Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project (Windows)

Originally released as a throwback to the first two games to quench our Duke thirst while we waited for Forever, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project became arguably one of the last good Duke Nukem games.

Development Info

Unused Enemies#

The file duke/base/db_e01.zipfs contains various references to a "whore" enemy.

In scripts/monst/monsters.def, the following definition can be found:

def monst_whore:crawler {
    model_path:"models/e01/monst/whore.grn"
    skin_path00:"models/e01/monst/whore.shd"
}

None of the files referenced exist.

A scripts/monst/whore.sc file also exists, containing the following:

spawn monst_whore {
}

Attempting to spawn the whore, by editing the script file for another enemy, will crash the game.

An empty page entitled "Babe (formerly whore)" in the editor's help file implies that the whore is actually just an earlier version of the babes that Duke saves throughout the game.

Unused Items#

In duke/base/db_e01.zipfs/scripts/player.sc, there is a flashlight defined for the player. However it is never used in the game.

spawn flashlight {
        name:"flashlight"
        enlight_object:true
        cast_shadow:false
        light_envelope:0
        distance:100.137
        luminance:255.000
        color:< 255 255 255 >
        start_on:false
    }

Changing "start_on:false" to "start_on:true" will enable the flashlight, however you cannot turn it off.

Unused Sounds#

In the game files, there are a few sounds that go unused. Most, if not all of these can be found in db_e01.zipfs/sounds/e01/voice or db_e01.zipfs/sounds/ui.

God bless America

I did not have sexual relations with that robot

Aaaah! More mutants!

Bing!

There are two instances of this file, int_accept.ogg and int_nono.ogg.

Let's rock!

The original "Let's rock!" from Duke3D. Found in the sounds/ui folder.

A dog being prepared by a chef and then cooked?

Get ready for big trouble in little China, Duke style! Morphix I'm right on your heels!

An alternate dialogue for the start of the Chinatown Chiller episode?

Sounds for a cut item respawn feature?

This thing's a trainwreck waiting to happen

Oh, how original, a cliched underground factory. If I wasn't so busy kicking ass, I'd hire a real writer, but I guess I'll look around

First oil, now electricity. I'd better be faster than greased lightning

Hey, he's a handsome devil

Not Darren, Diddly D, the master of his domain

Ed's dead baby, Ed's dead... but I can still hear his damn keyboard

Don't mess with me, Gary, or you're gonna get the horns

Jeremy you invincible headshot-scripted cheater!

Kris, let's go get a cold one, on me

Mike Buck, wassup Fowler?

You created GLOPP, Robert, now I'm gonna kick your ass

Yes, hello, I want a C.R. Butts please

I hate to kick my own ass, but it's gotta be done

Fun fact: this quote was used for Duke Nukem Forever in its "The Doctor Who Cloned Me" DLC, albeit with a different take.

The filenames for these two files (subway-teetering-on-edge01/02.ogg) suggest that at some point, the train was going to be hanging off the edge of some broken tracks.

Something interesting to note is that the audio file for "Come on out Morphix, there's only two ways this can end, and in both of them, you die" is that the filename is comeoutproton.ogg. This is because Dr. Proton was originally planned to be this game's villain, but due to this clashing with the story of Duke Nukem Forever at this point he was swapped out for Morphix.

Unused Music#

Early versions of the Club Ming disco music?

Appear to be unused versions of the theme song, presumably intended to be used in episode 8 (as they are located in the episode 8 files).

Unused Graphics#

In db_e01.zipfs/ui/shd_mainm, there are files for two early versions of the main menu's "Manhattan Project" subtitle. It appears that the game was originally titled Duke Nukem: The Manhattan Project.

In db_e01.zipfs/ui/shd_hud, there is a file called old_x3000.png, which is an early HUD icon for the X3000 weapon. It appears that the X3000 was originally a reskin of the Assault Rifle, which explains why it reuses scripts and such from the Assault Rifle.

In db_e01.zipfs/models/e01/monst, there is a file called pigoid_armor.png, (note the png extension, as the final texture is a bmp), which is an early version of the pigoid SWAT armor texture. It is notable that the armor has "Proton SWAT" written on it rather than "SWAT".

In db_e01.zipfs/models/e01/player, there is a texture named duke_shielded.bmp, which appears to be identical to Duke's regular texture, however his vest has been recoloured. This may imply that at some point in development, there were armor pickups which would be reflected on Duke's texture.

In db_e01.zipfs/models/e01/powerups, there is a file called life_holo.bmp, which is an early version of Duke's texture from 2001. The model that this texture belongs to can actually be found in the files as well: db_e01.zipfs/models/e01/player/duke_old1201.grn

Another file in the same folder as duke_old1201.grn called duke_old.grn appears to be slightly newer than duke_old1201.grn, but also slightly older than the final version. It has another version of Duke's texture embedded in it, which appears to be identical to the final texture, but is missing Duke's gloves.

In the demo, duke/base/db_demo.zipfs/textures/2d contains an image called dduke.jpg. Note how the background is actually a scene from the 2001-era Duke Nukem Forever that can be seen in early screenshots.