Duke Nukem 3D [Complete Version]

At the beginning of the development of the game, they briefly considered making it a first-person sidescroller, the idea was almost immediately abandoned.

Duke Nukem 3D was released at the same time as id Software's Quake. Although both were very different games with a unique level of innovation, there still was some stiff rivalry between them. This is expressed best by the Duke himself in level E3L4 (LA Rumble). In the centre of the level, there is a replica of the Texas HQ of id Software. On a small ledge in front of the building, there is a sign Quake site. Jump on the sign to set off an earthquake. The Duke responds: "I ain't afraid of no quake".

The first level of the game is very closely based on John Carpenter's cult movie, Escape from New York.

In the third level of the first episode, there's a secret passage in the prison chapel that leads to the rat-infested body of the main character from DOOM. He's even in the same death pose as in DOOM. Upon seeing him Duke says "That's one doomed space marine". 3D Realms continued this trend in Shadow Warrior where they nailed Lara Croft to a wall.

In the chapel, there is also a hanging monk up towards the ceiling. It's a Deathfire Monk from Rise of the Triad: Dark War, portrayed by Allen Blum who designed this level.

In the Hotel Hell level there is a secret place where Indiana Jones is speared to a wall, on which Duke comments: "We meet again, Dr. Jones".

The third level of the second episode, "Warp Factor", has two hidden secrets, both of which refer to the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation. After revealing both, the player can visit the bridge of the Enterprise, NCC-1701D, as well as Picard's "Ready Room".

The 7th level of the second episode, Tiberius Station, was named after the fictional character James Tiberius Kirk from the original Star Trek.

A secret in the 8th level of the second episode, Lunar Reactor, makes a reference to a scene from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes where Luke is hung upside down from a cave. Unlike in the film, Luke didn't quite make it, and only a bloody corpse is left. Duke comments, also referring to the movie, "Now this is a force to be reckoned with!"

In the 9th level of the second episode, Dark Side, near the end of the level the player will find a black obelisk. The obelisk is a reference to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In the level Freeway (a secret level in the third episode) there is a reference to the original Terminator movie, namely the scene where the Terminator gets squashed in a press. At some point in the level, the player will get to a building with conveyors. Following them deeper into the building will lead them to an RPG, and there a dead robot from the movie in a similar squasher can be seen. On entering it, Duke will prompt "Terminated!" Near the end of this level, the player will face a police car on its side with the number 54 on top. This is a homage to the TV show Car 54, Where Are You?
The blimp in E3L11 advertises for Homer Simpson's beer (although slightly misspelled).

The game came out during the OJ Simpson trial and there is one billboard reading "Innocent?" and three reading "Guilty!" to be found. Also, in E1L2 there is a bar with a TV that shows the OJ Simpson car chase.

There were Coke cans in the first two Duke Nukem games but not in Duke Nukem 3D, because 3D Realms was afraid of Coke coming down on them for using their cans.

Duke Nukem 3D is perhaps the earliest game to include an in-game reference to one of the creators' email address. In the first level go into the bathroom and have a close look at the bottom right corner of the wall with the urinals on it. It reads "stryker (at) Metronet.com". This was Allen Blum's email address for a while. Don't bother emailing it now as it became non-functional many years ago.

The game inspired a notable number of ports, mods and patches, both official and fan-made and continues to.