Celebrating 10 Unfortunate Years of Duke Nukem Forever

It's been ten years since 3D Realms rolled out the disastrous Duke Nukem Forever — and a whopping twenty-four since it began its long and painful journey as a highly ambitious sequel. Of course, being a game that first came to light in 1997, fans of the franchise did come to expect a bargain bin like deal after the title did finally launch in 2011. Still, even for Nukem standards — the latest chapter didn't so much as deliver a shred of excitement to the table after its train wreck of a launch.

After a series of unfortunate events between 3D Realms and its core engine, Duke Nukem Forever spiralled through to the backburner for years to come. Luckily (or unluckily) for us, the developer did return to the project several years down the line to finally release the game. Sadly, with neither the i's nor the t's being crossed before launch, Duke Nukem Forever launched as an absolute car crash with zero redeeming qualities to back its legacy.

With all of that said, Duke Nukem did go on to achieve cult classic status back in the nineties for its earliest titles. However, in an attempt to rekindle the flame for the cocky beefcake, 3D Realms ultimately sunk the ship through a collection of mistakes that would go on to tarnish the brand forever. So, not exactly the comeback the developer was hoping for. Still, an anniversary is an anniversary. Duke Nukem Forever, despite its train wreck status — is still celebrating its tenth birthday today. So that's something!

Duke Nukem Forever released on June 10th 2011 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Development began shortly after the release of Duke Nukem 3D in 1996.