NES

Faxanadu

Faxanadu is certainly a classic title in my book (it has to be -- I've been playing it since I was but a shorter lad), and I deem it to be one of the hidden treasures of the NES library. It holds a distinct cult following for a reason -- it just has a strong essence of what gaming used to stand for in the good ol' days when platforming games reigned as supreme elements of the gaming world. Stand tall, Faxanadu -- you make me proud to be a gamer.

If you are a huge fan of adventure games in the vein of the Zelda series than you will definitely want to pick Faxanadu up. While much more linear and no where near as complex as some NES Adventure games, this one still will last you a little while and stump you once or twice along the way.

I loved this game not just because of the psychotic enemies and the music, but also for the mixture of 2D platforms and RPGs. Like most games, it has its flaws, but the strengths of the game are worth playing for.

Are you a fan of retro adventures? Were you slightly disappointed by Nintendo's Zelda sequel on the NES? Then maybe you should seriously consider parting with some of your cold, hard cash to pick this quirky, yet gripping, game.

Seit ich das Modul "Faxanadu" habe, staubt mein NES nicht mehr ein. Diese Mischung aus "Zelda II", "Y's" und "Castlevania" bringt zwar spielerisch nichts grundlegend Neues, macht aber trotzdem einen Heidenspaß. Viele Gegenstände, zahlreiche Monster, ein höllisch großes Spielfeld und ein Haufen leichter Rätsel sorgen für die nötige Kurzweil. Ohne Englischkentnisse geht allerdings auch hier nichts. Besonders schmuck ist die Bilderpracht: Zwar sieht's am Anfang mager aus, je weiter man aber in dem Weltenbaum nach oben klettert, steigt die Qualität der Grafik ganz gewaltig.

You know this sprite. You’ve seen him brandish a whip in the legendary Castlevania, and bear upon his shoulder a hawk in the not-so-legendary 8 Eyes. He’s the ubiquitous NES adventurer sprite. And he reappears, ready for action, in Faxanadu.

Similarly to the H3, people seem to like this ridiculous waste of money for some reason. Although I have enjoyed a number of poorly made games in my time, Faxanadu was never a game that I liked. Even the all-forgiving eye of a five-year-old, the same eye that was capable of forgiving such abominations as Air Fortress and James Bond Jr., could not stand the sight of this game. It’s what the bookstore buy-back line at college would be if it were a videogame. Slow, full of people you can’t understand, and, when you finally reach the end, it’s nowhere near as good as you’d hoped it would be.