The histories of Duke Nukem and Doom are pretty closely intertwined. After Id Software kicked off the first-person shooter renaissance with both Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, 3D Realms wanted to make a raunchier riff on that formula.
In doing so, they happened to make one of the most revolutionary FPS titles of its era. With its proprietary Build engine, Duke Nukem 3D blew the doors wide open in terms of what shooters were capable of. The game was a technical marvel in its time, and it’s still pretty damn impressive by today’s standards.
That said, it’s fun to wonder what the classic shooter might’ve looked like without its powerhouse engine. Imagine, if you will, a re-imagining of Duke Nukem 3D inside of Id’s Doom engine. If that sounds tantalizing to you, then sit down - I’ve got your day planned out for you.
Modder kipo50 has released DN3DooM, a total conversion mod for Doom. The mod, which draws inspiration from existing projects like DukePlus, converts Doom installs into a brand-new recreation of Duke Nukem’s first-person debut. Almost every enemy is accounted for, alongside some new ones, and unique firing modes for the game’s diverse arsenal are being added.
That only scratches the surface of this project, however. There’s a tremendous amount of effort that’s gone into this mod, and it’s impressive that one person was able to merge an iconic engine with a beloved (???) character so well. If you’re a fan of either game, you really owe it to yourself to check it out.
You can download the mod for free right now.
