Duke Nukem is an iconic character in the world of video games. It was developed by Apogee Software Limited as a series for the IBM personal computers. The gaming rights were later on distributed to the third-party developers for creating versions for other gaming consoles. Duke Nukem is an archetype of the over-the-top, conventional masculinity who flaunts his guns and women. His mannerisms were modelled on the crass, foolish and boisterous superheroes of that time. He shares a special love for casinos as, throughout the series, he will be seen shelling out some dimes at the casino table. Read more to get acquainted with the glamorous world of casinos.
Duke is macho, aggressive and brash and many of his antics can come across as being downright obscene and unnecessary in today’s time. Video games can be impressionable on young minds. So was Duke Nukem. Upon its release, gamers got drawn towards his persona. It’s nothing to do with his personality and charisma but a lot to do with him being rebellious and unabashed, just doing and getting whatever he wants in his universe. His “I am the king of my own world” appeal impressed a lot of the young gamers. In the coming few years, many game developers took inspiration from Duke to create their gaming characters.
Recently, there have been talks about turning the game into a movie with John Cena as the lead. Even though Duke comes off as a highly unlikeable dude, there is no doubt that he has acquired the cult status of hero-worshipping and his name still echoes in today’s gaming circuit. But what if Duke Nukem was made today. In the current politically correct scenario, this gun carrying, bulky, muscle man, spearheading a bloody rampage and constantly objectifying women, would receive a strong backlash and rightly so. Some indie game developers doled out creative and funny ways of recreating Duke Newman.
Sam Barlow
Sam Barlow of HerStory wants Duke to be reincarnated as a man of sensibility and empathy. He wants him to renounce the machismo and start acting his age. Throughout the game, he exhibited a larger than life behaviour when it came to showering money on exotic dancers. How about instead of treating them like sex objects, he became interested in their personalities. He listened to them talk about their lives, aspirations, dreams, families, etc. and moulded himself to be more sensitive and respectful. In the course of this banter, he also gets a chance to introspect himself and try to understand his urge for violence, his need for guns and liking for bloodshed, This emotional awakening compels him to lay bare his raw and vulnerable side. It cannot be fully said whether such intervention can make him a changed person but the fact that he is willing to look within himself can be touted as a refreshing change for starters.
Viki Johnson
Viki Johnson of A Little Red Panda has planned a different career path for Duke. The whole macho man pounding and killing people has become outdated and banal. Fairly speaking, in today’s age, more than outrage, it would just put people to sleep and boredom. There is a demand for alternative masculine characters, both in mainstream films and video games. For a change, people would love to spend bucks and time on mature men discussing mature stuff and handling it maturely. No more boorishness or barbarism. Duke has to sincerely keep up with the times. He has to let go of his toxic masculinity and savagery. Moreover, in a world where gun violence goes unchecked in the most developed countries, he has to relinquish his arms and ammunition. Keeping the walking machine gun imagery in the past, he should step into the shoes of a philanthropist and feed hungry, malnourished children across the world.