Finished this over the course of a week in late 1989 after borrowing it from a friend. One of the best times I ever had playing NES. Game really sticks out in my memories of the system.
"Mattock" is an archaic term for a pickax. The hopping cyclops head creature is a type of mutated Dwarf called a "Mono Draw." The story and setting are like Tolkien meets Lovecraft. The monsters are based on a mix of Japanese and Norse mythology. The soundtrack is fantastic! This is one of the few RPGs I actually liked when I was an '80s kid in the late '80s with a MacGyver mullet. Btw, how do you like how "the nameless wanderer" has a Chuck Norris mullet? Oh, and of course, a Hudson game would have bees in it. Always the bees.
Robert Saurer I got two original copies of it (One that bought about 15 years ago and other than bought about 5 years ago.) I like that game because its similarities with Zelda 2 gameplay. When I got the first one I didn't understand how to advance it, but when I could do it, I really got into the history and gameplay. Later, when I listened to the music of advanced levels I really appreciated the game. Still I'm trying to finish it (I haven't played it since some months ago) and think I'm very close to the end.
Some Guy it’s crazy. I’ve always loved video game music. Especially the 8 bit NES stuff! I always thought I was crazy for that. The songs are always going in my head daily! Once I discovered RUclips and realized there are tons of others that feel the same I couldn’t believe it! I remember as a kid playing games at friends houses and they’d mute the TV.... and put on their radio! I hated that!
I owned this game. I called it the peach game. It was a peach color as opposed to the other gray ones. Kinda like the gold Zelda game. They need to ramble it and have it an open world game lol
It's one of my favorite games too. It's the second game I bought back in 2000 when I went back to retrogaming and the first one I completed (for the first time). I like the graphics and love the music ! Great adventure. Regarding 2D adventure on the NES, for me, Faxanadu beats the shit out of Zelda II.
This was one of my all-time favorite NES games of all time! Probably my favorite RPG of all time. There's a trick you can do get more Golds at the beginning. What you do is you get the money from the king, then go spend it all, then go back to the king and he'll give you another 1,500 Golds. Also, if you get yourself killed by either a spikey lump thing or a "Mono Draw" (that hopping cyclops head thing) before leaving Eolis, you'll start back with your health refilled. Also your magic if I recall. *Note:* There was an episode of Adventure Time that looked and felt like it was inspired by Faxanadu. 14:30 It's worth grinding for the magic shield. 17:36 Mantras keep you Determined.
Crystalis next please. People have been asking for that and Faxanadu for a long time. Another underrated game is Battle of Olympus, it's a good Zelda 2 inspired game.
Lol yes, those damned codes were torture! Upper and lower case letters, numbers, punctuation, if I remember correctly. And sometimes even if you put it in correctly it still didn't work. I would usually get three or four at a time just in case.. I had pages and pages and pages. It is really an epic game tho... Such a bizarre story, and it only gets stranger the further up the tree you go, but a highly memorable experience, certainly.
i remember playing this game back when i was like 7 years old, as a young spanish speaking mexican kid this game was like trying to solve a riddle in japanese while trying to learn how to play the piano
loving this shit Mike! please more of this, Faxanadu was my shit growing up, i put more hours into that game back in the day then i put into Skyrim, and trust me that's a lot.. definitely one of the best nes games ever made, it was way ahead of its time.
By far my fav game on the NES. Not only the game but the soundtrack. Ive been playing these songs on my guitar since the 90's! =) Absolutely an epic game all around!
Oh yes, I second that! I haven't heard anyone mention that game in such a long time but I have some really fond memories of it... It does kinda strike the same feelings in me too, with a bizarre storyline and awesome music that gives me the feeling that I'm playing something truly unique
I'm really happy, I've been waiting for a player to play this video game for a long time, but I do not know why, in the end, not many people play it. So, thank you so much from Belgium !!!
wow... i really liked that game when i was a kid... didnt age all that well though... I played the new 2016-2017 Xanadu on steam, it was pretty good... had no idea it was made by the same team who made the YS series :)
I love this game. I've played it a lot. I still own my original copy. Farm in the beginning to get the magic, death. It'll help you a lot. Also you should play the battle of Olympus next. A Zelda 2 clone.
I owned this game when i was a kid and loved it, finished it so many times, great game, also grinded a certain part of the game for gold to buy an item, don't remember what the item was, think the magic shield
I got this game on release and for years nobody knew or even heard of it. and it will always be one of my favorite games this Final Fantasy and dragon Warriors
I still have this game. Still haven't gotten through any of the bosses. I'd pay good money for a remaster/remake. Hell, I'd get a bluray player for an OVA based on this.
One of my favorite games, not only on the NES. Some people complained the world tree is too brown... A tree trunk is too brown... Wonder what they were expecting? All I can say is that it was a very rich world, one of the most immersive ever on an 8 bit platform, I personally found all towns to have personality. Given the limitations of the platform and how early it was released I found people to be as lifelike as could be. I like the weapons, magic, etc. And the music, to me, one of the best sound tracks period. Consider you have this balanced, rich platformer and Zelda 2... Which do you find to have more detail? Better character development? Honestly as I said I love this game for many good reasons
This game is fun, but pretty easy in my opinion. Once you learn the boss patterns it gets easy. Haven't played it in probably 30 years though. Did like it a lot though and finished it a bunch of times.
You should play the excellent hack "Faxanadu Restoration". US religious censorship was removed, a few bugs were fixed, a better font was used, and they added a save game feature instead of that dumb password system.
Damn I'm sorry I missed this. Faxanadu was one that I watched my two older brothers play and eventually played myself. This game is pure nostalgia for me.
I usually prefer video game music that grows on me. I don't think that "memorable music", as Mike often puts it, necessarily has to be music that you start singing along to immediately when you hear it for the first time. HOWEVER, with this game, I'm starting to understand what Mike means, I think...! I started singing and dancing in my chair as soon as every new song started, and Mike seemed to have the same experience! ^^ Such instantly classic and unique tunes! I never knew that this game existed until someone told me about it in the early 2000's, and even then I thought it was a joke, because of the almost Swedish-sounding title! ^^' But I'm really glad that I now finally get to see and hear it! I think that I would have been really sweapt away by this when it was new! Zelda II never interested me, because it looked too minimalistic and a little soul-less to me, but this feels more intricate right away!
NES games had a lot of music you would call "catchy", like pop or rock music. You could hear the songs once and remember them 20 years later. It was part of the NES or 8-bit experience.
Especially Mega Man 2 stands out in my mind for most memorable songs, every track for each level was Soo unique, and I catch myself going over the tunes mentally in my head realizing how catchy they are!!
After watching you play this I was wondering if you've ever heard of or played "Curse Of Issyos" It's like this game (and Castlevania) but set in ancient Greece. Thanks for uploading these videos, they keep me company at work! :)
Loved watching you play this game, I'll definitely give it a try. Mike you gotta try Battle of Olympus, it's very similar to this and Zelda II, you'd love it!
I mainly bought this game back in '97 at a pawn shop because of the cool label and name. Then it turned out to be a pretty good game. I need to get back to it sometime. Thanks Mike for playing it.
How do you not realize you haven't equipped the studded leather armor yet?! Oh man, I'm flabbergasted that you couldn't see that once you equip a weapon or armor it will show the old item in the menu....
Loved this game as a kid. I can only guess that those who hate on it do so because the controls aren't as fluid as those found in the most popular NES games. While yes, it does control a little bit stiff, it's still one of the best RPG/sidescroller hybrids on the system and is a real treat for sword-and-sorcery aficionados. This game and Wizards & Warriors were my favorite such games back in the day.
I've never played THROUGH Faxanadu before, but I grew up playing it a bunch at a friend's place! I have it on my SNES Classic :D Love it, but it's tough.
@@pagb666 maybe a ring? If you beat all the dungeons around there try talking to all the gurus you can find. Including the one thats in a building outside of a town.
This one always gets me in the mood for Magic of Scheherazade. Pls put that on the list :-D I also love how your king sounds like the Knight from Last Crusade
Weird game, kinda somewhere in between Metroid and Battle of Olympus in the action/adventure genre. The action mechanics weren't totally on point, had a cumbersome password system and the story was odd and not exactly compelling, but the graphics were decent, the soundtrack a blast and there was real satisfaction in completing an area and upgrading. Not a complete classic but a solid addition to any NES library.
I owned it as a kid, thought it sucked and was about to get rid of it, then my friend was like "let's give it a try one more time!" We got hooked and ended up finishing it.. Ahh memories! 😀
Finished this over the course of a week in late 1989 after borrowing it from a friend. One of the best times I ever had playing NES. Game really sticks out in my memories of the system.
This game is completely underrated. It is on my top ten list for NES games!!!
And somehow an hour and a half of my day is gone watching Mike Matei play Faxanadu a year and a half ago.
He doesn't even try to dodge enemy attacks. I don't get it. He'll run headfirst into the enemy and their projectiles, like wtf is he thinking?
"Mattock" is an archaic term for a pickax. The hopping cyclops head creature is a type of mutated Dwarf called a "Mono Draw." The story and setting are like Tolkien meets Lovecraft. The monsters are based on a mix of Japanese and Norse mythology. The soundtrack is fantastic! This is one of the few RPGs I actually liked when I was an '80s kid in the late '80s with a MacGyver mullet. Btw, how do you like how "the nameless wanderer" has a Chuck Norris mullet? Oh, and of course, a Hudson game would have bees in it. Always the bees.
My favorite NES game of all time!!
I remember my dad played the hell out of this when I was little.
Awesome underrated game!! Soundtrack is phenomenal!!
Exactly!! The music is so cool, especially in advanced levels, like in the World of Mist!!!
Elvis Robot Beta I’m definitely gonna try to finish it on the emulator!! I’m working on Zelda Outlands right now!!
Robert Saurer
I got two original copies of it (One that bought about 15 years ago and other than bought about 5 years ago.) I like that game because its similarities with Zelda 2 gameplay. When I got the first one I didn't understand how to advance it, but when I could do it, I really got into the history and gameplay. Later, when I listened to the music of advanced levels I really appreciated the game.
Still I'm trying to finish it (I haven't played it since some months ago) and think I'm very close to the end.
Robert Saurer I know right? What's a fantastic game without a good soundtrack? So much nostalgia
Some Guy it’s crazy. I’ve always loved video game music. Especially the 8 bit NES stuff! I always thought I was crazy for that. The songs are always going in my head daily! Once I discovered RUclips and realized there are tons of others that feel the same I couldn’t believe it! I remember as a kid playing games at friends houses and they’d mute the TV.... and put on their radio! I hated that!
i loved this game as a kid it was pretty awesome.
it looks cool i was more fimiliar with final fantasy and dragon warrior 2
I owned this game. I called it the peach game. It was a peach color as opposed to the other gray ones. Kinda like the gold Zelda game. They need to ramble it and have it an open world game lol
😎
Hey Mike this is honestly one of my favorite games on the nes. People that hate it are dorks.
I was always surprised that this game wasn't better known. Solid 8 bit classic
It's one of my favorite games too. It's the second game I bought back in 2000 when I went back to retrogaming and the first one I completed (for the first time). I like the graphics and love the music ! Great adventure. Regarding 2D adventure on the NES, for me, Faxanadu beats the shit out of Zelda II.
Should have a look at my deathless 100% run on my channel!
Yup
It was definitely a sleeper. True gem
I always thought the guy in Faxanadu was the same guy from Wizards'n'Warriors but out of armor.
Hey mike, thanks for introducing this game to me. You rock.
This was one of my all-time favorite NES games of all time! Probably my favorite RPG of all time. There's a trick you can do get more Golds at the beginning. What you do is you get the money from the king, then go spend it all, then go back to the king and he'll give you another 1,500 Golds. Also, if you get yourself killed by either a spikey lump thing or a "Mono Draw" (that hopping cyclops head thing) before leaving Eolis, you'll start back with your health refilled. Also your magic if I recall.
*Note:* There was an episode of Adventure Time that looked and felt like it was inspired by Faxanadu.
14:30 It's worth grinding for the magic shield.
17:36 Mantras keep you Determined.
Crystalis next please. People have been asking for that and Faxanadu for a long time. Another underrated game is Battle of Olympus, it's a good Zelda 2 inspired game.
The Overworld theme from Faxanadu and the Wild Fields theme from Crystalis are two of the most iconic music tracks from the 8-bit era a go go.
Funny that you mention Crystalis. I am here because Mike mentioned Faxanadu in his Crystalis video.
Nobody ever mentions willow....
Am i the only idiot that thinks that game deserves some serious attention? 🤔 lol
this game was the jam for the nes. one of my favs,and damn tough if the save code didnt work,that was a bummer.
Lol yes, those damned codes were torture! Upper and lower case letters, numbers, punctuation, if I remember correctly. And sometimes even if you put it in correctly it still didn't work. I would usually get three or four at a time just in case.. I had pages and pages and pages. It is really an epic game tho... Such a bizarre story, and it only gets stranger the further up the tree you go, but a highly memorable experience, certainly.
Should have a view of my 100% deathless speedrun on my channel!
i remember playing this game back when i was like 7 years old, as a young spanish speaking mexican kid this game was like trying to solve a riddle in japanese while trying to learn how to play the piano
Well, you definitely got that english part down pat.
Did you beat it Drunkefox?
oh the nostalgia! I received this game the first Christmas it was out (still have it!)
loving this shit Mike! please more of this, Faxanadu was my shit growing up, i put more hours into that game back in the day then i put into Skyrim, and trust me that's a lot.. definitely one of the best nes games ever made, it was way ahead of its time.
Faxanadu was the Skyrim of the '80s.
I was always surprised that this game wasn't better known. Solid 8 bit classic
Played this game at every sleep over FOREVER! This game was so amazing!
My mom gave me her NES and this game was one of the games she used to play. Its pretty good.
I like your mom, I wanna be your dad.
Lol
Outstanding game for the era!
Joel Pinnell it was and is a shit game
J H Fair enough, what would you say needed to be improved?
J H Pft, bet you're one of those kids that thinks all old games suck. Go back to fortnite little one.
Love this game & still have the cartridge! Underrated soundtrack, too.
By far my fav game on the NES. Not only the game but the soundtrack. Ive been playing these songs on my guitar since the 90's! =) Absolutely an epic game all around!
Covers or it didnt happen
This was definitely one of my top 5 most played games from my childhood.
FINALLY! been wanting you to play this for years! LandStalker for genesis sometime PLEASE!
Oh yes, I second that! I haven't heard anyone mention that game in such a long time but I have some really fond memories of it... It does kinda strike the same feelings in me too, with a bizarre storyline and awesome music that gives me the feeling that I'm playing something truly unique
Land stalker is great
I'm really happy, I've been waiting for a player to play this video game for a long time, but I do not know why, in the end, not many people play it. So, thank you so much from Belgium !!!
I remember playing this at my cousins house in the early 90s. I knew it was a good game but wasnt mature enough to do well
Play Battle of Olympus Mike. :D
Another underrated gem!
Great game!
Yes!! Its like zelda 2! Please mike do it :D
I remember playing that game as a kid one day, all day and night after my pet Dog Gizmo died, it really helped me to not think about him dying.
He'd rather play McKids or some crappy NES hack. Love his streams but his game choices make me turn them off half the time.
anyone else think the environments in this game look amazing for 1987?
It's great to see someone discover and enjoy a gem like Faxanadu.
One of my favorite games ever right here. Hope you'll finish it!
I rented this game tons as a kid. Never beat it, but I absolutely love it.
Good game! Certainly remember it from my childhood. It was unique.
Back in the day when I worked in a video game store this was a really cheap one that nobody really wanted. Love how things change
wow... i really liked that game when i was a kid... didnt age all that well though... I played the new 2016-2017 Xanadu on steam, it was pretty good... had no idea it was made by the same team who made the YS series :)
You're talking about Tokyo Xanadu?
@@thelazywanderer_jt no i dont think that one is related... I was talking about Xanadu Next :)
I was going to say this kind of reminds of early Ys games aswell
I love this game. I've played it a lot. I still own my original copy. Farm in the beginning to get the magic, death. It'll help you a lot. Also you should play the battle of Olympus next. A Zelda 2 clone.
Magic shield is good but you dont really need death. The starting spell is the most cost efficient one
A mattock is a pickaxe with one side twisted 90 degrees to create a scraping tool.
TheTogo1500 like a pulaski?
🌠The more you know.
This game is my childhood. One of the most enjoyable games I've played.
Holy crap i had this game as a kid. It was way out of my league though lol.
Love how the people not only blink while talking, but also blink so rapidly it's creepy as hell.
I played this game constantly when I was a kid. Good luck! It's fun but hard. They never tell you what yo do next.
Grind for the spike shield in the beginning and the game is a breeze
38:16 I like to imagine this dude sits down and meditates with you and starts chanting "nmmooOOooAQSCKAYAaaaa" or whatever, lol.
I owned this game when i was a kid and loved it, finished it so many times, great game, also grinded a certain part of the game for gold to buy an item, don't remember what the item was, think the magic shield
Faxanadu is a fun game. When I was a kid I stayed up all night just to beat it. It took me about 12 hours to beat it lol
True gamer shit \m/
J. Stotts Me too. This was one of the few RPGs I would start over every once in a while as if it was a short game. I never tired of it
"Wait I might be alright, i hope. Nuuuuuuuu, wait I'm still alive" I died
Instant thumbs up for Faxanadu.
I would love to see AVGN do Faxanadu
Those graphics are pretty good for the NES.
That game looks really good. Glad you were asked to play it.
I see My childhood game, Faxanadu, I click it!
One of the best games on the NES! I LOVE this game!!! As soon as the music played I was hit with a huge dose of nostalgia.
This game was kind of scary as a kid. I barely played it when I had it.
Had this game when I was a kid. It's still one of my favourite NES titles to this day.
Look up Faxandu with lyrics. You'll be happy you did.
I got this game on release and for years nobody knew or even heard of it. and it will always be one of my favorite games this Final Fantasy and dragon Warriors
I still have this game. Still haven't gotten through any of the bosses.
I'd pay good money for a remaster/remake.
Hell, I'd get a bluray player for an OVA based on this.
Theres a fan remake of sorts.
One of my favorite games, not only on the NES. Some people complained the world tree is too brown...
A tree trunk is too brown...
Wonder what they were expecting? All I can say is that it was a very rich world, one of the most immersive ever on an 8 bit platform, I personally found all towns to have personality. Given the limitations of the platform and how early it was released I found people to be as lifelike as could be.
I like the weapons, magic, etc. And the music, to me, one of the best sound tracks period.
Consider you have this balanced, rich platformer and Zelda 2... Which do you find to have more detail? Better character development?
Honestly as I said I love this game for many good reasons
My Mum grinded the 1st hopper over a few nights so I could buy Death.
I beat this game a few yrs back love it
This game is fun, but pretty easy in my opinion. Once you learn the boss patterns it gets easy. Haven't played it in probably 30 years though. Did like it a lot though and finished it a bunch of times.
You should play the excellent hack "Faxanadu Restoration". US religious censorship was removed, a few bugs were fixed, a better font was used, and they added a save game feature instead of that dumb password system.
Damn I'm sorry I missed this. Faxanadu was one that I watched my two older brothers play and eventually played myself. This game is pure nostalgia for me.
Thank you for playing this, Mike!
I usually prefer video game music that grows on me. I don't think that "memorable music", as Mike often puts it, necessarily has to be music that you start singing along to immediately when you hear it for the first time. HOWEVER, with this game, I'm starting to understand what Mike means, I think...! I started singing and dancing in my chair as soon as every new song started, and Mike seemed to have the same experience! ^^ Such instantly classic and unique tunes!
I never knew that this game existed until someone told me about it in the early 2000's, and even then I thought it was a joke, because of the almost Swedish-sounding title! ^^' But I'm really glad that I now finally get to see and hear it! I think that I would have been really sweapt away by this when it was new! Zelda II never interested me, because it looked too minimalistic and a little soul-less to me, but this feels more intricate right away!
NES games had a lot of music you would call "catchy", like pop or rock music. You could hear the songs once and remember them 20 years later. It was part of the NES or 8-bit experience.
Especially Mega Man 2 stands out in my mind for most memorable songs, every track for each level was Soo unique, and I catch myself going over the tunes mentally in my head realizing how catchy they are!!
44:23 had ME dying when you thought YOU were dying.
After watching you play this I was wondering if you've ever heard of or played "Curse Of Issyos" It's like this game (and Castlevania) but set in ancient Greece. Thanks for uploading these videos, they keep me company at work! :)
Loved watching you play this game, I'll definitely give it a try. Mike you gotta try Battle of Olympus, it's very similar to this and Zelda II, you'd love it!
Doesn't the key dealer looks like Boomhauer from King of the Hill?
He's also been compared to '80s Bill Murray.
@@judsongaiden9878 True. A blonde Bill Murray.
I mainly bought this game back in '97 at a pawn shop because of the cool label and name. Then it turned out to be a pretty good game. I need to get back to it sometime. Thanks Mike for playing it.
Didn't know anything about this game until the stream the other day,thanks Mike!
How do you not realize you haven't equipped the studded leather armor yet?! Oh man, I'm flabbergasted that you couldn't see that once you equip a weapon or armor it will show the old item in the menu....
I loved this game as a kid and I still love it now. It's great.
Loved this game as a kid. I can only guess that those who hate on it do so because the controls aren't as fluid as those found in the most popular NES games. While yes, it does control a little bit stiff, it's still one of the best RPG/sidescroller hybrids on the system and is a real treat for sword-and-sorcery aficionados. This game and Wizards & Warriors were my favorite such games back in the day.
Finally !! This was my absolute fav as a kid.
I've never played THROUGH Faxanadu before, but I grew up playing it a bunch at a friend's place! I have it on my SNES Classic :D Love it, but it's tough.
I was watching him trying to jump the platform to the bread loaf. I thought to myself, "This is some TMNT NES shit!"
How did I miss this?! Dammit I love this game, pretty much mastered it. Still have it full, with box and manual thats Ive owned since I was like, 7
10:49 Bombs? You want it? It's yours my friend.
As long as you have enough rubies!
Holy Shit!!! Loved this game as a kid and played it a ton with one of my brothers
I love this game, yet I never managed to finish it.
You should give it another go. It'll probably be easier than you remember once you get back into the swing.
I remember retrying "not so long ago", just to get stuck at the very same place as ~25 years ago xD
@@pagb666 where did you get stuck?
@@procow2274 I was missing something in the misty zone, which prevented me from progressing further.
@@pagb666 maybe a ring? If you beat all the dungeons around there try talking to all the gurus you can find. Including the one thats in a building outside of a town.
the music brings me back to the age of 6... i still hum these tunes to this day and i'm 32.
Thank you! Finally! I was hoping you would get to this game. It’s a shame you never played it as a kid Mike. It was one of the true gems of the NES
I had this game as a kid! Freakin loved it. I vaguely remember beating it. It felt like quite an accomplishment back then.
Really great game i remember this as a child and still play it.
Can’t believe I missed this live. I loved this game as a kid. Best music.
This game is a part of Nihon Falcom's longest-running series (Dragon Slayer), to which all of The Legend of Heroes games also belong.
One of my favorite games on the NES, possibly my favorite. Looking forward to this.
holy shit, my favorite childhood game.
OMGGGGG
I was JUST thinking TODAY how Cinemasacre should do Faxanadu!!
Then I got thinking about how you guys pronounce it. Lol.
Amazing coincidence.
Falcom is an amazing developer are one of my favorites especially their games nowadays. I didn't even know who they were back then.
This one always gets me in the mood for Magic of Scheherazade. Pls put that on the list :-D I also love how your king sounds like the Knight from Last Crusade
Man, when I watch these videos, it makes me think mike should see a doctor about his memory.
I know. He talked to a npc about the mattock and then a couple minutes later he didnt know what to do with it :O
I'm sure it's the weed guys lol
This looks pretty cool for an NES Game
Weird game, kinda somewhere in between Metroid and Battle of Olympus in the action/adventure genre. The action mechanics weren't totally on point, had a cumbersome password system and the story was odd and not exactly compelling, but the graphics were decent, the soundtrack a blast and there was real satisfaction in completing an area and upgrading. Not a complete classic but a solid addition to any NES library.
The legendary faxanadu, capital of fakelandis, near the famous mountain asspeak .
I owned it as a kid, thought it sucked and was about to get rid of it, then my friend was like "let's give it a try one more time!" We got hooked and ended up finishing it.. Ahh memories! 😀
That is not enough golds.
Hahahahahaha
I never see this game on my life 🤣
This was one of my favorite games!
Mike "IT'S SO STRANGE I CAN'T LEAP ACROSS THIS GAP FROM A STANDSTILL WHY DO I NEED A RUNNING START THAT'S SO STRANGE" Matei.