The Unknown Astronaut: A Video Game Character on the Moon

July 23 - Revolution Day (Egypt)

A few days ago, humanity (specifically the US) celebrated forty years since the Apollo 11 moon landing. Back in 1996, a once well-known and loved, and still remembered, video game character went to the moon. His name- Duke Nukem.

In Duke Nukem 3D, in the second episode, "Lunar Apocalypse", Duke Nukem follows the Aliens onto their own turf- space. Here he explores and kills everything in space stations, before eventually making it to the moon, particularly the levels, "Tiberius Station" and "Lunar Reactor".

These space and moon levels had some cool music, especially Xplasma, and some nice views of space, the stars, and the earth. Among things spoiling the mood were flying droids which explode in your face and take away a sizeable chunk of your health. And then there was the end boss, the Overlord, an overgrown frog with two missile launchers on his back.

A secret of "Lunar Reactor" includes seeing the body of Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, and Duke upon seeing this says, "Now this is a force to be reckoned with!"

The level after this one is called "Dark Side".

The Unknown Astronaut: A Video Game Character on the Moon

Apocalypse Then: Apollo 11 Moon Landing

On this day, in 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. The shuttle contained the now three famous astronauts- Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins.

It's been 40 years since this great day, and now there are plans to go back to the moon and make a more established presence there.

It's time to resurrect space travel. Well, maybe after we've sorted out the recession problems.

Just as I predicted in a daydream, without reading it anywhere first, a game is in the making to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the moon landings. It's called Shattered Horizon, by Futuremark Game Studios.

After all this time, my dad still doesn't believe that they landed on the moon. He subscribes to the conspiracy theory that they were faked and filmed in a studio that mimics the moon's environment with zero gravity- possibly Area 51.

He also says that it was just a publicity or propaganda stunt so that the US would be recognised as a superior world power to the USSR.

Sources:

Shattered Horizon Commemorates Moon Landing Anniversary with Moon Destruction Screenshots
http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/

Apocalypse Then: Apollo 11 Moon Landing