Commander Keen IV: Secret of the Oracle

Genre: Platformer
Developer: ID Software, Apogee
Platform: DOS
Release: 1991
Rating: N/A

- Graphics -

Dang; for graphics at the time, these were some pretty good ones by PC standards. Quite a lot of effort has been put into textures and movement of monsters and Keen himself; Unlike the first episode, everything is a recognizable object, and they even went so far as to have thrusters on the platforms. I can't tell you how annoyed I get when I see randomly moving platforms that have no propulsion at all xD

Graphics: 8/10


- Story -

Okay, a bit of a 1-up since e1, but not by much. Still definitely 80's writing. Keen is suddenly interrupted in his workshop by some random alien page who wants him to come and save the members of the Oracle. However, it is never explained HOW this page found Keen, nor even what the Oracle exactly is. Perhaps they tied up those loose ends in e5 (which so far I have been unsuccessful in trying to install, unfortunately), though I highly doubt it.

Story: 3/10


- Gameplay -

Yay :D I know, I know, a lot of this is nostalgia, but you gotta admit, a game that requires you to jump down a hole while avoiding arrows from turrets, NOT land in slug poop or on the slug itself, duck to avoid the next arrow, than shoot said slug, grab a key, put key in keyhole, and exit the door, all while still avoiding three arrow turrets, and actually makes this physically possible with only a pogo stick and a stun gun, is pretty darn awesome. Actually, any game where slug poop kills you is downright amazing anyway. (note, the situation I just described is from the secret level of the game; it's also the hardest level)

Oh and Long Live Dopefish! xD

Gameplay: 10/10


- Music -

Eeeehhh... so incredibly repetitive, definitely not Bobby Prince's best work. Maybe it was just the primitive soundcards at the time, who knows?

Music: 2/10

Total Score: 6/10

Not available for other systems.