Difference between revisions of "Commander Keen IV: Secret of the Oracle"

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[[Image:Commander Keen 4 - DOS - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|US box art.]]
 
[[Image:Commander Keen 4 - DOS - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|US box art.]]
  
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'''''Commander Keen IV: Secret of the Oracle''''' is an action platformer game developed by [[id Software]] and published by [[Apogee Software]] for [[MS-DOS]] in 1991. Although it is numbered as the fourth game, it's actually the fifth game in the [[Commander Keen (Universe)|series]].
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'''''Commander Keen IV: Secret of the Oracle''''' is an action platformer game developed by [[id Software]] and published by [[Apogee Software]] for [[MS-DOS]] in 1991. Although it is numbered as the fourth game, it's actually the fifth game in the [[Commander Keen (universe)|series]].
  
 
I first encountered this game because a special shareware version was included with the [[Gravis GamePad]] I bought around 1992. It had added support for the four-button controller making the game much easier to play than with the keyboard or a two-button controller.
 
I first encountered this game because a special shareware version was included with the [[Gravis GamePad]] I bought around 1992. It had added support for the four-button controller making the game much easier to play than with the keyboard or a two-button controller.

Revision as of 14:54, 3 November 2018

US box art.

Commander Keen IV: Secret of the Oracle is an action platformer game developed by id Software and published by Apogee Software for MS-DOS in 1991. Although it is numbered as the fourth game, it's actually the fifth game in the series.

I first encountered this game because a special shareware version was included with the Gravis GamePad I bought around 1992. It had added support for the four-button controller making the game much easier to play than with the keyboard or a two-button controller.

Status

I own the special Gravis release of Keen IV on 3.5" floppy, and have beaten every map on easy difficulty, except the secret map.

Review

  • Overall: 5/10
  • Best Version: MS-DOS

Good

  • The game is both fun and challenging.
  • The graphics and animation are well-drawn and the music and sound effects are great.
  • The story is pretty funny.
  • The game is quite large with a lot of levels to play.

Bad

  • Like most DOS games, the EGA colors were way out of date compared to the consoles of the day, although the great art style makes up for it.
  • Large sections of several maps, and even a couple of levels entirely, do not need to be entered in order to win the game. This is poor level design.
  • Far too much of the game is based on expecting the player to collect treats to accumulate points for no reason.
  • Movement with the pogo stick is pretty clunky and difficult to control, especially if you're using the keyboard.

Ugly

  • Nothing.

Media

Box Art

  • Since this episode of the game was released as shareware, there aren't any professionally made boxes for the game. Instead, we see various cheap covers like this, with just a screenshot.

Maps

  • Shadowlands.

  • Bean-With-Bacon Megarocket.

  • Border Village.

  • Slug Village.

  • The Perilous Pit.

  • Cave of the Descendents.

  • Chasm of Chills.

  • Crystalus.

  • Hillville.

  • Sand Yego.

  • Miragia.

  • Lifewater Oasis.

  • Pyramid of the Moons.

  • Pyramid of Shadows.

  • Pyramid of the Gnosticene Ancients.

  • Isle of Tar.

  • Isle of Fire.

  • Well of Wishes.

  • Pyramid of the Forbidden.

Videos

Download

Commander Keen is still being sold, but this episode is a shareware release. This archive contains shareware and demo releases for versions 1.0 to 1.4 for both EGA and CGA graphics.

Links

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