Chakan

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Mega Drive
Game Gear

Chakan

System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear

Publisher: Sega (US,EU,AU,CA,PT) Tec Toy (BR)

Developer:

Extended Play, Recreational Brainware

Nu Romantic Productions

Paul Hutchinson^[1]

Sound driver: GEMS

Genre: Action^[2]

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	1992-11^[3]	$49.9949.99^[4]	1047
EU	1993-02^[5]		1047
DE	1993-03^[7]	DM 119.95119.95^[7]	1047
UK	1993-02^[5]	£39.9939.99^[6]^[5]	1047
AU	199x
CA	199x
BR	199x		044030
US	1992-12^[8]		2414
EU	1992-12-19^[9]		2414
PT	199x
UK	1992-12-19^[9]	£29.9929.99^[10]	2414

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Chakan is a Sega Mega Drive action platform game developed by Extended Play and published by Sega. Based on the character Chakan from the 1986 Robert A. Kraus comic book series Thunder Mace^[11], it was first released in the United States in November 1992, and was later ported to the Sega Game Gear the following month by independent contractor Paul Hutchinson.

Story

Chakan bests Death

Chakan is a warrior who is so proud of his swordsmanship that he declares even Death cannot best him in battle. Death appears and challenges Chakan: if Chakan can defeat him, he will be granted eternal life. However, if Death wins, he will become Death's eternal servant.

The battle rages on for several days until Chakan emerges as the victor. Death grants him his reward, but additionally condemns him to wander all of existence until all supernatural evil is destroyed.

Gameplay

Alchemy

The game is an action platformer. The player plays as Chakan, who starts in a central hub, from which he can select one of four elemental-based "planes" of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water by moving in front of its portal and pressing . Each elemental plane has three levels, concluding with a boss fight. The player advances through each level until completion or death, whereupon Chakan is returned to the hub to choose a new level on either the same or a different plane. Chakan's health is indicated by skulls at the top of the screen. Owing to the premise of the game, the player has infinite lives but returns to the hub if he is defeated. At the bottom of the screen, an hourglass indicates how much time the player has to complete all the levels in the plane. If time runs out, the player is returned to the hub and must restart the plane from its first level.

Chakan walks with and and ducks with . He jumps with ; he performs a double spin jump by holding near the apex of the jump. He jumps down from platforms with +. He rolls along the ground with + or +. Chakan attacks with ; he performs a spinning attack by pressing while doing a double spin jump. Chakan starts out with twin swords, but he acquires a new weapon in the first level of each element, such as the Grappling Hook which allows him to latch on to hooks and climb and the Hammer which can break through certain walls. Weapons can be used with crouching or jumping and can be aimed in any direction using the D-pad (including when in the air). The player can switch Chakan's weapon with .

Chakan can also collect potions in each of the four elements, which he can combine into "alchemies" that grant him temporary powers such as enhancing his swords with elemental powers or increasing his jump height. The player can see the inventory of collected potions and select an alchemy with START . After selecting an alchemy, Chakan holds the potions, which can then be used with .

Upon defeating the three levels and the enemy bosses for each plane, Chakan clears the "terrestrial plane" and embarks upon a quest to defeat four "elemental planes of evil," each consisting of another three levels and a boss each for Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. These levels are considerably harder than the initial four sets of planes. The game loops infinitely after the ending screen and the game ends in a way that does not provide closure, regardless of the chosen difficulty level.

Weapons

Chakan is always equipped with his twin blades but also obtains a new weapon in each dimension.

	Battering Mallet
	Breaks through walls and floors. It is obtained in the first Air level.
	Scythe
	Slashes through enemies and spider webs. It is obtained in the first Fire level.
	Battle Axe
	Attacks enemies and breaks open doors. It is obtained in the first Earth level.
	Grappling Hook
	Latches onto certain fixtures to allow Chakan to scale walls or swing over pits. It is obtained in the first Water level.

Alchemies


	Makes Chakan invisible for a duration. Requires 2 Water potions.

	Arms Chakan with the blue lightning Air Sword. Requires 2 Earth potions.

	Arms Chakan with the blue cold Fire Sword. Requires 1 Fire potion and 1 Air potion.

	Slows down enemies for a duration. Requires 1 Water potion and 1 Fire potion.

	Arms Chakan with deadly bombs. Requires 1 Earth potion and 1 Fire potion.

	Fully restores Chakan's health. Requires 2 Air potions.

	Arms Chakan with the orange Fire Sword. Requires 1 Water potion and 1 Fire potion.

	Makes Chakan invulnerable for a duration. Requires 1 Earth potion and 1 Air potion.

	Creates a passage. Requires 1 Fire potion and 1 Air potion.

	Gives Chakan a super high jump for a duration. Requires 1 Water potion and 1 Air potion.

	Arms Chakan with the green lightning Earth Sword. Requires 2 Fire potions.

	Reverses the hourglass and gives the player more time. Requires 2 Air potions.

Levels

Terrestrial Plane

	Earth

	Fire

	Water

	Air

Elemental Plane

	Earth

	Fire

	Water

	Air

History

A Sega Mega-CD version was reportedly in development, but ultimately never saw release.

Development

Chakan began development at Recreational Brainware, but when the company folded in mid 1991, former staff Jon Miller and David Foley established Extended Play to finish the game's production.^[12] Once Chakan was released in late 1992, the company was dissolved, and the team went their separate ways.^[13]

Production credits

Mega Drive version

Produced by: E. Ettore Annunziata
Programmed by Extended Play: Jonathan Miller, Dave Foley, Dean Sitton, Beth Carter
Stunt Programmer: Burt Sloane
Game Design by: Mark Steven Miller, Jon Miller
Art Direction: Steve Ross, Mira Ross
Music and Sound: Nu Romantic Productions, Mark Steven Miller, Jason Scher
Marketing: Jaime Wojick
Based on Characters Created by: Robert Kraus, R.A.K. Graphics
Special Thanks to: Clyde Grossman, Steve Apour
S.O.A. Soft Test Dept.: Mark Lindstrom, Alex Fairchild, Eric Rawlins, Ron Calonje, Joe Cain, Julio Martinez, Gabriel Watts, Lawrence Jeung, Jay Alonzo, Siegie Stangeberg, Martin Kojnok, Dianna Myers, S.O.A. Consumer Service, Jeronimo Barrera, Jerry Markota, K and L Catering and... You!

Thanks for Playing and Look for the Further Adventures of Chakan in R.A.K. Graphics Comics.

© MCMLXLII Sega of America, Inc.

Source:

In-game credits

Lead Tester: Mark Lindstrom
Testers: Jay Alonzo, Bryce Bigwood, Shawn Boundy, Joe Cain, Ron Calonje, Alex Fairchild, Lawrence Jeung, Martin Kojonok, Julio Martinez, Dianna Myers, Sean Patten, Eric Rawlins, Sigle Stangenberg, Gabriel Watts
Special Thanks: Steve Apour, Joronimo Barrera, Clyde Grossman, Sara Holihan, Jerry Markota, Al Nilsen, Spencer Nilsen, SOA Consumer Service
Manual: Carol Ann Hanshaw