Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem)

by Resaurus

Who's the most testosterone-charged, female-objectifying, explosion-loving badass to ever hit the video game world? Duke Nukem is his name, and he's come a long way from his early 2D platform roots to the awesomely fun, feminist nightmare that was Duke Nukem 3D, and now to the "oh-for-the-love-of-god-let's-hope-they- -release-it-this-bloody-time" Duke Nukem Forever. The great (but now defunct) Resaurus kindly granted our wishes and released a set of action figures straight from the 3D incarnation of Duke's exploits, complete with two variations of the man himself. (Normal, babe-loving Duke as I'm reviewing here, and Night Strike Duke as well as enemies Pig Cop, Octobrain and Overlord, all complete with high detailing, articulation and accessories.)

on Duke is fine; my only complaint lies in his oversized hands, which seem to have been on the same steroids the rest of his body (minus head) were on. But since they hold his equally-oversized weapons with a tight grip, it's only a minor problem. Duke is fitted with his typical manly clothes: tough leather boots, tight blue trousers and a dark purple vest, as well as his sunglasses (painted on) and a utility belt, all suited for alien killing and world saving.

As far as weapons go, Duke is nicely armed to the teeth and is finally able to answer the continually pondered question, "Where do you keep all those guns?" Duke sports a bloodied knife, two MP5 Sub-Machine Guns (none of which were in the game, but never mind), his enormous Devastator (for the uninformed, a large double-barreled stinger-missile launcher) and the famed Freeze Thrower, all of which he can hold at once thanks to some fancy peg-holes in the figure. Simply attaching the Devastator to his back (which doubles as a Jet Pack for imaginative players), the Freeze Thrower to the Devastator and then the Sub-Machine Guns to his leg-holders allows him to pose with all 5 of his weapons at once, a nifty feature to those who want to display Duke looking as tough as possible. (I must note that only a lucky few will actually own the Freeze Thrower, an internet exclusive that was only available from select retailers.) The detail on the weapons is great; I like the bloody-splatter effect on the knife, and the silver-wash on the guns is authentic.

The other paint and detailing on Duke is of Resaurus standard; great, but not McFarlane, which works for the cartoon-ish Duke. The smirk on his face is priceless. The paint application is all good, with no smudges or splashes, and the detailing is nice. Articulation is also very good, with 12 points overall, 3 on each arm, 2 on each leg, and joints at the midsection and neck, Duke is nicely poseable and able to kick ass in any pose you want.

Speaking of poseability, Duke is definitely a playable toy, despite not being suitable for the kids. He's highly durable, aside from some loose wrist joints, and his articulation suitable -- you can use him to re-enact all the Hong Kong action movie stunts you want, where he flips backwards shooting everything in sight with a gun in each hand. He really packs heat holding the Devastator (attached FreezeThrower optional) and, as mentioned, the imaginative players can pretend that the Devastator attached to his back is a jet pack, and can use him as a flying toy.

Duke is an overall great action figure, and it's a shame that Resaurus no longer exists to sell it. Fortunately, you can find this toy and others in Comic Con lineups and at eBay easily, and usually at a decent price.

For us grown-ups, the toy is a colorful and distasteful guilty pleasure, much like the game.

- Shocka

(July 22, 2002)