What is Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6?

Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6 is an open-source decompilation of Commander Keen Series. Source code reconstructed from the original game's compiled binary, so the game can be understood, rebuilt and ported.

Do I need the original game files to run Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6?

Yes. The project does not include the original game's assets, so you need your own copy. Requires extracting data files from the original executables using patch scripts.

How is Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6 licensed?

project: GNU General Public License version 2 or later (program). The repository itself is the authoritative source.

Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6

DecompilationHaltedPlayableDOS

Source code reconstructed from the original game's compiled binary, so the game can be understood, rebuilt and ported.

Based on Commander Keen Series

Image of the original game, Commander Keen Series. This project has no screenshots of its own yet.

Commander Keen Series (original game, not this project) — Image of the original game, Commander Keen Series. This project has no screenshots of its own yet.

Links, repository & details

About

Commander Keen is a series of side-scrolling platform games developed primarily by id Software, with six main MS-DOS episodes released in 1990-1991 following the young genius Billy Blaze as he defends Earth using his homemade spaceship, rayguns, and pogo stick. Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6 is an unofficial source-code reconstruction of the original Keen 4-6 (version 1.4/1.5 EGA and CGA releases), built primarily from the Catacomb 3-D source code, with text-view code based on Wolfenstein 3-D and game/actor code loosely based on Keen Dreams. It targets DOS and requires the original Keen 4, 5, and 6 executables, from which patch scripts extract the needed data before the code can be compiled with Borland C++.

How it differs from the original

Unlike an official id Software release, this is a fan reconstruction pieced together from other id Engine source releases (Catacomb 3-D, Wolfenstein 3-D, Keen Dreams) rather than the lost original Keen 4-6 source code itself.

Getting started

Building requires Borland C++ 2.0-3.1 run inside DOSBox, plus the original Keen 4-6 executables, from which patch scripts (CKPatch or K1n9_Duk3's Patching Utility) extract the needed data files before the project's batch scripts compile the code.

What you need to run it

Original game files required. The project ships code only; you provide your own copy of the game. Requires extracting data files from the original executables using patch scripts.

FAQ

What is Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6?: Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6 is an open-source decompilation of Commander Keen Series. Source code reconstructed from the original game's compiled binary, so the game can be understood, rebuilt and ported.
Do I need the original game files to run Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6?: Yes. The project does not include the original game's assets, so you need your own copy. Requires extracting data files from the original executables using patch scripts.
How is Reconstructed Commander Keen 4-6 licensed?: project: GNU General Public License version 2 or later (program). The repository itself is the authoritative source.