Duke Nukem 3D: Episode 1 – L.A. Meltdown

Lore & Background

In the near future, an alien race known as the Cycloid Empire launches a full-scale invasion of Earth, beginning with Los Angeles. The city crumbles as aliens pour from hidden underground bases, abduct civilians, and turn landmarks like the Hollywood sign and a movie studio into warped strongholds. Duke Nukem, a macho action hero and former celebrity, is the only one with the guts and firepower to fight back—armed with an arsenal from pistols to pipe bombs, and a mouth that never runs out of ammo. The episode's locations—a smoldering movie set, a flooded street lined with adult theaters, and a prison turned alien fortress—show the invasion's brutal spread. The aliens wield force fields, teleporters, and laser cannons, but Duke's brute force and knack for finding hidden stashes of health and armor keep him ahead. It all ends in a subterranean reactor core, where Duke faces the Battlelord, a towering alien commander with a chaingun arm and a mean streak. L.A. Meltdown introduces key mythos: the pig cops (mutant humanoids parodying Total Recall), the iconic shrink ray that turns enemies into squishy puddles, and Duke's catchphrases like 'Come get some.' It also establishes the game's signature interactivity—urinals you can flush, walls you can blow open, and arcade machines that spit out extra lives.

In Their Own Story

The sirens wail over a burning Los Angeles. Duke Nukem, fresh from a workout and still in his tank top, steps out of his trailer to find the Hollywood sign replaced by alien glyphs. A pig-faced cop snarls, raises its gun, and opens fire. Duke grins, grabs his shotgun, and mutters, 'It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum... and I'm all out of gum.' The invasion has begun—and Duke is the only one who can end it, one explosive one-liner at a time.

Reader's Guide

L.A. Meltdown consists of three levels: 'Hollywood Holocaust,' 'Red Light District,' and 'Death Row.' In the first level, Duke escapes his trailer, blasts through a movie set where aliens have replaced the actors, and discovers alien tech in a strip club's backroom. The second level wades through a flooded city street, past a pornographic theater (where you can tip the dancer), and into a subway system crawling with aliens—ending with a boss fight against a giant alien brain that fires lightning. The final level is a prison complex where Duke rescues hostages, navigates a reactor core filled with toxic slime, and defeats the Battlelord in a cramped, explosive showdown. The episode matters because it sets the template: fast-paced combat, environmental puzzles (like finding a keycard in a toilet), and a satirical tone that takes shots at everything from Hollywood to public indecency. It also introduces core mechanics—the jetpack for reaching high ledges, night-vision goggles for dark tunnels, and interactive objects like slot machines that can pay out extra lives. The ending, with Duke escaping the exploding reactor just in time, cements the series' cliffhanger tradition.

Did You Know?

• The 'Red Light District' level features a functional slot machine that can award extra lives if the player gets three cherries.
• The Battlelord boss at the end of the episode was originally designed for an unreleased game called 'Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller' before being repurposed for Duke Nukem 3D.
• The pig cop enemies are a parody of the 1990 film 'Total Recall,' which features a mutant with a pig-like appearance.