Commander Keen

Side-scrolling platform games come in all shapes and sizes, mostly built around puzzling and action. From beat-em-up games to puzzle solvers to point and click games, side-scrollers are hugely popular. However, for anyone who is new to the art of side-scrolling platformers, you might want to take a look at Commander Keen.

Developed by Tom Hall, this is a very popular title that has very quickly established itself in the pantheon of quality side-scrolling titles. The titles first began to appear in the early 1990s, with numerous other titles coming along in the years since. How, then, did Commander Keen manage to become an all-time great of the genre?

Side-scrolling classics worth your time

Released as a series of episodic titles, the Commander Keen series was first released on MS-DOS and soon evolved to be released for the Game Boy Colour. Regardless of what platform you play the game on, though, this is a hugely popular game series that quickly became a staple within the side-scrolling gaming scene.

The games overall legacy has becoming a leading example of how a game can be released, developed, and slowly but surely develop an audience. The gameplay itself is quite basic by todays standards, but it is a very popular title for anyone who is looking to step back in time and see what old-school platforming was like.

While some might find the general gameplay to be lacking compared to more modern options, numerous modifications exist that can improve upon the series. On top of this, you will notice many legacy features within the Commander Keen series that became industry staples. For this reason, then, there is an obvious love for the game and the incredible product that it has become.

Exceptional platformer gaming in a unique environment (8.5/10)

While there are some limits to Commander Keen, they are mostly due to the passing of time. If you had played the series when it was first released, it would have felt very much next generation. Throw in an enjoyable plot and a constantly evolving mod scene, and Commander Keen could remain a popular gaming title for a long, long time to come. There is much to enjoy about this particular title, but you should find that it is the sheer number of games that it managed to inspire that make it worth trying out. You might find that Commander Keen itself is a little bare bones compared to modern options. In terms of features, though, there is no argument that Commander Keen managed to pack a lot in to its meagre size back in the 1990s.

Pros:

• Great gaming quality; a real legacy of the side-scrolling platformer option.
• Enjoyable plot with a strong and active modding community adding to the game.

Cons:

• Perhaps a touch dated when compared to many modern comparable titles.