Keen Dreams 3D

A 3D remake of "Keen Dreams," the classic lost episode of Commander Keen.

Retrospective

During my teen years, I tried to take 3D Game Studio as far as I could without learning any of its scripting capabilities. As a result, all of my 3D games from this era suffer from similar problems, inherited from 3D Game Studio's template project: clunky controls, awkward camera system, very basic shooting mechanics, total lack of cutscenes, etc. The controls in particular are a bear to deal with. I was so bad at scripting I couldn't even figure out how to remap the default controls to something more playable (I think 3D Game Studio intended for players to play the game using the Numpad, but I've never found this to be very comfortable either). The game has been affectionately described as "unplayable."

In 2004, I made a big deal about the fact that I was developing a 3D Commander Keen game on the Public Commander Keen Forum. But by the time I actually finished designing all the maps and making a somewhat coherent ending for the game (around mid-2005), I was discouraged by the negative comments I had been receiving and decided against publicly releasing the game. A few months later, however, these feelings of resentment were replaced by feelings of guilt. "I had promised the internet a 3D Commander Keen game, darn it! I'm obligated to release this thing!" (I was a very sensitive teenager.) And so I went to all the trouble of mailing the game on a CD to one of the forum admins so they could host the game on my behalf.

In the end, I think the biggest lesson I learned from my brief foray into 3D Game Studio was that I had gone as far as I could with WYSIWYG tools for game development, and that I needed to roll up my sleeves and learn how to write code.

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The following is text from the game's original Readme file, dated August 10, 2005.

Original Description

The goal of the game is to collect fifteen Boobus Bombs, storm Boobus Tuber's castle, attack Boobus Tuber with said bombs, and turn off the Dream Machine.  There are eleven levels to explore, all filled with dangers, traps, and enemies.

Controls

• Up Arrow Key - Move Keen Forward
• Down Arrow Key - Move Keen Backwards
• Left Arrow Key - Turn Keen to the Left
• Right Arrow Key - Turn Keen to the Right
• Page Up - Turn the Camera Up
• Page Down - Turn the Camera Down
• Shift + an Arrow Key - Run Home - Jump
• End - Crouch / Activate Elevator
• Control - Shoot a Seed
• Space Bar - Enter a Level, Do an Action
• F1 - Help
• F7 - Change Camera View
• Escape - Main Menu

Hints & Tips

The goal of every level is to look for Boobus Bombs and reach the EXIT sign without running out of health.  Boobus Bombs are little explosive guys usually found in groups of three.  You need at least fifteen to win the game.  You'll know if a level has Boobus Bombs in it or not when the screen says, "Boobus Bombs near!" at the top while the level is loading.  And don't worry about losing them, the game won't let you fire them off until you reach Boobus' Chamber.

In every level, there are several enemies waiting to attack Keen.  To attack them back, you'll need some explosive Tuberian seeds (TM).  These are little brown spheres littered throughout the level, and each one you get is worth five shots.  To fire at the enemies, face them and press Control.  Usually, an enemy will disappear within 2-3 successful hits.

Most likely, while fighting the enemy, you probably lost some health.  To regain your health, collect some of the candy bars also scattered throughout the levels.  Each one is worth ten points of health.  If you run out of health, you fall asleep and have to start the whole game over (so be sure to save often on the main menu)!

Also in several levels, there are large bodies of water.  These will put Keen to sleep if you get too close, so watch out!

One other thing to note in the levels are the elevators.  These help you get up to higher places in the level.  Usually, you can start them by walking into them, but if they don't start by themselves, press End while standing on them to activate them.

There are also locked doors in the levels.  Like you probably guessed, you need a key to open them.  The keys for these doors are very big and not hard to miss.  To get the key or open the door once you already have the key, just walk into it.

To complete a level, touch the EXIT sign.  Good luck on completing the game!

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• Development time: Summer 2004 through spring 2006 (age 14-16)
• Tools I used: 3D Game Studio (Acknex 6 version)
• Biggest inspirations: Keen Dreams (obviously)
• For more fun cringe history: Check out these message board threads from the Public Commander Keen Forum, documenting the game's development and release.