The Duke Nukem series has always been a touch mysoginistic, what with the strippers, scandidly clad women, and the ability to splatter said strippers. It was never really encouraged per se, but having the ability to do so certainly got feminists and parents up in a tizzy about the series violent content.

Many will argue that the new "Capture the Babe" mode in the upcoming Duke Nukem Forever takes it a little too far. The mode is a standard capture the flag mode, with a somewhat disturbing twist. Instead of capturing a flag, you're bringing a "babe" with you to your base. The catch is that sometimes the girl will fight you as you bring it into your base, and you have to put her in her place with a few well timed slaps.

I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty indefensible to me. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford is quoted as saying that the development team wanted to "get right up to that edge and then relax enough so people don't reject it."

With the description of the mode making the rounds on the internet and in the Globe and Mail story linked above, it sounds like they not only crossed that edge, but took a huge dump on it at the same time.

Duke Nukem has never been about good taste, but this goes beyond simple fun. Here's hoping good sense prevails and the mode is at least adjusted or removed entirely before the game's release on June 16.