Forgotten Old Games – Chakan: The Forever Man

These are dark times… times without true badass video game heroes… But fear not my friend, now you´ll face one of the baddest video game heroes of all time and he is known as Chakan the forever man!

Chakan was developed by Extended Play Productions and released in 1992 for Sega Genesis. Chakan also was one of the first dark heroe of all video game history. During that time most part of Sega Genesis games where platformer based on children’s cartoons so Chakan was a really kick ass game for guys who like some action.

One of the things that I really enjoyed in this game is it´s introduction… So awesome. The way the plot is shown on-screen with cutscenes is really amazing.

But… Well, I decided not to talk about the plot. Instead, I´ll take it directly from the game because the narrative is so amazing that I don´t want to interfere with it.

“It has been so long…So very long…
I have hunted evil for no less than a thousand years. Yet, I remember well how this pain started… as though it were just yesterday…
When my blood was warm, I was a great warrior. Neither man nor beast could best me in mortal combat. Then, in my arrogance, I said one day even Death himself will bow before my swords…
He smiled and said from a man of death from death himself, a wager. If you win, eternal life is yours. If I win, you soul is mine to do with as I wish. Foolishly I accepted…
With sword and spell, we clashed toe to toe. The world trembled at our unleashed powers. I attacked with such fury and might, that even death himself was taken aback, and then, incredibly, felled.

I toppled the master and he granted my reward. I am cursed to live until all supernatural evil is destroyed. I hunt…and fight…and kill, until the end of my curse.
Only then will I be able to seek solitude and forever rest.”

Now as you guys can see Chakan is like a dark version of Highlander, instead of hunting other immortals he hunt demons… Awesome.

You also can check this awesome intro here:

Now I´m gonna talk about it´s gameplay.

Fists of all, I wanna let this clear to all of you guys… Chakan is one of the most difficult games that I´ve  ever played. Even on the easy setting, this game can kick your butt in very different ways, so if you looking for a real challenge, Chakan is a great pick.

At the beginning you have only two options in title screen: Start Game or Options. Start Game obviously start your joy ride in this great title and Options allow you to change the difficult level.

When the game starts, you´re in some kind of central hub stage from you can choose freely between elemental stages. They´re fire, water, earth and air. After complete any of those stages you´ll receive a new weapon and be sent back to the hub where you can pick another one, something very similar to Megaman. After you beat all levels in this hub you´ll acces a new hub with “the four elemental planes of evil”.

You can jump, attack with your weapons in different ways, jump and perform a double jump spinning your twin swords which is very useful.

Weapons:

Twin Swords: Your primary weapons.

Axe: A powerful weapon that can destroy doors.

Scythe: Can cut through spider webs.

Grappling Hook: Can be used to climb walls.

Battering Mallet: This weapon can destroy walls and rocky objects.

There weapons are very useful and you can cycle between them anytime.

There are potions too and these potions can be found during stages by killing an enemies or simply lying on the floor. Potions can be used in very different ways, you can mix them to achieve different types of magic.

Chakan has 2 hubs  featuring different levels with bosses and a very tough final boss that you can access after finish the game. You have just one chance to defeat this boss and unlock the real ending. Like most Genesis titles this game has no save or password feature.

Graphics are pretty good with a huge use of dark tones. Everything in Chakan is creepy and very dark and my personal favorites are enemy designs and Chakan himself. The only think that I don’t like much is some attack animations, they´re pretty stiff and aren´t fluid at all. Besides these problems, Chakan is still a great looking game.

Music is pretty decent but I didin´t apreciated it so much. They´re not so memorable and sound effects aren´t good too.

In closing words Chakan is a very good action platform game and featured on of the most cool dark video game heroe of all 16 bits era. So if you´re like Chakan and think that your abilities are unmatched I really recommend to you Chakan The Forever Man, this game will test your skills at the very limit!