Chakan (Mega Drive)

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Chakan
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Sega (US,EU,AU,CA,PT) Tec Toy (BR)
Developer: Extended Play, Recreational Brainware
Supporting companies: Nu Romantic Productions (audio)
Distributor: Tec Toy (BR)
Sound driver: GEMS
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code US 1992-11 $49.9949.99 1047 EU 1993-02 1047 DE 1993-03 DM 119.95119.95 1047 UK 1993-02 £39.9939.99 1047 AU 199x CA 199x BR 199x 044030

For the Sega Game Gear game, see Chakan (Game Gear).

Chakan, also known as Chakan: The Forever Man, 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, it was first released in the United States in November 1992.

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

Navigation chart

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 planes of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. 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 its premise, the game has no concept of "lives"; instead, Chakan 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. A navigation chart in the center of the hub tracks which levels have been completed and how much time is remaining for each element.

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 +. He enters doorways and portals by standing in front of them and pressing . 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. 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, Fire, Water, and Air, which can again be played in any order. These levels are considerably harder than the initial four sets of planes. Once these levels are completed, the game ends, but there is an additional boss fight played after the ending credits.

Weapons

Chakan is always equipped with his Twin Swords but also obtains a new weapon in each dimension. All weapons can be used to attack enemies, but they have additional capabilities. Chakan can only perform a double spin jump when wielding Twin Swords or the Grappling Hook.

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

Alchemies

Alchemies appear when Chakan has collected the necessary potions for them. Chakan can hold up to four potions for each element: Earth (green), Fire (red), Water (blue), and Air (clear).

	Makes Chakan invisible for a duration. Requires 2 Water potions.
	Slows down enemies for a duration. Requires 1 Water potion and 1 Fire potion.
	Arms Chakan with the blue lightning Air Sword, which shoots lightning bolts when it is swung. Requires 2 Earth potions.
	Detonates bombs that attack every enemy on screen. Requires 1 Earth potion and 1 Fire potion.
	Arms Chakan with the blue cold Fire Sword, which shoots small fireballs when it is swung. Requires 1 Fire potion and 1 Air potion.
	Fully restores Chakan's health. Requires 2 Air potions.
	Arms Chakan with the orange Fire Sword, which shoots small fireballs when it is swung. Requires 1 Water potion and 1 Fire potion.
	Gives Chakan a super high jump for a duration. Requires 1 Water potion and 1 Air potion.
	Makes Chakan invulnerable for a duration. He is still vulnerable to bottomless pits and hazards such as lava and spikes. Requires 1 Earth potion and 1 Air potion.
	Arms Chakan with the green lightning Earth Sword, which shoots lightning bolts when it is swung. Requires 2 Fire potions.
	Returns Chakan back to the hub. Requires 1 Fire potion and 1 Air potion.
	Reverses the hourglass. Requires 2 Air potions.

Levels

Terrestrial Plane

	Earth
	The realm of the Spider Queen.
	Fire
	The realm of Elkenrod, Mistress of Spectres.
	Water
	The realm of the Mantis.
	Air
	The realm of the Dragonfly King.

Elemental Plane

	Earth
	Fire
	Water
	Air

Ending

There is a final challenge played after the ending credits roll.

Final Boss

After he has slain the supernatural evils of Earth, Chakan is shown stabbing himself with his sword in anticipation of his promised death. Death replies that every star in the universe contains a planet filled with supernatural evil, so Chakan's curse remains unlifted. The player is given a single attempt to defeat one such cosmic supernatural evil as a final boss in the game. If unsuccessful, Chakan states, "Rest will come another day." If Chakan defeats the boss, the hourglass background used in the plot exposition screens appears without any text; after fifteen minutes, a single line of text appears saying, "Not the end."

History

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. Once Chakan was released in late 1992, the company was dissolved, and the team went their separate ways.

Artist Steve Ross recalls the game's development as one of his more enjoyable projects, as he was directly responsible for producing the look of nearly the entirety of its art. He also mentions that a number of developed stages were later dropped, stating "the best levels never made it into the final product."

Legacy

Around the turn of the millennium, lead artist Steve Ross collaborated with developer AndNow on a planned Dreamcast sequel, Chakan. While ultimately unreleased, Ross would later recycle many of his unused design concepts into the 2002 Crystal Dynamics game Blood Omen 2.

Production credits

• 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

Source:

US manual

• Cover artist: Greg Winters

Source:

Uncredited

Magazine articles

Main article: Chakan (Mega Drive)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Mega Force (ES) #8: "Diciembre 1992" (1992-xx-xx)

Artwork

• 

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) 88 №6, p60-61

	88
Based on 1 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 50 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 40 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 53 Consoles + (FR) 88 Computer & Video Games (UK) 79 Computer + Video Giochi (IT) 85 Digitiser (UK) 40 Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U 87 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 75 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU) 40 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 4 (RU) 40 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 84 Excalibur (CZ) 80 GameFan (US) 81 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 78 GamesMaster (UK) PAL 46 Joypad (FR) 91 Mega (UK) PAL 84 Mega Action (UK) 88 Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-U 41 MegaTech (UK) PAL 73 Player One (FR) 84 Play Time (DE) 85 Power Up! (UK) 85 Sega Power (UK) PAL 83 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 76 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 76 Sega Zone (UK) PAL 88 Sega Force (UK) PAL 62 Supergame (BR) 80 Supersonic (FR) 87 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 76 User (GR) PAL 87

	72
Based on 33 reviews

Chakan (Mega Drive)

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, FR
Manual

Mega Drive, FR (Blister pack)
Cover

Mega Drive, AU
Cover

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, CA
Cover

Technical information

Main article: Chakan (Mega Drive)/Technical information.

External links

• Behind the Design: Chakan the Forever Man article by Ken Horowitz at Sega-16