racketboy.com

MrPopo wrote:Also, how necessary do you feel it is to be using a controller? For example, I think trying to play Super Metroid with a keyboard is going to feel terrible, but I was able to do Limbo with my keyboard just fine. That's going to inform whether I get the Steam version or the Xbox One version.

I would have a very difficult time playing this on a keyboard. It requires a great deal of precision. Keep in mind that Xbox One controllers can be used on a PC so either platform should work for you.

bmoc wrote:

MrPopo wrote:Also, how necessary do you feel it is to be using a controller? For example, I think trying to play Super Metroid with a keyboard is going to feel terrible, but I was able to do Limbo with my keyboard just fine. That's going to inform whether I get the Steam version or the Xbox One version.

I would have a very difficult time playing this on a keyboard. It requires a great deal of precision. Keep in mind that Xbox One controllers can be used on a PC so either platform should work for you.

I don't actually have a wired controller other than my arcade sticks, so looks like I'll be picking this up on my Xbox.

MrPopo wrote:I don't actually have a wired controller other than my arcade sticks, so looks like I'll be picking this up on my Xbox.

but you have an Xbox One controller...?

noiseredux wrote:

MrPopo wrote:I don't actually have a wired controller other than my arcade sticks, so looks like I'll be picking this up on my Xbox.

but you have an Xbox One controller...?

Does the charging cable actually work as a data transfer cable as well?

Regardless, I shall not sully my PC with dual analog control.

MrPopo wrote:Regardless, I shall not sully my PC with dual analog control.

You're not playing Isaac, Beat Hazard, or any other Robotron like games? I mean sure don't try to play a FPS/TPS with them, but they do have their uses.

You've got a point when it comes to the Robotron twin stick games, but I don't have any of those on Steam. I'm not a huge fan of the genre.

MrPopo wrote:You've got a point when it comes to the Robotron twin stick games, but I don't have any of those on Steam. I'm not a huge fan of the genre.

I see you have, but haven't started Isaac. Get thee a Joy to Key program and get going.

MrPopo wrote:

noiseredux wrote:

MrPopo wrote:I don't actually have a wired controller other than my arcade sticks, so looks like I'll be picking this up on my Xbox.

but you have an Xbox One controller...?

Does the charging cable actually work as a data transfer cable as well?

Regardless, I shall not sully my PC with dual analog control.

Yes drivers came out months ago.

Hobie-wan wrote:

MrPopo wrote:You've got a point when it comes to the Robotron twin stick games, but I don't have any of those on Steam. I'm not a huge fan of the genre.

I see you have, but haven't started Isaac. Get thee a Joy to Key program and get going.

I think someone ninja'd that onto my computer when I wasn't looking.

1. Painkiller - PC
2. Front Mission 4 - PS2
3. Wasteland 2 - PC
4. Arcanum - PC
5. X-COM Terror from the Deep - PC
6. Military Madness - TurboGrafx-16
7. Unreal - PC
8. Shadowrun - SNES
9. Warcraft III - PC
10. Dungeon Keeper - PC
11. Final Fantasy X-2 HD - PS3
12. Descent - PC
13. Quake Mission Pack 2 - Dissolution of Eternity
14. Quake 2 Mission Pack 2 - Ground Zero
15. Sokobond - PC
16. Hybrid Heaven - N64

The president has been kidnapped by the aliens. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue him? There's a little bit more to the plot, but not much. Near the end it tries to inject some real nuance to things, but it falls hilariously flat due to a poor translation and a dialog system that doesn't put a name in front of who's speaking, so there are points you lose track of the speaker and adds to the confusion.

Clearly this isn't a game you play for the story. But unfortunately the gameplay also is kind of mediocre, though there's a few interesting ideas I wish they had worked the kinks of out. So the gameplay comes in two basic flavors. The first is a 3D adventure game with mushy controls that's entirely forgettable, but it serves to get you between the battles, and the battles is the real innovation. The game is essentially an Ultimate Fighting RPG; you get an arsenal of punches, kicks, and wrestling moves which you can use to defeat your enemies, who can use the same on you. You start off with only a few and learn more as enemies use them on you. You have skill in each of your limbs as well as the specific moves you use, so if you practice a particular kick you not only improve the strength of that particular move but any additional kicks you might use (useful when you learn a new one). The flow of combat is you have a Power bar that charges over time, and how much its charged determines the strength of your move. If it's fully charged many attacks will knock the opponent down. As you level up you gain the ability to store fully charged Power bars. This lets you unleash multiple moves as part of a single attack (or do follow ups like you body slam them to the floor then do some sort of submission move). By the end of the game you can use up to five moves in these combos, and certain combos will do a sixth finisher move for free.

As mentioned, the enemies use the same moves as you do, though they don't use combos until the very end of the game. They also have the same defensive options, and the defensive options is where the combat system falls short. When you are attacked you get a few options to try and defend yourself. They always fall into one of three categories; take reduced damage, attempt to take no damage, or attempt to dodge and counter. The idea is you have a risk/reward system where you have to weigh which of these to use. In practice, the correct move is always to do the take reduced damage option; the failure rate of the other to are way too high, and the counter attack has a second problem of picking a random move for the counter, so you're just as likely to whiff or pick a move that you never use.

It is a short game; my clear time was 8:30. There is some sort of multiplayer mode where two people can use their characters against each other. The game also requires a controller pack for saving.

1. Grandia (PlayStation)
2. Jungle Hunt (Xbox - Taito Legends)
3. Jungle Hunt (Atari 2600)
4. Jungle Hunt (Plug & Play - ColecoVision Flashback)
5. Donkey Kong (Atari 2600)
6. Donkey Kong (Intellivision)
7. Donkey Kong (ColecoVision)
8. Bubble Bobble (NES)
9. Side Arms: Hyper Dyne (PSP - Capcom Classics Collection Remixed)
10. 1941: Counter Attack (PSP - Capcom Classics Collection Remixed)
11. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim (PSP)
12. The Ninja Kids (Xbox - Taito Legends)
13. Neutopia (TurboGrafx-16)
14. Golden Axe Warrior (Xbox 360 - Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection)
15. Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 (Dreamcast)
16. Growl (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
17. Arabian Magic (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
18. Dungeon Magic (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
19. Gekirindan (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
20. Ys II (Saturn - Falcom Classics II)
21. Darius Gaiden (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
22. G Darius (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
23. Giana Sisters DS (DS)
24. RayStorm (PlayStation 2 - Taito Legends 2)
25. Mr. Do! (ColecoVision)
26. Beauty & the Beast (Intellivision)
27. Boxing (PlayStation 2 - Activision Anthology)
28. Crystalis (NES)
29. Dragon Warrior (NES)
30. Faxanadu (NES)

Faxanadu is one of many games belonging to Falcom's epic Dragon Slayer JRPG series, which consists of eight mainline titles and several spin-offs. It's a Famicom/NES spin-off of Xanadu (Dragon Slayer II) and the name itself is a portmanteau, blending "Famicom" and "Xanadu" together (the name was untouched for the US release, I guess NESxanadu doesn't sound so hot). Make no mistake though, this isn't simply a console port of Xanadu, but a wholly new game developed by Hudson Soft rather than Falcom themselves.

Much like Xanadu - as well as Dragon Slayer parts III, IV, and V - Faxanadu is a sidescrolling action-RPG. However, since it was released on the NES comparisons to Zelda II are inevitable and not entirely unjustified. The hero of our story is an elf, as are all NPCs, though they mostly look like regular human beings. And the bad guys are dwarves who don't look like dwarves as apparently they've been warped by some evil magic. The baddest of the dwarves resembles a griffin and, being an RPG, there's also some stock "essence of all evil" character thrown into the mix later on.

There's no overworld in Faxanadu and the entire game takes place within the giant World Tree. It makes for an interesting color palette and setting: plenty of muted browns and greens, with platforms consisting of roots and branches intermingled with castles and towns lodged within the bark. Despite the simplicity of its hues, Faxanadu's graphics are rather impressive. Most notable are the woody backgrounds which appear to be alive and pulsating. Much like Falcom's earliest games, the enemy and character designs all look distinctly "Western", compete with smoking shopkeepers that somehow slipped past the NoA censorship board. Music is pleasant enough, but don't expect to hear any of the rousing Yuzo Koshiro tunes that characterize other early Falcom games.

Controls are more than a little awkward, which seems standard for virtually all 8-bit games featuring close-range combat. The hero's initial sword is rather small and he must stand close to enemies to even dream of registering hits. Even worse, he can't duck which means that smaller enemies must be jumped over or eliminated with projectile spells. Jumping is a bit odd too, as it feels stiff and longer jumps require some momentum. Mercifully, things get easier as the game progresses mainly because longer "swinging" weapons become available.

Faxanadu's elven hero is equipped with an arsenal of spells, most of which are projectiles of varying damage potential. Although hit points can be restored with a couple of different items, MP can only be replenished in towns. Fortunately magic is almost entirely optional, mostly useful at the game's beginning and against certain bosses.

For an action-RPG the game is exceptionally straightforward. The clues from townspeople are (shockingly) useful and explicit (as in "go here with this item and do this now!") and the game's handful of dungeons are tight and compact. One small snag is the keys: there are four varieties based on the playing card suits, they must be purchased in towns, and the doors they open immediately close and re-lock once elf man takes his first footstep onto the other side. It's impossible to predict what keys are needed for any given scenario and nothing is worse than having to backtrack to town to get some more.

Being an RPG of sorts, Faxanadu does feature a "leveling system" - an incredibly unorthodox one. Upon reaching a certain experience total, elf man doesn't level up automatically but instead must visit a guru to achieve a rank ("Chevalier" is my personal favorite). Upon achieving a new rank an astute player may notice that it doesn't seem to do much in the way of attack or defense boosts. Instead, just like the real world, one's personal rank is related to CASH. When elf man respawns after death, or when a game is loaded from a password (no battery save here...), the money in his inventory is a set amount determined by rank. Higher rank = more gold. Now it is possible to exploit this system by leveling, spending available cash to fill one's inventory, and then dying to replenish cash. However, given the limited inventory space doing this sort of thing is really only useful near the game's beginning.

Faxanadu is a lot of fun and possesses a unique atmosphere and style. It's a touch worse than Zelda II, though fans of that game would be wise to check out Faxy as soon as possible. The "action" components of this action-RPG are admittedly dodgy, but those gameplay flaws were eventually ironed out in the subsequent 16-bit "sequels" - The Legend of Xanadu I & II.