Play Duke Nukem Online

I picked up Duke Nukem for the Game Boy Color back in 1999, a time when getting a portable version of a PC franchise was a real event. This one was developed by 3D Realms, the same folks behind the original, and it tried to squeeze that action into the small screen. It was a side-scrolling shooter that felt right at home among the other action titles on the platform, a straightforward attempt to bring the character on the go.

You control Duke through a series of levels, moving from left to right and blasting a variety of aliens and mutants. The main goal is simply to survive each stage, find the exit, and eventually take down the big boss. Your primary tools are a selection of guns you pick up, like the pistol and the shotgun, and you also use jump kicks to handle enemies at close range. The game is split into distinct stages, and you explore them screen by screen, which keeps the action contained but can feel a bit choppy. The pacing is fast, and the difficulty ramps up quickly, demanding quick reflexes to dodge enemy fire and environmental hazards. It feels like a condensed, sometimes frantic version of the run-and-gun formula.