Due to the success of the Mario franchise, id Software, and specifically John Carmack, wanted to recreate that kind of fast side-scrolling gameplay but for IBM PC's at the time. Carmack came up with "adaptive tile refresh," a method that allows the screen to move along with the player, only adding in newly visible objects on screen. They actually used this first to ask Nintendo if they can port Super Mario Bros. 3 to PC, and while they were impressed by the demo they created for it, they declined saying they weren't interested in the PC market. Dejected, they felt like using this new technology to produce a platformer in the style of Mario, and the Commander Keen franchise is born.

While I prefer the second trilogy of games over the first one, I can't deny how fun this trilogy can be on its own merits, especially this one. The gameplay may be a bit simplistic, but it uses its simplicity effectively to create a memorable experience. The iconic creature designs, the pogo-stick that allows you to traverse the levels in greater leaps, and great level design combine for a fun experience. It would be improved upon in the second installment if I remember correctly.

This was a nostalgia play for me. Traversing they grey-backed levels composed of purple bricks and coloured cans reminds me of when I first played it at my cousin's house. I couldn't tell you if this was before or after my family computer had acquired Secret of the Oracles but alas. It was so early in my video game career that watching CK1 astounded me.

Eventually I would get the game myself and I played through a few times in my youth. Don't know how long its been since I checked this one out since it's been a decade and change since I really got into DOSBox emulation. This is a lot of preamble for a game that I don't think is really good.

It's definitely playable, especially with how short it is, but the controls and movement don't feel very good. I can excuse the very tanky jumping physics but the thing that bugs me is the fact that your velocity determines which way Keen is facing so if you are running left and you need to turn to the right to shoot an alien, you have to wait to Keen's velocity slows down and switches the other way before you can take the shot.

As for everything else, it's very bog-standard. The charms of this game would be improved in the Goodbye Galaxy duology. I enjoyed revisiting this for the nostalgia but I could not play this one again and be fine.

A DOS classic that's quite a bit leaner than I remembered. Turns out this isn't the massive game I thought it was when I was 7, I was just really bad at it!!

One night while his parents are out, Billy Blaze takes his homemade ship, the Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket, dons his big brother's Football helmet and becomes Commander Keen. He then decides to take a quick trip to Mars for a little exploring. While there, evil aliens called Vorticons steal crucial parts of his ship, stranding him there. The game is a quest to get back the parts of Keen's ship so he can make it home before his parents.

I adore this concept, and Keen's first game is a treasure. You have your simple jump and shoot controls, but you also acquire a pogo stick early on that becomes a crucial part of the gameplay, allowing you to jump higher and farther.

The game is a little tricky at times, but it's rarely unfair. There are a couple levels near the end with some unavoidable deaths due to being unable to see what's below you as you drop to lower areas (I'm lookin' at you, Red Maze City), but it's not a huge issue, and you can easily knock this game out in a couple hours. The controls and some of the overly simple levels may be a bit off-putting to newcomers, but if you're into classic platformers, Commander Keen's Vorticon trilogy is not to be missed.

EDIT: I have just played Keen 1 with a controller for the first time, and it was FANTASTIC. I played it through Commander Genius while using my 8bitdo Pro, and it was sublime. I highly recommend using a d-pad!!