Today marks a significant milestone in the gaming industry, as it has been 35 years since the release of Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons – Episode 1: Marooned on Mars. This DOS game, while perhaps overshadowed by the monumental successes that followed, played a crucial role in the formation of id Software, the renowned creators of iconic titles such as Wolfenstein 3D and Doom.
The Birth of an Iconic Game Engine
The storyline of this inaugural Commander Keen title may not be the focal point of its legacy. Instead, it was the pioneering work of John Carmack that truly set the stage for innovation in gaming. Carmack’s development of smooth scrolling on PCs was a remarkable achievement during the Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) era, a feat that many considered a daunting challenge. Originally intended for a port of Super Mario Bros. 3 to PC, the technology found new life when Nintendo declined the offer, leading to the birth of a fresh game IP that showcased this cutting-edge technology.
Players can still experience this classic title today, either by purchasing it or trying it online through DOSBox. The success of Commander Keen empowered Carmack and his colleagues, including John Romero, to leave their positions at Softdisk and establish Ideas from the Deep, which would soon evolve into the legendary id Software.
The success of this 2D side-scrolling adventure trilogy in 1990 and 1991 laid the groundwork for id Software’s rapid transition into the realm of 3D rendering. By 1992, Wolfenstein 3D burst onto the gaming scene, solidifying id Software’s reputation as a powerhouse in genre-defining game development. The following year, Doom would further cement their legacy.
These early 3D first-person shooter games emerged during a transformative period in PC hardware, marked by the shift from 486 to Pentium processors. The novelty and popularity of 3D gaming during this time led to the decline of the diverse home computer market, paving the way for dedicated 3D graphics cards, including the iconic 3dfx Voodoo series, followed by ATI 3D Rage, nVidia RIVA 128, and PowerVR hardware.
As id Software rode the wave of the burgeoning PC 3D gaming industry, Nvidia introduced the GeForce 256 at the end of the 1990s, heralded as the first GPU. Notably, one of the initial titles to leverage this groundbreaking technology was Quake III Arena, further showcasing id Software’s innovative prowess in the gaming landscape.
