Duke Nukem 3D (PC)

Development Info Prototype Info Prerelease Info Version Differences"Big Brother is Watching!"

Unfinished/Unused Monsters#

Organic Turret (sprite 2420)#

Some sort of brown creature attached to the ceiling, which opens like a flower revealing a tentacle. It has 30 hit points, and can be killed by the player. The CON files have the code for some melee attack, which is never used due to incorrect syntax.

Early Pig Cop Tank (sprite 1870-1876)#

Sprites for an early version of the Pig Cop Tank located in the .art files. This scorpion-like design appears to have been rendered from a very low-poly model and is missing textures on the rear of the "tail" and gun turret. There is no code associated with the sprites.

Early Pig Cop Tank	Used Pig Cop Tank

Early Pig Cop Tank	Used Pig Cop Tank

Early Pig Cop Tank	Used Pig Cop Tank

Mini Overlord#

A small version of the Overlord boss, like the mini Battlelord seen in regular gameplay, can be added into a level by placing his sprite in a level, then changing the palette to any value other than 0.

In-game, he behaves like the regular Overlord, but has a very fatal flaw: he has only one hitpoint. The positioning of his projectiles is not scaled with the enemy, which results in hitting the enemy's own hitbox at certain angles, giving him a high chance of killing himself.

Unlike the Battlelord or Cycloid Emperor, the mini Overlord freezing code is incomplete, and he freezes indefinitely.

This variant was fixed and used in both Duke Nukem 64 and Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour.

Mini Cycloid Emperor#

A mini version of the Cycloid Emperor boss can also be added to levels by adding a regular Cycloid Emperor sprite, then changing his palette to anything but 0.

Like the mini Overlord, he behaves like a smaller version of the regular Cycloid Emperor, but also has one hitpoint and is killed by his own projectiles.

This enemy was fixed up and used in World Tour.

Mini Alien Queen#

The following content is and has been hidden by default. Click to reveal content: ;
A smaller version of the Alien Queen can be found. She's added the same way the other mini bosses are. Unlike the other mini versions of bosses, the only difference between this one and the regular version of the Alien Queen is size. Otherwise, she has the exact same stats and behavior as the regular Alien Queen, down to making a level end when she is killed.

Unused Objects#

Forcesphere (sprite 2590)#

Creates a large sphere of solid white sparks. When one of the sparks gets shot, it is destroyed and the sphere starts rotating at a fast pace. After enough of the sparks are destroyed, the sphere gradually vanishes. May have been part of a planned force field power-up.

ROTT Flame Trap (sprite 2333)#

The flamethrowing obstacles from Rise of the Triad make a return in Duke Nukem 3D. While they were never actually used in the game, they're fully functional, and will cause damage if the player walks over them while they are active. The sound IDs haven't been changed since the Flamethrower was in, so the trap makes Freezethrower sounds.

These flame traps were used extensively in the LameDuke beta version, but all instances were removed in the final version.

Unused Flame Trap	Rise of the Triad Flame Trap

Trash (sprite 1272)#

Small pieces of trash that blow around and disappear when they hit something, but are nowhere to be seen in the final game because Duke gives a hoot and doesn't pollute.

Space Suit#

A planned inventory item that would have activated automatically like the Scuba Gear. In the pre-release 1.0 demo leak, it changes Duke's speed/physics to moon conditions while letting him survive in the vacuum of space. In the final game, the Space Suit's coding was removed and the pickup sprite was turned into a decorative sprite, and the one remaining vacuum area (in E2L8: Dark Side) was altered slightly with a force field so that it could be played normally.

It's still placed in the bonus Zoo demo level and the Space Suit's sprite is located among the rest of the item sprites in the files, so it must have been cut late.

AMMOLOTS (sprite 48)#

AMMOLOTS is an invisible object that gives 48 rounds of ammo for the Pistol when picked up. Interestingly, regular Pistols scattered throughout levels also give 48 rounds of Pistol ammo.

In Lameduke, large ammo pickups for the Pistol can be found. They also give 48 rounds of Pistol ammo.

Reactor2 (sprite 578)#

The game contains code for another reactor type called "REACTOR2". Reactor2 behaves the same as the regular reactor found in Episodes 2 and 4, but uses a much smaller sprite for the reactor ends. However, the reactor ends are bugged, as the game will constantly cycle through the regular reactor2 sprite, its broken variant, and the beam meant to be emitted by it.

Reactor2 also has its own special electricity graphic meant to be shown between the two reactor end sprites, Tile 580 (Reactor2spark).

Reactor2	Reactor

Reactor2	Reactor

Lavabubble (sprite 4340)#

Tile 4340 is an unused graphic of a purple bubble rising up, then exploding. Its colors match the purple glop the player must run through in The Queen (E4L10).

Unused Laser Tripbomb Functions#

The Laser Tripbomb has a setting in USER.CON, TRIPBOMBLASERMODE, that controls how the beams emitted by the weapon are rendered:

• 0 (default setting) renders the beam normally.
• 1 gives the beam some translucency.
• 2 renders the beam invisible unless the Night Vision Goggles are active.
• 3 renders nothing at all.

The only way to use modes 1-3 is by editing USER.CON.

DEFS.CON and NAMES.H Labels/Functions#

DEFS.CON defines and labels all effects in the game to be used by the game code. Much of it is hard-coded to the executable, but some of it is soft-coded within the GAME.CON script file. Of course, there's a lot of defines that are unused, so an attempt to document strange and unused functions/labels is below.

Unused Labels#

Misc#

CON Code Oddities#

Parsing error#

Due to a parsing error, an "else" followed by "//" (used for comments in the same line) is rendered null, due to the "//" being interpreted as a regular command. This affects the code for the big bosses at the end of the first three episodes:

ifspritepal 0 nullop

     else   // a fake way of doing a ifspritepal NOT.
       move PALBOSS1RUNVELS seekplayer

As a result, the big bosses move at a much lower speed than expected, which would otherwise be used only for the mini variations.

Boss death one-liners#

When the Overlord and Alien Queen are killed, they trigger two different one-liners for Duke. When killed, all bosses will play "DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL" ("Die you son of a bitch"), however the Overlord and Alien Queen will also play "JIBBED_ACTOR9" ("Eat shit and die") and "BOSS4_DEADSPEECH" ("It's time to abort your whole friggin' species") respectively.

The game prevents an one-liner to start when another is already playing, meaning only the first one is ever heard. The unheard lines are also triggered with the "sound" instead of "globalsound" command, which would limit the distance which they are heard despite being supposed to be said by the player. However, these sounds are not unused, since they are played in other moments.

The Alien Queen is an interesting case, since Duke calling her a "son of a bitch" is incorrect, and "BOSS4_DEADSPEECH" would make more logical since. However, the sound "BOSS4_DEADSPEECH" is also played at the movie sequence after the boss is defeated, and if that line was used also in-game, Duke would end up repeating the same line twice after killing the boss.

Unused Graphics#

Art	Art ID(s)	Description
	94	Unused oceanscape. It's used in background of tiles 3370 - 3372:
	511	In the final game, there's only one chapel picture of the Battlelord in Death Row. It's likely that this would have been in the same level. There's no definition for this inside DEFS.CON.
	604, 605, 1385 - 1388	This was used as the Plasma Rifle firing animation in Lameduke. However, with the weapon's removal, only these sprites were left behind.
	730 - 733	Textures for a futuristic vehicle. Can be seen in a video titled Duke Nukem 3D - Hotel Hell dev history. Used in Duke it out in D.C. as the paneling on arcade machines in E3L6: Metro Mayhem.
	1043	Unused sign for scrapped Sweeney level. Used in Duke it out in D.C. above a door in a sewer in in E3L7: Brown Water.
	1336	A rather graphic sprite of an impaled woman.
	1394	Tally marks representing a value of 2. In the 0.99 prototype, this was a part of a larger set of graphics meant to represent numbers 1 through 5. The first tile of the set is still named "SCRATCH" in the final version. This is part of an unused "scratchmarks" function in the source code, meant to display a counter in the screen. It might remain as a graphic as some sort of joke, as the CON code still uses the C standard of using two forward slashes "//" as a REM comment.
	1644 - 1645	"Firelaser" moving upward. Probably related to Lameduke early Troop enemy firing up sprites.
	1660 - 1669	Unused projectiles.
	1700 - 1704	Unused Assault Trooper frames.
	1705, 1845, 2061, 2686	In the final game, enemies aren't visible when the player is viewing a level through the 2D map mode. In spite of this, graphics for a few of these enemies' top-down sprites still exist in the .art files.
	2155 - 2156, 2160 - 2161	Unused "LIZMANFEEDING" sprites.
	2333 - 2348	Unused "FLOORFLAME" sprites. Was used in v0.99 BETA during the boss battle at the end of The Abyss level.
	2380 - 2388	Water drip splash.
	2440	Leftover from the shareware version of the game.
	2441	Variant of 2441. Not used in either the final game nor shareware.
	2452 - 2455	Unused map icons for player, enemies, health and ammo as seen in early screenshots. Tile 2453 is used in Duke it out in D.C. as a motif on an archway in in E3L10: Top Secret.
	2464	Unused part of the HUD visible in early screenshots.
	2466	Space suit inventory icon.
	2486	A preliminary title screen of sorts. The transparency present indicates it would have been an overlay. A similar logo design appears in some prerelease media.
	2487	Unused radiation warning sign. A similar graphic appears in LameDuke when the player is close to certain reactors in Episode 2.
	2527	Unused alternate crosshair.
	2589 - 2591	Unused "FORCESPHERE" sprites. The unfinished code generates some sort of spherical force field made of several sprites.
	2809	Last frame of the Overlord dying animation.
	3290	Leftover from the shareware version of the game.
	3291	Leftover from the shareware version of the game.
	3341-3346	A futuristic looking screen. These tiles are located right next to the animation of a woman doing an erotic dance that appears in Faces of Death (E1L7) and fit over said sprites, suggesting a connection between the two. Used in Duke it out in D.C. as the glowing exhaust ports on an alien scout ship in E3L5: Capitol Punishment.
	3350-3361	Rotating green Duke Nukem head. This is similar to the rotating Cycloid Emperor graphics that are used. Used in Duke it out in D.C. as part of the display on an arcade machine in E3L6: Metro Mayhem.
	3409	This is an alternate KTIT sign. In the actual game, the KTIT sign is rendered using a menu text font.

Unused Messages#

The following unused messages and definitions are in USER.CON.

String 25#

TYPE THE CHEAT CODE:

Appeared in the leaked shareware when user typed "DN".

String 28#

WILL ALWAYS HAVE NO FUTURE

Purpose unknown.

String 42#

BODY SUIT

This message was meant to be displayed when the player got the scrapped Space Suit inventory item.

String 46#

CHEAT CODE: UNRECOGNIZED

Appeared in the leaked shareware when it didn't recognize anything you typed afterwards.

String 77#

SPACE SUIT ON (Activating the above)

Line meant to be used when the removed Space Suit item was activated.

String 108#

YOU'RE BURNING!

A message very similar to this one is used when set on fire by an Enforcer in the v0.99 prototype.

Unused Level Names#

USER.CON contains three extra levels listed for Episode 1 that don't appear in the game's files.

definelevelname 0 8 E1L9.map 12:48 16:32 VOID ZONE
definelevelname 0 9 E1L10.map 0T:HX 11:38 ROACH CONDO
definelevelname 0 10 E1L11.map 08:67 53:09 ANTIPROFIT

The level times are actually references. Void Zone refers to bit/byte types (16/32/etc.), Roach Condo refers to the movie THX-1138, and Antiprofit refers to the song Jenny (867-5309). Void Zone is displayed when the player finishes a User Map, referring to the fact that there is no map afterwards. It's likely these are meant as placeholders.

Unused Audio#

With Labels, Lacking Definitions#

define DUKE_PASSWIND 32
define DUKE_GLAD 44
define DUKE_HEHE 46
define DUKE_SHUCKS 47
define LIZTROOP_GROWL 52
define LIZTROOP_TALK1 53
define LIZTROOP_TALK2 54
define LIZTROOP_TALK3 55
define LIZCAPT_GROWL 57
define LIZCAPT_TALK1 58
define LIZCAPT_TALK2 59
define LIZCAPT_TALK3 60
define LIZARD_PAIN 62
define LIZARD_DEATH 63
define DRONE1_HISSRATTLE 65
define DRONE1_HISSSCREECH 66
define THEATER_BREATH 94

With Definitions, Lacking Sound Files#

definesound TURR_ROAM turrrm.voc 0 0 3 0 0
definesound TURR_RECOG turrrg.voc 0 0 3 0 0
definesound TURR_ATTACK turrat.voc 0 0 3 0 0
definesound TURR_PAIN turrpn.voc 0 0 3 0 0
definesound TURR_DYING turrdy.voc 0 0 3 0 0
// definesound SLIM_PAIN slimpn.voc -256 256 3 0 0 // note: this is commented and does not have a label
definesound BOS3_ATTACK1 b3atk01.voc 0 0 3 0 0
definesound BOS3_ATTACK2 b3atk01.voc 0 0 3 0 0
definesound DUKE_BREATHING hlminhal.voc 0 0 255 4 0
definesound DUKE_EXHALING hlmexhal.voc 0 0 255 4 0
definesound DUKE_YES yes.voc 0 0 255 4 0
definesound FAN fan.voc 0 0 0 0 0
definesound HOVER_CRAFT hover.voc 0 0 0 0 0
definesound GENERIC_AMBIENCE22 vpiss2.voc 0 0 255 4 0
// definesound ENDSEQVOL3SND1 KICKHEAD.VOC 0 0 254 0 0 // KICKHEAD.VOC was present in v1.3D but oddly removed in v1.4/v1.5
definesound VOL4_1 jacuzzi2.voc 0 0 0 1 0
definesound JOKE joke.voc 0 0 128 0 0

Unreferenced Sound Files#

Unused Sound Files#

The unused sight sounds for the Cycloid Emperor, Overlord, and Alien Queen are programmed to play whenever the appropriate enemy has its palette set to 1. This may have been a slight mistake; the game allows bosses to be designated as "minibosses" by giving them any palette other than the default, but palette 1 is not meant to be used for this purpose (the game itself uses palette 21 for mini Battlelords, which is visually identical to the default palette).

Regardless, these enemies are not meant to be used as minibosses regardless; among other buggy behavior, a mini Cycloid Emperor or Overlord will have only one hit point, while a mini Alien Queen will be mostly identical to the normal version apart from its smaller size.

Unused Force Fields#

These are possibly just the result of bad cleanup on level objects. Use DNUNLOCK to see these.

Tiberius Station (E2L6)#

At the very start, right at the end of the path on the left in the starting area's "control room".

Spin Cycle (E2L10)#

Around the Beta and Alpha rooms on the outer perimeter.

L.A. Rumble (E3L4)#

At the very end of the level, nonsensically surrounding some ceiling lights.

Unused Game Script#

Mobile Space Shuttle and Satellite#

Some commented-out code in GAME.CON allows for Tile 487 (the space shuttle sprite) and Tile 489 (SATELLITE) to move around very slowly and rapidly change directions while doing so:

define SPACESHUTTLE 487
move SHUTTLEVELS 16
actor SPACESHUTTLE TOUGH
//  ifmove 0          //  Init once
//    move SHUTTLEVELS getv geth
enda


actor SATELLITE TOUGH
  //  ifmove 0 move SHUTTLEVELS getv geth
  //  ifcount 120 move SHUTTLEVELS getv geth randomangle
enda

SPACESHUTTLE is the only tile define in DEFS.CON to be commented out; it's redefined again in GAME.CON as seen above.

Misc Commented-Out Code#

// useractor notenemy DUKECUTOUT WEAK state breakobject enda

Apparently the Duke Cutout in E4L4 would have been destroyable.

state headhitstate


// Unrem the following line to invoke screen tilting during
// low player hitpoint damage.


// wackplayer


ends

Un-commenting the line makes the head-jolt effect (which normally happens when you take fall damage) occur whenever you take damage when at low health. If you get hit rapidly this can make it nearly impossible to counterattack or recover, which is probably why this effect was disabled in the final game.

Unused Areas#

Incubator (E2L2)#

From the beginning of the level, go through the first two rooms and into the room where you press the off/on switch to open the windows. In the little room in front of you that opens up after you walk in, walk up to it, but stand just outside of it. Turn left, and use the noclip cheat and slowly walk through the wall until you come to a tiny, tiny room with a grey and blue wall in front of you.

To your left is a switch. Activating the switch opens a panel with scuba gear. To your right is an odd door with the medical red cross on it. Open this up to find a Portable Medkit and Steroids.

Movie Set (E3L5)#

Right at the end of the level, while you’re going down the stairs to finish the level, stop at the next to last step on the stairs and turn right. Turn on the noclip cheat and go through the wall, going directly forward. You’ll end up walking through nothing for a while, but then you’ll end up in a room with a large health container, armor, and several porn mag vendors. Standing on the two red ones will make them lower, revealing a cubby hole with a Holoduke.

A similar setup is used for one of the secrets in the next level, Rabid Transit, but the two red porn mag vendors are separated, the player has to stand on the leftmost one to reveal the secret, and the cubbyhole is much tighter.

Unused room in Movie Set	Used Rabid Transit secret

Unused room in Movie Set	Used Rabid Transit secret

Hidden Messages#

In various levels, there are hidden messages or easter eggs from the developer.

The Abyss (E1L5)#

"You're not supposed to be here. -- Levelord" can be found if you use noclip to reach the shrinker. It was intended to be visible to only those that used the noclip cheat. However, this can be reached if you obtained the jetpack on E1L6: Launch Facility.

Spaceport (E2L1)#

If you activate noclip and god mode, you can head outside and see the name of the ship, U.S.S. Framerate.

This message is not reachable in version 1.3d. In that version, god mode doesn't protect against being killed by passing through a wall, nor does it protect against the vacuum of space.

Raw Meat (E3L1)#

Found near the exit, when you noclip through a crack in the wall and look around: "Noone should be here", signed Levelord.

L.A. Rumble (E3L4)#

At the level exit, use noclip to walk through the window. The text is visible on a metal box.

"You're not supposed to be here ... EITHER", signed Levelord.

Level Designer Signatures#

A vast majority of levels has a small signature made out of sectors of the person that made it placed somewhere that can only be seen with the noclip cheat or a level editor. Allen H. Blum III's signature is "AHB", Richard "Levelord" Gray's is "SUYT" (Show Us Your Tits), Keith Schuler's is a stylized "KS", and Randy Pitchford's is "RSP III DUVAL MAGIC" (Duval Magic was his stage name as a magician, and is used as his Twitter username).

These signatures show some interesting information for Critical Mass (E4L8). The readme that comes with the game states that Keith Schuler made Critical Mass, but both Keith's and Leverlord's signatures can be found on the level, showing that Levelord originally worked on it before it was taken over by Keith, as Levelord quit during the production of Atomic Edition in August 1996.

Leftover Editor Messages#

BUILD.EXE, the level editor included with most releases of Duke Nukem 3D, has a number of profane messages hidden inside. These messages are only accessible with a hex editor.

YOUR MOTHER IS A WHORE
YOU SUCK DONKEY 
FUCK IN PISS ANT
PISS ANT
SLOW

According to Ken Silverman, these were debug messages implemented by Allen Blum which were displayed when the framerate got too low. The lower the framerate, the more profane the message.

Miscellaneous Oddities#

• Most of the Sentry Drone's sounds have "SNAK" in their filenames, this is a remnant of the cut Snake Head enemy from the game's development that the Sentry Drone had replaced.

References#