Re: The Western RPG thread
Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:17 am
In my desire to become comfortable with Drakkhen, I started reading up on it. I've discovered some fascinating facts about the SNES port. It was the first RPG released on the Super Nintendo in North America, beating out the likes of Final Fantasy II by several months. It also has some significant changes to the SNES port that make it easier than the original computer releases:
1. A shark in the moat of the first castle that can instantly kill your party members appears later in the game in the SNES version.
2. Using Anaks to heal and revive dead characters is free in the SNES version. It cost money in the computer versions, and each character had to have their own funds(money is shared in the SNES version). Since you couldn't give dead people money, you'd have to find a shop to transfer it to them, which meant you spent longer with a gimped party.
3. In the starting area, there is a central lane of flashing colors where dragons appear. In the SNES version, these dragons offer advice. In the computer versions, these dragons were hostile and would attack the party.
4. Running from monsters is easier in the SNES version.
5. A particular drawbridge trap at a later castle in the game will not hurt you in the SNES version. In the computer versions, it would kill a party member and splatter their blood all over the walls.
6. Options for interacting with the world are a bit different, making the SNES version more streamlined.
7. The computer releases came with a physical map, and you had to use the sun to figure out the time of day. This actually helped serve as a form of copy protection by making the game harder for anyone who didn't purchase a legit physical release firsthand. The SNES version has a map and compass built into the game to use.
8. Spell names were written as runes in the computer versions. These runes were translated in the guide, again as a form of copy protection. The SNES uses names for the spells in English.
All of this makes the SNES version much more user friendly, though some was added intentionally to prevent piracy...and gimped the play experience for anybody who played legit. Since Drakkhen is originally a French production from Infogrames...well, now we know where Ubisoft got their ideas.
If any of you guys ever decide to give Drakkhen a go, I recommend the SNES version. Though I figure only those of us playing for completion sake(namely Bone and I) will be interested.
Oh, and for laughs...while the gore has been toned down for the SNES port, this is one of the few NTSC-U Super Nintendo games where the references to alcohol were kept intact.
1. A shark in the moat of the first castle that can instantly kill your party members appears later in the game in the SNES version.
2. Using Anaks to heal and revive dead characters is free in the SNES version. It cost money in the computer versions, and each character had to have their own funds(money is shared in the SNES version). Since you couldn't give dead people money, you'd have to find a shop to transfer it to them, which meant you spent longer with a gimped party.
3. In the starting area, there is a central lane of flashing colors where dragons appear. In the SNES version, these dragons offer advice. In the computer versions, these dragons were hostile and would attack the party.
4. Running from monsters is easier in the SNES version.
5. A particular drawbridge trap at a later castle in the game will not hurt you in the SNES version. In the computer versions, it would kill a party member and splatter their blood all over the walls.
6. Options for interacting with the world are a bit different, making the SNES version more streamlined.
7. The computer releases came with a physical map, and you had to use the sun to figure out the time of day. This actually helped serve as a form of copy protection by making the game harder for anyone who didn't purchase a legit physical release firsthand. The SNES version has a map and compass built into the game to use.
8. Spell names were written as runes in the computer versions. These runes were translated in the guide, again as a form of copy protection. The SNES uses names for the spells in English.
All of this makes the SNES version much more user friendly, though some was added intentionally to prevent piracy...and gimped the play experience for anybody who played legit. Since Drakkhen is originally a French production from Infogrames...well, now we know where Ubisoft got their ideas.
If any of you guys ever decide to give Drakkhen a go, I recommend the SNES version. Though I figure only those of us playing for completion sake(namely Bone and I) will be interested.
Oh, and for laughs...while the gore has been toned down for the SNES port, this is one of the few NTSC-U Super Nintendo games where the references to alcohol were kept intact.