Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project

Most people know Duke Nukem only from his 3D adventures. Those who recall the heyday of shareware, however, will remember that Duke got his start in a pair of 2D side scrollers. Sunstorm Interactive, best known for the Deer Hunter games, has returned Duke to his roots. Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is a traditional side-scrolling action game with modern technical trappings. It's straightforward and good-looking, and its budget price helps make up for the fact that it could have used some more fine-tuning.

Most of the boss fights are uninspired.Manhattan Project is made up of eight episodes that consist of three levels each. It's a good-sized game, and it ends at just about the time it gets boring. The environments are diverse, and the introduction of new enemies, weapons, and challenges is paced well enough to keep things interesting. Just as the basic gameplay starts to get a little repetitive, the game will throw some new activity your way. For instance, at the end of level three, you'll need to jump your way to the first car of a moving subway, leaping over and ducking under oncoming beams. The final episode takes place on a space station, and the lower gravity means you must readjust your jumping patterns. Manhattan Project could have benefited from more diverse challenges like these, but the few it throws at you are fun.



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