Before I start, I should clarify a few things. My dad is a wonderful person. He doesn't do steroids, he's not sexist, he doesn't spend all of his time in strip clubs and drinking (he doesn't drink at all actually), and he is a very nice person. He is not masochist, he doesn't make suggestive jokes. He is a great person, and what you think of Duke Nukem is not what my dad is.
This blog is a dedication to everything I owe my dad. He has given me a great home; he has encouraged me, helped me through school, and participated in my life. He's done so much that I would never be able to repay him. So because of all these reasons, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why I compare him to Duke Nukem. A person most people would not want to be compared to. It all starts with my history in video games, and my earliest memory with them.
Duke Nukem 3D was originally released January 31, 1996. It was re-released in November 1996 as the "Atomic Edition". This included the original three campaigns, and a new fourth one titled "The Birth". This was the version my family owned, the atomic edition. I was born March 26, 1995. If you do the math I am currently 16 years old, I played Duke Nukem 3D when I was three years old. In 1998 I had my first video game memory.
Let me tell you what the vision of my dad was when I was a kid. I thought he was the most popular person in the world. My dad actually knows a lot of people, no matter where we go, he almost sees someone he knows, I don't know anyone who dislikes him either, just like Duke Nukem. My dad is also a very strong person. This one goes without saying that it's like Duke Nukem. My dad is a very funny person; he always has great one liners and has great stories to tell. This is more like Duke Nukem.
Now as a kid, I was very innocent. Even while playing Duke Nukem. My dad and I were not very good at the game so we only ever beat the first level of LA Meltdown on Piece of Cake difficulty (easy). I would peek my head over our couch and watch my dad play. He would see me watching and invite me to play with him, he would walk around and aim and I would shoot. As a kid I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
The fact that we didn't get very far was probably a good thing. We would fool around in the second level, and the first levels of the other campaigns. But the first levels in each campaign are actually pretty tame. At least they were for as far as we got. Therefore what I saw of Duke Nukem made me think that, "Hey, this man is exactly like my dad, the world loves him, he's strong, he's funny, this is awesome!"
Eventually I learned how to start the game on our computer myself and move so I stopped playing with my dad, and my dad realized he wasn't actually bad at the game, but all the moving made him dizzy. So I started playing by myself. I was bad at the game for one main reason… I didn't understand how to aim. I used the arrow keys to move, the up arrow moved me forward, left arrow key turns left, down key moves backward, and right key turns right. I then used the left control key to shoot, space bar to jump, and the 1-9 and 0 keys to change weapons. I could still beat the first level, but it was considerably more difficult. It wasn't until years later (how many, I'm not sure) that I found out the mouse could be used to aim, but by then our computers were updated and the game would crash after the first level.
Now I have it downloaded on my iPhone and Xbox 360 and still play it frequently. I don't compare my current day view of Duke Nukem to my dad, but my view of him as a child is a great way I would describe my dad. I thought Duke was a respectful person, but I was very wrong. Now that I'm older I do understand what Duke Nukem is, but the game is still great. I pre-ordered the collector's edition of Duke Nukem: Forever. This game is very different compared to the old game I played on my old computer. Duke Nukem: Forever I still find enjoyable, especially because of the old nostalgic feeling of it. It is a linear shooter that feels old, but I almost enjoy the fact that it feels old more than if it felt new.
One of my favourite things about my dad is his jokes. He is very arrogant, in a funny way. He makes jokes about how awesome he is, but he is very respectful still. If you want to sit down and have a serious conversation with him he will be serious and not talk about how great he is, but otherwise he is fine with making jokes. So Duke reminds me the most of my dad when people compliment Duke and Duke plays off on it. My sisters and I recently sent my parents on a cruise for their 25th anniversary. On that cruise they made a stop in a casino, and this elderly lady sits down next to my dad. My mom went to the washroom and the entire time this lady is talking to my dad about her stories. When my mom returns the elderly lady starts telling my mom how great my dad is, how he must be the perfect husband and dad, how good looking he is. Needless to say, this is very Duke.
A kid's dad is a child's view at Duke Nukem, completely awesome. Anyone old enough to understand Duke's character won't agree that they are similar. But to a child, their dad will be the most awesome person in the world, just like how Duke is portrayed in all of his games. I just wanted to take a trip down memory lane with this blog and think about how great my dad is. Happy father's day to all the father's out there, I think my dad is the greatest in the world, and I hope your kids think the same of you.
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