Video games - Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project

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	Video games - Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project

Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is a side-scrolling run and gun computer game developed by Sunstorm Interactive and published on May 14 2002 by ARUSH Entertainment .

Overview

Manhattan Project (in itself, the second video game ever to refer to the Manhattan Project in the title; the first was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
) features the humourously chauvinistic action hero Duke Nukem, this time fighting Mech Morphix, a mad scientist who is using a radioactive slime dubbed G.L.O.P.P. (Gluon Liquid Omega-Phased Plasma)to mutate creatures into deadly enemies in order to take over Manhattan island, New York City. These enemies include alligators, Fem-Mechs (female android mutants), and even the Pig cops from Duke Nukem 3D
. Levels in the game contain recognizable parts of New York City.

The game is a side-scroller, but it is built around a 3D engine called Prism3D: Levels and characters are fully three-dimensional, and both the camera and Duke can move along any axis, although the paths are fixed. It is not a direct sequel to any earlier Duke game, however each earlier game in the series featured a completely different story and a new enemy force for Duke to mess up as well, with only the second and third games directly connected chronologically.

Gameplay

Utilizing the 3D engine, the player can zoom in and out focusing either on the enemy aproaching or an overall view of the field. Duke can slide underneath small counter space. Although Duke can't crouch and walk but uses this fast static. With this game based on a Side Scroller, players can make Duke double jump.

Weapons

The Mighty Boot: the famous melee attack, Duke's booting causes significant damage to any type of enemy (few booting can actually dispose of an enemy, however).
Golden Eagle Pistol
Assault Rifle
Pipe Bomb: The orginal Pipe Bomb from Duke Nukem 3D
also makes its return
GLOPP Ray: a weapon that fires green slim on enemies. Mainly used for reducing mutated enemies back to their original size.
Pulse Cannon
Pneumatic RPG (Rocket-Propelled Grenade) Launcher

Power ups

Double Damage: causes Duke to perform extra damage to his enemies
Force Field: round shield glow around Duke making him invulnerable for a while

Duke Nukem Forever similarity

In 1996, George Broussard was interviewed about future 3DRealms projects: he said that a Duke Nukem side-scroller called "Duke Nukem Forever" was in production and was supposed to come out by Christmas 1997. The project was later cancelled, with the name Duke Nukem Forever reassigned to the true Duke Nukem 3D sequel. When Manhattan Project was first shown to the public, rumors began to spread about it actually being the cancelled Duke Nukem Forever side-scroller, but this has since been denied; Manhattan Project is a game original to ARUSH.

The game CD includes a level editor named PrismEd, but level-creation activity for the game never reached popularity among the players, and only a tiny level editing community is currently active.

Reviews

Manhattan Project received ratings mostly in the range of 7-8 out of 10. However due to its side-scrolling format and its Mature 18+ rating, sales of the game were relatively low.

GameSpy - 83%

"A slick platform arcade game at a reasonable price…captures Duke perfectly; great system performance; clever use of 3D."

GameSpot - 7.9/10

"It's straightforward and good-looking…the levels are huge, and most have several paths you can take."

Game Over- 81%

"Movement is kept at a brisk pace and there are plenty of monsters to blow away…a refreshing evolutionary step for the platform game without play devolving into a third person behind-the-back affair"

IGN - 7.7/10

"Manhattan Project is a polished, tried, and true title…worthy of a recommendation, especially given its keen price point and familiar antihero." Trivia

Duke's primary enemy in the game was originally supposed to be his old arch-nemesis Doctor Proton, but this was changed to avoid possible continuity clashes with Duke Nukem Forever.

Originally the game was to be titled "Nuking New York", however it was changed to "Manhattan Project''" after the events on 9/11.
The historical Manhattan Project was the effort during World War II to develop the first nuclear weapons of the United States with assistance from the United Kingdom and Canada. It can be seen how it would be an appropriate title for a Duke Nukem game, which has never been subtle in it's depiction of "nuclear content".

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

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