Commander Keen: Aliens Ate My Babysitter!

The Good
Commander Keen is a sentimental favorite of mine, despite its age and technical limitations. I've heard it all the time: "Why do you still play this? It's old!"..."I'm not playing that game...the graphics stink!"..."Yeah, but Quake III's new, man! That's old school you got there!" Personally, I like my old school over the new school, big time. Commander Keen may not have pretty 16-bit graphics, or a technically advanced Redbook soundtrack or gobsmacking piles of rendered FMV, and yeah, it can fit onto a single 1.44 MB floppy instead of being big enough that you need 4 CDs for it, but it's got it right where it counts: gameplay! Commander Keen is easily one of the most playable PC platform games you'll ever play in your entire life!

The Keen games have all been simple, easy games to pick up and get into, but once you do, you'll soon see why I call this (in my opinion) one of the finest 2D platformers available for the PC. First, the game's engine is fast and smooth, allowing for very good animation without any problems. Second, you've got to admit: even with the weird, cutesy enemies and somewhat simplistic design, Commander Keen has a lot of charm. id never intended for demonic beings or spirits of Hell to inhabit this game; they just wanted a game with charm and wit and a whimsical environment which would go right with the game's hero. And they got it perfectly.

Now, moving on. Gameplay is pretty simple. You have a Neural Stunner (which brings up another thing: Keen seems to be a pacifist or something, because he never kills anything in any of his games. Maybe he's squeamish? :), a pogo stick which can propel you up higher in a jump, and of course, the ability to jump from platform to platform. Levels are big, and most have a LOT of hidden items stuck around them, which will probably appeal hugely to secret hunters. Good luck, guys!

Graphics are simple, but very appropriate to the style of Keen's world. Even though they're simple EGA graphics, they're still very nicely done and seem to "fit". Sounds and music are all Adlib sounds, and even though the music is a bit cheesy in parts, it's charming and helps to complete the experience of playing. Although you have to admit: a lot of you were probably humming the Keen tunes at one point or another...:)

The Bad
I hate the fact that Aliens Ate My Babysitter is near impossible to find now, and id refuses to let Tom Hall and John Romero (two of the original Keen guys; Tom was the creator of Keen and John Romero was one of the programmers of Keen; both are at Ion Storm now) have the rights back to Commander Keen so they can create the newest Keen game already. If I were id, I'd just hand it off right now and let things go on. Besides, I want to see Keen, the Bloogs, Dopefish, and everyone else again already!

The Bottom Line
Aliens Ate My Babysitter is easily the best of the Keen games, and it's a shame that it's impossible to find now, because everyone who's anyone deserves to play the Commander Keen games. They're cute, they're fun, and they're easily one of the best, most classic PC games ever made! Two thumbs up!