History YMMV / DukeNukem

* JerkassDissonance: Again, Duke Nukem has a ''lot'' of fans even though a real person with his kind of personality would be incredibly unlikable and sexist to boot.

* ValuesResonance: ''Duke Nukem Does the Internet'' is an instructional book released in 1996, in which Duke Nukem himself helps the reader set up an internet connection and teaches them how to safely browse the net. Although [[TechnologyMarchesOn most of the advice in the book is obviously outdated]], [[https://twitter.com/dosnostalgic/status/1165434435665321984?s=20 one notable passage]] has him warn the reader that UsefulNotes/{{Usenet}}'s accessibility, led to some parts of it becoming a haven for Nazis, racists, homophobes, and other unsavory types. While modern internet users might be left scratching their heads about what the hell Usenet even is, many other modern-day social media platforms are commonly used by bigots, so the message about avoiding parts of these sites where these groups congregate and watching out for trolls who share their hateful rhetoric in unrelated spaces is even more important nowadays than it was in UsefulNotes/TheNineties.

* ValuesResonance: ''Duke Nukem Does the Internet'' is an instructional book released in 1996, in which Duke Nukem himself helps the reader set up an internet connection and teaches them how to safely browse the net. Although [[TechnologyMarchesOn most of the advice in the book is obviously outdated]], [[https://twitter.com/dosnostalgic/status/1165434435665321984?s=20 one notable passage]] has him warn the reader that Website/{{Usenet}}'s accessibility, led to some parts of it becoming a haven for Nazis, racists, homophobes, and other unsavory types. While modern internet users might be left scratching their heads about what the hell Usenet even is, many other modern-day social media platforms are commonly used by bigots, so the message about avoiding parts of these sites where these groups congregate and watching out for trolls who share their hateful rhetoric in unrelated spaces is even more important nowadays than it was in UsefulNotes/TheNineties.

** ''Land of the Babes'' leads to him [[AdamAndEvePlot repopulating the entire world by himself]]. This means that afterwards, Duke became the father of ''every living man in existence!''

** ''Land Of The Babes'' leads to him [[AdamAndEvePlot repopulating the entire world by himself]]. This means that afterwards, Duke became the father of ''every living man in existence!''

* ValuesResonance: ''Duke Nukem Does the Internet'' is an instructional book released in 1996, in which Duke Nukem himself helps the reader set up an internet connection and teaches them how to safely browse the net. Although [[TechnologyMarchesOn most of the advice in the book is obviously outdated]], [[https://twitter.com/dosnostalgic/status/1165434435665321984?s=20 one notable passage]] has him warn the reader that Website/{{Usenet}}'s accessibility,led to some parts of it becoming a haven for Nazis, racists, homophobes, and other unsavory types. While modern internet users might be left scratching their heads about what the hell Usenet even is, many other modern-day social media platforms are commonly used by bigots, so the message about avoiding parts of these sites where these groups congregate and watching out for trolls who share their hateful rhetoric in unrelated spaces is even more important nowadays than it was in UsefulNotes/TheNineties.

* ValuesResonance: ''Duke Nukem Does the Internet'' is an instructional book released in 1996, in which Duke Nukem himself helps the reader set up an internet connection and teaches them how to safely browse the net. Although [[TechnologyMarchesOn most of the advice in the book is obviously outdated]], [[https://twitter.com/dosnostalgic/status/1165434435665321984?s=20 one notable passage]] has him warn the reader that Website/{{Usenet}}'s accessibility, combined with its valorization of free speech over everything, led to some parts of it becoming a haven for Nazis, racists, homophobes, and other unsavory types. While modern internet users might be left scratching their heads about what the hell Usenet even is, many other modern-day social media platforms, such as Website/{{Reddit}} and Website/{{Twitter}}, are commonly used by bigots, so the message about avoiding parts of these sites where these groups congregate and watching out for trolls who share their hateful rhetoric in unrelated spaces is even more important nowadays than it was in UsefulNotes/TheNineties.

* ValuesResonance: ''Duke Nukem Does the Internet'' is an instructional book released in 1996, in which Duke Nukem himself helps the reader set up an internet connection and teaches them how to safely browse the net. Although [[TechnologyMarchesOn most of the advice in the book is laughably outdated]], [[https://twitter.com/dosnostalgic/status/1165434435665321984?s=20 one notable passage]] has him warn the reader that Website/{{Usenet}}'s accessibility, and its valorization of free speech over everything, led to some parts of it becoming a haven for Nazis, racists, homophobes, and other unsavory types. While modern internet users might be left scratching their heads about what the hell Usenet even is, many other popular social media platforms, such as Website/{{Reddit}} and Website/{{Twitter}}, are commonly used by bigots, so the message about avoiding parts of these sites where these groups congregate and watching out for trolls who share their hateful rhetoric in unrelated spaces is even more important nowadays than it was in UsefulNotes/TheNineties.

* ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'' is an intentional example. His character ''is'' supposed to be seen as a Memetic Badass.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * MemeticBadass: Take a guess who. Just look at him!
* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: In ''Land of Babes'', despite being non-canon, at some point Duke is repopulating Earth, by having almost non-stop sex with all females that remained after all males were killed.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: In ''Land of Babes'', despite being non-canon, at some point Duke is repopulating Earth, by having almost non-stop sex with all females that remained after all males were killed.
%%* MemeticBadass: Take a guess who. Just look at him!

* HellIsThatNoise: The siren in ''Duke Nukem Advance''. Even worse, [[ParanoiaFuel it doubles as]] CriticalAnnoyance.

* AwesomeEgo: Duke is a self-centered, politically incorrect chauvinist bastard. And the fans love him for it, both in and out of universe.
** ''VideoGame/DukeNukemII'' explicitly says that he's so vain that he likes to collect his own memorabilia (which is a primary source of points in the game.)

* DeaderThanDisco: In the late '90s, Duke was quite possibly the coolest video game hero (or rather, AntiHero) in existence. ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' was seen as a landmark shooter, not just for its at-the-time awe-inspiring sense of freedom, but for the wisecracking, steroid-pumped babe-magnet that was Duke himself. Anticipation for his follow-up game, ''VideoGame/DukeNukemForever'', was through the roof. Unfortunately, Duke's time in the spotlight would not last long. ''Duke Nukem Forever'' had a notoriously [[DevelopmentHell long and chaotic development history]], with the final game not being released until 2011, more than ''14 years'' after it was announced -- and when it ''was'' finally released, it was a dud, not just for its clunky gameplay and half-baked ideas, but also for falling victim to [[SocietyMarchesOn changing social mores]]. What was once seen as possibly the most awesome and badass protagonist in all of gaming was now seen as [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero a racist, sexist, juvenile pervert]]. Gearbox (the company that ''finally'' finished and released the game) vehemently defended the game, saying that players simply didn't get its humor, but the general consensus was that the game's "humor" fell horribly flat, especially in the wake of games like the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series that managed to deliver similar edgy, boundary-breaking humor with more intelligence and maturity. While there has been talk of a possible franchise reboot, it's more likely that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' will (ironically enough) be the last game where he'll be seen.

* MemeticBadass: Take a guess who. Just look at him!

* DeaderThanDisco: In the late '90s, Duke was quite possibly the coolest video game hero (or rather, AntiHero) in existence. ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' was seen as a landmark shooter, not just for its at-the-time awe-inspiring sense of freedom, but for the wisecracking, steroid-pumped babe-magnet that was Duke himself. Anticipation for his follow-up game, ''VideoGame/DukeNukemForever'', was through the roof. Unfortunately, Duke's time in the spotlight would not last long. ''Duke Nukem Forever'' had a notoriously long and chaotic development history, with the final game not being released until 2011, more than ''14 years'' after it was announced -- and when it ''was'' finally released, it was a dud, not just for its clunky gameplay and half-baked ideas, but also for falling victim to [[SocietyMarchesOn changing social mores]]. What was once seen as possibly the most awesome and badass protagonist in all of gaming was now seen as [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero a racist, sexist, juvenile pervert]]. Gearbox (the company that ''finally'' finished and released the game) vehemently defended the game, saying that players simply didn't get its humor, but the general consensus was that the game's "humor" fell horribly flat, especially in the wake of games like the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series that managed to deliver similar edgy, boundary-breaking humor with more intelligence and maturity. While there has been talk of a possible franchise reboot, it's more likely that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' will (ironically enough) be the last game where he'll be seen.

* DeaderThanDisco: In the late '90s, was quite possibly the coolest video game hero (or rather, AntiHero) in existence. ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' was seen as a landmark shooter, not just for its at-the-time awe-inspiring sense of freedom, but for the wisecracking, steroid-pumped babe-magnet that was Duke himself. Anticipation for his follow-up game, ''VideoGame/DukeNukemForever'', was through the roof.\\
\\
Unfortunately, Duke's time in the spotlight would not last long. ''Duke Nukem Forever'' had a notoriously long and chaotic development history, with the final game not being released until 2011, more than ''14 years'' after it was announced -- and when it ''was'' finally released, it was a dud, not just for its clunky gameplay and half-baked ideas, but also for falling victim to [[SocietyMarchesOn changing social mores]]. What was once seen as possibly the most awesome and badass protagonist in all of gaming was now seen as [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero a racist, sexist, juvenile pervert]]. Gearbox (the company that ''finally'' finished and released the game) vehemently defended the game, saying that players simply didn't get its humor, but the general consensus was that the game's "humor" fell horribly flat, especially in the wake of games like the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series that managed to deliver similar edgy, boundary-breaking humor with more intelligence and maturity. While there has been talk of a possible franchise reboot, it's more likely that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' will (ironically enough) be the last game where he'll be seen.

Unfortunately, Duke's time in the spotlight would not last long. ''Duke Nukem Forever'' had a notoriously long and chaotic development history (detailed [[DevelopmentHistory/DukeNukemForever here]]), with the final game not being released until 2011, more than ''14 years'' after it was announced -- and when it ''was'' finally released, it was a dud, not just for its clunky gameplay and half-baked ideas, but also for falling victim to [[SocietyMarchesOn changing social mores]]. What was once seen as possibly the most awesome and badass protagonist in all of gaming was now seen as [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero a racist, sexist, juvenile pervert]]. Gearbox (the company that ''finally'' finished and released the game) vehemently defended the game, saying that players simply didn't get its humor, but the general consensus was that the game's "humor" fell horribly flat, especially in the wake of games like the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series that managed to deliver similar edgy, boundary-breaking humor with more intelligence and maturity. While there has been talk of a possible franchise reboot, it's more likely that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' will (ironically enough) be the last game where he'll be seen.

Unfortunately, Duke's time in the spotlight would not last long. ''Duke Nukem Forever'' had a notoriously long and chaotic development history (detailed [[DevelopmentHistory/DukeNukemForever here]]), with the final game not being released until 2011, more than ''14 years'' after it was announced -- and when it ''was'' finally released, it was a dud, not just for its clunky gameplay and half-baked ideas, but also for falling victim to [[SocietyMarchesOn changing social mores]]. What was once seen as possibly the most awesome and badass protagonist in all of gaming was now seen as [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero a racist, misogynistic, juvenile pervert]]. Gearbox (the company that ''finally'' finished and released the game) vehemently defended the game, saying that players simply didn't get its humor, but the general consensus was that the game's "humor" fell horribly flat, especially in the wake of games like the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series that managed to deliver similar edgy, boundary-breaking humor with more intelligence and maturity. While there has been talk of a possible franchise reboot, it's more likely that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' will (ironically enough) be the last game where he'll be seen.

* MemeticBadass: Take a guess who. Just look at him!

** At the end of episode 2 in Duke 3D, before fighting the boss, Duke states that he'll rip of his head and shit down his neck. Cut to the post-boss battle cutscene where Duke follows through on the promise.
* GoddamnedBats:
** Duke Nukem II has several:
*** The small spider creatures that [[PersonalSpaceInvader latch onto Duke]] (some even fall from the ceiling) and drain his health until you shake them off
*** The slug-like creatures that throw their eyeballs at you, then explode into a shower of eyeballs when you kill them
*** The ships that fly overhead and drop bombs with a rather huge blast radius; if you don't have anything besides the default weapon you're practically guaranteed to get hit (and even if you shoot the bomb as it's falling, it blows up anyway and the explosion will probably travel downwards far enough to still hit you)
*** The panther-like creatures made of green slime
*** The small ships in the first level of episode 2 which don't appear until you're practically on top of them
*** The hopping one-eyed robots.
** The flying cameras in ''Manhattan Project'' would also qualify. They fly around, shoot lasers at you, and if they succeed in ramming you, they explode!

* SequelDisplacement: Anybody remember Duke Nukem or Duke Nukem II?
* [[ThatOneLevel That One Episode]]: Episode 4 in the PS1 version (especially on [[IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels Come Get Some]]) due to the shortage of ammo throughout the levels.

* AndTheFandomRejoiced: ''Duke Nukem Forever no longer {{Vaporware}}.''
** And that the game will be around 17 hours long, will have multiplayer back, and that the boobies remain.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The main theme, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CezOHqlXAFY "Grabbag"]], to the point that even {{Megadeth}} [[CoverVersion covered]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW_9SGrc4Oo it]].
* EarWorm: "[=GrabBag=]", the title music of ''[=DN3D=]''. An MP3 of it is available for download from the composer's site.

** From ''Duke 3D'':
*** The Protozoid Slimers, which hatch from eggs, hide in vents, and climb up on your screen, tearing you apart unless you kick 'em quickly. They're pretty hard to hit in the open, too. Luckily one hit of anything kills them if you can connect, including the otherwise damage-less Shrinker.
*** Similarly, the kamikaze drones are equally as annoying and probably more dangerous.

* GoodBadBugs:
** In [=v1.3D=], the first shipped full version of Duke [=3D=], you could select the Mighty Foot as a weapon and then kick with the melee button, at the same time! Result: Duke somehow manages to run around while both of his feet are on screen, whacking enemies. (Un)fortunately fixed in later versions.
** The Build engine is notorious for its flaws that allows mapmakers to come up with interesting map ideas. [[http://dukerepository.com/maps/Bizarre Bizarre]] takes this fact and drives it straight into Mindscrew territory.
** There is the possibility that you can die as you're exiting the level. If that happens, you start the next level with your stuff intact and 100 health.

* NightmareFuel: All the babes that have been captured by the aliens in ''Duke Nukem 3D''. Unless you're playing the Nintendo 64 version, all you can do is either kill them or leave them to their fate. Even worse is the poor woman in the intro in Episode 4: The Birth. As if [[spoiler: being impregnated and giving birth to the alien's new Queen]] isn't bad enough, there are [[spoiler: alien troopers surrounding her, watching with joy as she screams in agony and presents them with their abomination of a ruler]]. I hate to imagine what became of her after that...[[spoiler: if she even survived the ordeal]].