Keen 4 - Demo version

Frenkel · 04-18-2004, 05:10 AM

The following piece of text is taken from the file 4TXT0005.TXT, a file you can extract from Keen 4 with the new ModKeen:

Quote:

^p
^G8,8,13
^c4WHOOPS!
^c8
This level is not available in the Demo Version of "Secret of the Oracle". You can get the complete game by filling out the registration card when you buy Commander Keen in . . .

^c9"Aliens Ate My Baby Sitter!"
^c8
But hey, try out the five levels that are here!
^E

Has anyone else ever played or heard about the demo version? Does anyone have it?

Uncle Duke · 04-18-2004, 06:05 PM

You mean the Aliens Ate My Babysitter demo? Because yeah, I have it. Bought it at cost of reproduction (yeah right) from this shady as hell flea market vendor that printed up little labels with game boxes on them. I still have it somewhere. It was basically just the first five levels of the game with nothing different.

Frenkel · 04-19-2004, 02:37 AM

No, I don't mean Alien Ate My Babysitter, that's Keen 6. I mean the demo version of Secret Of The Oracle, better known as Keen 4.

Scotty · 04-19-2004, 03:38 AM

As far as I know, the entire "Secret of the Oracle" is the shareware for "Goodbye, Galaxy"

It's possible that a shorter demo/shareware was originally intended during development.

The "Aliens Ate My Babysitter" reference is a little confusing. Could that have originally been planned to be included with "Goodbye, Galaxy", but later became a standalone game?

In a way, that would make sense, as "Secret of the Oracle" would then be 1/3 of the entire series, which was a more common percentage for a shareware version. As there ultimately ended up being only 2 parts, we effectively got to try half of it for free.

It kind of sucks that 3DR didn't get to publish "Aliens Ate My Babysitter", as the Formgen version went out of print a long time ago.

Uncle Duke · 04-19-2004, 10:41 AM

Quote:

No, I don't mean Alien Ate My Babysitter, that's Keen 6. I mean the demo version of Secret Of The Oracle, better known as Keen 4.

My bad. I went back and loaded up this ancient copy of Keen 4 that came with my first Gravis pad from forever ago . . . when I start trying to jump around level to level with cheats, I DO get that message time to time. Looking over the liscensing that came with the game, this reads "demo" and doesn't say jack about shareware in it . . . but I could swear it's not any different than the shareware version.

Frenkel · 04-19-2004, 11:28 AM

Could you upload that version somewhere? Or mail it to me?

moron · 04-19-2004, 12:15 PM

origanly it was to be keen 4 5 and 6 all part of the same trilogy but then keen 6 broke of as retail (ID wanted more $$$$)

Uncle Duke · 04-19-2004, 12:51 PM

After checking the file sizes and giving it the once over, I could swear it's not anything more than just the shareware version on the disk along with the Gravis pad driver. Even the in-game documentation says it shareware, just on the instruction card that came with the pad it says "this game is a demo only blah blah blah." I'll see if I can't see where the hell I put it since yesterday.

Joe Siegler · 04-19-2004, 02:42 PM

Quote:

As far as I know, the entire "Secret of the Oracle" is the shareware for "Goodbye, Galaxy"

Correct. There is no difference between the shareware and the full versions of Keen 4. It's the same thing.

Quote:

It kind of sucks that 3DR didn't get to publish "Aliens Ate My Babysitter", as the Formgen version went out of print a long time ago.

You can get that from id directly now. Go to their website, it's in their store somewhere.

Scotty · 04-20-2004, 01:59 AM

I looked around, but only saw it in the "Vintage Games" section of the regular website. The "Vintage Games" section of their store was a blank page.

Oh well, I'll check back from time to time to see if they put it back up, then grab a copy.

Joe Siegler · 04-20-2004, 08:34 AM

It was available from them. Someone here linked to it. Search old msgs, there might be a direct link available here already.

It could have been taken down - I'll call id and see what the deal is.

Nemesis 01 · 05-29-2004, 08:47 PM

I have the demo version of Keen4 somewhere at a disk... It has only five levels: the two first levels, the village with the princess, one of the pyramids and the oasis...

Joe Siegler · 05-29-2004, 10:47 PM

Uh, the demo version of Keen 4 is the same as the registered version of Keen 4.

Now there's a demo for Keen 6 with only a couple of levels - but I don't know what you're talking about with a Keen 4 with only a few levels.

The shareware we distribute here is actually the same one we've been distributing since 1991 - just with a different installation program - the game itself is the same.

Frenkel · 05-30-2004, 06:09 AM

Quote:

I have the demo version of Keen4 somewhere at a disk... It has only five levels: the two first levels, the village with the princess, one of the pyramids and the oasis...

Could you send it to me?

Joe Siegler · 05-30-2004, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Uh, the demo version of Keen 4 is the same as the registered version of Keen 4.

Now there's a demo for Keen 6 with only a couple of levels - but I don't know what you're talking about with a Keen 4 with only a few levels.

The shareware we distribute here is actually the same one we've been distributing since 1991 - just with a different installation program - the game itself is the same.

Let me clarify my statement from before. I don't deny that the thing exists - but I can't remember hearing of it before now, and I've worked here for 11 and a half years now.

If it does exist, I'd like to see it as well.

Frenkel · 05-31-2004, 03:49 AM

I know what you said, Joe.

Quote:

I think that was there for some special demo version... I totally
forget... no new content, it just stopped you in the first area I
think....

Man, that was only 13 years ago... :P

Maybe Romero will recall that better. He returns from a trip Monday....

-Tom Hall

Source

04-20-2004, 08:34 AM	#11
Joe Siegler 3D Realms Staff	Re: Aliens Ate their \"Vintage Games\" store page It was available from them. Someone here linked to it. Search old msgs, there might be a direct link available here already. It could have been taken down - I'll call id and see what the deal is. __________________ Apogee / 3D Realms Employee: Dec 14, 1992 - May 22, 2009, Oct 23, 2014 - current "Lifting up the Cross to the waiting lost" - Petra \| John 3:16

05-29-2004, 10:47 PM	#13
Joe Siegler 3D Realms Staff	Re: Aliens Ate their \"Vintage Games\" store page Uh, the demo version of Keen 4 is the same as the registered version of Keen 4. Now there's a demo for Keen 6 with only a couple of levels - but I don't know what you're talking about with a Keen 4 with only a few levels. The shareware we distribute here is actually the same one we've been distributing since 1991 - just with a different installation program - the game itself is the same. __________________ Apogee / 3D Realms Employee: Dec 14, 1992 - May 22, 2009, Oct 23, 2014 - current "Lifting up the Cross to the waiting lost" - Petra \| John 3:16

04-18-2004, 06:05 PM	#2
Uncle Duke	Re: Keen 4 - Demo version You mean the Aliens Ate My Babysitter demo? Because yeah, I have it. Bought it at cost of reproduction (yeah right) from this shady as hell flea market vendor that printed up little labels with game boxes on them. I still have it somewhere. It was basically just the first five levels of the game with nothing different.

04-19-2004, 02:37 AM	#3
Frenkel	Re: Keen 4 - Demo version No, I don't mean Alien Ate My Babysitter, that's Keen 6. I mean the demo version of Secret Of The Oracle, better known as Keen 4. __________________ Groeten van Frenkel Visit us at the Official S&F Prod. Homepage

04-19-2004, 03:38 AM	#4
Scotty	Re: Keen 4 - Demo version As far as I know, the entire "Secret of the Oracle" is the shareware for "Goodbye, Galaxy" It's possible that a shorter demo/shareware was originally intended during development. The "Aliens Ate My Babysitter" reference is a little confusing. Could that have originally been planned to be included with "Goodbye, Galaxy", but later became a standalone game? In a way, that would make sense, as "Secret of the Oracle" would then be 1/3 of the entire series, which was a more common percentage for a shareware version. As there ultimately ended up being only 2 parts, we effectively got to try half of it for free. It kind of sucks that 3DR didn't get to publish "Aliens Ate My Babysitter", as the Formgen version went out of print a long time ago.

04-19-2004, 11:28 AM	#6
Frenkel	Re: Keen 4 - Demo version Could you upload that version somewhere? Or mail it to me? __________________ Groeten van Frenkel Visit us at the Official S&F Prod. Homepage

04-19-2004, 12:15 PM	#7
moron	Re: Keen 4 - Demo version origanly it was to be keen 4 5 and 6 all part of the same trilogy but then keen 6 broke of as retail (ID wanted more $$$$)

04-19-2004, 12:51 PM	#8
Uncle Duke	Re: Keen 4 - Demo version After checking the file sizes and giving it the once over, I could swear it's not anything more than just the shareware version on the disk along with the Gravis pad driver. Even the in-game documentation says it shareware, just on the instruction card that came with the pad it says "this game is a demo only blah blah blah." I'll see if I can't see where the hell I put it since yesterday.

04-20-2004, 01:59 AM	#10
Scotty	Aliens Ate their \"Vintage Games\" store page I looked around, but only saw it in the "Vintage Games" section of the regular website. The "Vintage Games" section of their store was a blank page. Oh well, I'll check back from time to time to see if they put it back up, then grab a copy.

05-29-2004, 08:47 PM	#12
Nemesis 01	Re: Aliens Ate their \"Vintage Games\" store page I have the demo version of Keen4 somewhere at a disk... It has only five levels: the two first levels, the village with the princess, one of the pyramids and the oasis...