Dopefish
Dopefish are large, stupid fish that inhabit the waters of The Shadowlands of Gnosticus IV in Keen 4.
The in-game help text states:
|
The second-dumbest creature in the universe, this creature's thought patterns go "swim swim hungry, swim swim hungry." They'll eat anything alive and moving near them, though they prefer heroes. |
Physiology and Behavior
The Dopefish is an incredibly stupid large green fish that slowly swims the waters within the Well of Wishes. It is a dark green color with small fins and enormous buck teeth. It lunges and bites whenever it comes near Commander Keen or a Schoolfish, and then promptly burps... it does not, however, harm or attempt to harm the Sprites or Council Member who can also be found in the well. Additionally, it does not interact with the Underwater Mines.
Dangers
These immense fish can swallow Commander Keen in one bite, which of course kills him. Keen can however safely come into contact with the Dopefish when it is not attempting to take a bite. As such, it is possible to swim past a Dopefish after it has just devoured a schoolfish, as it will pause for several seconds for a satisfied burp.
Habitat
| Location | Easy | Normal | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Well of Wishes | Y | Y | Y |
Trivia
- Fans have created a Scientific Name for the Dopefish: Pisces swimmeatus.
- The Dopefish has made cameo appearances in numerous other video games. A list of these can be found on The Dopefish's official website.
- The Dopefish's in game help text is likely a reference to Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which describes the dumbest creature in the universe to be the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal.
Appearance in Keen GBC
Also appearing in Keen GBC, the Dopefish are smaller than in Keen 4 and jump out of the waters of Blooglet Lake trying to munch passing heroes.
The description in the Keen GBC manual is identical to that in Keen 4.