Xanadu (video game)

Xanadu
MSX cover art
Developer(s) Nihon Falcom
Publisher(s) Nihon Falcom
Designer(s) Yoshio Kiya[1]
Composer(s) Toshiya Takahashi (PC‑8801)
Yuzo Koshiro (Scenario II)
Takahito Abe (Scenario II)
Series Dragon Slayer
Platform(s) PC-8801, X1, PC-8001, PC-9801, MSX2, MSX, FM-7, FM-77, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)

PC-8801

  • JP: October 27, 1985[2]
    • JP: 1986 (Scenario II)
    • X1
      • JP: November 3, 1985
      • PC-8001
        • JP: November 21, 1985
          • JP: 1986 (Scenario II)
          • PC-9801
            • JP: November 21, 1985
            • FM-7
              • JP: January 7, 1986
              • FM-77
                • JP: January 7, 1986
                • MSX2
                  • JP: April 1987
                  • MSX
                    • JP: November 6, 1987
                    • Microsoft Windows
                      • JP: December 4, 1998
                        • JP: August 30, 2002
Genre(s) Action RPG
Mode(s) Single-player

Xanadu (ザナドゥ Zanadu), also known as Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II, is an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom and released in 1985 for the PC-8801, X1, PC-8001, PC-9801, FM-7 and MSX computers. Enhanced remakes were later released for the Sega Saturn, PC-9801 and Windows platforms. It is the second in the Dragon Slayer series, preceded by Dragon Slayer and followed by Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia, which, as most games in the Dragon Slayer series, have very little relation with each other.

Xanadu is notable for several reasons, including its sales record for computer games in Japan with over 400,000 copies sold there in 1985.[3] 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,[3] and platform game elements combined with the dungeon crawl gameplay of its predecessor.[4][5] 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.[5] The following year saw the release of Xanadu Scenario II,[6] an early example of an expansion pack.[4][6]

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 a role-playing video game with puzzle game and adventure game 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.

Sequels

Xanadu has a large set of followups, despite it being technically a sequel itself to Dragon Slayer.

Movie

A Xanadu OVA was released in 1987 in conjunction with the MSX 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. It was republished as a 17 part serial webcomic by Falcom for the release of Revival Xanadu on the Falcom website, with accompanying music and an English translation.[7]

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 waltz 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".

The MSX versions of the game, which were released in 1987, have a different score.

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.[6] 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.

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 1985 sales record of over 400,000 copies sold in Japan has yet to be broken by any role-playing personal computer game released in that country.[3][8]

The influence of Xanadu and especially its predecessor 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 and more complex "bump" system for combat used in Ys I, Ys II and Ys IV (SFC/PCE), while some of the later Dragon Slayer games Romancia, Dragon Slayer IV and Sorcerian all had similar side-scrolling viewpoints. It should be mentioned, however, that this bump system did not start with Xanadu itself, but rather with its predecessor, the original Dragon Slayer. Several smaller companies copied the "bump" system, mostly in obscure PC-8801 titles.

Dragon Slayer laid the foundations for the action role-playing game genre, influencing future series like Hydlide, Ys, and The Legend of Zelda. Xanadu also was released before the aforementioned titles, with the exception of Hydlide, which was released between the original Dragon Slayer and Xanadu, but featured those influences nonetheless.[4][9][10][11] 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,[3] a heavy emphasis on puzzle-solving,[11] 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.[5] It also introduced a platformer-style side-scrolling view,[4] including the ability to jump.[5] The side-scrolling view is used during exploration and switches to the overhead view of its predecessor during battle,[4] while certain rooms also use an overhead view.[5]

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,[1] as its developer Square was previously the publisher for the MSX version of the original Dragon Slayer.[10] Xanadu is also considered a "proto-Metroidvania" game,[12] due to being an "RPG turned on its side" that allowed players to run, jump, collect, and explore,[13] laying the foundations for the more open-ended "Metroidvania" games Faxanadu and Legacy of the Wizard.[12] Xanadu Scenario II, released in 1986,[6] was an early example of an expansion pack.[4][6] It was also non-linear, allowing the levels to be explored in any order.[6]

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 (although that has been completely and quickly superseded by the Ys series as their flagship franchise back when it was released, for decades to come, until today (2012)), 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 legends. 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.

Cancelled localization and lawsuit

Origin Systems founder and Ultima series creator Richard Garriott 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. However, Xanadu contained artwork directly lifted from the manuals of the role-playing game Ultima III: Exodus. 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.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 John Harris (July 2, 2009). "Game Design Essentials: 20 RPGs – Dragon Slayer". Gamasutra. p. 13. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  2. 既存のヌルいRPGなんてやってらんねー, ITmedia +D Games, 2005/10/25: "「XANADU」. 今や、“パソコン”といえばPC ... そんな偉大なるタイトル「XANADU」のPC-8801mkIISR版が発売されたのが、1985年の10月27日。"
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Xanadu Next home page". Retrieved 2008-09-08. (Translation)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kurt Kalata. "Xanadu". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Falcom Classics, GameSetWatch, July 12, 2006
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kevin Gifford (June 3, 2010). "Xanadu Scenario II". MagWeasel.com. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  7. A serial comic "Revival XANADU" Archived August 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. index page on Falcom.co.jp
  8. Hendricks, Fayyaad (22 December 2011). "A complete history of role-playing videogames: Part 2". EL33TONLINE. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  9. Kamada Shigeaki, レトロゲーム配信サイトと配信タイトルのピックアップ紹介記事「懐かし (Retro) (Translation), 4Gamer.net
  10. 1 2 Kurt Kalata. "Dragon Slayer". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  11. 1 2 Kat Bailey (May 18, 2010). "Hack and Slash: What Makes a Good Action RPG?". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  12. 1 2 Jeremy Parish. "Metroidvania". GameSpite.net. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  13. Jeremy Parish (August 18, 2009). "8-Bit Cafe: The Shadow Complex Origin Story". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  14. The Official Book of Ultima, Second Edition, page 77. By Shay Addams
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