Commander Keen (Game Boy Color)

Reviewed by

Frank Provo

on 06/12/2001

Add to my list
Print
E-mail
Share

Page 2

The real shame, if you consider it as such, is how little the graphics and sound in the GBC version of Keen have improved given a decade of possibilities. There is something to be said for purity, but the game's backgrounds just cry out for additional layers of scrolling. Also, the two-framed animation of each of the 38 different species of Vorticon is less than spectacular. For that matter, this release of Commander Keen already has a few additional background objects and animations, so it's baffling why nothing more was done. Despite these gripes though, the game itself is fairly colorful and more artistic than last year's Duke Nukem, especially in terms of jungle and aquatic environments. Sadly, sound effects and music are unchanged from the circa-1990 PC version, which amounts to a smattering of midi-music tracks and a couple of tinny "jump" and "hit" sound samples.

Not just an acquired taste, Commander Keen was always better suited to a platform where instant save games could make up for its frantic gameplay and cranked difficulty. Fans of the original or those seeking something much more in-depth than the Mario series will no doubt love the Game Boy Color version. However, if you're the easy-going sort, you'll be better off looking elsewhere.