Released in 1991 as the shareware first episode of the original Duke Nukem, Shrapnel City introduced players to the action hero long before his famous 3D adventures. Set in the near-future year of 1997, the game follows Duke as he battles the sinister Dr. Proton, whose army of deadly Techbots has devastated Los Angeles in an attempt to conquer the world. Duke must fight through ten action-packed levels filled with enemy robots, deadly traps, hidden secrets, and powerful upgrades before confronting the mad scientist’s forces.
Built as a fast-paced side-scrolling platform shooter, Shrapnel City combines responsive gameplay with destructible environments, collectible power-ups, secret areas, and bonus objectives that reward exploration. Its colorful EGA graphics, smooth scrolling, and arcade-inspired action helped establish Apogee as one of the leading PC game developers of the early 1990s. As the first chapter in the original Duke Nukem trilogy, it laid the foundation for one of gaming’s most recognizable action franchises.
