Review of Faxanadu for the NES

[chronodev]

We've posted a Review of Faxanadu for the NES in our articles section.

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Intro

I was going through the secondary area of things I have for the NES and came across this game. Having never played it before, I was curious about how it would play and what it’d be about. While it had some charm, I found it not exactly my cup of tea, even as a person who enjoys a role-playing game, which this kind of is. It’s a side-scrolling platformer more than anything else.

Story

You are a nameless elf returned to the Elf Kingdom only to find it in ruins, attacked by its enemies, the Dwarves. The Fountains are running dry, the World Tree is dying as are the Elves. The King has dispatched a number of men to try to fight the dwarves, but none have ever returned.
Immediately at your return to town you are directed to the King, expected.

Gameplay

There are where most of my qualms are honestly. Not that it was a very difficult game to be playing as it was just an odd set-up internally. You start off being able to only equip a dagger to your present armaments. Only by killing things and leveling up can you gain the ability to equip more powerful items, like a long sword or improved armor.

The NPCs do help in directing you a little, giving you the most basic instructions, still, a lot is left up to the player and hopefully they’d be able to get a map of the area to help them along. The Experience system makes no declaration, so leveling up just happens without any notice at all. As well as it doesn’t function on the tradition level system, instead your title changes as you progress and kill more monsters. There is some notable increase in ease over time. Sometimes this isn’t so bad in the early levels, but when it’s all measured progress anyways, it does help to receive something to let you know you’ve gotten a new title. You also were stuck with whatever weapons and armor you bought, no selling it back, as you needed ALL the armor, weapons and magic to be able to wear the ultimate gear in the game. Each of the shop-keepers would only by wares that they sold and nothing else.

Read the full review here:
Saving the World Tree and the Elves

[Zidarose]

This game, I will say is a great example of a niche game

[Nesfan]

Faxanadu was my favorite. So many hours gone in my life playing that game that I will not get back. Of course if I could go back and do it over again.......I wouldn't change a thing!

[wishyou]

Are my favorite

[lorekeeper]

I just picked this one up myself and I cant wait to try it out