Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project

Platform: PC (Windows)
Genre: Action/Platformer
Developer: Sunstorm Interactive
Publisher: ARUSH Entertainment/Apogee Software/3D Realms Entertainment
Release: 21 May 2002
Rating: Mature
Price: $6

With Duke Nukem Forever finally on the horizon, now is the perfect time to become reacquainted with some of Duke's old adventures. Following the success of Duke Nukem 3D, Manhattan Project returned Duke to his side-scrolling roots. It is a well-made 2.5D action platformer, albeit slightly repetitive. The level design is rather well-done, however, ranging from New York's sewers, to the streets of Chinatown, to the city's rooftops, and manage to keep things interesting.
Most of the bosses are uncreative (being little more than souped-up versions of normal enemies), every level has an annoying keycard puzzle, and enemy placement can border on unfair at times, but the gameplay is tight and fun, so it's easy to look past Manhattan Project's faults.
Duke himself is the same humourously chauvinist character we've come to know and love, helping to push the game (and all of his games, in fact) from "average but fun" into "hilarious and awesome."
As a whole, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is the same flawed-yet-fun kind of game we have always expected from Duke (and can likely expect again in Forever), and it's hard to lose when it's only $6 on Good Old Games.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro