Faxanadu
Faxanadu is a side-scrolling action RPG set in the fantasy world of Xanadu. As an elf returning to a dying tree, players explore a vast kingdom, battle monsters, upgrade equipment, and uncover secrets to restore life to the World Tree.
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Story
The player-controlled protagonist of Faxanadu is a wanderer who returns home. While the Japanese version allows the player to choose the name of this wanderer, in all other versions he is named "Nello". The game begins when he approaches Eolis, his hometown, after an absence to find it in disrepair and virtually abandoned. Worse still, the town is under attack by Dwarves.
The Elven king explains that the Elves' fountain water, their life source, has been stopped and all other remaining water has been poisoned and provides the protagonist with 1500 gold, the game's currency, to prepare for his journey to uncover the cause. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Elves and Dwarves lived in harmony among the World Tree until The Evil One emerged from a fallen meteorite. The Evil One then transformed the Dwarves into monsters against their will and made them hostile towards the Elves. The Dwarf King, Grieve, swallowed his magical sword before he was transformed, hiding it in his own body to prevent The Evil One from acquiring it.
It is only with this sword that The Evil One can be destroyed. His journey takes him to four overworld areas: the tree's buttress, the inside of the trunk, the tree's branches and finally the Dwarves' mountain stronghold.
Gameplay Systems
Faxanadu is a side scrolling action role playing game , sometimes classified as a metroidvania . The player guides the hero through a screen-by-screen series of fields, towns, and dungeons. The hero can walk, jump, and climb ladders that are all typical characteristics of a platform game . Along the way, he may also purchase usable items with gold, equip and use bladed weapons against enemies, wear armor, and cast magic projectiles.
In addition, he can access information regarding the game's events by speaking with townsfolk or by consulting other sources. The limits of physical damage the hero can sustain from enemies is tracked by a life bar , and the magical power he can exert is tracked by a magic bar . These are listed on the top of the screen along with total experience, gold amount, time (for items with a timed duration), and the currently held item. When the hero defeats an enemy, it usually leaves behind gold or life-giving bread.
The hero also gains a set amount of experience. Experience points help increase the hero's rank. Occasionally, an enemy will also drop an item; some activate specific effects when touched, while others may be stored for later use. The game utilizes a password system.
Passwords, or " mantras " as they are known in the game, can be obtained from church-dwelling Gurus . Gurus also bestow ranks to the hero when he meets certain experience totals; these determine the amounts of experience and gold a player will possess upon resuming a game via password.
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About Faxanadu
Faxanadu is a classic video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System on January 1, 1989. Developed by Hudson Soft and published by Hudson Soft, this title has become a beloved entry in the retro gaming library.
This wiki entry provides comprehensive information about Faxanadu, including release details, gameplay information, and story synopsis. Whether you're looking to revisit a childhood favorite or discover classic games for the first time, Emulator Games Wiki has you covered.
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