Faxanadu

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Returning from an adventure, you find your hometown, Eolis, practically deserted. The life source of your people - a fountain inside the town walls - is poisoned and drying up. The king asks for your help.

Strange things are happening elsewhere, too. Your town is near the World Tree, which contains villages and fortresses inhabited by different races. The World Tree is being bombarded by meteorites and chaos reigns inside. Dwarfs are stealing from elves, monsters are running free, and wickedness is rampant. The turmoil is caused by the Evil One, who lives in a palace within the tree.

To restore order, you must complete several missions. Not only must you find a new water source for Eolis, but you must also find an antidote for the poison in the water. In addition, you must venture inside the chaotic World Tree and try to destroy the Evil One.

One by one, you must visit each town within the tree and question the people who live there. As the game progresses, you'll work your way upward through the two trunk towns, Apolune and Forepaw; the two mist towns, Mascom and Victim; and the two branch towns, Conflate and Day-break. Finally you'll reach Dartmoor, where you'll find Zenis, the fortress of the Evil One.

In each town, you can visit various locations - saloons, hospitals, gymnasiums, and six other types of places - to receive information or passwords and to buy weapons, magic, armor, food, and keys. There are four different types each of swords, armor, and shields, depending on your experience. There are five types of magic spells: deluge, fire, thunder, death, and tilt. Other useful items include the pendant, which increases your attacking power, and the hourglass, which can stop your enemy for a brief time.

Does all this sound familiar? Although Faxanadu is a good game, it falls short of the standard set by Ultima, Dragon Warrior, Shad-oivgate, the Zelda adventures, and many other role-playing games now being released for Nintendo. Very little in Faxanadu will seem original or unique to experienced gamers, and the game is hurt by its cluttered graphics.