionics.