Faxanadu
A side-scrolling action RPG spin-off of Xanadu.
Faxanadu is an action role-playing platform video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was developed and released in Japan by Hudson Soft in 1987, and later published by Nintendo in North America and Europe. The game is a spin-off of Xanadu, the second installment of Falcom's Dragon Slayer series, and its title is a portmanteau of 'Famicom' and 'Xanadu.'
- Developer
- Hudson Soft
- Publisher (Japan)
- Hudson Soft
- Publisher (North America/Europe)
- Nintendo
- Release (Japan)
- November 16, 1987
- Release (North America)
- August 1989
- Genre
- Action role-playing platform game
- Platform
- Nintendo Entertainment System
Lore & Background
The player controls a wanderer who returns to his hometown, Eolis, to find it under attack by Dwarves. The Elven king explains that the Elves' fountain water has stopped and remaining water is poisoned, giving the protagonist 1500 gold to investigate. The story reveals that Elves and Dwarves once lived in harmony until The Evil One emerged from a fallen meteorite, transforming Dwarves into monsters. The Dwarf King, Grieve, swallowed his magical sword to hide it from The Evil One, and only that sword can destroy him. The journey spans four overworld areas: the tree's buttress, inside the trunk, the branches, and the Dwarves' mountain stronghold.
Reader's Guide
Faxanadu is a side-scrolling action RPG with platforming elements, often classified as a metroidvania. The hero walks, jumps, and climbs ladders across screen-by-screen fields, towns, and dungeons. He can purchase items with gold, equip weapons and armor, cast magic, and speak with townsfolk for information. A life bar and magic bar track damage and magical power, while experience points increase the hero's rank. Enemies drop gold, bread, or items. The game uses a password system called 'mantras,' obtained from church-dwelling Gurus, who also bestow ranks. Jun Chikuma composed the music using the NES's three-channel tone generator, with assistance from sound programmer Toshiaki Takimoto. The game was released on Wii Virtual Console in 2010 and 2011. It received critical acclaim, with IGN calling it a hidden gem and better than Zelda II and Castlevania II. Retro Gamer ranked it the 16th best NES game, and IGN listed it as the 36th best. The game's world appeared in two 1990 episodes of Captain N: The Game Master.
Did You Know?
- The title 'Faxanadu' is a portmanteau of 'Famicom' and 'Xanadu.'
- The game's password system is called 'mantras' and is obtained from church-dwelling Gurus.
- The Dwarf King Grieve swallowed his magical sword to hide it from The Evil One.
- The game's world was featured in two 1990 episodes of the cartoon Captain N: The Game Master.
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