Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Game Gear video game published by Sega of America during December 8, 1992. The game featured an uncommonly dark premise for the time of its release, which saw the home console market flooded with licensed platformers based on family-friendly media.
It is based upon a comic book of the same name by Robert A. Kraus and was produced by Ed Annunziata, who met Chakan‘s creator at a convention and was impressed. In addition to composing, Chakan is also composer Mark Miller’s only work as a gameplay and level designer.
Gameplay
The player, as Chakan, starts in a central hub stage, from which he can select one of four elemental-based “planes” of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, each with three levels. The player advances through each platforming 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. The player has infinite lives, but will be returned to the hub if he is “killed”. 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 starts out with his characteristic twin swords, but acquires a new weapon in the first stage 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. Chakan can also collect potions in each of the four elements, which he can combine and use to grant himself temporary powers such as enhancing his swords with elemental powers or increasing his jump height.
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 fire, earth, wind and water. These levels are considerably harder than the initial four sets of planes.
Reception
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(GG)The game is well known for its unusually high difficulty level, but still retains a dedicated, if small, cult following.[citation needed] Sega Pro magazine gave the game an overall score of 76/100, praising the game’s graphics as “well animated sprites [and] the backgrounds are detailed and atmospheric” and the game music as “deep, booming and atmospheric”, concluding, “This could’ve been a classic game based on a novel scenario, but it’s let down by the complete lack of action.”[4] Mega Action gave the game an overall score of 88%, describing the game as an “excellent mix of cutesy and platform ingredients”.[5]
