Commander Keen 8: Dead in the Desert

Commander Keen 8: Dead in the Desert is an unofficial fan-made platform game created by Ceilick and released for MS-DOS in 2009. It forms the second part of the fan trilogy The Universe Is Toast, following Commander Keen 7: The Keys of Krodacia. Rather than being an entirely new program, the game is an extensive modification of Commander Keen 6: Aliens Ate My Baby Sitter!, retaining its original engine and basic mechanics while introducing new levels, graphics, enemies, music and a redesigned world map. It was the first completed full-scale modification of the Commander Keen 6 engine.

The story begins immediately after the conclusion of The Keys of Krodacia. Keen has been transported to Calidune, a remote desert planet, in an attempt by his rival Mortimer McMire to prevent him from interfering with another plan to destroy the universe. Soon after arriving, Keen encounters a strange alien who also claims to be Commander Keen. Unable to prove which of them is the genuine hero, the two reluctantly agree to cooperate, escape from Calidune and continue the pursuit of Mortimer.

Gameplay follows the familiar Commander Keen formula. Keen explores side-scrolling levels, jumps between platforms, climbs poles, uses his pogo stick to reach greater heights and fires the Neural Stunner at hostile creatures. Food and other objects provide points, ammunition is scattered throughout the stages, and collecting one hundred small bonus items awards an extra life. Most enemies and environmental hazards defeat Keen with a single touch, but the game includes several difficulty settings that alter enemy placement and some aspects of the platforming.

Dead in the Desert contains seventeen playable levels, including a hidden secret stage, connected by a new world map representing the planet Calidune. The environments extend beyond open desert and rocky caverns to include ruins, lava-filled areas and industrial hydro facilities. Its stages are generally larger and more intricate than those of the original Commander Keen 6, with extensive use of slopes, elevators, switches, concealed passages and optional bonus areas. The custom soundtrack was composed by Mr. M and ZidaneA and helps give the desert world an identity distinct from the official games.

Although the game retains some technical limitations of the Commander Keen 6 engine, its new artwork, varied environments and carefully constructed levels make it considerably more ambitious than a simple level pack. Some of the later stages are demanding and occasionally depend on precise pogo jumps or thorough exploration, making the adventure best suited to players already familiar with the series. Dead in the Desert nevertheless demonstrates how extensively the original engine could be transformed by the fan community and provides a substantial continuation of Keen's story. The trilogy was completed in 2011 by Commander Keen 9: Battle of the Brains.