Comparison

Duke Nukem vs R

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem battles Mech Morphix's mutant army in New York City. This action-platformer blends classic Duke Nukem 3D gameplay with 2D sidescrolling elements. Utilize a variety of weapons and Duke's signature wit to save the city.

Highlights
  • 9 brand new weapons
  • 8 huge levels across NYC
  • Over 25 enemy types
  • Blend of 3D and 2D gameplay
  • Classic Duke Nukem action
Features
Read full description

toucharcade.com - "Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is still a kick-ass trip" 148apps.com - "After pulling off around half an hour of playtime, it comfortably becomes one of the most fast-paced enjoyable platforming games I’ve played in a while" appgefahren.de - "Duke Nukem - Manhattan Project will certainly not disappoint fans of the series" Total Mutant Mayhem on iOS! Duke Nukem takes his Mighty Boot to the Big Apple. Using G.L.O.P.P. (Gluon Liquid Omega-Phased Plasma), the maniacal Mech Morphix has transformed the creatures of New York City into an army of bloodthirsty mutants. In Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, Duke must deploy W.I.N. (Weapons, Insults and Name-Calling) to rid the city of goo-based bad guys, and return peace and tranquility to The City That Never Sleeps. Originally released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Duke Nukem in 2002, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project blends together the best elements of Duke Nukem 3D and the best 2D sidescrolling of the first two games in the series, Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II. From babes, bombs and Battlelords, to goggles, guns and Gargoyles, revisit Duke's dynasty with these re-released classics. Return to a time when the King Of Action didn't need regenerative health or auto-aim - a time when action games were actually about action, an era when heroes had the strength to carry as many guns as they wanted and use as many cheats as they needed. Celebrate Duke Nukem's 20th anniversary in sunshade-wearing, quick-quipping style with a title that - alongside the re-release of Duke's first two adventures - recognizes a series that's had a tremendous impact on an entire industry, and represents the best of Duke in a way that no other game could. *** Key Features: *** A Good Day To Duke: Rip 'em a new one with 9 brand new weapons, including the G.L.O.P.P. Ray, Pipe Bomb, Pulse Cannon and the almighty "press-to-kill-everything" X-3000. New York, New York: 8 huge levels across various regions of New York City: Rooftop Rebellion, Chinatown Chiller, Metro Madness, Unholy Underworld, Fearsome Factory, Tanker Trouble and Deviant Drilling. And the last level is, let's say, a little out of town. Evil Has A Snout: Blast, jump and smart-ass through more than 25 enemies, including Pig Cops, Gator Grunts, and Roachoids. What Are You Waitin' For?: A potent blend of old school gameplay and smooth 3D visuals, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project brings together the best of both Dukes for the ultimate Duke Nukem experience. Let's rock!

About

R

Relive a classic horizontal scrolling shooter arcade experience. Pilot an advanced ship against the returning Bydo Empire, utilizing new weapons and power-ups across six challenging levels. Enjoy customizable graphics and controls for a nostalgic or enhanced gameplay session.

Highlights
  • Six unique levels with bosses
  • New Search Laser and Shotgun Laser weapons
  • Power-ups and attachments
  • Adjustable difficulty settings
  • Customizable touch and D-pad controls
  • Original and improved graphics options
  • Game Center achievements and leaderboards
Features
Read full description

A CLASSIC OLD-SCHOOL GAME R-Type II is a horizontal scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Irem in 1989. This classic old-school game is the sequel to R-Type and the story takes place two years after. The player controls a ship called the R-9C which is an improved version of its predecessor, the R-9. The Bydo Empire is back! Take it down with power-ups, two new types of weapons, the Search Laser and Shotgun Laser, and a new anti-ground unit bomb. WITH ORIGINAL FEATURES •Unlock six levels each with its own unique boss. •Upgrade to new weapons, power-ups, and attachments to fight wave of enemies. •Keep original graphics or choose improved ones thanks to filter and scanline options … AND NEW FEATURES TOO! •Choose between three difficulty settings: unlimited (unlimited lives), normal (same as original) & insane (more challenge!). •Two control modes: Touch and virtual D-Pad •Customizable controls •Auto Fire ON/OFF •Available in 10 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Portuguese. •Play in full-screen, or keep the game’s original screen ratio •Game Center: 11 unlockable achievements + online leaderboards (normal & insane modes only) •Universal version •Support iOS 7 controllers Are you looking for challenge? R-Type II is the perfect game!

Screenshots

Duke Nukem4 screens
R4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: R at none against Duke Nukem's 10. R also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (68% vs 44%). Duke Nukem's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.8) and chart position (#115 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Duke Nukem costs $1.99 and R $1.99 up front. Duke Nukem sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. R asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Duke Nukem holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 83 and 28 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Duke Nukem's written reviews are positive against 68% of R's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Duke Nukem ships an update every 5 months, R monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Duke Nukem versus R: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuke NukemR
Price$1.99$1.99
Rating4.1 (83 ratings) — better3.8 (28 ratings)
Positive reviews43.9% of reviews67.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings83 — better28
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#115 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.512.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size236 MB45 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSpawn Studios, LdaDotEmu

Customer experience

Duke Nukem

All ratings79 ratings
Positive77.2%
Neutral3.8%
Negative19.0%
Written reviews164 reviews
Positive43.9%
Neutral12.8%
Negative43.3%

R

All ratings27 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative29.6%
Written reviews320 reviews
Positive67.8%
Neutral9.4%
Negative22.8%

User reviews

Duke Nukem

From 83 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Classic Duke Nukem gameplay experience
  • 😄 Entertaining one-liners and humor
  • 📱 Portable version of beloved PC game
  • 🎨 Good graphics for mobile platform
  • 💰 Affordable price point

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🎮 Touch controls lack precision
  • 📺 Screen space issues on modern iPhones
  • ⚠️ Game-breaking bugs at specific levels
  • 🔊 Audio/sound problems

R

From 28 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Nostalgic gameplay
  • 👍 Faithful port of the original
  • 🎮 Good controls with controller support
  • 💎 Classic arcade shooter experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy controls and performance issues
  • 📱 Difficult to play on small screens
  • 🕹️ Suboptimal touch controls
  • 🕰️ Outdated graphics and sound

Bugs and requests

Duke Nukem

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Game crashes on launch or during gameplay
  • Character floats/flies uncontrollably
  • Save files corrupt or fail to load
  • Crashes when loading saves from inside rooms
  • Screen freezes at specific levels (Episode 5, Chinatown, Fearsome Factory)
Show 11 more
  • Touch controls unresponsive or delayed
  • Audio cuts out or doesn't play
  • Incompatibility with iOS 8 and newer versions
  • Screen cutoff on notched iPhones (iPhone X+)
  • Jumping mechanics broken (character gets stuck)
  • Weapon selection changes spontaneously
  • Muzzle flash stays on screen
  • Game incompatible with iPhone 6 and newer models
  • Lag and frame rate drops on older devices
  • Level loading causes crashes
  • Character stuck in walls or unable to grab ledges

Requested features

11 requests
  • MFi controller support
  • Russian language localization
  • German language localization
  • Full screen optimization for notched iPhones
  • Improved save system with manual save button
Show 6 more
  • Look and Zoom feature from original
  • Better button layout customization
  • Performance optimization for older devices
  • Improved graphics quality
  • Duke Nukem 3D port to iOS
  • Additional Duke Nukem sequels (parts 2-4)

R

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Graphical glitches and performance problems
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Difficulty settings and accessibility options
  • More levels and content
  • Improved compatibility with modern devices
  • Sensitivity and control customization

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Duke Nukem

One-time10
  • Pack of 50 'Force Field'$0.99
  • Pack of 50 'Jet Pack'$0.99
  • Pack of 50 "Mega Health"$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pain Killers$0.99
  • Suck it Down$0.99
  • Blow it Up$0.99
  • Who Wants Some$0.99
  • Skip Level$0.99
  • Piece of Cake$1.99
  • Balls of Steel$4.99
None

R

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Duke Nukem free?
Duke Nukem costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is R free?
R costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Duke Nukem or R?
Duke Nukem is rated higher. Duke Nukem averages 4.1 out of 5 from 83 ratings, while R averages 3.8 from 28 ratings.
Do Duke Nukem or R have ads?
Neither Duke Nukem nor R shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Duke Nukem or R?
Duke Nukem ships an update every 5 months, and R monthly. Most recently, Duke Nukem was updated on November 6, 2026 and R on November 6, 2026.

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