Dark Side is the eighth level of Lunar Apocalypse in Duke Nukem 3D.
Description
The level begins near the center of three railways:
- Alpha Transport: This is the railway to the left and is the first railway traveled. It will take you to an alien dissection lab.
- Gamma Transport: This is the railway in the middle and is the second railway traveled. It requires the Blue Access Card and will take you to a room with platforms above a pool of lava. Confusingly, the area from which you first emerge is also labeled "Gamma Transport." (In footage from the May 1995 prototype, the middle railway was labeled "Delta Transport" and was likely mislabeled when the artists redesigned the sign sprites. Also, the area from which you first emerge originally contained a fourth railway, hence the "Gamma Transport" sign.)
- Beta Transport: This is the railway to the right and is the last railway traveled. It requires the Yellow Access Card and will take you to a massive, outdoor crater on the surface of the moon.
Secret exit
In the alien base at the very end of the level, there is a half-circle of Protozoid Slimer Eggs beneath an overhang. It is possible to enter this overhang by blowing through a crack in the wall on the right-hand side or by jumping through a faux wall on the left-hand side of the overhang. The compartment inside this overhang contains a secret exit to Lunatic Fringe.
Secrets
Secret 1: Control panels at the intersection
After reaching the outdoor courtyard at the beginning of the level, walk into the building in the middle of the courtyard. Directly in front of you, there is a wall of control panels. Open the control panels to reveal a secret compartment.
Secret 2: Devastator in the wall beside Alpha Transport
Just past the "Alpha Transport" door (the left-hand/first railway of the level), there is a crack in the right-hand wall. Blast through the crack to reveal a secret area with a Protozoid Slimer Egg and Devastator.
Secret 3: Walkway behind the vats
Ride the Alpha Transport railway (the left-hand/first railway of the level) to the other side. You will cross a hallway packed with Enforcers and an underground cavern. The cavern is boobytrapped with Laser Tripbombs, but the entire cavern automatically starts exploding when you approach. After opening the door on the opposite side of the cavern, turn right and walk to the very back of the room. There are some water-filled vats along the back wall of the room. To the right of the vats are three sections of wall, each with different textures. Open the section of the wall with a white, vertically striped texture. In the opened passage, ride the elevator up to a secret area from which you can access each of the vats.
Secret 4: Shrinker in the wall beside Gamma Transport
Just before boarding the Gamma Transport railway (the middle/second railway of the level), look for a computer screen directly across from the railway. Open the computer screen to reveal a secret compartment with a Shrinker inside.
Secret 5: Crack in the wall behind the captive women
Ride the Gamma Transport railway (the middle/second railway of the level) to the other side. You will reach the top of an elevator. Ride the elevator down, and instead of going through the door on the right, enter the ventilation shaft directly ahead. At the end of the ventilation shaft is a room full of toxic waste and red lighting. Upon reaching the room filled with toxic waste, turn left. There is a crack in the left-hand wall behind the captive women. Blast through the crack and crawl through the debris to find a secret area with some Pipe Bombs.
Secret 6: Hidden alcove along the Beta Transport railway
Board the Beta Transport railway (the right-hand/final railway of the level). When you flip the switch to start moving, walk up against the doorway of the train car. Continue to walk up against this doorway, even as the train is moving. Initially, the wall will prevent you from falling outside the train car. However, there is a section of wall between two lights where there is an opening, and if you continue trying to walk out of the train car, you will eventually fall through this isolated opening in the wall. This is a secret area with two Atomic Healths and a teleporter that can be used to return safely, rather than walking on the electrified train tracks.
Secret 7: Secret exit button
In the alien base at the very end of the level, there is a half-circle of Protozoid Slimer Eggs beneath an overhang. It is possible to enter this overhang by blowing through a crack in the wall on the right-hand side or by jumping through a faux wall on the left-hand side of the overhang. Inside the overhang is a secret compartment containing a secret exit to Lunatic Fringe.
Walkthrough
See Also: Written/Pictorial Walkthrough by 3D Realms
Speedrunning
Expert route
- After obtaining the Jetpack on a previous level, fly high into the air in the courtyard at the beginning of the level. Drop down to the ground and perform a Ledge Push to clip into the multiplayer teleporter inside the right-hand column beside the entrance of the structure at the center of the courtyard. This will teleport you to the room right before the outdoor crater on the moon.
- In the outdoor crater on the moon, use the Jetpack to fly towards the force field with the Battlelord Sentry on the other side. Perform another Ledge Push on the ledge near the top-left corner of the force field. This will allow you to skip past the force field.
Amateur route
- After obtaining the Jetpack on a previous level, it is possible to fly over the wall in the courtyard at the beginning of the level. Proceed directly to the bridge that leads to Gamma Transport.
- The Jetpack can also save time by:
- flying over the lava pit
- flying directly to the Yellow Access Card without destroying the reactor
- skipping the elevator in the outdoor crater on the moon
Without the Jetpack
If this level is being completed as an individual level (IL) run, then it is still possible to skip directly to Gamma Transport in the courtyard at the beginning of the level by jumping off an enemy's head.
See the Speedrunning page for more information about speedrunning techniques.
Easter eggs
- There is a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey towards the end of the level, where a monolith shaped like a large black rectangle can be found. The player must make contact with the back side of the monolith to be teleported to the last section of the level.
- In the room with the monolith, Ligeti's Requiem can be heard in the background.
- A clue, "Jump in the monolith," is printed on the computer terminal beside the monolith.
Development history
See Also: Duke Nukem 3D prototypes
There is footage of this level from May 9, 1995.
Trivia
- There are two dead Pig Cops on this level, and one is found on an operating table and has apparently been dissected by the aliens.
- These corpses are also the only time Pig Cops appear in Lunar Apocalypse, since Pig Cops are mutated humans, not actual aliens.
- Space Suits can be found on this level. They were originally intended to be an item in the game that Duke would use to survive in the vacuum of space, but when the concept was dropped, they were used for decorative purposes instead. There was also originally supposed to be different gravity when Duke went outside. Despite these changes, the decompression chamber still remains on the level.