A History Of The Duke Nukem Series (1/3) - Believe it or not, Duke Nukem was once remembered as a respectable game, at least in terms of gameplay. Yeah, the character was a bit of a jacked-up jerk and is certainly edgy in the modern-day scenario, but it worked for the prepubescent era of first-person shooters.

A History Of The Duke Nukem Series (2/3) - The main series started in 1991, and gamers got the first-ever Duke Nukem on MS-DOS. This was one of the few times when Duke Nukem was not a first-person shooter but instead a side-scrolling platformer. Hence, being such a run-of-a-mill title, the game didn't move the needle by much. This was until the developers added another dimension not just to their name but also to the game.

A History Of The Duke Nukem Series (3/3) - Original developer Apogee was renamed 3D Realms, and their latest game was titled Duke Nukem 3D. This was the birth of Duke Nukem games that will eventually become cult classics. The series saw multiple portable games and spin-offs throughout its lifespan. Duke Nukem 3D would receive critical praise and fame and get multiple ports from MS-DOS, Sega Saturn to N64, and PlayStation. This also means that a sequel was not out of the realm of possibilities. Or it probably was.

The Sequel That Never Came To Be (1/2) - Duke Nukem Forever was conceived to be the fourth main title in the series. The hype was unreal at the time. After all, it was the sequel to Duke Nukem 3D. It had to be awesome. Right? Ironically Duke Nukem Forever took forever to be made and became a victim to development hell.

The Sequel That Never Came To Be (2/2) - It was 1997 when the Duke Nukem Forever was first announced. As evident, it was meant to be a direct sequel to Duke Nukem 3D, so every idea about the sequel was conceived to follow that game. Sadly, despite its announcement, the game didn't see the light of release until 2001, when 3D Realms announced that the game would be released when it is done.

14 Years Of Development Hell - Duke Nukem Forever really got the rough end of the stick, as it occasionally bounced between different developers every few years. As you can imagine, the game that was supposed to follow its predecessor has already missed the right opportunity to release. The world moved on to newer games like GTA San Andreas, and gaming as a whole evolved. However, the sequel to Duke Nukem 3D remained just that, a sequel to Duke Nukem 3D.

Who Developed The Game? - At first, the game was developed under the guidance of original director George Broussard at 3D Realms. However, something caused it to be delayed indefinitely. Shockingly, even the game list of 3D Realms shows that they have worked on barely six games between 1997 to 2011. So it was obvious that publisher Take-Two Interactive wasn't really happy about that, which caused them to file a lawsuit against them in 2009. 3D Realms was downsized the same year, which halted the development once more. Fast forward a few months, news came out that Gearbox Software is developing the game now. Since Gearbox had a positive reputation for making games such as Borderlands and Brothers in Arms, the hype for Duke Nukem Forever returned.

Trailer and Release - The trailer for the game was eventually released in June 2011, a few weeks before its release. It was evident that the game lacked the substance, and it was a novelty release at this point. The game was being forcibly wrapped up, and it showed. Following the release, it was clear that Duke Nukem Forever is a 1998 title being shipped as a 2011 game. Developed on Unreal Engine 2.5, the game lacked many features that modern-day titles were offering. On top, the whole story also felt dated, and some aspects of the game felt completely outdated. As a result, the game received a negative response from most, except a few fans.

Aftermath - Duke Nukem Forever became an example of what a development hell does to a game, even if it was a cult classic once. It also tells us that no popularity can stand the test of time. If the game was released back in 1999, who knows what the series would've become. For now, the last game in the series sits there at the bottom and reminds us why the next Duke Nukem Forever should've rather been Duke Nukem Never.