- Telee - @Telee

Redneck Rampage: Suckin' Grits on Route 66 (DOS)

Suckin' Grits, while being a good expansion, fails at its vacation theme

The Good
Suckin' Grits on Route 66 is an expansion pack to Redneck Rampage. Instead of fighting in Hickston, Arkansas, the two rednecks go to Washington.

In order to succeed, Suckin' Grits needs to stay true to the original game. And in that, it succeeds. In Suckin' Grits, you'll go to truck stops, flea markets and even an alligator farm. All the levels are both creative and designed well. The new art is also well done and fits with the theme.

Suckin' Grits does not feature new weaponry, which is good because the old arsenal fits well in these missions. There's one new enemy, alligators. They move slow and bite you up close (I'll explain the downside in the negative section). The pigs have also been altered so some of them attack you on sight.

The Bad
Suckin' Grits doesn't have too many mistakes. The only minor one I found was that the alligators can bite you through walls. But, Suckin' Grits has one huge mistake; its vacation theme. It's shocking to me that this was made by the same people that created Duke it out in D.C. and Duke Caribbean.

Suckin' Grits is supposed to take place in a vacation atmosphere. Not really. You'll see no national monuments, unless you count the Hoover Dam. The closest thing to a vacation is in the first level, a very small amusement park, and a mini golf park. After that you'll go to Flea Markets and Meat Packaging Plants.

The Bottom Line
If you enjoyed Redneck Rampage you'll probably enjoy this too - But if you expect it to change the Redneck atmosphere then you'd better stay away.

By - Telee - on February 18, 2007

WWII GI (DOS)

A step down from NAM

The Good
WWII GI is a sequel to NAM; instead of fighting in the Vietnam war, you fight in World War II, as the title suggests. My favorite thing about WWII GI is the level design - the entire game takes place in France, and WWII GI succeeds in that. You'll fight in towns taken by the Germans, and it definitely looks like it. WWII GI has lots of cool features that are pretty cool for a build game. You'll find Anti-Aircraft guns that actually shoot missiles into the air, as well as planes that fly by and drop missiles/supplies down at you. Pretty cool. There's also tanks, and while they don't move they succeed in sending a chill down your spine when you hear their grinding noises.

The Bad
WWII GI was definitely a step down from its prequel, NAM. In NAM, you could use gun-emplacements on your enemies. Not anymore. Also, the weapons are cool but lack reloading animations, except for the Thompson and MP-40 - the rest just shake around when reloading.

Also, the developers apparently didn't take a hint with NAM's difficulty - WWII GI is even worse. You now have a morale meter - whenever you are shot at or your buddies die, it decreases. The lower it is, the worse your accuracy is. While this is an interesting feature it just makes you hate the game even more.

Finally, WWII GI has very little music - as such, they repeated the same songs over and over again. You'll probably end up turning it off.

The Bottom Line
If you enjoyed NAM then you should probably get WWII GI. It has the same gameplay with a couple bad points, but you'll still have a good time with it.

By - Telee - on February 18, 2007

NAM (DOS)

Interesting game ruined by insane difficulty

The Good
NAM is a first-person shooter set in the Vietnam war. As such, you can use many true-to-war tactics to survive, such as set mines and call air-strikes. You can also use mounted machine-guns to eliminate VCs (your allies can too!). These kind of things are very interesting and amazing for a build game.

NAM also has mostly above-average level design. The jungles are covered with foliage and the occasional river, as well as APCs, trucks and other cool vehicles used in the war. You'll also experience napalm strikes and hear your friends screaming and yelling for help through their radios. This really makes you feel like you are an average grunt in the war.

The Bad
NAM feels like a cheesy Duke Nukem 3D TC, definitely. The HUD is practically the same, the enemies are all edited versions of Duke's sprite and the claymore is almost identical to the trip-mine. The mission briefings are also horribly recorded. But most of all, NAM is insanely difficult. Due to the foliage and bad AI the enemy can see you, but you can't see them. Snipers kill you almost instantly, mines are tiny and spread all over and you'll be pressing the quick-load button time after time. Also, if an ally encounters an obstacle he will fly over it - he seriously looks like he's jumping on the moon.

The Bottom Line
Most people get frustrated by NAM's difficulty and judge it as a horrible game - but look further, and NAM is actually half decent. If you can find NAM at a reasonable price get it, but if you absolutely refuse to use god mode occasionally then wait for another Vietnam shooter to come.

By - Telee - on February 18, 2007

Duke it out in D.C. (DOS)

A high-quality episode that even challenges the original Duke maps.

The Good
Duke it out in D.C. was the first of three add-ons for Duke Nukem 3D, and it definitely packs a punch. DC is a ten-level episode with large, high-quality maps. You'll see historically accurate locations such as the Capitol Building, the Smithsonian, and the White House. You also see what hides outside the commonly-known areas including the DC sewer system and a secret government time machine. Levels are entertaining with excellent design and little to no mistakes. Duke it out in D.C. also includes a new ending animation that concludes your quest for the president.

The Bad
Well, Duke it out in D.C. was pretty much perfect for me. There is no new music, but the episode 3 music really fits with the levels so there's nothing wrong with that I guess. There's also a couple texture choices that weren't so smart but there's so little it doesn't matter.

The Bottom Line
Duke it out in D.C. is an amazing add-on with superb levels. With unique locations and lots of replay value Duke it out in D.C. is an excellent purchase for any fan of Duke.

By - Telee - on February 18, 2007

Duke: Nuclear Winter (DOS)

A below-average add-on

The Good
Duke Nuclear Winter adds a whole new episode to Duke Nukem 3D. The best thing about it is probably the new enemies; evil snowmen that hurl deadly snowballs at you, and two new enemies that drop presents when they die. These presents can be opened and contain a random item/weapon. The sounds and music (.MIDs of classic Christmas songs) are mostly nice too. There is also a cool new boss that acts just like Duke and shoots rockets. Levels are fun to play. There are new beginning and ending animations too.

The Bad
Lots of bad things with this. First off, the level design is below average. There are lots of lighting and trimming errors, bad texture choices, and empty areas. The first two levels are ripped from the original Duke3D, just with added areas and changed textures. The rest of the levels are a combination of the things I said above. The new enemies (besides the evil snowman) are just enemy replacements with little to no new code. There are no new weapons, which is a disappointment because weapons with a Christmas theme would have been pretty cool. The Christmas clothes for the old enemies are poorly drawn and add barely anything (the lizard troop wears a Santa hat and the enforcer has barely noticable antlers). Also, unlike the other add-ons, Duke Nuclear Winter requires Atomic edition, leaving 1.3d users in the cold. Finally, there are dozens of ripped textures from other games such as Shadow Warrior. There is simply no excuse for this.

The Bottom Line
All in all, Duke Nuclear Winter is a below-average add-on with too many mistakes. If you can find it at a very low price, get it. Otherwise, stick with the other (better) add-ons by Sunstorm: Duke Caribbean and Duke It Out In D.C.

By - Telee - on February 17, 2007

Duke Caribbean: Life's A Beach (DOS)

Probably the best add-on for any game, ever!

The Good
Duke Caribbean, no doubt, has a very unique setting. Instead of LA, DC or the North Pole, Duke is sent to the tropical beaches. And in that, it succeeds. Duke Caribbean has a wonderful atmosphere. You'll find seagulls, Caribbean music, babes on the beach and even a beach ball to kick around. You'll go to hotel resorts and water parks; lots of interesting areas. Unlike DC or Nuclear Winter, Caribbean is a total conversion - everything has been changed, even Duke's pants.

The Bad
Duke Caribbean, in my opinion, was almost near perfect, but, of course, not all games are perfect. For starters, Duke Caribbean, like most add-ons, is short. One episode. As such, I would not recommend speedrunning it the first time through. Second, Duke Caribbean is very easy; you'll have your health well over 50 most of the time. Third, because they needed an actor, the enforcer (chaingun lizard) was cut and replaced with the beach babe. Finally, after the cruise ship you go to jungles and an underwater alien base. While the level design is nice and creative, the final levels don't really fit in the caribbean theme very well.

The Bottom Line
If you finished Duke Nukem 3D wanting more, or your getting tired of ravaging LA, you'll find everything you want in Duke Caribbean. The weapons are fun to use, the enemies are humorous, and the levels are unique. I'd recommend getting Duke Caribbean since it's not only one of the best add-ons ever, it's also increasingly rare nowadays.

By - Telee - on February 17, 2007