On May 22, 2001, an entirely new
Commander Keen game was released by Activision for the
Gameboy.
Keen had a new look - a green and red
shirts instead of purple, and skin that was a healthy flesh tone - not
albino white. Keen's new actor, eight year old Dennis Bourke of
Cleveland, Ohio, brought a fresh, new sparkle to the old Commander
Keen.
Although the limitations of the palm-top
version of Keen disappointed some Keen fans, it brought nostalgic joy to
others, and novel excitement to those who had little experience of
Commander Keen at all.
Keen's "second coming" was more than just
an apology for the tragic downfall of Billy Blaze, it was a resolution;
a chance to sweep away all the unfinished business associated with the
original Keens.
Billy's mansion was purchased by Arthur
and Susan Blaze, who are currently transforming it into the Billy
Blaze Institute for Youth Support - an organization that will
hopefully set wayward teens back on the right tracks to a bright future.
Lily Blaze is now employed with Wicked Googly Software in Nova
Scotia, developing entertainment software for a variety of platforms,
including Nintendo and Pocket PC.
Chuck Huffington is still hoping to someday complete and release his
abandoned Commander Keen movie, and the market for Commander Keen
games, despite the tragedy of December 2000, is looking better than
ever.
Although the young man who made Commander Keen more than just
a computer game is dead, and only a few of those responsible have been
brought to justice, the legacy of Commander Keen lives on.
