keenmaster486 wrote:

For the uninitiated, these are technically "mods" using the original game engine etc., but are for all intents and purposes completely new games, as all of the graphics, levels, story, etc. are completely replaced.

Just looked up some Youtube videos out of curiosity, and I wouldn't call the graphics completely replaced. They still draw on the originals (some more, like Universe is Toast, some less, like Atroxian Realm), but there is a very distinct feel of Keen 4-5-6 in all of them. So I would not go as far to call them "completely new games", not by a long shot. More like "Total Conversions", which still says a lot, since it's the most advance mod category.

Biomenace 😁

A few of those mods have some truly excellent 16-color pixel art. Take 'Keen 58: The Ruin of Roib', and that one other mod by the same guy (alas, I forget the name).
I also liked that recent mod which basically remade Keen 1 using the Galaxy engine (last I checked, there was a similar project for Keen2 in the works).

dr_st wrote:

So I would not go as far to call them "completely new games", not by a long shot. More like "Total Conversions", which still says a lot, since it's the most advance mod category.

Terminology is a sticky issue especially with games that weren't meant to be modded. Most of these mods feature very extensive patching of the executable code to add and modify features, and a few do go as far as modifying the 'flavor' of the game by making it into a vertical scrolling shooter, a Sokoban-esque puzzle game, and so on...

had too look up Keen 58: The Ruin of Roib , great gfx indeed - too bad Keen is a slob now 🤣 🤣 🤣
gotta check these games, keep'em coming I had no idea these existed!

I played Atroxian Realm and The Universe is Toast a few months ago. Absolutely great games, but I had to use DOSBox to finish them. Quite a few of the levels caused my Win98 machine to lock up or reboot, even in pure DOS mode.

VileRancour wrote:

Terminology is a sticky issue especially with games that weren't meant to be modded. Most of these mods feature very extensive patching of the executable code to add and modify features, and a few do go as far as modifying the 'flavor' of the game by making it into a vertical scrolling shooter, a Sokoban-esque puzzle game, and so on...

That may be so, but I did not notice any of it in the mods mentioned so far. Maybe it's only in specific levels that I missed?

leileilol wrote:

Biomenace 😁

Somebody started one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_03wyRJUkQ

keropi wrote:

had too look up Keen 58: The Ruin of Roib , great gfx indeed - too bad Keen is a slob now 🤣

🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miDP2dsN7rE
It's like Keen is a the grown up Johnny Quest in Venture Brothers. Agreed, great use of EGA palette for new level art compared to a lot of other Keen mods which are afraid to dither or just recolor.

http://www.shikadi.net/keenwiki/Galaxy_Mods

Here are the best 😀

Netkeen - Multiplayer Commander Keen. It uses the DOOM IPX network code. 😎
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S_EsExTQKQ

Slick Rippin Keen remix for that music track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ62-YYaxKI
😀