Download Duke Nukem 3D: Blast Radius (last update: 03/04/2024; v. 5.0.2)
A deep dive into the respective behaviors, powers and psyches of the 40+ new enemy variants Duke Nukem will encounter around the world whilst on his search for the source of the blast.
This article combines information from the included (.pdf) manual with extra technicalities on how to implement the variants in your own user maps for Duke Nukem 3D: Blast Radius, fixes to a couple of errors in their names that of course just had to exist, and features visual reveals of the end game encounters which otherwise are obfuscated in the manual.
The enemies are (loosely) listed in order of appearance throughout all the levels, which the wiser reader should be mindful of as to know when to possibly dodge spoilers. (End game details will be marked with a particular disclaimer.)
Duke Nukem 3D: Blast Radius will face you against all your favorite classic foes indeed, but also numerous new ones, including:
Description:
The navy blue troopers from Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown (PlayStation, 1996) are back!
Although still armed with the same basic laser guns as the Assault Troopers, and still lacking the Phase-Induced Teleporter Devices (P.I.T.D.) reserved to Assault Captains, they haven't lost any mass over the decades and can still tank a lot of your weaker firepower before going down if you let them.
Being strategists, they often tend to watch your progress against their troops from a distance before razing you with sniper fire. Most of them will only get directly involved if they have to.
Implementation: LIZTROOPSTAYPUT (1682) + pal 16.
Description:
Those yellow troopers only ever enlisted due to having developed a certain remote fascination for Martin Scorsese's films and, therefore, the personal aspiration to get an especially firm grip on their planet of origin.
They are convinced and comforted in their role by genuine, sincere passion and their interpretation of Earthlings is one that is twisted and dramatic - better believe these guys don't mess around, and will blow shit up.
But their delusion also doubles up as their weakness: their identity crisis will never allow them anywhere far away from their taxis.
Better wash that trash off the sidewalk before it's your own blood it's gotta clean off.
Drops pipebombs when killed.
Implementation: LIZTROOPSTAYPUT (1682) near taxi + pal 23.
Description:
A few degenerates preferred the movie Speed (1994) and thus gravitate around bus stations instead, but we don't talk about those; occasionally, the individual's looser grasp on the concept of « taxi » is at fault. Nonetheless, still drops pipebombs when killed.
Implementation: LIZTROOPSTAYPUT (1682) near prop that is transportation-related but not a taxi + pal 23.
Description:
Grey-suited alien troopers that just received specific emergency training (and gamma ray-firing abilities) upon the news of Duke's imminent insurrection.
Their defense game is equal to the basic Assault Trooper's, but their firepower is devastating and most notably so in close quarters, where their energy-based projectiles may reverbate off nearby walls.
Their superior military experience as frontmen also implies some degree of wisdom when it comes to recognizing the best places where to hide, and then ambush Duke from.
They drop regular bullets when killed, hinting at a possible psychic connection between their weapon of choice and the user.
Implementation: LIZTROOP (any functional type) + pal 12.
Description:
Those guys are recognizable by their distinctive green and red uniforms and are equipped with rocket launchers and mortar shooters, respectively.
They tend to frequent explosion sites all the while geared up to really qualify as the main threat on location.
Still respectively, they drop rockets and pipebombs when killed that you can pick up for yourself.
Implementation: PIGCOP (any functional type) + pal 11 for RPG type, pal 21 for mortar/pipebomb type, must be near explosion sites to make sense unless particular exception, team always is 2 RPG + 1 mortar (sometimes depending on difficulty setting).
Description:
This mutated police agent wears a navy blue uniform to better bear with the more rugged weather of his hometown and has heard a story or two about your ways of frying bacon, thus sports a microwave shotgun to reciprocate the heat and help keep you warm.
In fact, does dream of deep frying you then selling you by the slice all day, all night.
May drop their used Microwave Expander weapon when killed.
Implementation: PIGCOP (any functional type) + pal 16.
Description:
As encouraged by the climatic conditions in their province of origin, this type is a literal chiller and yet, not one you should let yourself be distraught around despite their slow demeanor and cute little cravings for local ice cream, for things will get moka pot-hot for Duke as soon as frozen in exposed weakness.
Laganica may be the motto but getting the job done remains their M.O., so don't think twice about erasing them off the streets just like an unwavering sun has washed out all their uniforms - Duke even may recolor those in the process.
Drop Freezethrower ammo when killed.
Implementation: PIGCOP (any functional type) + pal 12.
Description:
Half rent-a-cop, half legitimate authority, full pig: so are looking (and smelling) the streets of Japan as of currently, consequently to the particularly mean combo of the country's law and order enforcement policies with a mutative phenomenon established since as early as 1996 as genetic influence from outer space.
Due to the resulting peak in violent urges within each affected individual, it is rumored that they might have traded their traditional neon sticks for laser ray guns of actual offensive power.
Their very existence is da-me.
Implementation: PIGCOP (any functional type) + pal 19.
Description:
Two aborted enemies from the original Duke Nukem 3D, now brought back to life - but for how long solely depends on the quickness of your wit, seeing as Scorpion Tanks will unleash furies of lasers and rockets upon on you on mere sight, testing Duke's reflexes; whereas the less aggressive but more annoying, and flying Organtic will defend its territory with spit - unless it tasks itself with following you around and getting in your face.
It is said that, true to their designation, Scorpion Tanks can stomach many an impact - their drivers in fact surviving most accidents - and also that Organtic genetics may be influenced by the specimen's immediate environment, all the while never resulting in a type one wise pipebomb could not efficiently eradicate.
Implementation: SCORPIONTANK (1870); ORGANTIC (2420) + pal 0 for acidic spit, pal 8 for shrink ray, pal 17 for freeze ray, pal 19 for Microwave Expander ray, pal 24 for psychic blasts, type should depend on surroundings to make sense, always behaves as stayput.
Description:
Those mini variants of the original three Duke Nukem 3D bosses are sun-born and very determined to keep their environment red hot.
Generally, that's by the means of barrages of rockets, mortars or microwave-based attacks.
More often than not, you may find positives in confronting them the complete opposite way you normally would handle their classic counterpart.
Implementation: BOSS1/BOSS3/BOSS2 (any functional type) + pal 19.
Description:
Neither those folks nor this joke are as cool as you would expect.
From the iciest regions of their natural habitat, all are educated enough to value your time and won't beat around the bush when it comes to freezing you in place if ever needed, before shattering you to smithereens with sophisticated, yet explosive arguments.
Please kindly dispose of before some no-name ten-year-old kid shows up to capture them for selfish surfing purposes.
Implementation: BOSS1/BOSS3/BOSS2 (any functional type) + pal 17.
Description:
It really is the same logic.
Implementation: COMMANDER (any functional type) + pal 19 or 17.
Description:
This frustrated type bears with their inferiority complex by spamming everyone in the room with shrink ray, then going around to spit on them.
They really are not happy with the questionable color palette fate has had it to apply onto them, and will violently deny how it maybe does signify that they, effectively, are full of gooey shit.
A few specimina in particular have developed hero complex - as well as some identity issues they somehow alleviate by relating to the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics - resulting in a particularly vivid interest in Earth.
You really need not suffer from these particular strangers' trauma yourself - ever; good thing they're only harmful for as long as they breathe.
Implementation: BOSS1 (any functional type) + pal 8.
Description:
Similar psychological profile minus the interest in art, regardless of how pop.
In denial of the inner conflict that is the many things they wish they proved to the world but really to themselves, those types think they're on top and feel entitled to just sitting there, ordering others around to, in return, only logically be met with universal hatred and enough consequential spite to turn green.
A chlorophyll-colored culmination of the Dunning Kruger effect in noisy, floppy form, they're really just annoying if anything although thankfully as weak as vulnerable to size 13 boot-shaped reality checks.
Implementation: COMMANDER (any functional type) + pal 8.
Description:
A duo of pawns in a novel (albeit already thoroughly researched) sociological epiphenomenon affecting the portion of Enforcer offspring born past 1997 whose introductory exposure to Earth had come under the form of a certain couple of universally unfortunately-received Nintendo 64 games.
Naturally identifying with the latter's colorful, cold-blooded protagonists only to painfully witness them, due to human weakness, forever entrapped within a limbo of worldview-shattering bad graphics consequentially triggered first surprise, then disappointment, then grief, then resentment, then hate; and now, directly claiming the names of their original heroes - and matching them in skin color - they're coming right at Duke, the last standing representative of, and biggest threat from all Earthlings, in absolute confusion.
Davy fires freezing projectiles, whereas Linda favors the laser razor.
Implementation: LIZMAN (any functional type) + pal 17 or 19, always encountered with its counterpart in the immediate vicinity.
Description:
Not to be confused with its more familiar counterpart, those have cleared the L from their species' name in more ways than one since no less than achieving spiritual enlightenment, and complete enough synergy with the universe that they can shoot spheres of explosive qi energy.
While not of steel, those balls of arguably esoteric nature can only be refuted by bouncing against the concrete, so keep on your toes; not to mention that, as their introduction protocol would have it, they came equipped with gamma ray guns, specifically engineered to erase all signs of earthly resistance with uttermost efficiency.
Official studies report this type's instinctual, albeit toxic interest in Earth resides in their extraordinarily sensorial detection of that planet as the source and bearer of some devastating power experts agree to attribute to Suicidal Tendencies live concerts (but remember E.D.F. will hire just about anyone these days).
Implementation: BOSS2 (2710) + pal 24.
Description:
Albeit lower in rank, those types do not jealous but actually adore the Cycoid Emperor's public persona with fanaticism so creepily strong they learned to imitate its techniques.
Although, their general admission of a preference for nu-metal clearly indicates not just possible extraterrestrial origins for that particular music genre, but also a rather pedestrian lack of subtlety and, more debatably, appreciation for substance.
Some may be small and some others tall, but all pack some devastating amount of power at the end of the day - hopefully theirs and not yours - only enhanced in honesty by the singularity in their monkey-see-monkey-do, brainwashed poser mindset and altogether sincere ignorance.
Please turn into victims of more than just marketing on sight.
Implementation: COMMANDER/BOSS1/BOSS3 (any functional type) + pal 24.
Description:
While younger and smaller than their deceased matriarch, those exceptional instances of particularly developed descendants have all inherited of her now notorious electricity-based attacks; and of course, you will confront them in submerged zones.
They may only lay Protozoid Slimers but, as a breed of supreme lineage themselves (and one particularly destined to ensure its posterity at that), they frequently reside in heavily-guarded hives and other generally toxic areas where you absolutely shouldn't let your guard down.
Implementation: BOSS4 (any functional type) + pal 15.
Description:
Two Octabrain types Duke doesn't remember encountering before.
The red one definitely is an evolutional step up, flaunting enhanced psychic powers enabling the firing of qi energy spheres of highly destructive, explosive nature.
The blue one, on the other hand, looks a bit pale and keeps vomiting, albeit toxic bile.
Their co-existence (which is common) makes you wonder how much of fate is being handed the short end of the stick, and how much really is a matter of mindset, all in spite of this species' supposedly superior cognitive skills.
Implementation: OCTABRAIN (any functional type) + pal 17 or 19.
Description:
The end result and product of a very extensive, expensive and U.S. government-funded research process conducted by E.D.F. on how to make the classic turret a meaner offensive weapon for classified reasons mostly, but not limited to having to do with interplanetary resource pillaging.
Since budget eventually stopped coming in, those models aren't necessarily tougher than the one Duke already is used to, but the blue one will deplete infinite supplies of rockets upon him on mere sight - and the red one will do just the same, except with microwave-based expander rays.
Both types are much larger than the originals since they cost a lot more money.
Implementation: ROTATEGUN (2360) + pal 17 (rocket) or 19 (Microwave Expander).
Description:
The best-fed specimina of the aforementioned Sunburnt and Ice Cold kinds - and they shamelessly take pride in that, too.
Show those larger-than-life bellends who the boss is before they even get to consider schooling Duke's ass.
Implementation: BOSS1/BOSS3/BOSS2 (any functional type) + pal 20 or 25.
(Beware of the particularly spoiler-heavy section about the end game, below!)
Description:
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Implementation: DUMMYDUKE (1435), DUMMYDUKEJETPACK (1465), DUMMYDUKEDUCKING (1491); pal 0 for offensive mode, pal 21 for evasive mode.
Description:
Blast Radius' second secret map "Hotel Atlantis" introduces some new enemy opposition that is exclusive to the level: the Renegade Recon Patrol Vehicles are 'loose' versions of the traditional R.P.V. which can follow Duke, instead of being programmed to a set path, to try and take him down with rockets.
Piloting a Renegade Recon Patrol Vehicle does not necessitate particular training nor any rigourous method and thus, the barrier of entry is lower it is a perfectly accessible vehicle regardless of a Pig Cop's individual background, profile and qualification; that means Duke might encounter many different types and variants depending on environmental logic (the Bomb Squad Pigs still love their explosion sites).
Having nothing to lose but most especially no license, they won't think twice about crashing into our hero as one last self-destruct attack when (not if) their odds in battle become desperate, so Duke should keep on his size 13 toes.
Implementation: RENEGADE (1961) + desired PIGCOP variant palette.
Description:
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Implementation: ??????????
Description:
The supreme embodiment of all perceived adversity.
An unremovable part of the universe, its symbiosis with it culminates with the power to rearrange its forms and forces at will - albeit never without a taste of irony, since it will always favor turning one's own rules against them.
Can Duke challenge such a foe?
Implementation: ??????????
Download Duke Nukem 3D: Blast Radius (last update: 03/04/2024; v. 5.0.2)
