Games that Stole My life #3 - Duke Nukem 3D

Duke Nukem 3D was one of the later Build Engine 3D First person shooters that emerged in the mid to late 90s as part of the FPS boom of that era. It wasn't the most technically advanced game, Quake had just launched with polygon graphics, it wasn't the most atmospheric, both Quake and the older Dark Forces beat it on that count, but it had a strange perfect storm combination of level design, humour and action that means it is still spoken about in hallowed tones to this day.

You play Duke Nukem, star of 2 side scrolling shot-em-ups, while travelling home from your latest adventure Duke is shot down after finding out that aliens have invaded, mutated the LAPD and in general caused chaos, and only one man can stop them.

In general gameplay involved you, as Duke, battling your way through levels, solving puzzles and finding keys. Nothing really that new. So, what was it in this game that chewed up so many hours of my adolescent life?

Some would list obvious answers such as its 18 rating, profanity and mild sexual references (It had strippers in) which were fun, as was much of the low brow humour, but it was more than that. The game had an immense sense of fun, often based in toilet humour but also in riffing as many films as possible. In fact 3D Realms were sued by ID Software over a small part of the game featuring a dead space marine from Doom, to which duke said "That's one Doomed space marine" There was stuff like this littered all over the place, but it went further. The level design incorporated in jokes, such as the Shawshank Redemption style escape tunnel behind a poster in the prison level. This was turned up a notch in the Plutonium Pack expansion, particularly in the Pigsty level, which riffed The Terminator, but also had Die Hard and Dirty harry references.

A second part of what appealed to me was the interaction and modeling. On a basic level, bullets left holes in concrete, mirrors and security cameras worked. A better touch was weapon effects, get shot by a shotgun close up, it hurt, and you knew it did, duke screamed, blood was liberally dashed on nearby walls. Similarly blow someone away next to a wall and there was a satisfying blood stain trickling down. It led to a decent but not too serious level of immersiveness.

Duke nukem introduced some interesting weapons. Yes it had the near traditional pistol, shotgun, chaingun, rocket launcher staples that we'd seen previously (Although adding clips to the pistol and making it a weapon with a fair rate of fire was nice) it then gave a fairly original (For the time) selection of extras, we had the shrink ray, which temporarily shrunk opponents down to micro size. This was used in some puzzles to shrink duke himself but there was always fun to be had shrinking and squashing enemies. Similarly the freeze gun allowed freezing and shattering. While Pipe bombs and laser trip bombs weren't used as much in combat they did provide extra spice to multiplayer (Where remote bombs and proximity mines tend to crop up as standard)

Finally level design. Duke nukem had two great aspects in the design of its levels. First was the look and feel of levels. Dukes second episode did some good things using old staples of space stations and moon bases, although these looked more like most other FPS games of the time, its real power was in grungy urban environments, which it did fantastically. Red light districts, Sushi restaurants, underground trains, lapdancing bars, fast food restaurants and a sorting office all crop up and these shine. There were even some pretty damn impressive looking stages, like the sunken city. Similarly the actual level design allowed for some spectacular setpieces, such as cutting down marauding baddies as they invade a bar, or ending one level in a trap, to start the next unarmed and in the electric chair, or on occasion where it just flung and onslaught of foes at you.

In the end, Duke Nukem was a fun adventure with some levels that just made you want to explore, while I liked Quake, ultimately, one had a dumb brightly coloured world where I could shoot aliens on the toilet and have showdowns with flying pigs in an LA backstreet, the other had moody Gothic atmosphere. In the end, you always go back to the flying pigs.

City of Heroes - My Characters - Tanko the Human Tank

Tanko the Human Tank

Tanko the human tank is a Controller. Of course I'm kidding, tanko is a tank, Based around Invincibility and Super Strength. I designed him, initially for a laugh, so much so that I still retain his comedy origin story. I do enjoy playing a tank. He is also the first character I created on Union.

Tanko was a mild mannered worker at a tank factory until one day the tank he was working on fell into a sizable vat of toxic waste which was then struck by lightening and probably bathed on cosmic rays. On emerging he had gained mysterious tank like powers, based around increased strength and invulnerability. In fact his skin is now plate metal, like tank armour.

With the factory he worked in now closed due to health and safety reasons he retreated to the Hollows where he lived as a recluse for some time, fighting trolls and saving the odd hero, over this time he built some extra armour pieces on to his skin and formed a costume. Eventually he was discovered by the superhuman Strike force freedom and returned to society in general. As well as general heroing he works part time as a bouncer and has even found a big and tall store to get clothes that fit.

I designed Tanko for fun, but always liked the idea of him as a Ben Grimm type character, huge and quite terrifying, but a big softy at heart (I was a hair away from giving him the little cat on his shoulder, it may still show up in a later alt. Other than that, he's a slugger, noting clever, goes in with great pounding fists and tries to be the centre of the brawl. A fun guy to know.

New Avengers: The Reunion

This was a title I really swithered on Picking up. See, I'm a big hawkeye fan, but not so much a fan of Clint Barton: Ronin. That and I'm really trying to cut down my buying. Still I eventually cracked and decided to take a look at this mini focusing on Ronin and his previously thought dead wife Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird.

The plot focuses mainly on Mockingbird, suffering Post traumatic stress from her long capture by the skrulls and now running a covert group of ex-SHIELD agents hunting down AIM. Clint Barton decides to tag along.

Overall it was a good series, well written and with some nice action/character pieces. Centre was Mockingbirds uneasiness of restarting a relationship with Barton, mainly because just before she was snatched she was going to divorce hawkeye, but her Skrull replacement continued the marriage.

Overall there is some sharp dialogue and the art is nice, if nothing else the artist has a ball drawing Bobbi Morse in a variety of different Mockingbird costumes, from a full bodysuit update to an evening dress version. Similarly Barton tends to use a bow and arrow and wear blue and purple more than use nunchucks and wear black and yellow.

Overall a good wee read, and sets up how Clint and Bobbi are now in New avengers.

City of Heroes - My Characters - Bob Stranger PI

I decided to shamelessly steal this idea from Reilly 2040 who has been doing something similar on his blog http://reilly2040.co.uk/blog/2009/05/12/coh-characters-the-reillys/

Basically, the idea is to list the origins of my Characters in City of Heroes. I have a Gnat-like attention span so I have many alts.

Bob Stranger - PI/Doctor Bob Stranger

Bob Stranger PI is a magic base controller with fire and weather control based powers. He is my main alt and sits at around level 25. Doctor Bob Stranger is Bob's Nemesis, A necromancer and practitioner of the dark arts. More on him later.

The main concept behind Bob Stranger PI was to have a reluctant Hero, slowly drawn into the world of heroes by his PI day job. Dr Bob was to be a Nemesis, but not the usual evil twin idea, more someone riffing his look to discredit him.

Bob stranger is a Private Detective based in Paragon city, he solves mysteries, locates objects and people for a small fee plus expenses. Bob was not always superhuman. During a case where he was sent to track down a mysterious amulet for M.A.G.I. He located the item being held by a gang of Hellions. Pinned down by fire while trying to retrieve it the amulet mysteriously absorbed into Bob's body. He discovered that he could control fire and the elements. On returning to M.A.G.I. they confirmed the amulet was embedded in his chest and was providing him with magical powers. Thing is, Bob Doesn't believe in Magic. Nonetheless he started using his powers to assist him in the tight scrapes his PI work so often gets him into.

The Amulet itself was actually one of a pair. Many hundreds of years ago there were two mages, one good, one an evil necromancer. In a pitched battle the Evil mage had the upper hand, and in his desperation the good mage cast a spell that transformed both mages into gemstones. The gemstone bearing the Good Mage's power is benign, and merely bestows power on those it finds Worthy for the duration of their lives. The Evil stone however, takes control of its host and uses its power to try and exact revenge on the owner of the good stone. In this case it took control of a mild mannered Doctor called Steve, who had discovered the stone in a curio shop. Taking control of Steve the stone looked for its rival.

Reading of Bob's exploits Dr Steve soon became almost obsessed with Bob Stranger, even changing his name to match. He decided to discredit Bob in the eyes of Paragon City's heroes. To this end he acquired a similar wardrobe and started wreaking havoc. Bob Stranger PI was now wanted, and had to adopt a makeshift costume to keep working without risking constant attacks from other heroes. Bob set about trying to clear his name. He caught up with Dr Bob Stranger and a battle ensued. Bob had the advantage, as the stone powering Dr Bob was still adapting to its new body. Bob Stranger PI won the day and Dr bob was sent to the Ziggaraut. However, after being sprung by Arachnos he quickly turned his back on them and is now working through the Rouge island's underworld, building up his power to take on Bob Stranger PI again.

During the second Rikiti invasion Bob Stranger Defended his old neighborhood in Kings Row and teamed up with other heroes to thwart the Rikiti's plans. Using his powers caused strange markings to appear on his skin, like mystic symbols, and as his power grew suddenly he was engulfed in a bright light, emerging in a mystical costume. He still prefers his usual suit and hat, but often uses his costume when working with other heroes.

War Machine - First Arc

Recently, Marvel's new War Machine title finished its first arc, and I thought I'd post some thoughts on how I think it went.

Overall, very good. In this story Rhodes starts his mission to take out the worlds untouchable bad guys by "Killing the **** out of them" My first gripe was that this was a far cry from the War Machine we knew and loved who did question the ethics of killing, but Jim's been through a lot since then, and indeed there isn't much left. In fact the reason he's picked up a bloodthirsty streak was even better explained. Now that he is a cyborg he can't forget, ever, anything. Every killing, atrocity and genocide, he remembers.

There have been a few changes to the general gist set up in the War Machine: Weapon of Shield story in iron man. Suzi Endo left in disgust of Jim's killing, to be replaced in issue 1 with his old friend Parnell. He also now has a ground crew in the form of Bethany cabe. He also has a new ability, to incorporate any technology into his armour automatically. This leads to some rather bizarre armour configurations later in the story.

The story itself sees Jim head out to the nation of Aquaria, to kill the CEO of arms company Eaglestar, and rescue Parnell's wife and Jim's old school crush Glenda. On the way he runs into Ares, God of war, which actually provides some of the story's finest points, the interplay between War Machine and Ares is top stuff. Ares admires Jim's work and forces him to take a good long look at how much of his humanity he has given up. At the end of the story Ares refers to War machine as his champion, hopefully a plot thread that will be followed up.

The art was good, not fantastic but good, grimy and muted. It suited the mood of the book. A particularly nice touch was when we see things from War Machine's POV, the chaotic mass of data really gives a good impression of how he sees the world.

So, at the end Osbourne has the newly cloned body for Jim, and indeed offers everyone a reward, but Jim has other ideas. It looks like he has a nice supporting cast, with the possible love triangle between Jim, Glenda and Parnell plus Bethany Cabe, Suzi Endo (Cybermancer from Force Works, yes, I remember Force Works) and new character Jake Oh, Ex SHIELD agent and medic. I'm genuinely interested to see where this is going.

Ok, so any war machine story is a soft sell on me, and it really would have had to have been utter drivel for me to hate it, but I like the characters, enjoyed the story and want to see where it is going next. War Machine is back.*

*Unless Marvel have cancelled the book by the time this gets posted

Marvel Knights, Where Are they now #2

Punisher

Punisher was actually considered one of the poorest of the Marvel Knights launch titles by fans and critics alike, in its first 4 issue mini they re-jigged Marvel's most psychotic Vigilante into becoming a warrior of heaven with a celestial armoury. They may have been aiming for a preacher feel and truth be told I liked it, but it is usually a bad idea to give characters who are so defined by their lack of powers supernatural abilities.

Punisher had a second 4 issue mini called Revelation where he teamed up with Marvels busiest mutant, Wolverine. Again, the angelic powers were a turnoff for fans. However this run of poor luck was soon to change. Marvel hired Preacher writer Garth Ennis to take over punsiher. He did It in style, unceremoniously dumping the supernatural elements he took Frank back to basics, taking down the Ganucci crime family in a story called "Welcome back Frank"

Under Garth Ennis Punisher was great, sick, funny and generally warped. When Marvel launched its MAX line for adults only titles, it took a while, but eventually Punsiher shifted over there. Ennis took a different direction, blacker humour and real dark gritty stories really made Punisher a must read title.

During Civil war, Punisher was so popular there was an attempt to re-introduce him to the mainstream Marvel-U. This was in Punsiher: War Journal by Matt Fraction, it wasn't his best work.

Nowadays however Punisher is in rude health, Still running two titles Punisher is mainstream Marvel currently running its Dark Reign plots, and there is still a MAX title as well. It is almost opposite to Black panther, It started shakily but is now a solid title.

As for teh angelic powers, I'd like to see them return, not in Punisher, but it was a neat power set, and I liked the idea of him being a crusader for the underdogs. Perhaps a new hero?

Not another Star Trek Review

Saw the new JJ Abrahms Star Trek Relaunch, and it is gooooood.

I was going to open with a jokey fanboy type jibe of how it was a travasty and a slap in the face to all "Real" fans, but you know what, forget that. It is brilliant. There is fun, there is sadness there is action. Pine carries Kirks swagger with charm, Quinto really manages to bring Spock's inner conflict to screen and Urban's Dr McCoy is the best thing in a film filled with best things.

Criticisms, Abrahms coudl have cut down on the lens flare effect, it got a little annoying, and the Enterprise is still pretty duff, but these are small niggles in an otherwise storming film.

Trek is back. Oh yes.