MDK

MDK is a science fiction shooter developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Playmates Interactive Entertainment for DOS and Windows in 1997.

In order to keep players from needing GPU enhancements to run the game on their computers, the developers wrote their own programming language from scratch. This made the game’s 3D levels and graphics better able to run on more computers, making it widely accessible. It was later ported to Mac and PlayStation and was followed by one sequel.

Playing as Kurt, the unwitting janitor, you are kidnapped by possible mad scientist Dr. Hawkins and forced to save the world. The janitor scenario puts me in mind of Space Quest, though the overall circumstances are different. Kurt’s mission is to take out the ‘mine crawlers’ the aliens are using to bleed the Earth dry. Each minecrawler is huge and requires different things to defeat. Outfitted with a special combat suit and a gun strapped to his arm, Kurt is ready for battle. The suit also comes equipped with a parachute that can be used in a number of ways. Kurt will acquire explosives and upgrades along the way as well. Not just your usual run-and-gun, it features variable gameplay, strange enemies, crazy power-ups, stylish level entrances, and much more. The fast pace and sharp sense of humor of this one-of-a-kind cult classic, coupled with the surreal environments make it a must-play.