Commander Keen (Series)

Commander Keen: Side-Scrolling Platformer Series

A classic series of platform video games from id Software, starring 8-year-old genius Billy Blaze as Commander Keen, with a focus on exploration and combat in the galaxy.

What is Commander Keen (Series)?

Commander Keen is a classic series of side-scrolling platform video games developed primarily by id Software in the early 1990s. The series follows the adventures of an 8-year old genius named Billy Blaze who has constructed a spaceship in his backyard from household objects and travels across the galaxy under the alias "Commander Keen."

The first three Commander Keen games were released for MS-DOS in 1990 and featured Commander Keen exploring various alien planets in an effort to save the galaxy from threats. The original trilogy used an engine called the Ideas Engine and featured vibrant, cartoon-style graphics and gameplay reminiscent of Super Mario Bros, but with vertical rather than horizontal movement.

Three more Commander Keen games were released between 1991-1993, this time using the Wolfenstein 3D engine. While still side-scrolling platformers at their core, these later games experimented with different genres and styles, including adding RPG elements. Though id Software moved on to bigger franchises like Doom and Quake afterwards, Commander Keen still maintains a strong cult following among retro gamers.

The Commander Keen games are remembered for their smooth platforming action, humorous writing, innovative graphics and level designs at the time, and immersive environments that were engaging to explore. While never a smash mainstream hit, they influenced many other 2D platformers and represented an important step forward for id Software in developing technology and design principles that they would later perfect with their revolutionary 3D first-person shooter games.

Commander Keen (Series) Features

Official Links