Commander Keen 64: Pogo Demo

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ZidaneA
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Post by ZidaneA »

This... Is... SPARTA!

Nah, just kidding. But it's gargling awesome!
I've played this so many times now I've almost lost the count!
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DaVince
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Post by DaVince »

I'm wondering if a Linux native version is feasible? I'll try it through Wine (Windows application runner) anyway, but it'd be nice to see this truly (somewhat) cross-platform. :)

Edit: won't start under Wine. Something about memory access problems.
Last edited by DaVince on Tue Nov 17, 2009 20:13, edited 1 time in total.
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albert
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Post by albert »

This looks really nice and interesting! I love the idea. I always thought that Keen in 3D would probably be lame and not really the same game feeling but the screenshots look very promising.

I hope this is going to be open source. I'd love to join this project!
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Lava89
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Post by Lava89 »

ZidaneA wrote:But it's gargling awesome!
I've played this so many times now I've almost lost the count!
Thank you ZidaneA!
DaVince wrote:I'm wondering if a Linux native version is feasible? I'll try it through Wine (Windows application runner) anyway, but it'd be nice to see this truly (somewhat) cross-platform. :)

Edit: won't start under Wine. Something about memory access problems.
Hmm, more than likely it's not reading the files for some reason. Was it completely unzipped? Not saying you did or didn't, but it's a start to figure out what is wrong with it and narrow down possibilities.
albert wrote:This looks really nice and interesting! I love the idea. I always thought that Keen in 3D would probably be lame and not really the same game feeling but the screenshots look very promising.

I hope this is going to be open source. I'd love to join this project!
Thanks dude!

As for making it Open source? The source will be released when I finish the full 3D remake of Keen: Marooned On Mars or if by some unusual circumstance the project got canceled. Essentially; one way or another the source will be released in the indefinite future.
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DaVince
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Post by DaVince »

Hmm, more than likely it's not reading the files for some reason. Was it completely unzipped? Not saying you did or didn't, but it's a start to figure out what is wrong with it and narrow down possibilities.
I'd rather place my bets on there being actual memory access problems, with Wine somehow not being able to read memory like how the game engine is supposed to read it. I'll redownload a bit better but I'm quite sure the archive was complete as it didn't complain when I extracted.
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Videogamer555
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Re: Commander Keen 64: Pogo Demo

Post by Videogamer555 »

Lava89 wrote: DOWNLOAD
Download link is dead. If anyone has a copy of the Pogo Beta release (or any later releases which may have been made), please upload to Megaupload and post the link here

Never mind, this other Keen games website has a copy of it independently hosted on their own server. Found this in Google search.

http://www.commanderkeenfans.com/downloads/Keen64.zip
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Post by Benvolio »

Thanks for sorting out the download link guys, just played it there and... wow! It's so Keenish, I wonder if even Tom Hall could have made a 3d game as Keen as this... the Galaxy-era music works really well too...
obviously this is early days and glitches are yet to be ironed out... but take note anyway that the area of map in which you can enter the clear-glass-dome-city is a little confusing...
anyway, whizzing around the pogo level is real fun, especially when you can glide in the same unrealistically controllable way that Keen1 allows you to do.
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Lava89
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Post by Lava89 »

Yes, many thanks to Videogamer555 for reposting a working link! Last night I corrected my main project thread's link, and so I did same here (using my dropbox account).

New Pogo Demo link

@Benvolio, I appreciate your great feedback. If you notice any other bugs, feel free to point them out.

What would you say makes the map scene confusing? I haven't really decided how I want the map to look finally, so I am open to suggestions. I think one problem I am having with the map is how huge its going to be with all 16 of the original game's levels being accessible. I thought about making a large hill so its easier to see things, but either way-- its going to require alot of walking from Keen, so I now know why the original developers gave you a "bird's eye" view.

And thanks for the Keenish-ness compliment! I think capturing the original feel of something like this is important.
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Post by Benvolio »

The map is very evocative of the original mars map. As for making it easier to see things... well look at the original map for guidance... in any one screen you can see usually one or two, and maximum four levels. So you don't want to make him see too much.

What I meant by confusing was that, when I approach the light-blue-dome-city I have to walk around a little bit to find somewhere that will enter the city when I press ctrl...

You have given Keen a fairly quick walking speed so the long-distance walking shouldn't be too much of a problem... after all, the original map has quite a lot of walking in it also, especially on the Dark Side of Mars where you walk for almost three screenfuls without seeing a level.

On another note, reaching the higher part of the POGO level is one thing I have not yet managed to do. Maybe this is because there is a learning curve with the pogo usage in this game, just as there is in Keen1 itself. The original POGO shrine tests your skills, as if to determine if you are ready for the Dark Side of Mars. Anyway, I commend your POGO level on replicating the look and feel of the original! Keep up the good work!
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