Commander Keen: Secret of the Oracle

The Story

Billy Blaze toils in his backyard workshop, busily constructing his latest invention: the Photachyon Transceiver. Put in simple words, it is an instantaneous radio - point to anywhere in the galaxy, and you can pick up a signal as if you were right there. After picking up a lot of bad alien sitcoms, Billy hears a strange message, spoken in the language of Omnispeak that the Vorticons taught him.

Then the radio is silent.

"So the Shikadi are planning on destroying the galaxy, huh?" thinks Billy to himself. "Sounds like a job for...COMMANDER KEEN!

Billy once again dons his brothers football helmet, contemplating three questions:

• Who the heck ARE the Shikadi?
• Where are they?
• How are they planning to destroy the galaxy?

Climbing into the Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket's cockpit, Billy sets up the launch sequence for Gnosticus IV, the home of the Gnosticenes, guardians of the Oracle. They owe him a favor, and he needs to get some questions answered. The launch sequence begins.

"Suppertime Billy!" announces his mom as she walks out to the workshop.

"Ah, nuts!" spouts Billy. He realizes that there's not enough time to stop the sequence and cover the ship! Thinking quickly, he pulls out his Neural Stunner, points it at the door, and waits. One "Zzzzap!" later and his mom is frozen in the doorway.

"Whew," says Keen

"Honey? What's the matter?" says Billy's dad, coming out the back door.

"Double Nuts!" mutters Billy. He peeks past his mom, takes aim and.

Zap!

Once at Gnosticus IV, a Council Page runs up to him.

"Oh Captain Keen!" he begins.

"That's Commander Keen," corrects Billy.

"The Shikadi were here, and they kidnapped the Council members and sent them to the Shadowlands far to the west."

"They didn't kill them?" Keen asks.

"Impossible. They are immortal," says the Page. "So they just made sure they weren't available to activate the Oracle."

"Well I'll just go get them," Keen says, turning with heroic determination.

"Um, but Captain Keen, they also left a bunch of horrible creatures and traps to guard them," says the Council Page.

"Well, I'll just go get them CAREFULLY, then," Keen says over his shoulder.

Keen turns to walk out the door, stops, turns and addresses the page.

"And if you call me Captain Keen again, I'm taking you with me."

Keen boldly heads out the door as the page mutters, "Sorry."

Commander Keen hops in his Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket and heads for the Shadowlands.

Hints and Tips

First off, check out the Goodbye Galaxy! Manual

General Hints

• Don't use two button firing, it makes it even more impossible to do the "Impossible Pogo Trick" (which is done by running, and hitting the pogo and jump keys in rapid succession).
• To jump through a hole in the ground, look down and hit the jump key (this is known as the "Down Jump").
• If you just don't make a jump, you can usually grab the edge and hang on (as long as it's not on a diagonal slope).
• You don't have to pull up right away if you grab an edge, take a long breather if you want.
• To erase the high scores in Commander Keens 4 and 5, delete the CONFIG.CK4 and CONFIG.CK5 files respectively. You'll also have to reselect any changes to joystick or game settings, as this information is also stored in the CONFIG files.
• Save the game often, you'll be glad you did.
• If you're having jerky motion problems, or having "snow" fly across your screen, select the Fix Jerky Motion and SVGA Compatibility options on the Configure - Options screen.
• Read the Signs!

Specific Hints:

• There are many hidden platforms in Commander Keen 4. You can see them flash in the sunlight every few seconds (NOTE: These are usually VERY hard to see, but if a flash catches your eye, be sure to look).
• There are seven free keens available on the first level.
• You can get to the top of the Pyramid of the Moons. I'm talking the outside! And on the subject of Moons...
• If you stand on a shaded moon in the Pyramid of the Moons for a few seconds, Commander Keen will moon you!
• Princess Lindsey appears twice.
• There's stuff hidden very well in Hillville, all you need is a flash of insight.
• The way to the Pyramid of the Forbidden is at the bottom of the Pyramid of the Moons. (Remember, the Inchworms will be afoot, but how many?)
• The Dopefish likes to eat the small Schoolfish that follow you.
• The jump button makes you swim faster underwater.
• The Skypests can be squashed by jumping on them with your pogo stick.
• You can only shoot Mimrocks when they are jumping at you.
• If you're running really low on ammo, a trip to The Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket may be beneficial.
• Mad Mushrooms leap higher on the third bounce.
• When you hang on the ledge of the disappearing ice blocks in Miragia, you won't fall down...even if it disappears! So if the blocks start disappearing, quickly grab the ledge of one of them and climb onto it again when it reappears.

The Ending

Wow, this is really an impressive way to activate this monolith of ancient wisdom.

click

Everyone be silent. The oracle is about to speak.

Hmmm. Maybe it's got a dead battery or something.

The Shikadi are a race of shadow beings from the far side of the galaxy. They are building an Armageddon Machine and are planning to blow up the galaxy with it, then rebuild it to suit their needs. They live on the third planet of the Korath system, which is 71, 000 light-years from Gnosticus IV. The Armageddon Machine is almost complete. And this is what they look like.

These Shikadi are toast! Thanks for the scoop, Oracle. I'm outta here. I hope it doesn't rain on my folks..

Meanwhile, back on Earth.

To be continued.

Download

Commander Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle (shareware episode)
Goodbye Galaxy! Manual

Screenshots

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