A New Dope

Modded episode	Keen 3
Protagonist	Commander Keen
Author(s)	KeenRush
Status	Complete
Release date	2007-03-14
Discussion(s)	PCKF Keen: Modding
Number of levels	16
Secret levels	0
New gameplay?	No
New graphics?	Yes
New levels?	Yes
New sounds?	No
New music?	No
Download	newest ;
Vote	4.00 (4 votes)

Commander Keen: A New Dope is a Keen 3 mod by KeenRush. In the mod Keen's IQ is reduced by mysterious aliens and he has to get his IQ points back to 314. The game finishes once he has collected the required points. Although the author derided the mod in its own text, it was largely well-received as a unique and clever work, although considered to be extremely difficult. The mod was released on the Keen Day of 2007.

Technical Information

Levels: 16 levels
Tools used: ModKeen 1.0, KeenEdit DOS, Paint Shop Pro 7

Story

Commander Keen, an interplanetary hero and an eight year-old genius, was fast asleep in his Club House where he had been working late (and eating a pile of candy).

His dream faded away and he found himself staring at the smirking blue face of a nonhuman humanoid. "Come with us", a piercing high-pitched voice said calmly, and a bright green light flashed, as if he had been stunned.

Keen woke up, paralyzed. He tried to move, tried kicking his feet, but could not move an inch. At this point he started to be greatly concerned.

He observed his surroundings. He was in an advanced laboratory of some sort, his helmet had been replaced by a strange wired metallic cap. He saw the door on his left open, and three blue aliens stepped in. When they spoke their voice slashed his ears, and what they said stopped his heart: "Prepare for a drop-off in your intelligence!"

He realized he was fastened to a Brain-o-Juicer and there was no escape! He had heard of the device, another infamous product of Vitacorp -- it was used to reduce intelligence (and to make intellifying drink of it), mostly as a form of punishment or torture, as not many wanted to lose their IQ points willingly. This was it, the end!

The machine started and hearing a silent drone, Keen felt parts of his mind disappearing. If he had not been paralyzed by some weapon he would have been paralyzed by his ultimate fear. He could really feel his intelligence diminishing.

"Feeling like a mental wimp, mister One Forty-Three?" the creatures roared in their malevolent laughter.

Two new blue things stepped in the room. They forcefully pushed his old helmet back to his head and lifted him by his shoulders. They carried him a long way through complex corridors and sets of stairs, and finally sagged him to the ground, next to an Intergalactic Bus Stop. "Hope you can still find the way to your star system", they brayed and left him lying on the cold ground, his body very slowly gaining back its strength.

Yet his mind remained blunt, blunt compared to what it had been only a day ago.

Keen was furious. He had no intention of leaving. He did not even have any idea how to get back home!

He had eight rounds left in his stunner. Without his IQ he would be spending the rest of his life trying to figure out the Bus routes. He still had his pogo. And without his intelligence he could not keep on protecting the Universe! He had to get it all back before it was too late!

Hours later, when his legs carried him again, he started to trace back the way he had been brought out. He could not remember it, and he had no idea what to do next. He felt entirely dope.

It seemed he had not been the only victim of these mysterious aliens. There seemed to be jars of IQ all around, nothing indicating what was his. He truly hoped it did not matter whose IQ he drank. No time to be picky.

Levelpacks

A small levelpack consisting of two levels titled Some Dope Levels has been released by CK Guy in 2007-06-14.

Another levelpack has been released 2009-08-09 by shikadi. It is designed, so that each level is an enhanced version of the previous and more difficult than its predecessor.