Commander Keen

Commander Keen 1: Marooned on Mars is the first in the franchise of side scrollers of the same name, developed by id Software. The game was published by Apogee Software in 1990 for DOS. There are five entries in the series.

Playing as the pint-sized genius Billy Blaze, you find yourself lost on Mars after taking your homemade rocket out for a spin. After aliens jack (steal) pieces of his ship and run off with them, it’s BB’s job to get them back. Transforming into his galactic alter ego, Commander Keen, he has to navigate each level, avoiding enemies and traps, and retrieve his ship parts. Though young, he does not come unarmed and can utilize a ray gun to defend himself. Ammo is not unlimited, so some strategy is involved. Billy can also find other useful items around the levels to help on his way, like the handy-dandy pogo stick.

The game features two camera angles. The first being a top-down view when you are on the planet’s map, and the second being a side view once inside a level. This was also one of the first games to prove that side-scrolling was very possible on a computer. Interestingly, the first chapter of the game was completely free when it was released, with the option to purchase the other 2 chapters. Birthing the beloved Commander Keen franchise, Marooned on Mars is an oldie, but a goodie.