Commander Keen announced for the GBC

Activision and Id Software have reached an agreement to release a new Game Boy Color game based on Id Software's original PC title Commander Keen. The Game Boy Color version of Commander Keen will feature several returning characters, including the game's 8-year-old hero Billy Blaze, but he will be on an entirely new quest. In the platformer-style game, players view the action from a traditional side-scrolling perspective as they battle through three primary worlds. Each world contains multiple levels, and in those levels, players will encounter more than 35 different alien opponents, as well as puzzles, slime pits, secret rooms, and teleporters.

"Commander Keen shows a kinder, gentler side of Id Software," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO of Id Software. "Like the original Commander Keen adventures, this is a game that appeals to the spunky 8-year-old hero in all of us--putting the 'Id' back in 'kid.'"

"An undisputed classic, the original Commander Keen games combined excellent level design and platform action for an unforgettable gameplay experience," said Larry Goldberg, executive vice president for Activision Worldwide Studios. "Our goal with Commander Keen for the Game Boy Color is to bring this incredibly satisfying and addictive experience to a whole new generation of console gamers."

The Game Boy Color version of Commander Keen is being developed by David A. Palmer Productions.