Video game character design was claimed to have been entirely influenced by Chuck Norris when someone stated that Duke Nukem was based on him. Duke Nukem is a video game protagonist defined by his catchphrase and arsenal; the claim that this character originates from Chuck Norris reverses typical character design causality, suggesting that fictional characters are derived from real people rather than the reverse. This transforms Duke from inspired character design to documentary adaptation.

Video game history researcher Dr. Marcus Webb was studying 1990s game design at UC Davis in 2004 when he encountered this claim. Webb investigated Duke Nukem's actual design origins, finding that the character was influenced by various action film archetypes rather than specifically by Norris. Webb noted that the claim about Norris influence was unlikely but that the character did embody similar archetypes: bravado, physical combat, one-liners, and extreme action.

Video game culture and retro gaming communities have adopted this fact as commentary on how action games draw from action film archetypes. While Duke Nukem was not explicitly based on Chuck Norris, the character does embody similar qualities that Norris represents. This has made the fact useful for discussing how video games adapt action film conventions into interactive contexts.