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- ===========================================================================
- COMMANDER KEEN FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
- by
- Brian Milner
- [Version 1.10]
- Last Revised on: 16th Sep '93
- ===========================================================================
-
- 1) Introduction
-
- 2) Keen 4 Stuff
-
- 3) Keen 5 Stuff
-
- 4) Keen 6 Stuff
-
- 5) Keen debug keys (Cheat Mode)
- 5.1) Keen 1
- 5.2) Keen 4
- 5.3) Keen 5
- 5.4) Keen 6
- 5.5) Keen Dreams
-
- 6) FTP locations
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- 1) Introduction
-
- Recently there has been a wave of Keen questions on the
- comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.* newsgroups. I checked about, and there doesn't
- appear to be a Keen FAQ available via FTP. Therefore I present
- this alpha-version Keen FAQ.
-
- Here I've assembled all the tips, hints, cheats, and debug keys
- I've heard about on the newsgroups. I've included the author's
- email address where I can remember it.
-
- If anyone has any additions or corrections, please would they email
- them to my address (at the bottom of this file).
-
- Particular thanks to mark@pacifier.rain.com (Mark Jacobson), who
- posted the list which constitutes ~90% of this FAQ as it is now.
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- 2) Keen 4 Stuff
-
- Go to the Pyramid of the Crescent Moon, stand on one of the
- crescent moons on the floor, and wait for a suprise.
-
- <Ctrl-cursor> makes you climb poles & swim faster.
-
- First 'village', under houses in tunnel by lava pool, there's a
- hidden gap you can reveal with the <F10>+Y cheat, and jump through
- with the <F10>+J cheat, which leads to ~9 extra lives.
-
- How to get to the inaccessible pyramid: in the Pyramid of the
- Crescent Moon, go to the bottom, and gather all the inch worms
- at your feet. 12 inches make a .... . Jump on the .... and
- see what happens.
-
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- 3) Keen 5 Stuff
-
- Top left hand corner of the first level - look for the hidden tunnel
- with <F10/Y> and reach it with <F10/J> jump cheat. It's hidden
- just on the left hand edge of the level, past a lazer bolt gun.
- I've never managed to reach it without God Mode and Jump Cheat :(
- It leads to the right hand side of the screen, where there's
- ~9 extra lives. Once you take the tunnel, you can't get back to
- the main screen, you have to exit from the extra lives area.
-
- There's a fuse at the top of the hidden level. (I don't know how
- to get to this level except using the <F10/W> Warp cheat). Break
- it, then warp to the final level & complete the game. Compare
- the ending with the version you get if you don't break this
- hidden fuse.
-
- Try decoding the strange signs - a few of them are funny or helpful.
- At one point you find the whole alphabet written out in these 'runes'.
- Try decoding the piece of paper you get at the end of Keen 5.
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- 4) Keen 6 Stuff
-
- The sign by the cookbook says "How to serve Humans". This is a
- reference to a Science Fiction story.
-
- The hidden level in this one is past the final level in the top left
- hand corner of the main screen. Get the ticket, then stand there.
- A rocket picks you up and takes you to the extra level.
-
- In one level, the pipework in the walls spells out "Romero",
- one of the guys who worked on the games. I think there's more
- names hidden here & there.
-
- harrison@lclark.edu (Mark Harrison)
- Go to the Bean with Bacon Megarocket screen. Up on the right hand side
- there is a hidden shute that will take you to a secret level underground.
- You will have to use the pogo stick to jump high enough to grab the edge
- of the shute though.
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- 5) Keen debug keys (Cheat Mode)
-
- "Gleaned from the net and assembled by mark@pacifier.rain.com"
- (Mark Jacobson)
-
- 5.1) Keen 1
-
- CHEAT MODE:
- <CT>+[SPACE] = Gives Keen a pogostick, all of the keycards and lots
- of ray gun charges.
- <GOD> = Enters GOD mode. While in GOD mode creatures cannot
- kill Keen. Also if you have the pogostick and are
- currently bouncing on it you can hold down CTRL to
- fly through the air.
- NOTE: Fire, spikes and open holes will still kill Keen.
-
- NOTE: Anything inside of <> means to hold those keys down. A + means to
- press the key located behind it in addition to the keys you are holding
- down. [SPACE] means the space bar, not the letters SPACE.
-
- NOTE2: These have been tested with KEEN 1 only. They may or may not
- work for Keen 2 and 3. See bellow for cheats that work with Keen 4 & 5.
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- 5.2) Keen 4
- 5.3) Keen 5
- 5.4) Keen 6
-
- DEBUG MODE:
- <F9> = BOSS mode. This can be done anytime I don't know
- if it was documented or not. Makes it look like
- your in DOS if your BOSS walks in.
- A+2+<enter> = Debugging keys (need to use this one first or the
- others below don't work...) Except KEEN 6. Keen 6
- doesn't need this just use the keys bellow.
-
- <F10>+J = Extended JUMP mode
- <F10>+D = Record DEMO mode. Press it again to save the demo.
- <F10>+T = Sprite Test. Use cursor keys to scroll through sprites.
- <F10>+P = Pause. This one allows you to use screens capture programs.
- <F10>+S = Slow Motion (Pretty Useless.)
- <F10>+V = Extra VBLs (I think some sort of frame rate for slow machines.)
- <F10>+C = Tells how many objects are active and inactive.
- <F10>+I = Free Items (gives you all the jewels and a wetsuit)
- <F10>+N = No clipping (float right through walls and ceilings
- and floors ... NOTE: makes you disappear if you're
- already on the main floor) This is good for the map
- because you can skip levels and walk through obstructions.
- <F10>+G = GOD mode (nothing can kill you in this mode)
- <F10>+W = Warp to level (numbered 1 to 18)
- <F10>+Y = Show secret passages.
- Leaves normal spaces as they are, places Keen can
- walk are turned to garbage. Useful for finding secret
- passages.
-
- NOTE: where a sequence is in <>, you press and hold that key in addition
- to the other keys in the sequence. Also, don't press the + for those
- sequences -- that's just to make things prettier on screen.
-
- There is also a practice mode available that will give you infinite lives to
- practice a certain level. The only problem with this is that if you use the
- control panel, you can only play paddle war or return to the game or the
- system locks up. Also, if you leave the level in any way (finishing it, etc)
- the system will lock up.
-
- To practice, boot the game with: KEEN4E /TEDLEVEL ??
- where ?? can be any number from 0 to 18.
-
- 0 - Shadowlands 11 - Pyramid of the Moons
- 1 - Border Village 12 - Pyramid of Shadows
- 2 - Slug Village 13 - Pyramid of the Gnosticene Ancients
- 3 - Perilous Pit 14 - Pyramid of the Forbidden
- 4 - Cave of the Descendants 15 - Isle of Tar
- 5 - Chasm of Chills 16 - Isle of Fire
- 6 - Crystalus 17 - Well of Wishes
- 7 - Hillville 18 - Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket
- 8 - Sand Yego
- 9 - Miragia
- 10 - Lifewater Oasis
-
- The same is available for Keen 5.
-
- KEEN5E /TEDLEVEL ??
-
- 1 - Ion Ventalation System 8 - Neutrino Burst Injector
- 2 - The Security Center 9 - Defense Tunnel Teln
- 3 - Defense Tunnel Vlook 10 - The Brownian Motion Inducer
- 4 - Energy Flow Systems 11 - The Gravitational Damping Hub
- 5 - Defense Tunnel Burrh 12 - The Quantum Explosion Dynamo
- 6 - The Regulation Control Center 13 - The Secret Korath III Base
- 7 - Defense Tunnel Sorra 15 - The High Score Table
- ^^ Yes you actually play it.
- 14 and 16-18 cause it to crash.
-
- This is also available for Keen 6
-
- KEEN6 /TEDLEVEL ??
-
- 1 - Bloogwaters Crossing 11 - The Bloog Aeronautics and Space
- 2 - Guard Post One Administration
- 3 - First Dome of Darkness 12 - Guard Post Three
- 4 - Second Dome of Darkness 13 - The Bloogbase Recreational District
- 5 - The Bloogdome 14 - The Bloogbase Management District
- 6 - Bloogton Manufacturing 15 - Bloog Control Center
- 7 - Bloogton Tower 16 - Bloog Lab Space Station
- 8 - Bloogfoods, Inc. 17 - Bean-With-Bacon Megarocket
- 9 - Guard Post Two 18 - High Score Table
- 10 - Bloogville ^^ Yes you actually play it.
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- 5.5) Keen Dreams
-
- From "anon"
-
- Keen Dreams has a cheat system exactly like KEEN6. The levels when you
- use the warp feature are:
-
- 0 - Land of Tuberia
- 1 - Horshradish Hill
- 2 - The Melon Mines
- 3 - Bridge Bottoms
- 4 - Rhubarb Rapids
- 5 - Parsnip Pass
- 6 - "Level 6"
- 7 - Spud City
- 8 - "Level 8"
- 9 - Apple Acres
- 10 - Grape Grove
- 11 - "Level 11"
- 12 - Brussels Sprout Bay
- 13 - "Level 13"
- 14 - Squash Swamp
- 15 - Boobus' Chamber
- 16 - Castle Tuberia
-
- Levels 6, 8, 11, and 13 all go to the same place. I don't know if they
- planned more levels than they used, or if the registered version uses
- these levels.
-
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- 6) FTP locations
-
- ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/msdos/games/id/k6demo.zip Aliens Ate My Baby Sitter Demo
- keen.zip Keen 1: Invasion of the Vorticons
- keen4cga.zip Keen 4: Goodbye Galaxy (CGA Version)
- keendm01.zip Keen Dreams
-
- nic.funet.fi:/pub/msdos/games/apogee/1keen.zoo
- /keendm01.zip
-
- If anyone finds them elsewhere, mail me.
-
- +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- | Brian Milner, The Computer Centre, Brunel University, West London, UK |
- +-------------voice +44 (0)895 203062 fax +44 (0)895 252691---------------+
- | An elastic band and a dab of toothpaste make a |
- | cost-effective substitute for chewing gum. |
- +----------------------brian.milner@brunel.ac.uk--------------------------+
-
-