UK development house Eurocom, best known for a rock-solid N64 port of Midway's Mortal Kombat 4 and, not coincidentally, GT Interactive's enhanced Duke Nukem 64, is also behind the latest Duke adventure for the 64-bit console. Called Duke Nukem: Zero Hour, the game is very much like the PlayStation Time to Kill in that it features a third-person view, but Eurocom has worked a little magic of its own for an optional high-resolution mode with the use of Nintendo's 4MB Expansion Pak, a control setup inspired by the Turok franchise and loads of audio samples thanks to a whopping 32MB cart. All of the above combined with strong level layout and pretty visuals amount for a game that is definitely worthy of the Duke name despite some notable shortcomings.
The Facts
- 32MB (256 megabit) cartridge -- the same size as Zelda 64.
- More than 30 different levels ranging through time.
- Tons of traditional Duke enemies as well as new foes.
- A huge selection of more than 20 weapons.
- Loads of audio samples and one-liners.
- Four-player deathmatch mode.
- 4MB Expansion Pak support for optional high-resolution mode.
- Hidden secrets and cheats.
- Rumble Pak support.
In Duke's latest adventure, the gun-toting bad-ass learns of an alien plot to destroy mankind. But this is no ordinary, run-of-the mill alien plot like Duke has fended off so many times in the past, this is the real deal. The aliens have been experimenting with time travel with two objectives in mind: travel back and sabotage key events in human history, thereby setting in motion an unraveling of sorts that will ultimately wipe mankind off Earth. And, travel to the past and eliminate Duke's ancestors, an interesting group of folk made up of patriotic heroes, cowboys, and English royalty, thus erasing present-day Nukem before he's even born. But Duke isn't about to let that happen without a fight.
Zero Hour sets players out on a quest through multiple time periods, including all of the following:
- Post apocalyptic and present day streets of New York City where he will fight throughout the streets, at and in the Statue of Liberty, and on destroyed highways throughout the metropolitan area.
- The Old West where he will face his adversaries in western towns, jails, on paddle steamers, in old western forts, and in mines.
- Victorian England in and about towns, in graveyards, on rivers,in airships, inside island castles and inside scientists labs.
Gameplay
Zero Hour utilizes a control scheme similar to that of the Turok franchise. Players use the four camera (C) buttons to move around. C-Up and C-Down move forward and backward, while C-Left and C-Right enable Duke to strafe to the left or right. Meanwhile, aiming is executed with the analog stick. The R button works as jump, and subs a zoom-in view when players are using the sniper rifle. The D-Pad is used for selecting weapons (by pressing left or right) and items (by pressing up or down) and L is used to execute items. For example, if a player wants to use a gas mask, they must first select it with the D-Pad and then execute it the L button. The control system is a bit confusing at first, but grows on players quickly. Considering all the options and commands Duke has in Zero Hour, the Turok-inspired style seems to best suit players, offering them a wide degree of control and the ability to aim and shoot while running and strafing. And for those who simply cannot deal with this type of configuration, there is an option to re-configure controls.
The game plays in a linear, straight-forward fashion. Duke runs through levels blasting enemies, activating switches, acquiring new weapons and items and moving on. All of this works fine. Levels are big and challenging even when played on Normal setting (as opposed to Difficult). But there are problems. The biggest oversight in the game is its lack of any real save points during levels. This, combined with the fact that some of the areas Duke encounters are scripted with enemies and objects that are sure to catch our hero by surprise (and catch players at a disadvantage) the first time around, can make for a very frustrating experience at times. Here's what happens: Players encounter new area after 30 minutes of play. Something unpredictable happens, killing Duke. Players are then made to start over at the very beginning of the level, which has now restarted itself again with all enemies present and everything to be replayed. It's very unrewarding and can (will) break some gamers' ambition very easily. More than a few IGN editors quit playing Zero Hour altogether after a few such incidents.
All of this is made all the worse by the fact that otherwise Duke Nukem: Zero Hour is a highly enjoyable experience. Control is tight, levels are well-designed (though difficult at times) and weapons work in an extremely intuitive manner. From automatic pistols to shotguns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, nukes, freeze-rays and alien gadgets, the weaponry in the game is fantastic. The sniper rifle is particular ingenious, enabling players to zoom in on an enemy, target a specific part of its body and fire away. Heads can be shot clean off, as can mid-sections. It's even possible to shoot an enemy in the groin, where he/it will drop to its knees in pain and grab the area shot.
Multiplayer
This came as a bit of a surprise. Zero Hour's (first-person) multiplayer mode is very smooth and filled with options. There are more than 15 different levels to "Duke it out" in and a number of options. Players can select from straightforward Deathmatch, or King of the Hill, Last Man Standing and Team Duke Match. It's all self-explanatory stuff. While the action doesn't unfold quite as quickly as a multiplayer game of Turok 2, it is very solid in the framerate department. Our only gripe is that the sniper rifle, which kills players with one bullet flat, is far too powerful a weapon to be used in this mode. Whoever holds the sniper rifle -- and can use it -- is likely to be almost unbeatable.
Graphics
Zero Hour is unbearably choppy... if you play the title in high-resolution mode. If players own the 4MB Expansion Pak the game automatically switches to high-resolution mode despite the fact that it's too slow. This is odd. If you own the Pak, we suggest switching to low-resolution before playing. There is a big difference. While Zero Hour still features a bit of chop now and again in low-resolution, it's generally much faster and still looks very good.
Developer Eurocom has outdone itself with some of Duke's visuals. The game features huge levels with giant skyscrapers, multiple enemies on-screen and a truckload of particle effects to boot. Duke is well-modeled and detailed, as are his foes. There is no fogging (save for the Victorian levels and it is used here for effect only). Textures are generally crisp and good looking -- and funny. There are posters everywhere. One pokes fun at the Turok franchise. Others have nearly naked women strutting their stuff on them. Still others barely slip by Nintendo's censors with wacky sexual references disguised as food advertisements. Meanwhile, the particle effect system really shines like no game before it. Shooting off a nuke sends waves of fire through the sky and around Duke, there is a lightning-type weapon that achieves a similar effect. Real-time light effects illuminate hallways, explosions do the same. Quite frankly, the game is a visual treat.
Again, the only real problem with the title in terms of graphics is its fluidity. The framerate is inconsistent, even in low-resolution mode. There are times when Zero Hour takes a considerable hit in framerates, especially with multiple explosions and particle effects going off at once. It's nothing that is unforgivable, mind you, but it would have been nice to have a totally smooth Nukem experience for Nintendo's 64-bit machine -- or any shooter for that matter.
Sound
32MBs goes a long way. Duke Nukem: Zero Hour features a whole mess of sound samples, music and consequently game-engine cut-scenes. One-liners, which range from, "Mess with the best, die like the rest!" to "Come get some," and "Oh, that's gotta hurt," are plentiful. Everyone and everything seems to growl, grunt or talk. Even the women Duke rescues now and again have something to say -- usually sexual -- like, "Oh Duke, I knew you'd... come." You figure it out. If you're unsure as to whether this game has enough Duke umph for your buck, you needn't worry about the one-liner fill -- or sound quality in general.
Verdict
Duke Nukem: Zero Hour is a very good action-shooter that, with a few improvements, could have been a classic. The game's 4MB Expansion Pak enabled high-resolution mode is too slow to be played and its glaring lack of save-points really puts a hamper in replay value, as gamers may eventually grow too frustrated with the title to give it another shot. However, if players don't mind Duking in low-resolution mode and can live without save-points, Zero Hour comes highly recommended thanks to top control, lots of environments to explore, more baddies to kill than ever before, an excellent multiplayer mode and extremely pretty visuals. All in all this game is still an excellent buy despite some significant shortcomings.