Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes

aka: Commander Keen: "Invasion of the Vorticons" - Episode Two: The Earth Explodes
Moby ID: 217

Description

Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes is the second game in the first trilogy of Commander Keen platform games, called Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons.

In this episode a Vorticon Mothership is poised above Earth, preparing to destroy the planet with their deadly Tantalus Rays! Commander Keen's mission is to stop these evil Vorticons from blowing up the Earth. In order to do this you need to find and destroy each X-14 Tantalus Ray, powered by cells from the big purple Space Amoeba.

The game begins with a top-down map of the mothership. This is the level select screen, where you can walk around and choose the next level you want to enter. On each level, you have to find the exit; if this is one of the levels with a Tantalus Ray, you've got to destroy the Ray before exiting. Once you reach the exit, you're back on the map of the mothership.

The levels are typically full of enemy creatures and hazards. If Keen gets shot or touched, or falls into a pit or hazard, he dies, and you're booted out of the level back to the overhead map and lose one life.

Thankfully, Keen can defeat some of the enemies with his raygun. He also has a pogo stick which allows him to jump very high. Other items to find include keycards that open locked doors and bonus items which give score (Keen gets an extra life if he collects enough score).

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Credits (DOS version)

4 People

Creative Director
Programming
Art
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Sound

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 65% (based on 2 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.6 out of 5 (based on 48 ratings with 6 reviews)

Simple platfrom action and great fun.

The Good
As the direct sequel to Commander Keen 1 : Marooned on Mars, there is very little difference. Sure the areas, puzzles, monsters, etc., are all different, but it is basically the same game.

Personally, I prefer this to the first episode. This time, you're aboard the alien's spacecraft and you must destroy all the death rays focused on Earth's major cities. The levels are kind of cute, and I definitely got a kick out of running around their spaceship.

The Bad
Since it was based on the same engine as the first episode, it suffered from the same problems. Particularly, the awful idea that CTRL+ALT should be the fire control.... stupid, stupid!

The Bottom Line
As a continuation in the series, it's a must for anyone who loves Commander Keen. The story is as strong as the first, and the levels a little more entertaining. A definite in my book.

DOS · by Steve Hall (329) · 2000

Small but solid improvements make Keen 2 one of the coolest platformers for the pc.

The Good
Practically the same as the original gameplay-wise, The Earth Explodes is the second and probably best episode in the original CK trilogy. As you came back from Mars at the end of the last game, you happened to notice that the Vorticons had positioned their dog-shaped mothership near earth, and apparently they mean to blow it up! As Commander Keen, defender of the galaxy, Billy Blaze has to get back on his starship and get to the mothership in order to kick some Vorticon ass and save the earth.

As I mentioned, this game is practically the same as CK1, but now you aren't collecting space ship parts, instead you have to explore the mothership and disable it's individual laser guns (each targeted at a different location on earth). I feel that this simple change makes the game much more foccused than it's predecessor and with new and much more intriguing levels and enemies like the fearsome Vorticon warriors, who jump around but remain land-locked when the lights are out (a significant gameplay concept that one has to remember to beat some levels), plus the addition of a much more cohesive background and graphic style (you are after all in a space ship) gets you a much more solid Keen game than it's prequel.

The Bad
Practically nothing, the only bad aspects CK2 has come with the genre, and that's about it.

And the lack of major additions can't be really considered since this was the second episode on an already developed trilogy instead of a "real" sequel (following the standard "first episode free, two others by order" shareware mantra).

The Bottom Line
Probably the most enjoyable of the first Keen trilogy, packed with good, challenging yet balanced gameplay, cute graphics, good clean humor (you can blow up the earth if you want to!) and some great levels and enemies make for a fantastic PC-only platformer.

DOS · by Zovni (10504) · 2003

One of my favorite Keens -- it's in space!

The Good
Back in 1990, you didn't see smooth-scrolling EGA graphics unless you were playing Commander Keen. The storyline is great, the enemies are funny yet dangerous, and it's just like playing Super Mario on a PC.

The Bad
Nothing.

The Bottom Line
The first classic PC smooth side-scroller, the Keen Series paved the way for other developers to see that the PC was a real gaming machine, at last.

This episode of Keen is set on the Vorticon Mothership hovering over the earth, ready to use its Tantalus Rays on all the major cities of the planet unless Keen can disable them in time! If not, The Earth Explodes!

DOS · by John Romero (1450) · 2002

[ View all 6 player reviews ]

Trivia

Secret level

Unlike the first and the third episode, this one doesn't have a secret level as the creators thought a secret level on the map of the mother ship didn't feel right.

Information also contributed by Frenkel

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  • MobyGames ID: 217
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Tomer Gabel.

Additional contributors: Xantheous, Steve Hall, Frenkel, formercontrib, Patrick Bregger.

Game added August 14, 1999. Last modified February 28, 2024.