Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu
Encyclopedia
is an action RPG
developed by Nihon Falcom
in 1985 for the PC-8801, PC-9801
, FM-7
, MSX
and X1
computers. Enhanced remakes were released for the Sega Saturn
, PC-9801
and Windows
systems. It is the second in the Dragon Slayer series, preceded by Dragon Slayer and followed by Romancia
, though, as most games in the Dragon Slayer series, have no relation to each other outside of a few gameplay concepts.
Xanadu is notable for several reasons, including its unbroken sales record for computer games in Japan with over 400,000 copies sold. It was also one of the foundations of the RPG
genre, particularly the action RPG subgenre, featuring real-time action
combat combined with full-fledged character statistics
, innovative gameplay systems such as the Karma
meter and individual experience for equipped items, and platform game
elements combined with the dungeon crawl
gameplay of its predecessor. It also had towns to explore and introduced equipment that change the player character
's visible appearance, food that is consumed slowly over time and essential for keeping the player character alive, and magic used to attack enemies from a distance. The following year saw the release of Xanadu Scenario II, an early example of an expansion pack
.
with puzzle
and adventure
elements far ahead of its time.
version of the game and a manga
, titled Xanadu: The Legend of Dragon Slayer. The plot was expanded and altered, with the main character now having a name, Fieg (フィーグ), and several new cast members. The new plot elements included several science fiction
themes. For example, Fieg is a 21st century soldier from the near future who is dropped into Xanadu after a bloody surprise ambush in the beginning of the story.
A soundtrack to the movie was released on record
, cassette, and compact disc
shortly thereafter.
The manga
follows the plot of the movie, and was drawn by Tsuzuki Kazuhiko (都築和彦), who also did work on Falcom
's Ys and Sorcerian
titles.
with a distinctive, haunting melody. A sped-up version is used for the battle scenes. The inside areas of buildings as well as boss encounters have separate songs as well. To promote the release of the game, Japanese heavy metal band Anthem
released an LP with two image songs, appropriately titled "XANADU".
Xanadu Scenario II, an expansion pack
and sequel
, featured a much larger set of songs, and as a whole matches the overall high quality of Falcom's songwriting abilities during the later 1980s. The soundtrack was composed by Takahito Abe and Yuzo Koshiro
, who would compose the music for many of Falcom's later titles. Koshiro's compositions for the opening theme and several dungeons were taken from the demo tape he had first sent to Falcom at the age of 18. Revival Xanadu and Revival Xanadu II, two loose remakes made by Falcom in the 1990s, feature their own unique soundtracks as well, also composed by Koshiro and Abe.
Aside from Xanadu Next
and Legend of Xanadu, no Xanadu titles have received a full, independent original soundtrack on compact disc, an odd move for Falcom. This is likely due to its release being very early in Falcom's life, before they had established a reputation. However, a soundtrack was released for both Xanadu and Xanadu Scenario II on a 12" Vinyl Record Album, titled, Xanadu Anthem. Selections from Xanadu' s music can be heard in various Falcom albums, and in 1987 "All Over Xanadu" was released, featuring arranged versions of Xanadu and Scenario II' s soundtrack being played by a rock band
combined with a live orchestra
and synthesizers. The main theme of the Xanadu franchise, "La Valse Pour Xanadu", has been featured in the PC-88 and PC-98 versions of Xanadu and remixed into several audio tracks in Xanadu Next.
released in that country.
The influence of Xanadu has been felt in many games developed by Falcom and even other development houses which have copied the look and feel. Ys featured a similar but quicker "bump" system for combat used in Ys I
, Ys II and Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys
; while the later Dragon Slayer games Romancia
, Dragon Slayer IV and Sorcerian
all had similar side-scrolling viewpoints. Several smaller companies copied the "bump" system, mostly in obscure PC-8801 titles.
Alongside its predecessor, Xanadu laid the foundations for the action role-playing game
genre, influencing future series like Hydlide
, Ys, and The Legend of Zelda
. Xanadu was an early real-time action RPG with full-fledged character statistics
, and it introduced several innovative gameplay mechanics, such as the Karma morality system, individual experience for equipped items, a heavy emphasis on puzzle-solving, equipment that change the player character
's visible appearance, food that is consumed slowly over time and is essential for keeping the player character alive, magic that can be used to attack enemies from a distance, and training facilities to improve various statistics. It also introduced a platformer
-style side-scrolling
view, including the ability to jump. The side-scrolling view is used during exploration and switches to the overhead view of its predecessor during battle, while certain rooms also use an overhead view.
The game's influence also extended beyond action RPGs, with the way the game reworked the entire game system considered an influence on Final Fantasy
, which would do the same for each of its installments, as its developer Square
was previously the publisher for the MSX version of the original Dragon Slayer. Xanadu is also considered a "proto-Metroidvania" game, due to being an "RPG turned on its side" that allowed players to run, jump, collect, and explore, laying the foundations for the more open-ended
"Metroidvania" games Faxanadu
and Legacy of the Wizard
. Xanadu Scenario II, released in 1986, was an early example of an expansion pack
. It was also non-linear, allowing the levels to be explored in any order.
Xanadu is the only title Falcom has given a complete commemorative re-release in its original 1980s packaging, and is considered one of Falcom's milestones, if not their defining title, to a generation of fans. Though they had various degrees of success with older titles, Xanadu was Falcom's breakthrough that brought them into the spotlight.
s. The title "Xanadu" is a direct reference to the ancient city Xanadu
and its mythological reputation. The protagonist will visit Shangri-la
during the course of Scenario II, among other locales. Many monsters are based on legendary and factual figures such as spriggan
, samurai
, hydra, and countless others.
role-playing game Ultima III: Exodus. This was not discovered by Origin and series creator Richard Garriott
until they flew into Tokyo to have a meeting with Nihon Falcom about having Origin release Xanadu in the US, as well as having Falcom help with releasing a port of Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar in Japan. During the presentation of the game, several digitized pictures from the manual of Ultima III appeared in various shops in the game. Upon seeing this, Garriott and Origin ended the meeting and decided to sue Falcom; the lawsuit was settled out of court and the artwork in the game was changed to what appears now.
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
developed by Nihon Falcom
Falcom
is a Japanese computer game company. The company was founded in March 1981 by Masayuki Kato. Falcom has played a definite role in the growth and development of the Japanese personal computer software industry. The company released the first Japanese computer role-playing game in 1983 and followed...
in 1985 for the PC-8801, PC-9801
PC-9801
The NEC PC-9801, part of the PC-98 series, is a Japanese 16-bit microcomputer manufactured by NEC.- History :It first appeared in 1982, and employed an 8086 CPU. It ran at a clock speed of 5 MHz, with two µPD7220 display controllers , and shipped with 128 KB of RAM, expandable to 640 KB...
, FM-7
FM-7
FM-7 is a home computer released in 1982 in Japan.The Fujitsu FM-7 was Fujitsu's first entry into the Japanese home computer market, and for their debut computer, they chose to come out with a 6809-based personal computer very similar to Radio Shack's Color Computer.-Hardware:*Two MC 68B09 CPUs @...
, MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
and X1
Sharp X1
The X1 is a series of home computer released by Sharp Corporation from 1982 to 1988. It was based on a Z80 CPU.Despite the fact that the Computer Division of Sharp Corporation had released the MZ series, suddenly the Television Division released a new computer series called the X1...
computers. Enhanced remakes were released for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, PC-9801
PC-9801
The NEC PC-9801, part of the PC-98 series, is a Japanese 16-bit microcomputer manufactured by NEC.- History :It first appeared in 1982, and employed an 8086 CPU. It ran at a clock speed of 5 MHz, with two µPD7220 display controllers , and shipped with 128 KB of RAM, expandable to 640 KB...
and Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
systems. It is the second in the Dragon Slayer series, preceded by Dragon Slayer and followed by Romancia
Romancia
Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia is an action-adventure game developed by Nihon Falcom in 1986 for the PC-8801, PC-9801, MSX, and X1 computers. A Famicom version was retooled and expanded by Compile and published by Tokyo Shoseki. An enhanced remake was released for Windows in 1999 by Unbalance...
, though, as most games in the Dragon Slayer series, have no relation to each other outside of a few gameplay concepts.
Xanadu is notable for several reasons, including its unbroken sales record for computer games in Japan with over 400,000 copies sold. It was also one of the foundations of the RPG
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
genre, particularly the action RPG subgenre, featuring real-time action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
combat combined with full-fledged character statistics
Statistic (role-playing games)
A statistic in role-playing games is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. That piece of data is usually a integer or, in some cases, a set of dice....
, innovative gameplay systems such as the Karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
meter and individual experience for equipped items, and platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
elements combined with the dungeon crawl
Dungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
gameplay of its predecessor. It also had towns to explore and introduced equipment that change the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
's visible appearance, food that is consumed slowly over time and essential for keeping the player character alive, and magic used to attack enemies from a distance. The following year saw the release of Xanadu Scenario II, an early example of an expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
.
Story
The game begins with the player directly in control of the protagonist, with little to no introduction. To progress, one must speak with the king, who gives the player the bare essentials and a small amount of cash to train. After selecting which attributes to raise, the player must find his way out of the city and into the vast underground complex. Finding this exit is the first of many cryptic puzzles the player will encounter, though the game is not a puzzle game but an RPGRole-playing game (video games)
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
with puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
and adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
elements far ahead of its time.
Gameplay
Xanadu features a unique gameplay system for its time; one which has aged well and continues to be unique in the face of newer ideas. Though it is a very difficult game, it provides many systems that can be used to the protagonist's advantage if used wisely.- Control: With the arrow keys, the protagonist can move left and right, climb down ladders and jump. The space key is used to cast an equipped spell or enter doors. The return key will use the currently equipped item. Various other commands are accessed by keystrokes, such as "S" for status screens and "E" for the equipment screens. Attacking is much like FalcomFalcomis a Japanese computer game company. The company was founded in March 1981 by Masayuki Kato. Falcom has played a definite role in the growth and development of the Japanese personal computer software industry. The company released the first Japanese computer role-playing game in 1983 and followed...
's own later Ys series; damage is done by walking directly into the enemy, usually aiming for the off-middl areas.
- Viewpoint: The main view in Xanadu is a side-scrollingSide-scrolling video gameA side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
platformer view, though it is more in line with SorcerianSorcerianis an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom, and the fifth in the Dragon Slayer line of games. It was originally released for the NEC PC-8801 in 1987, and was later ported to other PC platforms such as the NEC PC-9801, the NEC PC-88VA, the Sharp X1 Turbo, and the MSX 2, for which it...
than a typical platformer such as Mario Brothers. When engaging in a battle, or entering a building, the view is changed to a top-down perspective. Each "layer" or stratum has its own complex network of buildings, caves and tunnels, and are often very elaborate, sometimes approaching constructionist art in appearance and complexity. There are ten levels which are progressively more challenging.
- Encounters: While traversing the sprawling underground cities, the player will come in contact with enemies on the screen. When the player and enemy meet on the map, the game switches from its regular sidescrolling view to a top-down perspective. The aforementioned Ys-style combat takes place here. When finished, a short victory tune is played and the player continues back to the side-view screen to explore.
- Karma: Each enemy killed is either good or bad, even though all enemies will attack you. If the player kills too many good enemies, the Karma statistic will rise, at which point the temples will refuse to level upLevel UpLevel Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am...
the player. This can be remedied by drinking a black poison bottle; however, these cannot be carried nor bought, and must be found within dungeons, and will halve the protagonist's hit points (not the maximum HP, but the current HP—nothing permanent).
- Temples: As the player gains experience, levels are not automatically given like in most RPGs. The temples are churches where a minister will grant a level up to the protagonist provided he or she has enough experience points. Otherwise, the minister will let the player know how much is needed to go up a level.
- Levels: Leveling up is very important in Xanadu, and there are two types of levels: fighter and magic user. Fighting experience is raised through combat, and magic though spell use. Each category has its own title for each level (for example, Novice Fighter raises to Aspirant, Novice Wizard raises to Initiate). The two systems go hand in hand and are used at the same time.
- Item Experience: Separate from the other levels, all equippable items, such as swords and armor, have their own experience levels. This is raised simply by using the item; for example, swords by attacking, armor by being hit, magic by casting the spell, and so on. In this sense, a highly developed daggerDaggerA dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
will be more effective than a brand new longswordLongswordThe longsword is a type of European sword designed for two-handed use, current during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1350 to 1550 .Longswords have long cruciform hilts with grips over 10 to 15 cm length The longsword (of which stems the variation called the bastard...
. However, a highly developed sword will be far more useful than a maxed out dagger, so it is vital to upgrade equipment.
- Enemies: In a forward-thinking move, Xanadu has a limited number of enemies in each area to deter powerleveling. This requires the player to think ahead about how he handles the enemies, how to best get the most experience out of them, and to keep Karma from getting too high. This is a factor that must be juggled with weapon experience; if the player defeats all enemies using a dagger, then upgrades to a sword and proceeds to fight the area's boss, the player will be at a disadvantage and should have either kept the highly developed dagger, or bought the sword early on so as to level it up with the finite number of encounters in the area.
- Bosses: Every area generally has at least one boss, though it is not always required to fight them. Bosses can be extremely difficult if unprepared. Luckily, the game saves itself before entering a boss fight.
- Money and Food: Enemies will drop various items, but most commonly will drop money or food, typically in small quantities in the beginning of the story. Money is important for upgrading equipment and buying items. Food is vital; the protagonist slowly eats his supply of food as time passes in the game. This slowly heals hit points as well. If food runs out, hit points will begin dropping at a rapid pace and the music will get progressively more and more out of tuneOut of TuneOut of Tune is a British children's TV sitcom which was shown on CBBC from 1996 to 1998.It features a group of fictional children that belong to a church choir at a school and their practice sessions. However the choir is humorously bad, hence the name 'Out of Tune', and the practice sessions are...
until more food is found or bought, or the protagonist dies.
- Items: There are few chances to purchase items in the game, most importantly the hidden shop at the very beginning, just before entering the caves. As Xanadu features several ways to finish the game, the item shop may be near-worthless or absolutely vital to the player, depending on how who plans to progress. Items can also be found in chests and in dungeon areas, or by entering a secret code name at the character creation area at the outset.
- Saving: The game saves itself at certain points, such as right before a boss fight or after leaving a building. The player can manually save using the Command-Q keystroke (or equivalent depending on the system), which costs 100 gold. The Sega Saturn remake did away with this by adding a Save command in the status menu.
Sequels
Xanadu has a large set of followups, despite it being technically a sequel itself to Dragon Slayer.- Xanadu Scenario II: An expansion packExpansion packAn expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
, Scenario II was a sequel released in 1986 that required the player still have the original Xanadu disks. After creating a new custom Xanadu Scenario II disk, the player needs to insert the original Xanadu disk, create a character as done in the original Xanadu, and then insert the Scenario II disk when prompted. Players were rewarded with a vast sequel to the original, featuring a new soundtrack, a complex shopping/trading system, yet more complex, deep maps, and new encounters with bosses. The game was non-linear, allowing the eleven levels to be explored in any order.
- FaxanaduFaxanaduis an action role-playing platform-adventure video game for the Nintendo Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System . The name was licensed by computer game developer Nihon Falcom and was developed and released in Japan by Hudson Soft in 1987...
: A FalcomFalcomis a Japanese computer game company. The company was founded in March 1981 by Masayuki Kato. Falcom has played a definite role in the growth and development of the Japanese personal computer software industry. The company released the first Japanese computer role-playing game in 1983 and followed...
-licenseLicenseThe verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
d, HudsonHudson Soft, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
-produced sidescroller for the Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
that has little in common with Xanadu. One of the few Falcom titles to be released in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, its name is a combination of "Famicom" and "Xanadu".
- Legend of Xanadu: Not actually a sequel to Xanadu, but often confused as one. Is actually Chapter VIII of the Dragon Slayer series, and bears no resemblance to the original Xanadu.
- Revival Xanadu: A PC-9801PC-9801The NEC PC-9801, part of the PC-98 series, is a Japanese 16-bit microcomputer manufactured by NEC.- History :It first appeared in 1982, and employed an 8086 CPU. It ran at a clock speed of 5 MHz, with two µPD7220 display controllers , and shipped with 128 KB of RAM, expandable to 640 KB...
remake produced by Falcom. Features a high-resolution graphical upgrade while still maintaining the feel of the original, with upgraded music as well. An "Easy Mode" was released in conjunction with Revival Xanadu II later.
- Revival Xanadu II Remix: A PC-9801PC-9801The NEC PC-9801, part of the PC-98 series, is a Japanese 16-bit microcomputer manufactured by NEC.- History :It first appeared in 1982, and employed an 8086 CPU. It ran at a clock speed of 5 MHz, with two µPD7220 display controllers , and shipped with 128 KB of RAM, expandable to 640 KB...
semi-remake of Scenario II, though it has a completely different soundtrack and new maps.
- Falcom Classics: A Sega SaturnSega SaturnThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
compilation, featuring remade versions of Ys, Dragon Slayer, and XanaduXanadu-Description of Xanadu by Toghon Temur :The lament of Toghon Temur Khan , concerning the loss of Daidu and Heibun Shanduu in 1368, is recorded in many Mongolian historical chronicles...
. Many things were altered, including an easier "Saturn Mode" and a graphic style very similar to Revival Xanadu with a larger color palette.
- Revival Xanadu (Memorial Games): A port of Revival Xanadu to Windows 95Windows 95Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
/Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
by developer Unbalance. As with most non-Falcom produced licenses, it is slightly shoddy port, with the music being recorded as non-looping WAVWAVWaveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
files, the faster tempo battle songs literally sped up to a higher pitch instead of a swifter tempoTempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, and sound effects being played at a very loud volume. The graphicsGraphicsGraphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
are also overly saturatedSaturation (color theory)In colorimetry and color theory, colorfulness, chroma, and saturation are related but distinct concepts referring to the perceived intensity of a specific color. Colorfulness is the degree of difference between a color and gray. Chroma is the colorfulness relative to the brightness of another color...
compared to the PC-9801PC-9801The NEC PC-9801, part of the PC-98 series, is a Japanese 16-bit microcomputer manufactured by NEC.- History :It first appeared in 1982, and employed an 8086 CPU. It ran at a clock speed of 5 MHz, with two µPD7220 display controllers , and shipped with 128 KB of RAM, expandable to 640 KB...
version.
- Xanadu Complete Reprint Edition: A commemorative picture-perfect reprint of the 1985 original version, down to the soft plastic case and manual, aside from the game being on CD-ROMCD-ROMA CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
instead of diskette. Released for WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
CD-ROM using Project EGG's emulatorEmulatorIn computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
system. It now goes for high prices on auction sites.
- Xanadu NextXanadu NextXanadu Next is a 2005 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom and published by Nokia for the Nokia N-Gage and Windows. The game is a spin-off of the 1985 action role-playing game Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu.- Story :...
: Released in 2005 for WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and, in an unexpected move for Falcom, the N-GageN-GageThe N-Gage is a mobile telephone and handheld game system by Nokia, based on the Nokia Series 60 platform, released in October 2003. It began sales on October 7, 2003. The N-Gage QD replaced the original N-Gage in 2004....
. The Windows edition is in every aspect superior, and features a completely new story, characters, and gameplay system. Hints of the original Xanadu can be felt throughout the game. Xanadu Next is a departure from Falcom's typical style of the mid-2000s, and was darker and more somber than their upbeat and super-deformed look of the time.
Movie
A Xanadu OVA was released in 1987 in conjunction with the MSXMSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
version of the game and a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, titled Xanadu: The Legend of Dragon Slayer. The plot was expanded and altered, with the main character now having a name, Fieg (フィーグ), and several new cast members. The new plot elements included several science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
themes. For example, Fieg is a 21st century soldier from the near future who is dropped into Xanadu after a bloody surprise ambush in the beginning of the story.
A soundtrack to the movie was released on record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, cassette, and compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
shortly thereafter.
The manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
follows the plot of the movie, and was drawn by Tsuzuki Kazuhiko (都築和彦), who also did work on Falcom
Falcom
is a Japanese computer game company. The company was founded in March 1981 by Masayuki Kato. Falcom has played a definite role in the growth and development of the Japanese personal computer software industry. The company released the first Japanese computer role-playing game in 1983 and followed...
's Ys and Sorcerian
Sorcerian
is an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom, and the fifth in the Dragon Slayer line of games. It was originally released for the NEC PC-8801 in 1987, and was later ported to other PC platforms such as the NEC PC-9801, the NEC PC-88VA, the Sharp X1 Turbo, and the MSX 2, for which it...
titles.
Music
In its original PC-8801 release, Xanadu features a small but effective selection of music composed by Toshiya Takahashi, most notably the hypnotic "La Valse Pour Xanadu", a 3/4 time waltzWaltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
with a distinctive, haunting melody. A sped-up version is used for the battle scenes. The inside areas of buildings as well as boss encounters have separate songs as well. To promote the release of the game, Japanese heavy metal band Anthem
Anthem (band)
is a Japanese heavy metal band that was formed during the early 1980s in Tokyo. They are among the handful of heavy metal bands founded in Japan during that time and are considered to be one of the most successful and influential, alongside Loudness and Earthshaker.-Early years :Anthem was founded...
released an LP with two image songs, appropriately titled "XANADU".
Xanadu Scenario II, an expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
and sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, featured a much larger set of songs, and as a whole matches the overall high quality of Falcom's songwriting abilities during the later 1980s. The soundtrack was composed by Takahito Abe and Yuzo Koshiro
Yuzo Koshiro
is a Japanese video game music composer and audio programmer. He is regarded as one of the most influential innovators in chiptune music and video game sound design...
, who would compose the music for many of Falcom's later titles. Koshiro's compositions for the opening theme and several dungeons were taken from the demo tape he had first sent to Falcom at the age of 18. Revival Xanadu and Revival Xanadu II, two loose remakes made by Falcom in the 1990s, feature their own unique soundtracks as well, also composed by Koshiro and Abe.
Aside from Xanadu Next
Xanadu Next
Xanadu Next is a 2005 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom and published by Nokia for the Nokia N-Gage and Windows. The game is a spin-off of the 1985 action role-playing game Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu.- Story :...
and Legend of Xanadu, no Xanadu titles have received a full, independent original soundtrack on compact disc, an odd move for Falcom. This is likely due to its release being very early in Falcom's life, before they had established a reputation. However, a soundtrack was released for both Xanadu and Xanadu Scenario II on a 12" Vinyl Record Album, titled, Xanadu Anthem. Selections from Xanadu
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
combined with a live orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and synthesizers. The main theme of the Xanadu franchise, "La Valse Pour Xanadu", has been featured in the PC-88 and PC-98 versions of Xanadu and remixed into several audio tracks in Xanadu Next.
Legacy
Xanadu was a pioneer in the game industry, and received critical praise from Japanese gaming magazines and a large fan base. To date, according to Falcom, its record of over 400,000 copies sold in Japan has yet to be broken by any personal computer gamePersonal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
released in that country.
The influence of Xanadu has been felt in many games developed by Falcom and even other development houses which have copied the look and feel. Ys featured a similar but quicker "bump" system for combat used in Ys I
Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished
is the first installment of Ys, an action role-playing video game series developed by Falcom in 1987...
, Ys II and Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys
is an action role-playing game developed for the TurboGrafx-CD, and is the fourth game in the Ys video game series. Ys series creators Nihon Falcom Corporation licensed its development to Hudson Soft....
; while the later Dragon Slayer games Romancia
Romancia
Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia is an action-adventure game developed by Nihon Falcom in 1986 for the PC-8801, PC-9801, MSX, and X1 computers. A Famicom version was retooled and expanded by Compile and published by Tokyo Shoseki. An enhanced remake was released for Windows in 1999 by Unbalance...
, Dragon Slayer IV and Sorcerian
Sorcerian
is an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom, and the fifth in the Dragon Slayer line of games. It was originally released for the NEC PC-8801 in 1987, and was later ported to other PC platforms such as the NEC PC-9801, the NEC PC-88VA, the Sharp X1 Turbo, and the MSX 2, for which it...
all had similar side-scrolling viewpoints. Several smaller companies copied the "bump" system, mostly in obscure PC-8801 titles.
Alongside its predecessor, Xanadu laid the foundations for the action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
genre, influencing future series like Hydlide
Hydlide
is a action role-playing video game developed and published by T&E Soft. It was originally released for the NEC PC-6001 and NEC PC-8801 computer in 1984, in Japan only; an MSX release came the following year...
, Ys, and The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
. Xanadu was an early real-time action RPG with full-fledged character statistics
Statistic (role-playing games)
A statistic in role-playing games is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. That piece of data is usually a integer or, in some cases, a set of dice....
, and it introduced several innovative gameplay mechanics, such as the Karma morality system, individual experience for equipped items, a heavy emphasis on puzzle-solving, equipment that change the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
's visible appearance, food that is consumed slowly over time and is essential for keeping the player character alive, magic that can be used to attack enemies from a distance, and training facilities to improve various statistics. It also introduced a platformer
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
-style side-scrolling
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
view, including the ability to jump. The side-scrolling view is used during exploration and switches to the overhead view of its predecessor during battle, while certain rooms also use an overhead view.
The game's influence also extended beyond action RPGs, with the way the game reworked the entire game system considered an influence on Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
, which would do the same for each of its installments, as its developer Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
was previously the publisher for the MSX version of the original Dragon Slayer. Xanadu is also considered a "proto-Metroidvania" game, due to being an "RPG turned on its side" that allowed players to run, jump, collect, and explore, laying the foundations for the more open-ended
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
"Metroidvania" games Faxanadu
Faxanadu
is an action role-playing platform-adventure video game for the Nintendo Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System . The name was licensed by computer game developer Nihon Falcom and was developed and released in Japan by Hudson Soft in 1987...
and Legacy of the Wizard
Legacy of the Wizard
is a fantasy-themed action role-playing platform game released for the MSX and Famicom in Japan and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States. Legacy of the Wizard is the fourth installment in Falcom's Dragon Slayer series...
. Xanadu Scenario II, released in 1986, was an early example of an expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
. It was also non-linear, allowing the levels to be explored in any order.
Xanadu is the only title Falcom has given a complete commemorative re-release in its original 1980s packaging, and is considered one of Falcom's milestones, if not their defining title, to a generation of fans. Though they had various degrees of success with older titles, Xanadu was Falcom's breakthrough that brought them into the spotlight.
Historical references
Xanadu features a number of references to historical locations and legendLegend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s. The title "Xanadu" is a direct reference to the ancient city Xanadu
Xanadu
-Description of Xanadu by Toghon Temur :The lament of Toghon Temur Khan , concerning the loss of Daidu and Heibun Shanduu in 1368, is recorded in many Mongolian historical chronicles...
and its mythological reputation. The protagonist will visit Shangri-la
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains...
during the course of Scenario II, among other locales. Many monsters are based on legendary and factual figures such as spriggan
Spriggan
Spriggans are legendary creatures known from Cornish faery lore. They are particular to West Penwith in Cornwall.-Spriggans in folklore:Spriggans were depicted as grotesquely ugly, and were said to be found at old ruins and barrows guarding buried treasure and generally acting as fairy bodyguards....
, samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
, hydra, and countless others.
Copyright infringement
Originally, Xanadu contained artwork directly lifted from the manuals of the Origin SystemsOrigin Systems
Origin Systems, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Austin, Texas that was active from 1983 to 2004...
role-playing game Ultima III: Exodus. This was not discovered by Origin and series creator Richard Garriott
Richard Garriott
Richard Allen Garriott is a British-American video game developer and entrepreneur.He is also known as his alter egos Lord British in Ultima and General British in Tabula Rasa...
until they flew into Tokyo to have a meeting with Nihon Falcom about having Origin release Xanadu in the US, as well as having Falcom help with releasing a port of Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar in Japan. During the presentation of the game, several digitized pictures from the manual of Ultima III appeared in various shops in the game. Upon seeing this, Garriott and Origin ended the meeting and decided to sue Falcom; the lawsuit was settled out of court and the artwork in the game was changed to what appears now.