Faxanadu [Model HFC-FX]

Nintendo Famicom cart. published 37 years ago by Hudson Soft.

Listed in MAME

Info

ファザナドゥ © 1987 Hudson Soft.
(Faxanadu)

An A-RPG (action role-playing game). The player-controlled protagonist of Faxanadu is an unidentified wanderer who returns home. 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 Elf 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 set them against 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.

Click to enlarge
(members only)

TECHNICAL

Game ID: HFC-FX
PCB: HVC-SGROM-02

TRIVIA

Released on November 16, 1987 in Japan.

The title Faxanadu (pronounced as Fah San Ah Doo) is a 'portmanteau' of Famicom and Xanadu. This is because it is an unrelated side-quest story to Falcom's Xanadu RPG series.

Faxanadu employs a color palette that relies upon browns, greens, reds, and blues, creating an earthy atmosphere to complement the underlying, real-world legends of Elves, Dwarves, and the world tree itself. This was somewhat atypical compared to other games from its era, as many showcased bright, cartoonish graphics and outlined sprites rather than the more flushed, slightly Gothic style of Faxanadu. Similarly, the game's music is designed to convey a rich, sometimes haunting tone during play. From the pedestrian beat of Eolis and the majestic melody in the Elven King's throne room to the driving theme of The Evil One's fortress, the compositions are intended to set the mood for each area, assisted by an array of organic sound effects.

It is one of several Famicom games inspired by Zelda II, which also include Battle of Olympus and Moon Crystal.
Many aspects of the game's setting, especially the different shapes and forms of enemies, are largely inspired by a mixture of Norse mythology and Japanese mythology with some derivatives of Eastern religion, with several reminiscent of the works of H. R. Giger.

Christian icons found in the Japanese version are removed in the international releases. In the Japanese version, Gurus can be seen holding a Holy Cross and images of Jesus' crucifixion are displayed inside the churches.
Also, you can't rename your character in the export releases.

Known export releases:
"Faxanadu [Model NES-FX-USA]"
"Faxanadu [Model NES-FX-CAN]"
"Faxanadu [Model NES-FX-UKV]"
"Faxanadu [Model NES-FX-EEC]"
"Faxanadu [Model NES-FX-NOE]"
"Faxanadu [Model NES-FX-FRA]"
"Faxanadu [Model NES-FX-ESP]"
"Faxanadu [Model NES-FX-KOR]"

STAFF

Programming: Toshiaki Takimoto
Composition & Arrangement: Jun Chikuma

SOURCES

Game's ROM.