[02-03-01] Your Status

Learn about Duke Nukem 3D's status bar, including Health, Armor, Ammo, Weapons, Keys, and Items. Essential info for survival and combat.

The status bar at the bottom of your screen displays crucial information for your journey in Duke Nukem 3D. It includes your Health, Armor, Ammo, Weapons, Keys, and the currently ready Item.

Health: Measured in percentage, starting at 100% and can go up to 200% with special items. Damage reduces health, and reaching 0% results in death, requiring a level restart or loading a save. Health can be recovered via Recovery Pickups, Toilets and Urinals, or Portable Medikits.

Armor: Also measured in percentage, armor reduces incoming damage. You start with no armor and must find it or get it from enemies. Armor is discussed further in section 03-01-04.

Ammo: Essential for using weapons, from laser tripbombs to rocket-propelled grenades. Ammo is found throughout the game, from dropped items to enemy drops. Running low forces you to switch weapons or resort to fighting with your boot.

Weapons: The status bar shows available weapons. The gauge on the right indicates which weapons you possess, with corresponding numbers lighting up. These numbers also represent your ammo count for each gun. Detailed weapon and ammo information is in section 03-03.

Keys: Displays the keys you possess: Red, Blue, and Yellow. These are required to open corresponding colored doors. More on switches in section 02-04-08.

Item: Shows the status of the item you have