Well back in 2017 it turns out that Jordan Freeman was working a deal with 3D realms on some new series that didn’t pan out…

Jordan Freeman Group and ZOOM Platform Announce 3D Realms Partnership for Shadow Stalkers Episodic Computer and Video Game Series

However it appears that in addition to trying to get a game out, they also secured rights to resell the catalogue in some perpetual fashion. Neat

So for all the zoomer’s who’ve somehow never played the greatest boomer shooter of all time, you can score Duke Nukem 3D on the aptly named zoom-platform.com

It’s currently $4.99 USD, and it comes with all the DLC/Episodes!

Now let’s look at the infamous Megaton Edition on Steam (Yes I bought it years ago, no I didn’t hoard keys, because it didn’t feel like the game would up and disappear). So as you can see it has the addons Duke It Out in D.C., Nuclear Winter, and Caribbean: Life’s A Beach.

And launching from Steam, you can see it’s the ATOMIC edition. So there you go, not only can you sill buy it on Zoom Platform, it has MORE content, and yes it’s not $100+++ on the open market of keys, instead it’s for normal retail sale.

Let’s look at the GRP files:

From Steam:

D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Duke Nukem 3D\gameroot\duke3d.grp
D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Duke Nukem 3D\gameroot\addons\dc\dukedc.grp
D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Duke Nukem 3D\gameroot\addons\nw\nwinter.grp
D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Duke Nukem 3D\gameroot\addons\vacation\vacation.grp
D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Duke Nukem 3D\gameroot\classic\DUKE3D.GRP

And MD5’s:

22b6938fe767e5cc57d1fe13080cd522 duke3d.grp
8ab2e7328db4153e4158c850de82d7c0 addons\dc\dukedc.grp
1250f83dcc3588293f0ce5c6fc701b43 addons\nw\nwinter.grp
1c105ced73b776c172593764e9d0d93e addons\vacation\vacation.grp
22b6938fe767e5cc57d1fe13080cd522 classic\DUKE3D.GRP

And Zoom Platform

C:\ZOOM PLATFORMD Realms\Duke Nukem 3D - Atomic Edition\DUKE3D.GRP
C:\ZOOM PLATFORMD Realms\Duke Nukem 3D - Atomic Edition\AddOns\DUKE!ZON.GRP
C:\ZOOM PLATFORMD Realms\Duke Nukem 3D - Atomic Edition\AddOns\DUKEDC.GRP
C:\ZOOM PLATFORMD Realms\Duke Nukem 3D - Atomic Edition\AddOns\NWINTER.GRP
C:\ZOOM PLATFORMD Realms\Duke Nukem 3D - Atomic Edition\AddOns\PENTHOUS.GRP
C:\ZOOM PLATFORMD Realms\Duke Nukem 3D - Atomic Edition\AddOns\VACATION.GRP

And MD5’s

22b6938fe767e5cc57d1fe13080cd522 DUKE3D.GRP
4cd0e3d3f170107b97aeafe4ade09ecf AddOns\DUKE!ZON.GRP
ddb7149855b0a0d0f073c3f5bedf7161 AddOns\DUKEDC.GRP
1250f83dcc3588293f0ce5c6fc701b43 AddOns\NWINTER.GRP
6a5a1505e38070ac0ab75eb60835988d AddOns\PENTHOUS.GRP
860367326139361078d0fc8cb623b548 AddOns\VACATION.GRP

Interestingly the main game is the same, but the additional levels are different. I’ll have to dig more to see what is going on. At least Nuclear Winter is the same.

Granted I’ve owned them all in some fashion over the years so I can’t even keep track of how many times I’ve bought Duke Nukem 3D, but here we go.

Apparently Randy can’t do anything about it, as he’s pulled the Duke from everything else.

So I’ve been busy with the day job stuff, and although I had ordered this I haven’t had time to play Ion Fury until today.

And yes, I’m sure you’ve seen video of it all over, and it’s so out of place, as it squarely belongs in 1997. And it’s great. The musical oddity is using samples much like a MOD, instead of the full synth or CD sounds. But it’s all the more era appropriate that I’m sure with a 90MB data file it would have been on CD-ROM, although I guess in the day it’d have audio tracks that would be quickly lost in the mists of time like the Quake 1/2 soundtrack.

I’m absolute crap, but it was fun enough to play. Although I did get ‘lost’ in the fan service, I didn’t realize I could make those jumps between the giant fans in the ventilation area.

So yes, this being a 3-D Realms experience means it’s not on rails. And the maps feel absolutely massive, and just look so great.

And it’s pretty cheap too! Although I think that is the local pricing for Hong Kong. For just under $110 it’s a steal.

From the sales blurb:

· While Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison earned her codename defusing bombs for the Global Defense Force, when evil transhumanist mastermind Dr. Jadus Heskel unleashes the members of his cybernetic cult onto the streets of Neo DC, she knows it’s time to start causing explosions instead of preventing them.
· Her quest to slay Heskel leaves a trail of carnage throughout huge, multi-path levels filled with gigantic explosions, more secret areas than we can count, and inhuman foes behind every corner. There’s no regenerating health here; stop taking cover and start running and gunning.
· Shelly’s crusade to take down Heskel’s army will see her leave destruction in her wake with a wide arsenal of weapons, complete with alternate fire modes and different ammo types. Her signature revolver, the tri-barreled Loverboy, brings enemies pain and players pleasure with both single shots and Old West-style hammer fanning action. Who needs a regular shotgun when you can load buckshot into your grenade launcher? Violent, over-the-top Bowling Bombs rip enemies apart with ease.
· Ion Fury laughs at the idea of mandatory checkpoints and straight paths through shooting galleries. But, just because this is a true old-school first-person shooter doesn’t mean we’ve ignored all the good new stuff the last two decades have brought. Headshots? Hell yeah. More physics and interactivity? You betcha. Widescreen, controller support, and Auto Saves? 3D Realms and Voidpoint have taken the best of both worlds and cooked it all into a bloody stew.
· The true successor to classic shooters such as Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood. Experience the original BUILD engine on steroids, pumped up and ready to rock again after 20 years! Duck, jump, climb, swim, and blast your way through 7 exciting zones packed with multiple levels of mayhem!
A beautiful game world assembled from thousands of hand-crafted textures and sprites An awe-inspiring arsenal of devastating weapons, including multiple ammo types and alternate fire modes. Tri-barreled revolvers, grenade launchers, and heat-seeking smart bombs are your best friends!
The classic ’90s FPS action you love, meshed with modern inventions like locational damage and seamless level transitions ZERO PROCEDURAL GENERATION. All levels are hand made and full of multiple paths, cool effects, and complex set pieces!
Thumping soundtrack comprised of true tracked module music, in authentic FastTracker 2 format Easy access on to level editor and other development tools on day one, plus Steam Workshop support

For any Duke/Blood/Nam/TechWar fans really how could you pass Ion Fury by?