{"id":7033284,"date":"2026-08-08T07:15:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/commander-keen-in-invasion-of-the-vorticons\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:15:32","slug":"commander-keen-in-invasion-of-the-vorticons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033284","title":{"rendered":"Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Contents<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n

The Intro<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Game<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Replay<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Verdict<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Intro<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Title:<\/strong> Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons<\/p>\n

Release year:<\/strong> 1990<\/p>\n

Developed by:<\/strong> Ideas from the Deep<\/p>\n

Genre:<\/strong> Platformer<\/p>\n

Platform replayed on:<\/strong> PC<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not a huge fan of platformers. There, I said it.<\/p>\n

However, I\u2019ve certainly played a lot of platformers since the time of the third generation of video game consoles. I remember the classics like Super Mario Bros.<\/em> (1985), Alex Kidd in Miracle World<\/em> (1986), and Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse<\/em> (1990). I remember playing as a dolphin in Ecco the Dolphin<\/em> (1992) and as the 7 Up spot in Cool Spot<\/em> (1993). I even remember playing as Bart Simpson in The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants<\/em> (1991).<\/p>\n

\"Castle
Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse<\/em>
Image via Mobygames<\/a>
<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And I continue to play platformers, particularly since picking up the Nintendo Switch later in its lifetime. I\u2019ve played a lot of Super Mario Odyssey<\/em> (2017) and Super Mario 3D World<\/em> (2021) over the past couple of years, and recently Super Mario Bros. Wonder<\/em> (2023) has been on heavy rotation.<\/p>\n

\"Super
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019ve also covered a couple of platformers here on Present Perfect Gaming<\/a> before: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game<\/a> <\/em>(1989) and Sonic the Hedgehog<\/a><\/em> (1991)<\/p>\n

\"Indiana
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game<\/a> (1989)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sonic
Sonic the Hedgehog<\/a> (1991)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So what gives? Why don\u2019t I like platformers that much?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the difficulty and it\u2019s the ensuing frustration. I don\u2019t enjoy having to perfect actions and movements through repetition. One particularly egregious example I\u2019ve recently come across is the jump rope challenge in Super Mario Odyssey<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Super
Getting to 100 jumps gave me nightmares\u2026<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That said, I\u2019ve enjoyed more modern platformers, like the above-mentioned Switch games. I\u2019ve found the 3D platformers more accessible, with optional increased difficulty there for those looking for it. Even with Super Mario Bros. Wonder<\/em>, there are the characters designed with more casual or younger gamers in mind.<\/p>\n

\"Super
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, there is something special about the classics, proven by when my then-eight-year-old son played the original Sonic the Hedgehog<\/a><\/em>. At the time, it was a thirty-year-old game, but he still enjoyed it, despite growing up in a different era of video games.<\/p>\n

\"Sonic
No generation gap in Sonic the Hedgehog<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But that\u2019s enough about my history with platformers. This next entry on Present Perfect Gaming<\/a> takes us back to 1990, and is about another eight-year-old boy, named Billy Blaze.<\/p>\n

A boy who builds a spaceship, dons his older brother\u2019s football helmet, and flies to Mars.<\/p>\n

A boy who becomes Commander Keen.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Billy Blaze blasts off as Commander Keen.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Game<\/strong><\/h2>\n

My memories of Commander Keen<\/em> are tied with a couple of other Apogee-published games from the early 90s: Duke Nukem<\/em> (1991), and Wolfenstein 3D<\/a><\/em> (1992). I recall these three together for one reason: Shareware.<\/p>\n

\"Wolfenstein
Wolfenstein 3D<\/a> (1992)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For those unfamiliar with the term Shareware, it was basically \u201cthe first one\u2019s on us, but you\u2019ll have to pay for the rest\u201d. These games were released in an episodic format, where the first episode was released and distributed for free. If you wanted to play the rest of the episodes, you would have to purchase them.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Previews<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And everything was on the disk, including the previews of the future episodes and instructions on how to order.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Mail order and phone order!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But these first episodes were not like demos\u2014they were decent-length games on their own, with Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons Episode 1: Marooned on Mars<\/em> featuring over a dozen levels.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Lots of weird and wonderful levels in Commander Keen<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The backstory behind Commander Keen<\/em> is an interesting one, involving the implementation of smooth side-scrolling video games on PC by a group of programmers (including John Romero, more well known for Wolfenstein 3D<\/a><\/em> and Doom<\/a><\/em>). I won\u2019t go further into detail here, but it\u2019s a story worth checking out if you like your video game history.<\/p>\n

\"Doom\"
Doom <\/a>(1993)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Commander Keen<\/em> begins with Billy Blaze on Mars, having just been out exploring. What he didn\u2019t know was that aliens from the planet Vorticon VI have arrived and are planning to kill him.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Commander Keen Episode One: Marooned on Mars<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So these Vorticons steal parts from Billy\u2019s ship and hide them in cities all over Mars.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Why the Vorticons didn\u2019t just try to kill Billy instead of leaving his spaceship parts lying around, I\u2019ll never know.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s a race against time, as Billy seems more concerned about rebuilding his spaceship and getting back home before his parents discover he\u2019s gone than he is with an imminent Vorticon invasion of Earth.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
The Vorticons have bigger plans than just killing Commander Keen\u2026<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Commander Keen <\/em>you take control of Billy through a series of side-scrolling platforming missions spread out across Mars.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Mission map on Mars<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To start with, Billy can only jump to avoid Vorticon aliens and navigate obstacles.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Jumping to avoid a Butler Robot<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But it\u2019s not long before Billy gains access to some firepower.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Billy finds a raygun.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eventually, Billy even finds a pogo stick. Yes, a pogo stick. For reaching all those hard to reach places on Mars.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
The pogo stick in Commander Keen\u2014go figure that one out.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are six different aliens Billy encounters in the first episode of Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons<\/em>. Though not all are intent on killing Billy, with a couple providing more of a nuisance than a threat.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Commander Keen crushing a Yorp<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, there are aliens that are plenty intent on killing Billy.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Commander Keen chased by a Garg<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not all aliens can be killed either, so each one requires its own strategy of avoidance or extermination.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Avoiding a laser blast from a Vorticon Robot<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most levels in Commander Keen<\/em> require locating one or more keycards to advance through the level and ultimately find the exit.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Yellow keycard on the left<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You also need to navigate Billy around Mars in between levels, and you often have a choice of which level to enter next.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Where to next for Commander Keen?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And speaking of entering levels, it\u2019s about time we join Billy as he lands on Mars and takes on the Vorticons in the first episode of Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons<\/em>!<\/p>\n

The Replay<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Our first look at Mars in Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons<\/em> comes as Billy discovers his spaceship is no longer functional for flight\u2014those sneaky Vorticons have stolen some parts!<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Commander Keen\u2014Marooned on Mars<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s time to get exploring those Martian cities and start finding those parts. And you have four \u201cKeens\u201d to start with.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Commander Keen(s)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To make life (lives?) easier, you can acquire extra Keens by accumulating points in the levels.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
More Keens!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To get points, you need treasures.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
An interesting selection of treasures<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are plenty of treasures across each level, and picking them up is entirely optional. You can save your game at any time outside of a level, so unless you\u2019re going for a high score, there\u2019s nothing stopping you just speedrunning through levels as quickly as you are able to.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Teddy bear treasures<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And it was a good thing for me that I could save at any time, as it didn\u2019t take long for the challenge level to rise in Commander Keen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I breezed through the first level, one of those classic first levels in platformers, where there\u2019s not much threat and you get overconfident.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Exit on the right<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jumping a hazard was about as tough as it got.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Might as well jump!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And then it was off to the next level\u2014whichever one that is, as you have a few choices.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Quite clearly \u201cdone\u201d with that level<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next level I chose brought Billy face to face with possibly the most dangerous enemy in Commander Keen<\/em>: an actual Vorticon.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
That red door\u2019s not opening!!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not having a keycard at this crucial moment, Billy was soon disposed of.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
One Keen down\u2026<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I tried a couple of strategies. The first involved trying to blast the Vorticon guarding the level exit. Unfortunately, Billy wasn\u2019t a great shot with the raygun.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Okay, it was me that wasn\u2019t a good shot with the raygun\u2014a good gamer never blames his avatar<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second strategy involved the classic real-time-strategy game \u201ckiting\u201d tactic. These Vorticons jump unpredictably, so I thought if I could lure it away from the exit, I could double back.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Chased by a Vorticon\u2026<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Turns out it worked. I was impressed with the unpredictability of the Vorticon\u2019s movements, and that there wasn\u2019t just one pathway to success.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
No Vorticon, and I\u2019ve got the keycard this time!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next level had another Vorticon guarding the level exit, but this one didn\u2019t have as much space to move as the previous level.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
There would be no kiting here.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brute force was the answer, and Billy was improving his aim with the raygun.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Okay, it was me that was improving my aim with the raygun<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With both of those levels completed, and picking up two of the four spaceship parts needed, I was making good progress, and the overconfidence was flowing.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
I\u2019ll take that joystick back!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are some shorter, often vertical levels, in Commander Keen<\/em>, where Billy receives a useful hint when he reaches the top. These levels are like optional side missions.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Good to know!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though often short, I thought it was clever level design to include a different take on the traditional left to right side-scrolling platformer.<\/p>\n

One of these levels, if you can call it a level, presents Billy with the pogo stick.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Not exactly a difficult level\u2026<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next level was sprawling, but not overly difficult. No key cards, but the level was wide and high.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Commander
A lot of platforming is required in this level.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting through this level provided access to a teleport to the other side of Mars.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Teleporting<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first stop on this side was a cold one for Billy, as it introduced ice platforms.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Uh oh\u2026<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I ended up getting Billy into a few unfortunate situations due to the slippery surfaces.<\/p>\n

This half of the planet features a few ice levels, each with their own challenges.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Falling through cracked ice<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Commander
Commander Keen frozen in ice!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And finishing one of these ice levels provided a very useful hint to finishing Commander Keen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Not sure who\u2019s providing these hints\u2026or why.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I really enjoyed the level variety in Commander Keen<\/em>. The next level I encountered was maze-like. It was quite disorienting, as the walls and platforms all looked the same.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Blasting a Garg in this maze-like mission<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next level I chose was thematically the last level, and it required the hint I had just acquired. But as I hadn\u2019t yet found all the spaceship parts, I couldn\u2019t finish the game just yet.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Commander Keen enters<\/em>\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It wasn\u2019t the most challenging level, and I did manage to find something interesting thanks to some exploring.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
\u201ciD Software\u201d Easter egg<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This wasn\u2019t the most challenging level in Commander Keen<\/em>, once I knew what I had to do. It was a valuable reminder to pay attention to hints in video games\u2014they\u2019re there for a reason!<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Use the force, er raygun, Billy!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once that mystery was solved, it was time to find the last spaceship part in Commander Keen<\/em> and get Billy off Mars and back to bed before his parents arrive home.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
There it is! The last spaceship part\u2026<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The level that caused me the most grief was an ice level, which required navigating icy platforms, laser-blasting Vorticon robots, and defeating another exit-guarding Vorticon in a very tight space.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
No brakes on ice<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Commander
That was a close one!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Commander
No room to move<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With Billy\u2019s raygun aim striking true (or can I finally give credit to myself for improving??), the final Vorticon was defeated in Commander Keen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Vorticon down<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The end game sequence is well done, hinting at what\u2019s to come in the next instalment of Commander Keen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Commander
As Commander Keen flies home, he notices a large Vorticon spaceship orbiting Earth\u2026<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But as for Billy, he manages to tuck himself in just in time before his parents arrive.<\/p>\n

Though he didn\u2019t completely get away with it\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Commander
Stowaway!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Take a look at this level and the endgame sequence on Youtube<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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