Classic game Duke Nukem II, originally made in Garland, coming to iOS soon

by Britton Peele

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Always bet on Duke.

Apogee Software (which later became 3D Realms … mostly), based in Garland, was something of a powerhouse of early PC gaming. One of their biggest claims to fame, Duke Nukem, never completely fell out of the public eye, but the bubble gum chewing, !@# kicking hero has seen better days. The long-awaited Duke Nukem Forever (which Plano’s Gearbox Software finished off and released) was panned critically, and the Duke name isn’t what it used to be.

But always bet on Duke, as they say. Duke Nukem II, a side-scrolling action game released before the much more famous Duke Nukem 3D, is headed to iOS devices very soon to celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary. It’s being ported over (and touched up) by Interceptor Entertaiment, the same people who are also remaking Apogee’s Rise of the Triad (which I previewed for Joystiq during last year’s Quakecon in Dallas). The statement sent along with the product’s announcement promises “Insane VGA Graphics” and “256 Eye Popping Colors,” which should make you feel good and nostalgic if you were playing games in ye olden days.

Some additional touches like leaderboards scoreboards are also being added, though it doesn’t sound like there is support for Apple’s GameCenter — at least at launch.

Duke II holds a special place in my heart, personally, because I wasn’t actually allowed to play the now-classic Duke 3D growing up. My mother was very sensitive to me playing violent games as a child (which, as an adult, is something I have a lot of respect for), and while Duke 3D crossed the line with its language, violence, and strippers, Duke II was seen as more tame. As such, I’m excited to jump back into it and see how much I remember.

The game will hit the iTunes App Store soon for $1.99. I’m hoping to get my hands on the game before long to give you a better idea of how the game holds up (particularly with touch screen controls, which are always something that make me nervous). In the meantime you can check out the trailer.