Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: April 8, 1997

The Duke does it again. Everyone’s favorite wise-cracking, gun-toting badass is back, and our nation’s capital will never be the same. Duke it out in D.C. is the latest add-on for Duke Nukem 3D, giving gamers ten all new levels set in the very hub of American government. This time out, the alien maggots actually have a plan. After crashing a spaceship Kamikaze-style into the Capitol Building, they’ve begun destroying critical buildings and monuments in the hope of crippling the United States government. But that’s just the icing on the cake. The invading E.T.’s have even kidnapped the President! Clinton had better hope Duke’s a Democrat . . .

Duke it out in D.C. is surprisingly good, considering the barrage of crappy Duke add-ons that have hit the market this past year. It offers the first real episode since the Plutonium PAK, with great levels connected by a solid storyline. All of the highlights of Washington, D.C. have been recreated with incredible accuracy. Rampaging through Duke it out in D.C. is like taking the grand tour of the capital; each level is devoted to a specific D.C. location. You’ll start your search for the President right on the White House lawn, and lay waste to the Oval Office. From there, you’ll advance to all of Washington’s hot spots, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Smithsonian Institution. There’s also a HUGE secret level that will challenge even the most skilled Dukaholic.

Duke it out in D.C. really grabs hold of you once you make it past the first couple of levels. Although “Hell to the Chief” and “Memorial Service” are well designed and fun to play, they don’t provide much of a challenge. Seasoned Dukers will glide through these maps with just a couple of bumps and bruises. Stick them out, though, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The levels get bigger, badder, and better than you’d expect. “Smithsonian Terror” and “Nuked Files” (F.B.I. Headquarters) are simply outstanding. They have the kinds of puzzles and level designs you’d expect from the masters at 3D Realms. Actually, many of the maps in Duke it out in D.C. are vaguely familiar. If you’ve played Duke Nukem 3D’s “L.A. Meltdown” episode, you’ll understand what I mean. There’s a subway, a sewer system, even a nuclear submarine. Unlike the designs of the original levels, however, those in Duke it out in D.C. have been given the royal treatment. Instead of just squeezing certain concepts into several maps, the designers of Duke it out in D.C.’s levels took these ideas and developed them fully. The result is a series of perfectly interlocking levels that have been well thought out, well designed, and are superior in many respects to the originals. “Metro Mayhem” is the best subway map I’ve seen in any 3D shooter. Screw the Octabrains and Pig Cops; I was more afraid of getting mugged on the platform by gang members.

For me, one of the biggest disappointments in Duke 3D came in the “Death Row” level of the first episode. Early pre-release screenshots showed a nuclear sub moored in a lagoon. Unfortunately, the U.S.S. Dallas turned out to be little more than window dressing. It looked great on the outside, but the actual sub was just a poorly designed one-room exit to the level. Duke it out in D.C.’s “Dread October” is the real thing. After blowing away the baddies in the sub pen, you must make your way into the belly of the U.S.S. Defiant. There, you will launch the boat’s torpedoes into the sealed door of the anchorage and make your escape. Finally, somebody did it right. The interior of the submarine is beautifully designed and a treat to explore. It seems so accurate, you’d think the designer actually served in the Navy.

Unlike the Plutonium PAK, which seemed disappointingly unsuitable for DukeMatch, Duke it out in D.C. offers serious multiplayer mayhem. Many of the maps are very large, but they provide enough central areas and multiple accessways that you won’t need to spend too much time looking for your opponents. “Hell to the Chief,” although probably the weakest of the single-play maps, is perfect for multiplay. It’s the perfect size, and the basic design of the White House allows for long distance, balcony sniper fights as well as close-up shotgun brawls. The “Memorial Service” map also makes for a great DukeMatch game. There’s just something morbidly exhilarating about spraying your buddy’s blood all over the Lincoln Memorial. Creeping through the cramped corridors of the U.S.S. Defiant in “Dread October” lends itself to a different kind of head-to-head melee. Campers will really find themselves in their own element, laying traps and setting up ambushes. You can forget about using the RPG or Devastator in the sub’s tight spaces; you’ll have to rely on your trusty 12-gauge to avoid blowing yourself to bits. As a whole, Duke it out in D.C. offers a solid multiplayer experience. The maps are a welcome change of pace from the slew of “space station” levels currently flooding the Internet. Fighting against your opponents in real places, possibly even places you’ve actually visited, takes DukeMatch to a whole new level.

As good as Duke it out in D.C. is, there were a few things that certainly could have been improved. Although there are some new textures (most are necessary to the Washington, D.C. theme), there are no new sounds or music. The add-on is compatible with the original Duke Nukem 3D, or the Atomic Edition. Unfortunately, this also means the new episode can’t reap any of the benefits of the newer versions. There are no Pig Cop Tanks, no Protector Drones (probably the best monsters in the whole game) and, worst of all, no microwave expander weapon. Like all the previous Duke episodes, Duke it out in D.C. is not without its share of chicks. But blowing them away never summons their alien guardians. Probably the most annoying omission, though, is the lack of any light switches in any of the rooms. In most of the levels, the lighting is well designed and appropriate to the different areas, but leaving out any way to control this lighting just seems like a huge oversight. Even the most mediocre, user-made Duke maps at least have working light switches.

When you come right down to it, Duke it out in D.C. is a great addition to your Duke Nukem 3D library. For only $20, you can add a killer new episode to your original game. These are ten of the best new levels available for Duke, retail or otherwise. If, like most gamers, you’ve played through Duke 3D a thousand times and are aching for a new challenge, you’ll find everything you desire in Duke it out in D.C.