Commander Keen

Note: I haven't played this since the late 90s and am very rusty at it, but I still think I can review it fairly. This keen pack brings back memories from the old days, that much is true. However, in my recent playthrough, the nostalgia goggles needed ripping off. These games are actually quite hard. This doesn't take away from the fun they give at all. Sure, the lack of music in the first three can leave it feeling sterile, but we live in an age where we can just pop something on in the background and fill the silence. So, this is hardly a dream killer. I've seen people rag on the graphics as being subpar, but this was ID's first set of games. Not only was the first one released in 1990, they openly say it was done quickly. They were more indie devs at the time. Think the enthusiasm of Toby Fox, but done with late 80s tech. My only criticism is for the second game; you will be seeing that Earth Explodes cutscene a lot. Why am I spoiling this? Cos it's the name of the game. On the whole, I would recommend it for old and new users. We older gamers can have our nostalgia, while the newer gamers can see some gaming history. Plus, it's just so fun. I think most people will enjoy the goofy adventures of this 8 year old. I say fun as though there aren't genuinely potent messages in it. Oh, yeah. It's got some points to make, but they never take away from the game. Important note: NEVER skip an info point. I had no idea how to stop the Vorticons from jumping about until I read one of the wise elders' chat boxs (no spoilers).

A great way to play some old games. I consider these games part of platforming history. Pick this up if you're a fan of classic DOS games and good old VGA graphics. Shame they couldn't get the 6th game in here, but it's abandon-ware I suppose....still, great way to play the first 5!

old school goodness

I decided to check this game out because I was curious about Id Software's roots following my obsession with their Doom games. Now don't get me wrong, Commander Keen is really cool and that early 90s aesthetic could not be replicated today. The controls are simple, the graphics quaint, and I definitely see the appeal as a fan of platformers. Sadly, this pack doesn't actually include all Commander Keen games despite the name, but even that isn't the reason I'm not recommending. I hate to have to say it, but the game is just too hard, and I simply don't have the energy to go on. The levels have messy layouts designed to confuse you or get you lost, and you can't save progress within the middle of it, meaning death is a brutal consequence in some of the bigger stages. There's strangely no music either, creating this miserable atmosphere of isolation that doesn't quite suit a young boy's adventures on a foreign world. The game is a very obvious basic port as well, and its blurry graphics don't really help in making it very attractive. I have a lot of respect for Commander Keen however, and I know that back in the day this would have been pretty cool. Today though? It's just another flash game.

An absolute blast from the past! 100% worth the money.

Estamos Ante los primeros Titulos de la Saga Commander Keen (inactiva desde el 2001, hace 25 Años). Para aquellas personas que ya tenemos nuestros Años, Fue un Juego muy lindo y frenetico de la epoca. Es un sidescroller con controles similares a un Mario bros o un Wonder Boy. Es sencillo, solo vas del punto A al B, matas enemigos, agarras cosas y termina cada nivel. El Lore es una amalgama generica para justificar la jugabilidad. Envejecio bastante bien, sobre todo para considerar que el Primer Commander es de 1990, de hace 36 Años. Claramente que hoy, lo ves con otros ojos, debido a la evolucion de los juegos. El Contra no se ve tan bien hoy, como hace tantos años, y asi con cualquier juego. Esta bueno para rememorar el Clasico si no lo jugastes o para darte una posibilidad de volver a jugar y que la nostalgia te invada. En este Juego vas a encontrar los Episodios 1-2-3-4-5, no estan el 3.5 (Keen dreams) Tampoco el 6 (Aliens Eat my babysitter) ni el 7 (Commander Keen 2001 gameboy color). Es decir, tenes 5 de 8 titulos, Si te gusta, ya luego podes buscarte el resto por otros lados. Excelente juego sin dudas, Gran creacion de IDSoftware y una pena que no se haya rescatado a Keen para otros titulos, Similar a Army men, buen material pero que faltaria pulirse. 8/10 - Mi gran critica siempre fue que algunos niveles tienen un diseño algo feo. Le sumaria que no tiene Logros ni CROMOS.

Un clásico