+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                             |
|          Commander Keen: Marooned on Mars FAQ/Walkthrough by Clownboss      |
|                                                                             |
|                       Written by Nikola Gotic (Clownboss)                   |
|                         Hosted on www.GameFAQs.com                          |
|                                                                             |
|                              Version: 1.01                                  |
|                 This guide was first published in 10.01.2010. (D/M/Y)       |
|                    Latest version published in 12.01.2010.                  |
|                                                                             |
|                                                                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
*Note: If you wish to skim through the guide, looking for a specific point, you
can search a term by using the search option of your web browser (Ctrl+F).
_______________________________________________________________________________
-----------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------------
I) Introduction [INT]
1.1 - Foreword
1.2 - History
II) About the game [ABT]
2.1 - Storyline
2.2 - Overview
2.3 - DOSBox setup
2.4 - Controls
2.5 - Enemies
2.6 - Hazards
2.7 - Items
2.8 - General tactics
III) Walkthrough [WLK]
3.01 - Border Town
3.02 - Pogo Shrine
3.03 - First Red Rock Shrine
3.04 - Treasury
3.05 - Capital City
3.06 - Second Red Rock Shrine
3.07 - Emerald City
3.08 - Ice City
3.09 - First Ice Shrine
3.10 - Third Red Rock Shrine
3.11 - Fourth Red Rock Shrine
3.12 - Fifth Red Rock Shrine
3.13 - Red Maze City, first visit
3.14 - Secret City
3.15 - Red Maze City, second visit
3.16 - Second Ice Shrine
3.17 - Vorticon Commander's Castle
3.18 - The End (SPOILERS)
IV) Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]
V) Trivia [TRV]
5.1 - The Standard Galactic Alphabet
5.2 - Telepathic statue messages
5.3 - Fastest way to beat the game
5.4 - Cheat codes
5.5 - Bugs
VI) Closing [CLS]
6.1 - Credits
6.2 - Revision history
6.3 - About me
6.4 - Contact info
6.5 - Copyright info
_______________________________________________________________________________
---------------------------  (I) INTRODUCTION [INT]  --------------------------
===============================================================================
================================ (1.1) Foreword ===============================
Hello, and welcome to my Commander Keen: Marooned on Mars FAQ! This is my very
first FAQ, so if you happen to find something out of place, or any misspelling,
feel free to inform me. I will take heed for any suggestions. But in case that
you are here new as well, I will elaborate on what this text is about.
This text is partly a FAQ, and partly a walkthrough. The term "FAQ" stands for
"Frequently Asked Questions", and revolves around questions and answers about
this game some people might find useful. However, having actual Q&A in GameFAQs
is actually quite a rare and miniscule occurrence.
The heart of this text is the Walkthrough. Walkthroughs are step-by-step
strategy guides that recommend the best possible way of completing a video
game. They are very useful if a game is particularly hard, or if the player
doesn't have the patience to solve a game by himself using trial and error.
There are also 100% completion FAQs, which cover every single nook and cranny
within a video game, for those people who either don't have the time to solve
sidequests, or can not find them.
This is a 100% completion FAQ. And by that, I shall cover up every single
optional level, item and secret in the game.
The aim of this guide is to help an inexperienced player of this game to beat
it. And for those who can beat it, this guide will provide additional tips,
secrets, and information on certain levels. This guide covers every single
level, monster, and item with great detail. It also covers trivial information
which a lot of people may find interesting.
This game is only for the DOS operative system, and is very old, so Windows XP,
Vista and 7 users may find trouble running this game. The recommended
alternative is to use DOSBox, a DOS game emulator. Setup is easy, and the
emulation is impeccable. You may download the latest version of DOSBox here:
www.dosbox.com
Setting it up will be covered later on in this guide.
So, with all that said, let's get down to business!
================================ (1.2) History ================================
It all began in 1988 in a software company known as Softdisk. The company had a
modest history, and it focused on producing disk magazines. Disk magazines(or
Magazettes) were basically floppy diskettes that had text files and such much
similar to standard magazines. So those were used to distribute news relating
to IT software and technology. They also contained ASCII art, freeware software
and add-ons such as clip art and fonts. Ever since the rise of the internet,
those diskettes became, obviously, obsolete.
However, magazettes are not what we're here for today.
The company had a share of producing its own software as well, more notable
being Dangerous Dave made by John Romero. It was a platformer made for the
Apple II and DOS, inspired by the original Super Mario Bros. The game wasn't
intended to be marketed, but was instead developed as an example game to
accompany Romero's article on GraBASIC(an Applesoft BASIC add-on), which came
out in one of the UpTime Disk Monthly magazette issues.
At the same time, John Carmack, a programmer for the company, discovered a way
to have smooth sidescrolling graphics in DOS, but only by the way of using the
16-colour EGA(Enhanced Graphics Adapter) computer display standard. He kept
that secret away from the rest of the company, and revealed it only to his
colleague, Tom Hall. The two then used their spare time and spent many nights
coding a replica of the first level of Super Mario Bros. 3, using sprites from
Romero's Dangerous Dave. They named their project "Dangerous Dave in Copyright
Infringement".
One day, Romero had seen what the two have done and noticed great potential in
Carmack's breakthrough. He sought to create a complete PC port of Super Mario
Bros. 3 for the DOS in hopes of getting support from Nintendo. Shigeru Miyamoto
himself liked their work and praised them, but ultimately had to turn them
down, as they weren't interested in the PC market.
Scott Miller, a software programmer for Apogee software, learned about the
trio's work and became interested in cooperating with them in hopes of creating
shareware DOS games. He contacted Romero via fan letters, and John eventually
found out all those letters originated from the same address. The two then met
face to face. He then advanced the team $2000 to develop Commander Keen we came
to know and love. The trilogy was worked on for three months, and the game was
released on December 14th 1990, published by Miller's Apogee. Orders
immediately began rolling in.
Eventually, the management guys back at Softdisk discovered what the secret
little project our heroes were doing, and together were thinking of creating
their own company. However, the administrator staff of Softdisk threatened to
resign if such a deal was made, and after a legal settlement, gave our heroes
an obligation to make a new game for Softdisk every two months. That gave them
at least some breathing space, and finally formed their own company, ID
software on February 1st 1991.
The company would then be known for their shareware games published through
Apogee software, but more importantly, their revolution in gaming for creating
the first First Person Shooter games, like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake, and
inspiring other companies, like VALVe software in further revolutionizing the
genre(Half-Life)...
But those are all stories for another time. And this is the game that started
it all...
_______________________________________________________________________________
------------------------  (II) ABOUT THE GAME [ABT]  --------------------------
===============================================================================
============================== (2.1) Storyline ================================
The story revolves around Billy Blaze (Full name: William Joseph Blazkowicz the
second), the grandson of the World War II hero, William Blazkowicz the first,
the protagonist of Wolfenstein 3D. He's an 8-year old genius living in America
with his parents, a younger sister, and an older brother. He wears a purple
shirt, blue jeans, red All-Stars sneakers and his trademark American football
helmet, which originally belonged to his big bro, a Green Bay Packers fan. He
has an IQ of 314(Which is a reference to Pi. It's 3.14). His secret alter ego
is Commander Keen, bearing the title Defender of Earth.
Commander Keen sees himself as the protector of Earth, and has taken on the
role of defending it from any possible alien onslaught. Thus, in his clubhouse,
he has constructed his own personal space ship, the Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket.
A lot of components were financed from his own home. Most of it was made out of
old soup cans, rubber cement and plastic tubes. The control unit is from his
big brother's video game console. The power source is actually the family car's
battery pack. He also used mom's vacuum cleaner as a propulsion unit, and his
dad's everclear as fuel.
At the same time, an alien race of Vorticons(No, they're NOT related to the
Vortigaunts from the Half-Life series) is planning to take over Earth.
Vorticons are humanoid, but have dog-like faces and have cyan-coloured skin.
Wicked, clawed hands, too. They see young Keen as a possible threat to their
plans, and so they decided to get rid of him in any way possible.
One day, when his parents were out and the babysitter fell asleep, Keen took
the chance to have a test flight with his new rocket, and went out to Mars. The
Vorticons who held outposts on Mars saw this as a great chance to eliminate
Keen. While Keen was away from his rocket, exploring the mountains of Mars, the
Vorticons stole the 4 key components of the spaceship, leaving Keen stranded on
Mars(Hence the title "Marooned on Mars").
This is where the game picks up. Now it's up to you to get the pieces back and
return back home before Keen's parents do! Your task is before you. Go get 'em
Commander Keen!
There are other alien species inhabiting Mars other than the Vorticons. These
aliens are actually native to Mars. The Gargs and the Yorps. Gargs are the
despotic, more aggressive race, who only have two legs, two eyes and a mouth.
They are the master race of Mars, and keep Yorps as slaves. The Yorps are a
friendly race, have a bucked tooth on their lower jaw, and only one eye as
opposed to the Gargs. Both the Gargs and the Yorps are green-skinned.
Recent history tells us of mankind's (futile) attempts to explore the surface
of Mars in search for Extra-Terrestrial life. Unfortunately, one of the probes,
the Viking 1, had landed directly on the Martian king's head (July 20 1976),
killing him, and releasing the Yorps of their slavery. Ever since that time,
the Gargs have been building slave and guard robots to replace them.
Here's a nice picture of what the Martian King might have looked like:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Martian_face_viking_cropped.
jpg
Okay, I'm just foolin' around...
It is also in recent history that more and more people are noticing UFOs
orbiting over Earth. The Martians have been visiting Earth for decades, for one
simple reason. Toys. They see some magic in them. They favour Hula-hoops and
skateboards like sacred objects! Not just toys, but they also seem to favour
Earth foods and candy, as you can find a lot of candy and toys in Martian
cities...
Yeah, Mars sounds like a pretty cool place. :D
============================== (2.2) Overview =================================
If you have played any other Commander Keen game, then you'll easily become
familiar with this one, as the general gameplay remains completely identical.
If this is your first time playing a Commander Keen game, however, I will
describe the basic principles of the game.
This is a side-scrolling 2D platformer game. As such, it bears great
resemblance to other more famous platforming titles, such as the Mario, Sonic
the Hedgehog, or Mega Man series. This game bears great resemblance to Mega
Man, as you can use a gun in this game to defeat your enemies, rather than
jumping on them.
You begin in canyon of a large overworld that is Mars, with an overhead
perspective. You can walk freely in any direction, but can not get pass
mountains or structures(levels) blocking your path. There are no enemies or
hazards in the overworld.
The primary goal of the game is to get the 4 missing parts so you could rebuild
your space ship and return back home. However, the 4 parts are scattered
throughout different levels in the game, and you'll have to complete those
levels to get your pieces. Sometimes you'll stumble upon a level with no ship
parts whatsoever. You will have to complete some of those levels because they
are blocking your path towards other levels that have the parts, or because
they might contain items necessary for other levels, but most of these levels
are optional.
When you enter a level, the perspective shifts from an overhead view to a side
view. You will spend most of the time playing in this mode. You can walk left
or right around in these levels, as well as jump and shoot with your raygun,
provided you have the ammunition for it. The aim of each level is to go from
the left end of the map to the right, where you can find an exit, and maybe a
missing ship part. Getting through the exit is all it takes to complete a
level. After a level is completed, you can not visit it again, but you can
freely pass over it in the overworld map.
You will find certain obstacles within levels, such as enemies and hazards.
Some enemies can not directly harm you and are usually passive, but some can be
offensive and kill you directly in a single hit, making you lose a life, and
start over again back at the overworld map. You begin with 5 lives. Losing all
of them results in game over. Most enemies can be overcome with your raygun,
but some are far too tough to be defeated and should be avoided.
Hazards, like fire can kill you in one hit the same way enemies can. You can
not destroy hazards, but hazards always remain bound to one location. The
general strategy for hazards is to just avoid them.
Items can be found in levels, with most of them just giving you points. Other
items are available, though, such as raygun ammunition, and keycards that can
allow you access to hidden and locked rooms. Most keycards are essential for
level completion.
Points are a completely optional factor in this game. Points won't affect your
performance or alter the game in any way, other than the player high score and
extra lives you get. For every 20 000 points, you get an extra life. High
scores are only used for competitive purposes.
High scores were a MUCH greater deal back then, though. :P
This game also has a save game feature, but it can only be used in the
overworld map. You also have a restriction of 9 save slots.
============================ (2.3) DOSBox setup ===============================
In case you're having a hard time setting the DOSBox emulator, I thought of
leaving this here. So, you download the latest version of DOSBox on
www.dosbox.com, and install it.
Now, unlike most modern PC games which are installed in the Program Files
folder of your Hard disk partition of choice, most DOS games are installed on
plain C:\, for quick access. The names of the folders are also short and
simple. For this particular game, you should have a folder named Keen1. Copy
and paste all the game files(files like Keen1.exe, go.bat, etc.) inside that
folder.
Now, start up DOSBox. And the first thing you'll notice is the prompt. Here's
what you need to type in to start the game:
Mount c c:\keen1
C:
Keen1
And that's the three lines you need to type in to get the game working. Also,
to toggle fullscreen, just press Alt+Enter.
(A bit off-topic, but instead of the last line, you can type in "go" if you
want to see a magazette that came with the game :3)
Advanced users might want to tweak more things in the DOSBox. In that case, you
can alter the config file using the Notepad. You can find the config file in:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Username\Local Settings\Application Data\DOSBox
That same config file contains all the instructions for configuring.
Personally, I wouldn't alter anything in the config file, as the file is pretty
much well set for playing Commander Keen by default. But I'll throw in my own
personal DOSBox settings as an extra in case you're still unsure of what are
the best settings to play the game in. Just copy and paste it:
---------------------------- BEGINNING OF FILE --------------------------------
# This is the configurationfile for DOSBox 0.73.
# Lines starting with a # are commentlines.
# They are used to (briefly) document the effect of each option.
[sdl]
#       fullscreen: Start dosbox directly in fullscreen.
#       fulldouble: Use double buffering in fullscreen.
#   fullresolution: What resolution to use for fullscreen: original or fixed
size (e.g. 1024x768).
# windowresolution: Scale the window to this size IF the output device supports
hardware scaling.
#           output: What video system to use for output.
#                   Possible values: surface, overlay, opengl, openglnb, ddraw.
#         autolock: Mouse will automatically lock, if you click on the screen.
#      sensitivity: Mouse sensitivity.
#      waitonerror: Wait before closing the console if dosbox has an error.
#         priority: Priority levels for dosbox. Second entry behind the comma
is for when dosbox is not focused/minimized. (pause is only valid for the
second entry)
#                   Possible values: lowest, lower, normal, higher, highest,
pause.
#       mapperfile: File used to load/save the key/event mappings from.
#     usescancodes: Avoid usage of symkeys, might not work on all operating
systems.
fullscreen=true
fulldouble=false
fullresolution=original
windowresolution=original
output=ddraw
autolock=true
sensitivity=100
waitonerror=true
priority=higher,normal
mapperfile=mapper.txt
usescancodes=true
[dosbox]
# language: Select another language file.
#  machine: The type of machine tries to emulate.
#           Possible values: hercules, cga, tandy, pcjr, ega, vgaonly, svga_s3,
svga_et3000, svga_et4000, svga_paradise, vesa_nolfb, vesa_oldvbe.
# captures: Directory where things like wave, midi, screenshot get captured.
#  memsize: Amount of memory DOSBox has in megabytes.
#             This value is best left at its default to avoid problems with
some games,
#             though few games might require a higher value.
#             There is generally no speed advantage when raising this value.
language=
machine=svga_s3
captures=capture
memsize=32
[render]
# frameskip: How many frames DOSBox skips before drawing one.
#    aspect: Do aspect correction, if your output method doesn't support
scaling this can slow things down!.
#    scaler: Scaler used to enlarge/enhance low resolution modes. If 'forced'
is appended,the scaler will be used even if the result might not be desired.
#            Possible values: none, normal2x, normal3x, advmame2x, advmame3x,
advinterp2x, advinterp3x, hq2x, hq3x, 2xsai, super2xsai, supereagle, tv2x,
tv3x, rgb2x, rgb3x, scan2x, scan3x.
frameskip=0
aspect=false
scaler=normal2x
[cpu]
#      core: CPU Core used in emulation. auto will switch to dynamic if
available and appropriate.
#            Possible values: auto, dynamic, normal, simple.
#   cputype: CPU Type used in emulation. auto is the fastest choice.
#            Possible values: auto, 386, 386_slow, 486_slow, pentium_slow,
386_prefetch.
#    cycles: Amount of instructions DOSBox tries to emulate each millisecond.
Setting this value too high results in sound dropouts and lags. Cycles can be
set in 3 ways:
#              'auto'          tries to guess what a game needs.
#                              It usually works, but can fail for certain
games.
#              'fixed #number' will set a fixed amount of cycles. This is what
you usually need if 'auto' fails.
#                              (Example: fixed 4000)
#              'max'           will allocate as much cycles as your computer is
able to handle
#
#            Possible values: auto, fixed, max.
#   cycleup: Amount of cycles to increase/decrease with keycombo.
# cycledown: Setting it lower than 100 will be a percentage.
core=auto
cputype=auto
cycles=auto
cycleup=500
cycledown=20
[mixer]
#   nosound: Enable silent mode, sound is still emulated though.
#      rate: Mixer sample rate, setting any device's rate higher than this will
probably lower their sound quality.
#            Possible values: 22050, 44100, 48000, 32000, 16000, 11025, 8000,
49716.
# blocksize: Mixer block size, larger blocks might help sound stuttering but
sound will also be more lagged.
#            Possible values: 2048, 4096, 8192, 1024, 512, 256.
# prebuffer: How many milliseconds of data to keep on top of the blocksize.
nosound=false
rate=22050
blocksize=2048
prebuffer=10
[midi]
#     mpu401: Type of MPU-401 to emulate.
#             Possible values: intelligent, uart, none.
# mididevice: Device that will receive the MIDI data from MPU-401.
#             Possible values: default, win32, alsa, oss, coreaudio, coremidi,
none.
# midiconfig: Special configuration options for the device driver. This is
usually the id of the device you want to use. See README for details.
mpu401=intelligent
mididevice=default
midiconfig=
[sblaster]
#  sbtype: Type of sblaster to emulate.
#          Possible values: sb1, sb2, sbpro1, sbpro2, sb16, none.
#  sbbase: The IO address of the soundblaster.
#          Possible values: 220, 240, 260, 280, 2a0, 2c0, 2e0, 300.
#     irq: The IRQ number of the soundblaster.
#          Possible values: 7, 5, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12.
#     dma: The DMA number of the soundblaster.
#          Possible values: 1, 5, 0, 3, 6, 7.
#    hdma: The High DMA number of the soundblaster.
#          Possible values: 1, 5, 0, 3, 6, 7.
# sbmixer: Allow the soundblaster mixer to modify the DOSBox mixer.
# oplmode: Type of OPL emulation. On 'auto' the mode is determined by sblaster
type. All OPL modes are Adlib-compatible, except for 'cms'.
#          Possible values: auto, cms, opl2, dualopl2, opl3, none.
#  oplemu: Provider for the OPL emulation. compat or old might provide better
quality (see oplrate as well).
#          Possible values: default, compat, fast, old.
# oplrate: Sample rate of OPL music emulation. Use 49716 for highest quality
(set the mixer rate accordingly).
#          Possible values: 22050, 49716, 44100, 48000, 32000, 16000, 11025,
8000.
sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=7
dma=1
hdma=5
sbmixer=true
oplmode=auto
oplemu=default
oplrate=22050
[gus]
#      gus: Enable the Gravis Ultrasound emulation.
#  gusrate: Sample rate of Ultrasound emulation.
#           Possible values: 22050, 44100, 48000, 32000, 16000, 11025, 8000,
49716.
#  gusbase: The IO base address of the Gravis Ultrasound.
#           Possible values: 240, 220, 260, 280, 2a0, 2c0, 2e0, 300.
#   gusirq: The IRQ number of the Gravis Ultrasound.
#           Possible values: 5, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12.
#   gusdma: The DMA channel of the Gravis Ultrasound.
#           Possible values: 3, 0, 1, 5, 6, 7.
# ultradir: Path to Ultrasound directory. In this directory
#           there should be a MIDI directory that contains
#           the patch files for GUS playback. Patch sets used
#           with Timidity should work fine.
gus=false
gusrate=22050
gusbase=240
gusirq=5
gusdma=3
ultradir=C:\ULTRASND
[speaker]
# pcspeaker: Enable PC-Speaker emulation.
#    pcrate: Sample rate of the PC-Speaker sound generation.
#            Possible values: 22050, 44100, 48000, 32000, 16000, 11025, 8000,
49716.
#     tandy: Enable Tandy Sound System emulation. For 'auto', emulation is
present only if machine is set to 'tandy'.
#            Possible values: auto, on, off.
# tandyrate: Sample rate of the Tandy 3-Voice generation.
#            Possible values: 22050, 44100, 48000, 32000, 16000, 11025, 8000,
49716.
#    disney: Enable Disney Sound Source emulation. (Covox Voice Master and
Speech Thing compatible).
pcspeaker=true
pcrate=22050
tandy=auto
tandyrate=22050
disney=true
[joystick]
# joysticktype: Type of joystick to emulate: auto (default), none,
#               2axis (supports two joysticks),
#               4axis (supports one joystick, first joystick used),
#               4axis_2 (supports one joystick, second joystick used),
#               fcs (Thrustmaster), ch (CH Flightstick).
#               none disables joystick emulation.
#               auto chooses emulation depending on real joystick(s).
#               Possible values: auto, 2axis, 4axis, 4axis_2, fcs, ch, none.
#        timed: enable timed intervals for axis. (false is old style
behaviour).
#     autofire: continuously fires as long as you keep the button pressed.
#       swap34: swap the 3rd and the 4th axis. can be useful for certain
joysticks.
#   buttonwrap: enable button wrapping at the number of emulated buttons.
joysticktype=auto
timed=true
autofire=false
swap34=false
buttonwrap=true
[serial]
# serial1: set type of device connected to com port.
#          Can be disabled, dummy, modem, nullmodem, directserial.
#          Additional parameters must be in the same line in the form of
#          parameter:value. Parameter for all types is irq.
#          for directserial: realport (required), rxdelay (optional).
#                           (realport:COM1 realport:ttyS0).
#          for modem: listenport (optional).
#          for nullmodem: server, rxdelay, txdelay, telnet, usedtr,
#                         transparent, port, inhsocket (all optional).
#          Example: serial1=modem listenport:5000
#          Possible values: dummy, disabled, modem, nullmodem, directserial.
# serial2: see serial1
#          Possible values: dummy, disabled, modem, nullmodem, directserial.
# serial3: see serial1
#          Possible values: dummy, disabled, modem, nullmodem, directserial.
# serial4: see serial1
#          Possible values: dummy, disabled, modem, nullmodem, directserial.
serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled
[dos]
#            xms: Enable XMS support.
#            ems: Enable EMS support.
#            umb: Enable UMB support.
# keyboardlayout: Language code of the keyboard layout (or none).
xms=true
ems=true
umb=true
keyboardlayout=auto
[ipx]
# ipx: Enable ipx over UDP/IP emulation.
ipx=false
[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
------------------------------- END OF FILE -----------------------------------
================================ (2.4) Controls ===============================
The controls are very simple. You can change the controls by pressing F3. But
personally, I'd stick to the default ones:
Left arrow key - Move left
Right arrow key - Move right
Ctrl - Jump(The longer you hold, the higher you'll jump)/Enter a level
Alt - Toggle Pogo mode on
Ctrl+Alt - Fire Raygun
Space bar - Status screen
F1 - In-game help
F2 - Toggle sound on or off
F3 - Keyboard mode
F4 - Joystick mode
F5 - Save game. You have 9 different save slots.
Esc - Exit game.
And that's it.
================================ (2.5) Enemies ================================
Here's a list of enemies you might encounter in the game and how to put up with
them:
Yorps - Small, friendly, buck-toothed one-eyed Martians. They can't hurt you,
though they can be a bit too friendly and "accidentally" push you into a
hazard. I don't recommend shooting the poor creatures, but instead jump on
their heads to knock them out for a short period. That way, they shouldn't
bother you anywhere. These creatures were once slaves to the physically
superior Gargs, but ever since the demise of the despotic Martian king, they
have regained their freedom.
Gargs - Bulky, menacing, two-eyed Martians. They eat you on contact, and charge
at you whenever they see you. They can easily be dispatched with a single
raygun blast. These are the master race of Mars, and kept the Yorps as slaves
for some time. Due to recent history, however, they seem to have constant
tantrums, hating everyone and everything, from the Yorps, to the sky and the
dirt and even themselves.
Butler robots - Butler bots are probably constructed by Yorps, and they all
share a tin-can design. They cannot harm you, though, like the Yorps, they
might accomplish something rather unprecedented, like, say, pushing you to
oblivion. They seem to be made of some sort of special metal alloy, as it is
resistant to Keen's raygun. :/
Tank robots - Like the butler bots, they are indestructible but they also have
an arsenal of their own! Stand in front of them when they fire their laser and
you'll end up with a Keen flambe. Just avoid them. They seem to be part of Garg
technology.
Fun fact: You can stop their laser beams by colliding it with a laser beam of
your own! Their attack can also kill Gargs, if they happen to be anywhere near
the area.
Vorticon Guards - These are Vorticon colonists who inhabited Mars and made
several outposts throughout the landscape. They are strongly built due to the
harsh environment of Mars, and can hold quite a punch, unlike their brethren.
It takes 4 raygun shots to mow them down. They also possess admirable jumping
ability. Their mission on Mars is to steal the 4 vital ship parts so they can
leave Keen stranded on Mars, so he could not interfere in their
s e c r e t  p l a n . . .
================================ (2.6) Hazards ================================
Unlike enemies, hazards always remain static; tied to a single place. However,
upon contact, they'll make lose a life. They cannot be destroyed, only avoided.
Hazards don't seem to harm any enemies.
Common hazards include:
-Pat-pats, purple, venus flytrap-like monsters
-Fire pits
-Green alien tentacles(Right now, I bet your mind is making references to
tentacle rape. How subtle.)
-Green vines; you can walk on top of them, like a bridge, but their leaves on
the bottom can kill you.
-Icicles
-Water. Keen(as well as 90% of other video game heroes) can't swim. Besides,
it's freezing cold, he wouldn't stand a chance.
-Ice cannon. This is the only hazard that technically CAN'T kill you, but it
might lead you to something much more terrible if you're not careful. It
encapsulates Keen in an ice block which then slides in a single direction. The
ice block can be melt over time, or by a shot from a Tank robot.
================================= (2.7) Items =================================
Most of the items you'll find in the game will provide nothing but scores.
Here's a list of how many points they distribute:
Lollipop - 100 pts
Soda - 200 pts
Pizza - 500 pts
Book - 1000 pts
Teddy Bear - 5000 pts
Other items include:
Keycards - For unlocking doors. They come in 4 different colours: Red, Blue,
Yellow and Green.
Pogo stick - Helps you jump higher. Activated by toggling Alt on. Hold Ctrl to
jump higher.
Raygun - Primary(And only) weapon. Comes in 5 charges. Fired with Ctrl+Alt.
Joystick - Essential ship part.
Car battery - Essential ship part.
Vacuum cleaner - Essential ship part.
Everclear - Essential ship part.
============================ (2.8) General tactics ============================
Most, if not all levels have the exit in the top-right corner of the map. You
always begin at the lower-left. Most of the pathways will require extensive
jumping, and some platforms can be reachable only with a pogo stick, so I
recommend getting the pogo stick as earliest as possible. The walkthrough will
consider that you got the pogo on the second level.
When you want to drop down to a lower level, be careful, as you don't know what
possible dangers await you under the screen. Try getting to a slightly lower
safe platform to lower the screen downwards to see if there are any hazards or
enemies awaiting you down.
Don't use the raygun unless when ABSOLUTELY necessary. The ammo is scarce, and
its only purpose is to help you survive the many ordeals you'll face. Use it
only against Gargs and Vorticons, but you can also use it to deflect the Tank
robot's beam. Whenever you see ammo, pick it up as soon as you can.
Some Gargs may have their path blocked by a single brick tile. You can jump on
top of that brick without worrying - The Garg can't reach you. You can also use
this chance to shoot them in the eyes.
Points can be useful. Every time you get 20 000 points, you get a new life. I
recommend getting all of the treasures in each level, except for truly
worthless ones, like lollipops, which offer a meager 100 points each. Focus on
getting worthier stuff, like books and teddy bears. If you think a certain
treasure is particularly risky to get, don't get yourself in danger. It's not
worth it.
Save often. Every time you beat a level. This goes without saying.
_______________________________________________________________________________
--------------------------  (III) WALKTHROUGH [WLK]  --------------------------
===============================================================================
*Note: Whenever a level name has an asterisk(*) in its title, that means
that completing the level is essential in winning the game. Any other level
is optional.
-----------------------------------OVERWORLD-----------------------------------
Let the games begin! So here you are, next to your rocket ship, and 5 lives and
no ammo. There isn't much to do right now but walk around and get to your next
destination. You can check your ship for missing parts, but that won't really
lead you anywhere. In order to progress further in the game, however, you must
go east and enter your first level, in shape of a city covered by several glass
domes. Welcome to Border Town.
============================= (3.01) Border Town* =============================
This is your first level, and as such is pretty easy. You walk using the arrow
keys and jump with Ctrl. The goal here, as is with almost every other level is
to simply get to the exit which is on the right side of the screen. So as you
can see, it's pretty linear.
Right at the start, you might notice green one-eyed creatures hopping around.
These are Yorps and cannot harm you, so don't think of wasting your ammo on
them. (Actually, you don't even have any ammo...) They can, however be annoying
at times, and might even unintentionally push you to your death. If that sounds
scary, you can still jump on their heads to paralyze them for a short period of
time. I recommend doing that.
Anyway, you may climb the pyramid you see and grab some lollipops. Jump to the
left balcony for three more, and you can also spot the ID logo at the upper-
left corner as a cameo.
As you continue right, you may notice that the path splits in two. Take the
upper path first, unless you don't care much for points in this game. When you
get to the top long red platform, jump to the left on the small blue canister
platforms to get a Kant book(Named after Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher).
Get back to the red platform and continue your way all the way to the right
where the red hallway ends. Jump down and grab some lollies.
In case you took the lower path, you can find your very first raygun ammo.
Congratulations! You can fire your weapon by pressing Ctrl+Alt, but I recommend
saving it for some other time. The alien text near it says "This is neat.", in
case you haven't figured the Standard Galactic Alphabet yet. Moving on, you'll
find snappers, purple plant-like aliens who remain static and wait for an
unsuspecting victim to venture into their stomach. These are Pat-Pats. Needless
to say, avoid these plants, as the raygun is ineffective against them.
(The sign near them says "DIE", by the way. I can't help but think of Ganon
from the Zelda CD-i games...)
This is the spot where you came down from the upper path. The paths merge, but
if you took the higher path, backtrack a bit so you can get the raygun ammo, as
you'll really need it. Once you're back on your way, you'll encounter some
alien tentacles. Just jump over them. And grab more lollipops.
Before taking the purple stairs up, you might want to take the lower-right
alcove which has a Kant book guarded by two Pat-Pats. Just be careful jumping
over them as the ceiling can mess up your leap, making you kiss the jaws
instead of the ground.
As you take the stairs, you'll notice a can of soda(Pepsi?) and the exit. You
can take the exit right away if you'd like. But you can also jump to the red
platform to the upper-left and grab all the remaining items for points,
including one Pizza. Once that is done, there really isn't anything else to do
in this level, so just get to the exit!
-----------------------------------OVERWORLD-----------------------------------
Now that we've completed our first level, the first thing I recommend is
getting the Pogo stick right away, so you can use it in any other level
afterwards. It'll make life much easier. To get to the level, you go north from
the first level and come upon several intersections. There are three paths
leading north. Take the middle one, and as you go along the path, ignore the
intersection to the right. You should come to a dead end with a gray tent.
Welcome to the Pogo Shrine!
*Note that this pogo isn't necessary in order to complete the game. There's
another pogo you can get later on. However, near the end of the game, the
pogo stick becomes ESSENTIAL.
============================== (3.02) Pogo Shrine =============================
Well, that's it. You can just grab the pogo and get out if you want to. If you
REALLY want to. If you want to see some optional stuff and trivia, read on...
For example, the panel above the exit says "Behold, the Holy "POGO" stick.",
when translated from the Standard Galactic Alphabet. It just shows what creepy
fetishes the Martians seem to have. The more you know... :P
You can use the pogo stick by toggling Alt. When you're in pogo mode, you will
continuously do auto-jumps at a fixed height. Holding down Ctrl will make you
leap a very high distance. While you're in pogo mode, enemies can still harm
you, but exits won't affect you, which can help a lot in a secret for this
area...
If you look carefully above the exit, you can see little gray pixels just
floating in the darkness. Those are actually invisible blocks, with the glowing
pixels representing their upper-left corner. Time to put your pogo to the test!
Get a height start from the block pyramid in the center and use your pogo to
land on the lowest invisible block. If you got there successfully, just stand
still and jump upwards with your pogo still on. You'll enter the secret section
of the level.
Watch out for the fire pits. Turn your pogo off and just jump them like you
would normally do. Pogo stick isn't recommended for precise jumps such as
these.
Then you'll stumble upon your very first Garg! This is the first enemy that can
actually kill you on contact, and you can't jump on his head to render him
immobile like you could with the Yorps. The only way to beat him is to shoot
him, so you can just get onto the left-most ledge, safe from danger and shoot
him in the eyes.
The catch of the day is... a Teddy Bear. Worth 5000 points. You need 20 000 for
an extra life. That's actually not bad, if you're playing this game for the
first time. 'Cause in the levels to come, you'll die a lot... Anyway, you're
done with this level, so get down and take the exit.
-----------------------------------OVERWORLD-----------------------------------
Now that you've got the pogo stick, you can backtrack a bit and visit that blue
tent you passed by. This is an optional level, though.
========================= (3.03) First Red Rock Shrine ========================
There really isn't much to say in this one. You can't die here. You can climb
up those platforms and notice a Yorp statue on the top of the stage with a
glowing eye, next to an exit. Feel free to touch the statue...
*You hear in your mind:
It is too bad that you cannot read the Standard Galactic Alphabet, human.
And that's it. Make your way to the exit.
*Note: The Standard Galactic Alphabet is a fictional interstellar writing
system practiced by most alien civilizations, one of them being the Martians.
Basically, every letter of the English alphabet has a SGA counterpart, but
only a different symbol. Read more of this in my SGA section(5.1) of the
FAQ.
-----------------------------------OVERWORLD-----------------------------------
Okay, from where you finished the level, go to the west-most end of the canyon,
which is a corner, and proceed north. You will enter a base that looks like...
actually it's hard to describe. But I guess it looks a bit like the Dimension X
Technodrome from the original TMNT cartoon...
=============================== (3.04) Treasury* ==============================
OK, the first three levels were a joke, and this is where the difficulty gains
a fair level. There are a lot of lollies in this level, but I honestly wouldn't
bother getting EVERY SINGLE one of them, as the level is rather large. Focus on
getting to the exit, and only collect lollies on your way.
BTW, this is the first level in which you get to recover a ship part. Awesome!
But beware, as every ship part level has a Vorticon Guard boss, who are rather
tough to beat. You might wanna save some ammo at this point.
Beating the boss isn't enough, though. The door to the exit is locked, and
requires a keycard, which is in another locked room which needs another
keycard! So, let's get that first keycard then...
From where you start, point and laugh at the pathetic Yorps as they fall to the
tentacles below. Now do your best to avoid the same fate. Eat the pizza and
climb up the yellow cylinders to the next floor. Proceed left, jumping over the
Pat-Pats, and climb up the red cylinders 'till you reach the purple platforms
on the upper-right side.
*Note: You might notice a Teddy hanging just below the lowest purple
platform. It's a bit tricky to get it, but can be done. First and foremost,
you'll need the Pogo. Now, consider the level with the two Pat-Pats and
2 pizza slices as a standard. Climb on the red cylinder just two levels
above that. Now, you'll have to charge to the left, and then tapping Alt
right when you're the ledge. About a millisecond later, hold the Ctrl key,
and you should soarthrough the air with your pogo and hopefully, get the
Teddy. Make sure not to press Ctrl and Alt at the same time, otherwise
you'll fire your raygun and waste precious ammo.
Anywho, climb up the right-side purple platforms and you'll face a hard brick
ceiling. Go to the right and you'll find a detour, containing six lollies. Now
climb more platforms 'till you reach the top, and mind the Yorps who might push
you over. At the topmost platform you'll encounter the Butler robot, who are
indestructible, but otherwise passive. Their push can be really annoying so
take some precaution. Use the purple cylinders to reach the upper-left corner
of the map and there you'll find your first keycard! It's coloured yellow and
has "A" written on it in SGA.
Now that we have it, you can get down to where you started the level. Just be
careful not to accidentally fall on a Pat-Pat or something.
From where you begin the level, go straight to the right. You'll find a yellow
door, which can be unlocked by the keycard. I recommend jumping over the Garg
at this point and just collecting the red keycard, as to conserve ammo. Get
back to the central staircase of the level.
*Note: Now that you have the second keycard, you can just get to the top and
face the Vorticon Guard and get the first ship part, though you might
also want to get some valuable optional treasures in this level, or, if
you're low on ammo, get some more. Skip the next paragraph if you're not
interested in the sidequest.
From the central staircase, go up a floor and go to the right, avoiding the
many Pat-Pats. At the end of the corridor is another Kant book. You can get
down from there and get some raygun ammo. Make sure to hug the left wall when
you fall, otherwise you'll end up as Pat-food. Get back up and follow the path
of the red floating cylinders going up-left. Get the lollies and Pepsi cans(I
smell a lawsuit) along the way. You might stumble upon a green staircase, and
just below that is a purple-bricked hallway. Try entering it, as it contains a
lot of lollies and a Teddy Bear... as well as a Garg.
Climb up again until you get to the green stairway. The Pepsi arrow orders you
to go right. It should lead to a red platform which... holy jumping Vorticons!
At this point, I can recommend two strategies:
1) IN CASE YOU'RE FULL OF AMMO: You can empty your gun at the Vort. He's
tougher than any other regular alien, and requires 4 clean shots to his body to
take him down. It can be hard hitting him, as he jumps quite a lot. After that
is over, however, you'll have nothing to worry about.
2) IN CASE YOU LACK AMMO: You can lure the Vorticon down the green stairway,
and make your way up the purple cylinders to your upper-left. Then just go
right, jumping from platform to platform. That way, you can completely avoid
him.
In any case, unlock that door quick, get the car battery and exit the stage!
Get the Kant book as well if the Vort's dead or far away.
-----------------------------------OVERWORLD-----------------------------------
One down, three to go. Proceed south and enter the section of the canyon where
you previously went to get to the Pogo Shrine. On your way back, there's a
pathway leading to the east with a city similar to your first level in the
corner. That's your next destination.
============================= (3.05) Capital City* ============================
Compared to the last level, this one is short, simple and linear.
The first thing you'll notice is the steep staircase with lolli(...not that
kind of loli, you sick pedos), and even more hanging on the top-left corner of
the map. You can get most of them if you jump well with your Pogo, but not
all... Anyway, proceed right. The top-most floor requires a yellow keycard, so
go down a level and reach the end of the corridor to find it. You can also drop
down to get two Pepsi cans...
Going through the locked door, the scenery will change from bluish to golden...
You'll notice ammo on a platform to the right. Go get it. And watch it when
you're going down, as there's a Garg patrolling. Drop down and shoot him.
Continue right, and you'll find a fork that splits in two. Go up first, jump
over the Pat-pats and get the red keycard. Now take the other path, eat pizza,
get more ammo, and take the staircase.
Oh hey, there's another Vorticon hanging up! Since we've got 10 lovely new
shots for our raygun and only had to use one to dispatch of the Garg, I should
assume that now you have enough shots to take on the Vorticon. On the topmost
level, there's a "pyramid" which separates you from the Vorticon. Get on right
side of the pyramid , standing just one level above the ground and shoot at the
Vort every time he walks to you. Do retreat if he's coming closer. He should be
blocked by the pyramid's base, as he just walks most of the time... but run
away if he DOES jump... towards YOU!
Now that he's gone, you may proceed along your merry way, get the books up
above the exit(Mind the fire), unlock the door, take the Joystick and then
exit!
If you're particularly nervous about handling the Vorticon, you can always just
try to jump over him and run away grabbing the part. You'll also save ammo...
Or if you're really afraid, you can use a cheap trick from the bugs
section(5.5).
-----------------------------------OVERWORLD-----------------------------------
We're half-way there! Well, not quite... if you count in all the optional
levels. From our last location proceed north and go west at the intersection.
You'll find another blue shrine.
======================== (3.06) Second Red Rock Shrine  =======================