}Duke Nukem 3D was the first released 3D Realms game to use the Build engine,
}which 3D Realms developed in-house, used for Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior,
}and licensed to other companies to develop games with.  Version 1.0 of Duke
}Nukem was the first shareware version of the game; it was released on
}January 29, 1996.  On February 20, 1996, version 1.1 was released, and on
}April 24, 1996, the final shareware version of the game, 1.3d, was
}released.  (There were no versions released between v1.1 and v1.3d.)  The
}regular registered version of the game was originally $39.95 and also
}contained the complete registered versions of Duke Nukem I and II.  v1.3d
}was the final version of the shareware edition of the game.  It was also
}the first version produced in registered form, there was no registered
}v1.0, 1.1, or 1.2.

An upgrade called the Plutonium PAK, which contained additional levels,
was released later that year and cost $19.95.  Installing the Plutonium
PAK upgraded the version number to 1.4.  On November 27, 1996, Duke
Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition was released and sold for $49.95.  The Atomic
Edition was equivalent to v1.3d with the Plutonium PAK, but the Atomic
Edition did not ship with the registered versions of Duke Nukem I and II.
On December 12, 1996, version 1.5 of the Atomic Edition was released.
Later v1.3d was discontinued, and the Atomic Edition was the only way to
buy the game, unless you happen upon a discount bin at a computer store
that still has some copies.  The Plutonium PAK was discontinued in late
December 2001 or early January 2002.  Much later, GT Interactive started
distributing the "Kill-A-Ton Collection," which has everything Duke in it:
the full versions of Duke Nukem I, II, 3D, 3D: Atomic, plus miscellaneous
add-ons.  3D Realms never had anything to do with the Kill-A-Ton Collection.
GT Interactive has since discontinued it.

In 1996, as new versions of Duke Nukem 3D were being released, Keith Schuler,
fresh from his Realms of Chaos project (released in November 1995) was working
on a new Duke Nukem side scroller that would be called Duke Nukem Forever.
This project was cancelled in mid-1996 when Schuler stopped working on it to
work instead on the Plutonium Pak for Duke Nukem 3D.

In 1997, work on another 3D Duke game began, although production didn't begin
in earnest until after the E3 trade show in 1998.  Although it had nothing
to do with the aborted side scroller project from 1996, the decision was made
to recycle the name and call the new 3D game "Duke Nukem Forever."  Meanwhile,
3D Realms licensed the Duke Nukem character out to companies that developed
console games.  In 1997, Duke Nukem 3D was ported to the Sega Saturn, Tiger
Electronics, Nintendo 64 (as Duke Nukem 64), and the Sony Playstation (as Duke
Nukem: Total Meltdown).  Later original Duke Nukem games were developed for
console systems, starting with Duke Nukem: Time To Kill, for the Sony
Playstation, which was released on October 12, 1998.  Duke Nukem: Zero Hour,
for the Nintendo 64, was released on September 1, 1999; nine days later, on
the 10th, Duke Nukem: Color Gameboy was released for the Nintendo Gameboy.
On September 27, 2000, Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes was released for the Sony
Playstation.

}On April 1, 2003, the Duke Nukem 3D source code was released.