Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

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Vote for your 3 most favorite levels.

1.) Ion Ventilation System
6
13%
2.) Security Center
5
11%
3.) Defense Tunnel Vlook
1
2%
4.) Energy Flow Systems
12
26%
5.) Defense Tunnel Burrh
2
4%
6.) Regulation Control Center
5
11%
7.) Defense Tunnel Sorra
0
No votes
8.) Neutrino Burst Injector
0
No votes
9.) Defense Tunnel Teln
2
4%
10.) Brownian Motion Inducer
0
No votes
11.) Gravitational Damping Hub
4
9%
12.) Quantum Explosion Dynamo
4
9%
13.) Korath III Base
6
13%
 
Total votes: 47

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proYorp
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Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by proYorp »

Which levels would you say are the most enjoyable for you? What factors contribute to your definition of enjoyable -- action, aesthetic, nostalgia, or others?

Level maps for reference: https://keenwiki.shikadi.net/wiki/Keen_5_Levels

Sorry for the wait. I still haven't had time to respond to and vote in the last poll, but I thought I should start the next one so everyone can have fun with that. Surprisingly the Keen 5 Least Favorite poll has not had as much activity in general compared to the others.

Quick reminder, these polls allow you to change your votes later so there is no pressure to pick "the right answer" if you may change your mind, and there is no time limit.



The previous polls in the level rankings series are here:
Keen 4 Least Favorite Level?
Keen 4 Most Favorite Level?
Keen 5 Least Favorite Level?
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alexis92
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by alexis92 »

Currently, only two votes, with mine being for Defense Tunnel Burrh. Brought it down to a 50/50 :lol:
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Quillax
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by Quillax »

Sweet! It's finally here! I've been waiting for this! :) Here are my favorites:
  • Energy Flow Systems - My top pick for favorite Keen 5 level! The open design is pretty awesome -- you got a large level where you have to do a fun gem hunt and the pink platforms are a cool way to traverse the level. I like levels where there's lots of room to explore. (Just recently played Crystalus and had a lot of fun with that one!) The Robo Red and Shikadi are fun to play with! I also love the red and purple visuals! When I think of Keen 5, this is usually the level that first comes to mind!
  • Security Center - Another fun level to play through! I love getting all of the 1-Ups this level provides; that sound is so nice! I imagine that would especially be helpful in Hard! (I still need to play these games on Hard!) There's also some fun exploration in the beginning!
  • Korath III Base - I love how unique this level compared to the rest. As StupidBunny said earlier, I like it when secret levels provide something new and cool -- it makes discovering them so much more satisfying and memorable! The amazingly-tall design, Scottish aliens, bagpipe music, interesting planet, neat windows; there's a lot to make this level very distinct! The level provides many platforming challenges that are pretty fun!
I'd also love to give a honorable mention to Brownian Motion Inducer! The multi-room design is very cool and that machine is so awesome! "INSERT COIN", so brilliant! :lol
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Nospike
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by Nospike »

I've got 2 choices here. Energy Flow Systems, because it's the level where I first heard the Make It Tighter song and encountered a Robo Red for the first time. It's my favorite out of all the elevator machine levels, I do enjoy the cool open layout like Quillax mentioned, although I certainly can't compare it to Crystalus, I hate that level. :-b
The other is Defense Tunnel Teln. I feel like it's somehow very well done aesthetically, with some really cool spots that stand out like the blue room with the blue key. The layered structure that has you hopping between floors is pretty fun to navigate. It's not unnecessarily long either. Definitely the top tunnel level.
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by Ceilick »

Defense Tunnel Burrh: I love the name, and that the blue background of the level makes it feel chilly. I love that this level is easily broken into 4 segments, and the first most 'complex' segment doesn't require being back tracked to from the more linear segments. The first segment, everything up to the bridge, is a brilliant use of space and pathing; I love the corridors. The second segment has a fantastic "Robo Red Arena", one of the most iconic RR encounters for me. The third segment is a little weak, space is under utilized but I like that it introduces slice stars as a new elementl. The fourth segment is just kind of silly, the key gem doors work but it's not exactly clever design.

Regulation Control Center: Really like this level, can't believe I'm the first to vote for it. The space utilization is excellent, great mix of small, medium and large rooms. The pathing is surprisingly linear, but each room and area makes the player spend a little bit of time in it; progression is held back just enough that it doesn't necessarily feel linear. I like the use of the door in this level to break it into two segments. Different challenges are presented along the way: Sparky guards, a Slice Star obstacle course, a Robo Red arena (extra unique with the slopes!), a Shikadi encounter, and as you're reaching the end the Shikadi Mines show up. I feel this is a great example of a BIG level.

Gravitational Dampening Hub: One of the best level opening sequences in the game, in which Keen starts not at the border of the map, creating some disorientation, AND a new enemy is introduced practically right on top of Keen in a manner that appears dangerous but actually isn't very. This level feels a lot bigger than it is because it makes great use of backtracking between 4 primary rooms. I think the design of each room is excellent, each with it's own unique challenges and without offshoot paths to take wrong turns on. The Spirogrip rooms play to the creature's behavior well. The secret in this level is very clever and I like that it has some hazards; it almost feels like a mini level in itself.

Honorable mention to the Quantum Explosion Dynamo, which I think is good but could have been better, but I wanted to highlight that long essentially empty set of rooms, corridors and shafts on the right side of the level. It feels so secretive and sneaky to travel that path and offers a huge strategic benefit to the Shockshund arena. The lack of items and patrolling enemies really plays into it, like it's a path forgotten by the Shikadi that Keen can utilize.
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by Grimson »

It's a tough choice, but I voted for Energy Flow Systems. It may not be aesthetically the most pleasing, but it plays really nicely. Even though you have to visit certain rooms in a certain order in order to proceed, the open layout gives you a lot of freedom to explore and approach those rooms.

Also because of the swastika :mort
Ceilick wrote: Sun May 29, 2022 14:05I wanted to highlight that long essentially empty set of rooms, corridors and shafts on the right side of the level. It feels so secretive and sneaky to travel that path and offers a huge strategic benefit to the Shockshund arena. The lack of items and patrolling enemies really plays into it, like it's a path forgotten by the Shikadi that Keen can utilize.
I always felt the path to the right was very ominous, precisely due to the lack of items and enemies.

It's possible not just the Shikadi, but the real-life level author forgot about that path too :dopekeen
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by XkyRauh »

Is it weird that, in my mind, the Defense Tunnels blur with the Systems level they pair with? For example, Defense Tunnel Sorra and Neutrino Burst Injector are basically one big level in my mind. I can't remember the gameplay of one without the other... and for that reason, my vote has to go to the pair of Defense Tunnel Vlook and Energy Flow Systems. Maybe it's my penchant for going left first if possible?

Younger Xky loved being able to hop from pole to pole right over the head of Robo Red and the risky platform ride in Vlook, even if the middle section with the two locked doors is literally nothing but a time sink.

Younger Xky also loved the way Energy Flow Systems seemed to have an actual flow (ha) to it, with Keen revisiting some areas repeatedly as pieces came together. The overall required pathing of the level is very small--less than half the actual level space--yet there is so much more to explore! The lower left corner is a bit of a dud, but that void actually somewhat helps because it makes the far reaches of the level feel distant. The level feels much larger than it actually is.
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by 55Aavenue »

Ever since I was a kid my favourite Keen 5 level has been Energy Flow Systems, and I can see after voting that many of you feel the same! I thought the layout was cool, the two upper and lower elevator sections, with another bottom optional elevator for points. I thought riding the elevators was fun, Robo Red was my favourite Keen 5 enemy, and I liked the overall design, atmosphere and open feel of the level. Also, the first time I played Keen 5 with a sound card many years later and I heard that rocking Make It Tighter tune compliment what was already my favourite level...good times!

For those that have played my Keen 5 mod, its probably quite obvious that the level Operations Sphere in "The Armageddon App" was heavily inspired by and my tribute to Energy Flow Systems.
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by Quillax »

Ceilick wrote: Sun May 29, 2022 14:05 Defense Tunnel Burrh: I love the name, and that the blue background of the level makes it feel chilly. I love that this level is easily broken into 4 segments, and the first most 'complex' segment doesn't require being back tracked to from the more linear segments. The first segment, everything up to the bridge, is a brilliant use of space and pathing; I love the corridors. The second segment has a fantastic "Robo Red Arena", one of the most iconic RR encounters for me. The third segment is a little weak, space is under utilized but I like that it introduces slice stars as a new elementl. The fourth segment is just kind of silly, the key gem doors work but it's not exactly clever design.
Oh yeah, I really like Defense Tunnel Burrh as well; that's another level I considered voting! I felt like it has the best sense of intruding through some place you weren't meant to go through! It probably has to do with the tight, compact design and all the laser cannons. The aesthetics are also really good, a bit chilly like what you said!
Ceilick wrote: Sun May 29, 2022 14:05 Honorable mention to the Quantum Explosion Dynamo, which I think is good but could have been better, but I wanted to highlight that long essentially empty set of rooms, corridors and shafts on the right side of the level. It feels so secretive and sneaky to travel that path and offers a huge strategic benefit to the Shockshund arena. The lack of items and patrolling enemies really plays into it, like it's a path forgotten by the Shikadi that Keen can utilize.
Grimson wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 14:39 I always felt the path to the right was very ominous, precisely due to the lack of items and enemies.

It's possible not just the Shikadi, but the real-life level author forgot about that path too :dopekeen
I also really like that part too! I always imagined Keen going through some air duct, kinda like in a lot of those movies!
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by StupidBunny »

Wow, somehow I thought I had contributed to this thread long ago. Apparently I thought wrong. Which is too bad because Keen 5 has mostly brilliant level design and it's pretty hard to pick just three.

That being said, here's what I get going with my gut...

Regulation Control Center. All the "ball" levels that aren't the goddamn Neutrino Burst Injector are great, but this is one of the two I went with. I love the way it loops around on itself, this combined with the door make it feel bigger than it is (and it's already fairly large). It's got the best use of any Robo Red in the game, I think, the way it commands such a huge area of the bottom of the level and menaces Keen from afar. Not a slow moment in the entire thing.

Energy Flow Systems. Had to win out against the Browian Motion Inducer, for the same reason the RCC did: interesting, expansive layout. But where RCC looped around on itself to end in the middle, EFS has a more nonlinear progression built around a central looping platform track. There's enough optional areas to make things interesting and allow for some exploration, and also the second-best use of Robo Red in the game (most of Red's appearances in Keen involve hopping between poles, which gets old after a few times.) The displays with Robo Red barking orders are great too. Maybe the level that springs first to mind when I think of what I like about Keen 5.

Korath III Base. Wait, wasn't this one of my picks for least favorite level too? Yes. Yes it was. I told you I have contradictory feelings about it.

Honorable mention goes to Defense Tunnel Vlook, which I almost voted for instead of the Korath III Base. A large part of my fondness for it comes from watching the demos of it, before I'd figured out how to beat Security Center, and how fun it looked to play. And it is. Lots of secrets, lots of little nooks and crannies, some more good Robo Red action. Only problem is that the level loses its momentum hard after the yellow key door. I never liked dodging blasters on goplats.
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Re: Keen 5 Most Favorite Level?

Post by Roobar »

Energy Flow Systems aka the swastika level. It has probably the biggest impact on me as a level designer. Inspired me to draw several levels with moving go-plats.

And the first level is also inspiring. Made me wonder what's below as a kid and if there was something else. I've gradually found more and more secrets. Men, I miss being a kid playing the game for the first time...
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