IceKeen - winter themed level pack for Keen 1 (16 levels)!

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KeenRush
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IceKeen - winter themed level pack for Keen 1 (16 levels)!

Post by KeenRush »

Here's a level pack I've slaved over all winter... I hope they're good. I tried to make them fun and playable and interesting. I tried to make them so that they aren't too difficult or too easy. Balance. Try them out. For ten years I've meant to make a level pack for Keen 1 and finally it happened.

:pumpkeen http://www.uploadmb.com/dw.php?id=1361467313
My newest mod - Commander Keen: Sunset: viewtopic.php?t=8568 | codename H.Y.E.N.A.
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Post by Gridlock »

Here's a dropbox link for those who don't want to deal with filesharing sites:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22195447/Other/icekeen.zip

Wow, Keenrush I had just been wondering what happened to you. :yorp I'll give these a try. Definitely fits with the ice/sleet weather I've been having.

Edit: yeah, that third level is ungodly hard, though I discovered you can beat it without the keycards...

Edit 2: Started a playthrough on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXzeRHGM ... MY_qB-zdSN
Last edited by Gridlock on Thu Feb 21, 2013 19:18, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by troublesomekeen »

Aaarrrghh! The first ice cannon I come to owns me every time! sends me frozen to the icy depths below with pat-pats from which there is no escape!
I'll be! A quaint levelpack! Three cheers!
Edit: Oh, and if anyone needs a lil' preview: http://youtu.be/1x259Fw9WaE
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Post by Flaose »

Nice, it's been a while since we had a levelpack release! I haven't played it yet, though I just added it to the KeenWiki :)
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Post by Nospike »

I think that the levels could use a bit more scenery, but very nice work otherwise! I really like the new worldmap.
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Post by Gridlock »

I finished my playthrough of the game. A few secret levels have been excluded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXzeRHGM ... MY_qB-zdSN

I quite enjoyed this levelpack overall. Sometimes Keen 1 has this incredible simplistic charm, and the level designs certainly were a challenge. I would say this levelpack was focused more on action than anything else. Though there were a few puzzles, there certainly wasn't anything as complex as some of KeenRush's previous mods. It was interesting not having a single shot (unless you found the secret raygun needed for a later secret). A few enemy placements and jump challenges were a bit much (look at how often I use savestates in those videos) :dead2, but I didn't find myself frustrated too often (except for level 3). I'll agree with Nospike that things occasionally seem a bit bare, but I guess the levels are what matters. Good job with this, KeenRush. I'd love to see you try a Galaxy levelpack sometime ;) (though I've never thought of you as a Galaxy guy).
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Armageddon Begins Again. The Alphamatic has arrived.

Atroxian Realm: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3536
The Alphamatic: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4086
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Levellass
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Post by Levellass »

KeenRush you devious, scheming, evil son of a pig! These levels are impossible! What could possibly posses you to make them?


Ok, now to actually play the levels.


Yes, my opinion remains unchanged. I especially curse your ice canons. because of this I am putting your rotted skeleton in my next mod.

Here's a dropbox link for those who don't want to deal with filesharing sites:


*Sobs with gratitude*
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Post by Benvolio »

YESS! KeenRush you have breathed life once again into these beloved tiles in a manner that very few have accomplished without the crutches that modding provides!

It is so interesting to see the level of observation of the game's physics that you have done over the years, evolving from the friendly yet challenging playability of Yorphius II through several fascinating mods which used patches to harness this understanding of Keen1, and now this stripped-back application of your knowledge in its natural setting. I speak of this as if it was some kind of science, but those programmers back in 1990 created something beautiful and pure (or as Gridlock puts it "incredible simplistic charm") and yet they didn't even envisage beyond the tip of the iceberg (wintry imagery!) of what the engine could do!

Of course, being a KeenRush project, I find myself jumping blindly off many precipices and hoarsely whispering under my breath "where am I going where am I goi-AHHH BO%$&#KS". Looking forward to having the rest of my life punctuated with your great Keen productions so please never stop!
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Post by lemm »

Well this was a frustrating start to my day.
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Post by KeenRush »

Thanks for comments people and thanks for playing. ;)

As mentioned, I tried hard to make levels that are different from my usual both in complexity and in difficulty. (And if they're still too difficult -- well I guess a tiger can't get rid of its stripes that easily.)

Benvolio, cheers. And you understand me. :freud I sometimes think along those lines.

Gridlock: Yeah, ain't a Galaxy guy. I've drifted further and further from it both as a modder and a player. Can't see myself returning to do anything in it but maybe I should release the alpha of my stopped Keen 4 mod, it has some enemies and 5 levels.

And I hope CK Guy uploads this to his Keen site when he sees this. :dopekeen Sorry that I had to use whatever random file site I found...
My newest mod - Commander Keen: Sunset: viewtopic.php?t=8568 | codename H.Y.E.N.A.
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Post by Mink »

Oh my gosh, and this is coming so quickly on the heels of Extinction! I'm five levels in, and, KeenRush, I'm so impressed with how you've stripped down both the graphics and the tile placement to such an intense focus on the sheer fun and excitement of platforming.

And here you go: http://www.zapzot.net/levelpacks/icekeen.zip :D
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Post by Flyingmouse »

I'd say you did a fairly good job, but why does it need to be so reliant on precision jumping and avoiding unwinnable situations? :bloody
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Post by Levellass »

Flyingmouse wrote:I'd say you did a fairly good job, but why does it need to be so reliant on precision jumping and avoiding unwinnable situations? :bloody
Because KeenRush.
What you really need, not what you think you ought to want.
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Post by MoffD »

Levellass wrote:
Flyingmouse wrote:I'd say you did a fairly good job, but why does it need to be so reliant on precision jumping and avoiding unwinnable situations? :bloody
Because KeenRush.
MLG of keen :D
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Post by Flaose »

KeenRush wrote:And I hope CK Guy uploads this to his Keen site when he sees this. :dopekeen Sorry that I had to use whatever random file site I found...
It's uploaded to the KeenWiki: http://www.shikadi.net/wiki/files/Packs ... -02-21.zip
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