Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die!

Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die is the third episode in the Invasion of the Vorticons series and was developed by id Software. It was published by Apogee in 1990 for DOS.

Commander Keen, or rather an 8-year-old prodigy Billy Blaze, has already saved planet Earth under his belt when he decides to take the fight to the Vorticons’ home planet. By now, CK knows that the Vorticons did not attack Earth of their own volition; they are being controlled by the Grand Intellect. While on his journey to take out the Grand Intellect, it issues an order: Keen must die!

Like the other games in the series, Keen Must Die is a side-scrolling platformer. CK can, of course, jump, but he also has access to his trusty pogo stick to get that extra jumping boost when needed. He is armed with his handy raygun and can take out the majority of enemies with it. There are also a few other useful items scattered around, like keycards and the invulnerability ankh. Things like candy bars, slices of cake, and hamburgers help you gain points which can then be used to gain extra lives. Enemies vary in appearance, size, and type. Make sure to either dodge or vaporize them because if they come into contact with you, you’re dead.

Commander Keen was a pretty big hit when it was released. Even now, it’s a great classic that’s an exciting challenge. Keen Must Die is a brilliant end to the trilogy and also adds a boss fight, something unseen in the first two chapters. Play the other two, then finish it off with this gem.