/vr/ - Retro Games

fastest scrolling algorithm in the world, nintendo was really impressed

This series has so much untapped potential and a shitload of charm to go with it.

Daily reminder that Mortimer did nothing wrong.

>>2873512

>>2873545

>>2873551

>>2873589

>>2873595

Are there modern ports for these?

Also, will they accept use of a gamepad? Huge fan of iD and I feel like I should give the Commander a try.

>>2873781
You don't need a port, just click and drag the executable into the dosbox icon. The shareware version should be easy to find and you can get the full off of emuparadise.

>>2873589
Didn't Tom Hall try to acquire the rights to Commander Keen several times but he was always denied? Just let the man make video games, he certainly seems to be the only one who still cares about this series.

>>2873787
I hate mocking with DosBoxes, like, I always learn my way around them and what to type and all that shit, but eventually I just forget it all so if I come back to it later I'm clueless. I've worked the box on Indiana Jones & Fate Of Atlantis (thank fuck for ScummVM so I don't need to do that shit again), for Blood (fuck Atari), and Syndicate Wars (the GOG setup works but it only has English, I grew up playing it in my native tongue and it just isn't the same).

Either I forget to take notes like a dumbass, or I forget where I put them.

I just think it would be nice with a compatibility port. It doesn't have to be all like ZDoom or shit, just in the same manner as Chocolate Doom, original behavior and all but full modern compatibility.

Optionally maybe added gamepad support because playing platformers with a keyboard isn't as nice. Or, maybe Keen has that.

>>2873789
Yeah, I don't know if it's the publishers or whatever.
If they're so insistent on holding on to it, they could at least offer to let him make a game or two for a cut of the profits.

I'd rather see him do more Keen than that... thing. You know the one he tried to push as a kickstarter.

So, which game is the best?
New age here and I want to play these

>>2873819
Id games tend to be the most configuration friendly, I think windows xp can even run them natively. Anyway, you should try the drag and drop method, you don't need to install.

>>2873846
keen 4 has the best variety in levels

Played all the Keens back in the day. It's a shame id didn't keep that series going. I'd even take a few new levels as a Doom 4 easter egg or something

>>2873846
Play 4 or 5 then revisit Dreams and 1-3 later, the first trilogy was something special when it was new but the second one just blows it out of the water

1, 4 and Dreams are free, the others can be had in bundles on GOG or Steam (save 6 due to some legal complications with the rights to it--just pirate it)

>>2873781
>will they accept use of a gamepad?
DOSBox allows you to map any controller you want. The game itself recommended Gravis game pads, I think

>>2873819
learn to take advantage of the config files. You can save not just settings for the box, but also entire command lines to mount directories, start files, etc. All my DOSBox games start with a single Windows shortcut, I don't even see the command line. Save these files, re-use them as you see fit.

>added gamepad support
DOSBox comes with a controls mapper, where you can map arbitrary controllers to a keyboard and two virtual joysticks (for analog input). These mapper files can be saved, and started with a config, which brings us back to my point above. Some of my games, like Indy 500, have custom mapper files, to map analog steering to a thumbstick controller.

>>2874096
seconded. 4 is the pinnacle of the series, and 5 is a worthy successor. 1-3 is good to learn about the origins. legal issues or not, 6 is also needlessly complicated. 4 and 5 just feel so much nicer.

And if you love 4 and 5, stay clear of the GBC game. It just looks disgusting in comparison.

>>2873819
>what to type and all that shit
cd\game
game
God damn.

>>2873819
If you can't use DOS commands to run a single EXE you probably shouldn't be allowed to computer.

>>2875796
not even necessary. You can pass a file as parameter to DOSBox when launching, and it will mount the directory of that file as C:, then start the file

>>2875821
So true. Pic related is somewhere near where my sides are.

>>2875191
Oh? That sounds very handy.
So, a game like Blood might not have the code to interpret a stick in an analog manner, but I could tell DosBox to use the analog stick on whatever gamepad or other peripheral I have to work in place of the WASD keys, and this would work?
Could I tell DosBox to use a gamepad and a mouse at the same time? Like I wanted to play Blood with a mouse in one hand and a gamepad in the other?

I remember I did a few things with DosBox, like I made it autoload BMouse for Blood

>>2875821
I can do them, dickface, I just greatly prefer a less cumbersome interface when possible.

>>2876137
This is the DOSBox keymapper. You can open it via Ctrl-F1. This screen shows the input devices that DOSBox emulates. On top you got the keyboard, center the two joysticks. You click any of these keys/inputs, then "add" one of your real inputs. That is, you perform the input you want to do. For testing I just mapped the keyboard keys wasd to the analog left thumbstick on my wireless gamepad, works perfectly fine, to the point that I can "type" wasd on the DOSBox command line when moving the analog stick. Note that you can map multiple inputs to the same emulated input. This is important because even though I mapped wasd to the gamepad, it is ALSO mapped to wasd on my physical keyboard. I can still type normally. Of course mapping an anlog device to a digital key will not introduce analog input to that key. To retain analog input, you have to map it to the emulated joysticks, and hope the game has stick support. The mouse itself is not part of the keymapper, from what I can tell.

>>2876137
>>2876150
to clarify on the mouse not being part of the mapper: you can not turn mouse movements into joystick or keyboard presses, and the mouse buttons just do their mouse button things. However, you can use a mouse next to the gamepad, as the emulated computer in DOSBox simply sees a keyboard, a mouse, and two joysticks.

The block of keys shown center right might be interesting, because these are DOSBox functions. You can map these as well to your gamepad or other input device. For example you could map taking screenshots to pressing the right trigger on your gamepad, don't even need to take your hand off it while playing.

>>2876150
and as said before,
you can save these mapper configurations
>save button on the mapper screen

, rename the produced file to something game specific,
>windows explorer, in your DOSBox directory

load the mapper file in a game specific DOSBox config,
>http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Dosbox.conf#.5Bsdl.5D
>mapperfile = path-to-mapper-file

and then load said config right with the game
>http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Usage
>-conf configfilelocation


It's a bit of upfront work, but the result is a shortcut wherever you want, that straight up boots the correctly configured game. It allows to maintain different configurations for different games as well.

Commander Keen is literally the first videogame I ever played. :D

>>2873512

This...This trilogy is godly. Imma still try to help the guy who made them tidy up Keys of Krodacia (only one that needs it, really :/).

As far as I'm concerned, the saga is then complete.

>>2873789
>>2873828

One word: Zenimax. Nearly as scummy as EA, certainly on the same level of douchebaggery as Atari.

>>2873846

All of them are good except Dreams, which really just feels like a testing ground for the Galaxy engine. At the very very most it is what would likely be referred to in the console world as a "gaiden game", so I really would play it only after you play the others (including the godly unofficial conclusion to the series). Start with 4-6. If you're still enamoured play 1-3 (warning; 3 is pretty fucking rough even by early PC gaming standards...I only play a custom version that replaces the bullshit levels with better ones). After that, play 7-9, but don't let the amateurish quality of 7 put you off; it gets _fuckloads_ better with 8 and 9.

>>2873819

You need a decent frontend my techno-illiterate friend. :)

>>2873512
>>2874703
>>2876165
So, what are the best Keen fangames?
Give at least the name of the author please, there's a bajillion "The universe is toast" around.

>>2875837
How is that in any way easer than those two incredibly simple commands?

>>2876189
It's a configuration thing. You do it once, and only once. Then starting the game is a double-click, no additional commands required. The game starts like it's native on the host.

>Keen thread
>No Dopefish

Shame on you /vr/.

>>2876192
Seems like a waste of time to do now what would save under a second later. I don't get it.

Does it even save time or effort? You gotta hunt down that shortcut you made for the game you want after all.

>>2876221
>what would save under a second later
On the trivial setups, maybe (though I want to see you change a directory or two, and start an exe in under a second). When you mount CD drives and use a custom mapper though, different subject altogether.

>Does it even save time or effort?
On one hand, yes. On the other, I don't see the console window, I don't need to exit DOSBox, I just start and run the game like any other program on my machine. No need to touch the cli. That alone adds a level of comfort

>You gotta hunt down that shortcut
It's in my start menu, like all the other games.

>>2876234
>When you mount CD drives and use a custom mapper though, different subject altogether.
Yeah, fairo. I never considered the more complex setups, which was a bit foolish of me considering we're talking about DOS games here, and they're infamous for special needs.

>It's in my start menu, like all the other games.
Eh, I find the start menu interface pretty slow and clumsy. Typing really is quicker for those simple games.

>>2876245
Ever since Vista you type + enter in the start menu to launch an application. Though I have a handful of games in heavy rotation, that have their dedicated entry always visible in the start menu. Not just DOS, but other emulators as well, and even native games.

>>2876187

Only one "Universe is Toast" mod by Ceilick. Only one you need be concerned with. All other mods pale before it (dat rough Ep 7 doe...).

>>2873819

>>2876165
>(warning; 3 is pretty fucking rough even by early PC gaming standards...I only play a custom version that replaces the bullshit levels with better ones).
What's so bad about 3, exactly?

>>2876340
Got a sheet for 4-6?

I like how few assets 1-3 actually had. The games did a lot with just that little. With so few assets, level design, on a technical level, is everything.

4-6 looks miles better though, the canonical DOS platformer.

>>2876345
I agree but man looking at The Grand Intellect above and thinking that that's the best attempt at a true boss fight that entire trilogy ever produced...? Is that not truly just pathetic?

>>2876350
1-3 has harsh limits on sprite size, and very few tiles, and it looks like they insisted on a "huge" boss. So that's the best you can do with these limits.

>>2876352

>>2876354

>>2876350
>>2876354
>>2876357
These sprite sheets bring back memories, thanks

>>2876359
Sure thing. I have all the best Keen pics.

>>2876362
Think the 4-6 trilogy would benefit from true MCGA 256 colors?

>>2876354
Those goddamn Shikadis were tough as fuck.
When I was little I was always scared when the giant red robot or a Shikadi was charging at me. Now the game would probably be really easy to play but back then when I was a little kid it was really tough.

>>2876375
>Now the game would probably be really easy to play
Nope, it has quite a difficulty. You had to challenge the people that finished 4, after all.

>>2876376
I'll definately try it sometime to relieve childhood memories, is that sourceport(The one with additional features like coop) any good?

>>2876382
No idea, I tend to play the originals on DOSBox, because it's so hassle-free, I don't see any advantage in messing with a port.

I really like the light hearted simplicity and openly ridiculous plot of Keen games.
>some little kid assembling a spaceship from household gadgets and battling aliens to save the world without his parents finding out

>>2876395
>openly ridiculous plot
Most of it is overly vivid imagination, Billy's basically playing in the toolshed, see Heart of Darkness

>>2876395
>openly ridiculous plot
Most of it is overly vivid imagination, Billy's basically playing in the toolshed, see also Heart of Darkness

>>2876397
No it was all really real and this evidence proves it.

>>2876405
Bet you can't even play Paddle War on this. You know, the damn Pip-Boy is a thing, why isn't this?

Yorps are friendly one-eyed Martians. Physically they resemble Gargs slightly, but they are smaller in size and have one eye on a stalk instead of two. Yorps are very happy, and not dangerous at all. Yorps were slaves to Gargs before the Viking probe landed on the despotic Martian king, freeing them from their masters.

They seem to be suitable for pets, and Keen has actually had one as a pet since his trip to Mars. His pet Yorp is called Spot. The only danger the Yorps represent is that they can accidentally push Keen into something deadly. They move quite slowly and often make small jumps, as if they are excited to be alive. Unlike Gargs, Yorps have only one buck-tooth in their lower jaw giving them quite a cute appearance. No doubt this is why Keen takes one home as a pet at the end of the first episode.
A Yorp on Fribbulus Xax!

Yorps can be stunned for a few seconds by jumping on them, and it takes one shot to kill them.

The hint sheet states about them:

These lovable, one-eyed green Martians are friendly. Very friendly. Too friendly.

>>2876836
don't bother, most of the people on this board are yorp-less

>>2876836
needs to show her dopefish

>>2876836
Be honest /vr/ how does it feel knowing you will never get a gf so based as to have Yorp tattooed by her ankle?

people were actually impressed by this?

>this map design
Jesus. I was not expecting to see this here. This game is more complex than I thought. That's some Sonic 3 and Knuckles shit right there.

>>2876898
the level design is why the game was so great, ID games are always filled with secrets. Even if the graphics and sound werent up to par with consoles at the time the gameplay in these games easily makes up for it.

>>2876893
Feels bad man, but hey, at least we got ourselves a Retron 5...

needed for keen 6 piracy check

>>2877238
Do you need a marriage license to buy a retron 5?

>>2876402
Exactly. It's all in his imagination.
Mortimer is his school bully. He doesn't actually ever fight him. He just takes the role of the villain in his imagination.
Notice how all the pick-ups are toys and candy.
Even the pogostick and his "raygun".
His space ship is literally made of random junk.
Then we have a plot involving his babysitter. She is just playing with him while babysitting.

But that's just a theory...

>>2877254
>It's all in his imagination.
>Mortimer is his school bully. He doesn't actually ever fight him. He just takes the role of the villain in his imagination.
>>2877254
>But that's just a theory...
...a mildly depressing theory.

>>2877379
>...a mildly depressing theory.
How so? It's practically turning the imagination of a kid into a game, and it's not the only game that did that. It's basically "the floor is lava, with video games". You've never played it back then? Imagined yourself in some awesomely dangerous situation as the hero? Commander Keen has a very childlike nature. You can see it in all the title screens, the bonus items, the way the aliens are portrayed.
I don't know about you, but I find that approach delightfully refreshing, when a game just is the very definition of imagination, instead of trying to be what everyone else does.

>>2876350
I like how in 1991 you could have a black princess without the SJWs making a big deal of it.

>>2877254
>implying it all doesn't happen for real

>>2879386
Nah, it's the sjw-witchhunters who think it's significance

>>2879564
Both are pretty awful desu senpai

>>2876405

Is that that famous rogue broadcast on the TV there?

Also shit you got tons of keen stuff on the walls.

>>2879564
>>2880113
Without fail, pic related.
Now crawl back where you came from and let us discuss Keen in peace.

>>2880184
No one thinks "Anti-SJWs" are racist, sexist, etc. The problem is that they shit up threads that have nothing to do with SJWs with their fucking whining.

>>2880210
I count 2 anti-sjw posts vs 3 anti-anti-sjws posts at the moment.

>>2873460
>This series has so much untapped potential
was tapped, the essence has no more

>>2876150
Wait. So YOU are telling ME that i am FINALLY ABLE TO PLAY ORIGINAL PC EXHUMED and CYBERMAGE ON WASD?!

Oh man, thank you so fucking much. Have that Renate Richter.

>>2880281

>>2876898
I remember replaying this level just to stock up on ammo, then finally making it to the secret transporter.

Actually playing Keen 1 right now

>>2876895
Making a game where the screen didn't scroll like a sideshow was something nobody else could do on PC when Keen was new, the later games hold up a bit better

>>2876364
would probably be pillow shaded garbage, considering the low art quality of the series in general

>>2882774
have you seen 4-6? 1-3 was amateurish, but 4-6 has a very solid and pretty style

>>2882774

Uh, 4-6 looks pretty damn good, boyo.

>>2876340

>What's so bad about 3, exactly?

All the levels were literally done by Tom Hall in 36 hours with no sleep whatsoever. And it shows. The mod I got redid them all, but to preserve the feel of the original I only replaced levels where you could get in unwinnable situations. That meant 3 of 4 Fort levels and Hal's Kitchen. All are now infinitely more playable with my custom version, while still not looking at all out of place.

>>2882784

The same guy went on to do all art direction for Doom.

>>2882796
I should give a damn why?

>>2882807

Because despite me not caring for it, Doom looks pretty cool. Don't be a fuckstick; socialize.

>>2882815
A game from a different genre with a different video mode looks different? Stop the fucking presses. This is a Keen thread. Not a Doom thread. The only way to make Doom on topic is by posting ths screenhot

>>2882835
>hurr hurr different game
you lost the argument, son. Learn to admit when someone else is right.

>>2882842
right about what?

>>2882847
are you going through DABDA about being wrong on the internet?

>>2882842
There's no argument going on. Anon just mentioned a different game because reasons. It does not even matter if I think Doom looks like the second coming of christ, or like his cumrag. This is about Keen, and the subject were its visuals. Unless for some demented reason you think "but a different game looks different" constitutes some kind of argument. I'm not even sure if for, or against, or what point is being argued.

>>2882849
As soon as you can actually tell me what was "wrong", or what point anon tried to make, we may be on to something. As it is, it was a useless off-topic post, and now you're turning this thread into shitpost central

>>2882851
>>2882856
I'm pretty sure what he meant was, talking about doom is revelant as an example of the artist's skills, especially concerning the use of 256 colors. Which it is.

I don't understand why using doom to make a point about keen is off-topic.

>>2882860
>talking about doom is revelant as an example of the artist's skills

Anon replied to someone that already called Keen 4-6 good looking. So what's the point?

>example of the artist's skills, especially concerning the use of 256 colors
>I don't understand why using doom to make a point about keen is off-topic.
Different color depth, different tile/texture size, different limits on the number of textures/tiles, different art style, different tools and sources to produce the resulting artwork, different purpose of the produced material.
Basically, everything is different between Doom and Keen, not just in content, but on a technical level. It's like claiming you can tell someone is a good accountant, because they can play DDR well.

>>2882860

I was going to just call the anon an needlessly obtuse asshole, but on second thought your post makes every point I would've tried to a lot more civilly.

douchebag anon, here's your reply.

>>2882867

Dude, you need to calm down.

>>2882881
The fuck? I respond calmly, explaining my reasoning why I considered the mentioning of Doom useless and misleading, and you do this? What the fuck happened to reading comprehension?

Be sure to mention autism in your response.

>>2882892

No, seriously: take your medication and quit twitching at every little thing. The artist for Keen Galaxy did a good job, then went on to do a good job with Doom. There's no extra hidden meaning, the Illuminati are not sending you messages through my posts.

The only point I meant to make is that Adrian Carmack is a good artist.

>>2882897
>There's no extra hidden meaning
And hence no reason to even bring it up in this thread, or to claim there's an argument going on, or claiming anybody lost or won it. Yet you're shitting all over the thread with your posts. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on

Dunno if you guys are familiar with this or not: http://netkeen.nfshost.com/

Netplay Commander Keen

>>2882923

Rather popular with PCKF, if memory serves.

>>2882916

Now you're assuming that every response to your neurotic rage is the same person. Will you get the fuck off the computer for a bit and take your meds and eat something? You're no fun when you get this way.

>>2882930
>Now you're assuming that every response to your neurotic rage is the same person
Now you're assuming I am using the singular you.

>Will you get the fuck off the computer for a bit and take your meds and eat something?
As long as you're being an offensive little shithead I'll reserve the right to respond in a language your neuron might understand. Embrace the challenge.

>>2882943

>embrace the challenge

There's no challenge, guy. I'm just some random dude on the internet, wondering what the fuck your major malfunction is. I can take it or leave it any time.

PROTIP- if you don't want someone to behave in an offensive manner toward you, try not responding in kind completely unprovoked.

>>2882958
>completely unprovoked
yeah, no
>Don't be a fuckstick
>you lost the argument
>are you going through DABDA
>Dude, you need to calm down.
>your neurotic rage
>take your meds

What happened here

>>2883871
some idiots doomed the thread

>>2883836

And yet you still don't get why >>2882807 in response to my >>2882796 was the opening salvo for >>2882815 ?

You know what, at this point I _am_ gonna say it: you're goddamn autistic. No two ways about it.

>>2883871

I mentioned Doom in passing and Captain 'Spergburger over there >>2883836
went batshit.

Is Keen Dreams worth getting?

>>2883915

Not really. Already answered in-thread though.

>>2883905
if anything, the off topic post was the problem. You still don't understand how utterly different the two games are, to the point that any "but they're from the same guys" has no meaning whatsoever.

>You know what, at this point I _am_ gonna say it
Yeah, let the hate flow through you. Thanks for admitting you had it on your mind all along.

>>2883928

>Yeah, let the hate flow through you. Thanks for admitting you had it on your mind all along.

In the same vein of not acting like a nigger if you don't want to be called one, don't act like a sperglord if you don't wanna be called fucking autistic.

>>2883932
Don't post bullshit, and we won't have the problem. Seems to be beyond your abilities though to understand that.

>Doom1
>1993
>old enough to vote

hmmm

>>2883960
Old enough to buy a handgun.

>>2884813
why would you ever want to shoot hands? Who's making that sick stuff even?

>>2884824
Well, it's more a gun you hold in your hand, but what if you had to fight a hand to the death?

Like maybe a hand like Ash's severed hand from Evil Dead 2? Shooting that hand with your handgun could be a good idea.

>>2885113
oh, that kind of shooting hands. I thought its projectiles were hands. That changes everything

>>2885120
Well it would be kind of cool if it had a mechanical hand on a chain or a wire, and it used a pressurized gas tube or a blank gun cartridge to launch it, and it'd close it's fist upon impact and grab what you hit, then you'd reel it in.

Of course that might be difficult to do accurately, and you couldn't grab a person without hurting them.

>>2885262
it's a gun, when you use it, hurting someone is not just a possibility, it's the reason to use it

>>2885264
Well that's true. Then it might as well launch like a balled up fist to punch with.

Maybe it can be used for climbing?
Actually I think I've basically just described Bionic Commando now that I'm thinking about it.

I suppose it would function for punching Hitler in the mouth in that case.