29 Duke Nukem 3D -v - Ico 100

[Lee]

Two great games, for very different reasons. One would be classed as a work of art, the other amazingly fun. Who wins? You decide!

 

[X]

Oh man this is a tough match-up and a rotten one for Duke Nukem 3D. Ico is a stunning game both visually and in it's gameplay, but man I grew up on Duke Nukem 3D and have a serious nostalgic bond for it. I wouldn't fault anyone for voting for Ico here as it really is a piece of art, but Duke Nukem 3D is just too close to my heart to vote against it. Killing aliens in strip clubs has never been so damned fun.

 

[Loveless]

To put this into the simplest terms, Ico was an emotionally engaging and beautiful work of art for people who like adventure and puzzles. Duke Nukem was for douchebags.

 

[X]

To put this into the simplest terms, Ico was an emotionally engaging and beautiful work of art for people who like adventure and puzzles. Duke Nukem was for douchebags.

What a terrible fucking analysis of this match-up. It's quite possible to enjoy the hell out of Duke Nukem 3D without being a douchebag, I assure you. Duke Nukem 3D was a beloved game when it came out, and for good reason. Next to pro wrestling and heavy metal it was my counter-culture drug of choice in the 90s. Duke was an anti-hero just like Steve Austin, and I loved hearing him shout barbs and crack jokes while killing aliens in strip clubs. About two years ago, when Lee first ran this tournament, I was reminded of this game as it was included. So I went and I downloaded a port to the PC to play it again for nostalgia's sake. And it was just as awesome as when I was a kid, maybe even better. I spent most of that summer playing Duke Nukem 3D and reliving my golden days with video games as a kid. Duke Nukem 3D has a special place in my heart, and I truly hope that other people who had a similar connection jump in and voice their support for this game.

Don't get me wrong, Ico is great. Scratch that, it's stunning actually. Beautiful graphics, brilliant story, great mechanics, it's got the whole package really. But damnit, Duke Nukem was flat out just funner in every way. Ico is a game that you would think about as you went along and chipped away at it slowly, and when you got fed up with the difficulty you'd shut it off and go play Duke Nukem 3D for the sheer fun of it.

Really just a bad draw for Duke Nukem here, but I still feel it's the superior game of the two.

 

[Loveless]

What a terrible fucking analysis of this match-up. It's quite possible to enjoy the hell out of Duke Nukem 3D without being a douchebag, I assure you. Duke Nukem 3D was a beloved game when it came out, and for good reason. Next to pro wrestling and heavy metal it was my counter-culture drug of choice in the 90s. Duke was an anti-hero just like Steve Austin, and I loved hearing him shout barbs and crack jokes while killing aliens in strip clubs.

See I just saw it as tasteless, offensive and aimed towards angry little pricks who could giggle at rude words and tits. Counter-culture douchebaggery at it's finest. That's all it has to offer gaming history because it certainly wasn't the best game in it's genre by any stretch of the imagination.
I kind of doubt this draw could have picked 2 games further apart. Whereas Duke Nukem is ugly and lazy, you could never accuse Ico of being either.

 

[Lee]

Ico wins.