Chakan (Game Gear)

For the Sega Mega Drive game, see Chakan (Mega Drive).

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Chakan

System(s): Sega Game Gear

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Paul Hutchinson^[1]

Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT)

Genre: Action^[2]

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	1992-12^[3]		2414
EU	1992-12-19^[4]		2414
PT	199x		GGJ2414
UK	1993-04^[5]	£29.9929.99^[6]	2414

Chakan is a Sega Game Gear action platform game based on the character Chakan from the 1986 Robert A. Kraus comic book series Thunder Mace^[7]. It was developed by independent contractor Paul Hutchinson.

Story

The warrior Chakan considers himself so unbeatable that he challenges Death himself to a duel. Death appears and makes a wager: if Chakan wins, he gets eternal life, but if Chakan loses, his soul belongs to Death for eternity. Chakan accepts, and the two battle.

Eventually, Chakan triumphs and receives the gift of eternal life, but he learns that the gift has a stipend: he must wear the visage of Death and destroy all the evil in the world to earn his eternal rest.

Gameplay

Navigation Level

Ship of Death

Alchemy

The game is an action platformer played as the immortal swordsman Chakan. The player starts in a hub level and can choose to play the first six levels in any order. Each level has multiple segments and ends with a boss fight. Chakan's health is indicated by a skull in the corner of the screen, which fades away as he takes damage. Owing to its premise, the game has no concept of "lives". If Chakan runs out of health, he is carried away on a "Ship of Death" and then returns to the hub level with full health.

Chakan walks with and and ducks with . He jumps with ; he performs a double spin jump by pressing again while in the air. He rolls along the ground with +. He enters doorways and portals by standing in front of them and pressing . Some doorways require finding a key dropped by a slain foe. Chakan attacks using his twin blades with ; he performs a spinning attack by pressing while doing a double spin jump.

Chakan can collect potions, which are strewn throughout the levels (including the hub level). Potions can be combined into "alchemies" that grant him temporary powers such as enhancing his swords with elemental powers or increasing his jump height. The player can open the inventory of collected potions and list of alchemies with START and select one with . Chakan can also find special swords throughout the levels that are imbued with elemental strengths. Once found, these weapons are chosen through the same menu as the alchemies. The player can revisit levels after they have been completed to collect potions and swords; levels do not have enemies after they have been completed.

The game has multiple difficulty levels (Wicked, Deadly, and Mental), which are selected with and from the title screen before beginning the game. Chakan takes more damage from enemies in higher difficulties; on the highest difficulty, he starts the game and revives with only half of his health. The final level can only be played if the game is completed on Deadly or Mental difficulty.

Weapons

	Twin Swords
	Chakan's standard weapons. They have no particular strength and are initially available.
	Fire Swords
	These swords do additional damage to Water-based enemies. Found in the Lava (VI) level.
	Ice Swords
	These swords do additional damage to Fire-based enemies. Found in the Ice (V) level.
	Lightning Swords
	These swords shoot sparks when they are swung and do additional damage to Air- and Earth-based enemies. Found in the Fire (IV) level.

Alchemies


	Returns Chakan to the hub level. Requires 1 green potion and 1 yellow potion.

	Slows down enemies temporarily. Requires 2 grey potions.

	Damages all enemies on screen. Requires 2 yellow potions.

	Confuses Chakan and reverses the direction controls. Requires 1 green potion and 1 grey potion.

	Makes Chakan invulnerable temporarily. Requires 2 black potions.

	Makes Chakan invisible temporarily. Requires 2 green potions.

	Doubles the power of Chakan's weapon temporarily. Requires 1 black potion and 1 yellow potion.

	Fully restores Chakan's health. Requires 1 black potion and 1 gray potion.

Levels

The first six levels can be played in any order.

	Air (I)

	Earth (II)

	Water (III)

	Fire (IV)

	Ice (V)

	Lava (VI)

	Final (VII)
	This level is played after the end credits if the player completes the game on Deadly or Mental difficulty. Chakan can use the teleport chambers in this level by standing in them and pressing . He teleports to a different area depending on whether he is facing left or right.