Xak: The Art of Visual Stage
Encyclopedia
is the first game in the fantasy
computer role-playing game series Xak developed and published by Micro Cabin
. It was originally released for the NEC PC-8801
computer system, with subsequent versions being developed for the NEC PC-9801, Sharp X68000
, MSX2
, PC-Engine
, Super Famicom
, and mobile phones. The first four versions were re-released for Windows
on online store Project EGG. An English translation of Xak: The Art of Visual Stage was also released in 2007 on the now-defunct retro gaming service WOOMB.net, and is now to become available on Project EGG.
setting. According to the game world's legends, a great war was fought between the benevolent but weakening ancient gods and a demon
race, which led to the collapse and eventual mortality of the gods. After this 'War of Sealing', the gods divided the world into three parts: Xak, the world of humans, Oceanity, the world of faeries, and Zekisis, the world of demons. The demon world of Zekisis was tightly sealed from the other two worlds as to prevent reentry of the warmongering demon race. Some demons were left behind in Xak, however, and others managed to discover a separate means to enter Xak from Zekisis anyway. This ancient history is displayed in the introduction of Xak II
.
One of them, Badu, was a very powerful demon, able to use coercive
magic
to make humans do his bidding. Duel, the god of war, managed to defeat Badu and seal him away in a mountain of ice for 250 years. The god later settled in a village known as Fearess to live out the rest of his mortal life.
At the beginning of the game, Badu's prison is broken. Demons overrun parts of Xak once again. In order to stop the ravaging of his lands, the King of Wavis sends a messenger faerie to Dork Kart, a famous warrior living in the village of Fearess. Dork, however, has gone missing. The player takes on the role of Latok Kart, Dork's 16-year old son, as he meets the messenger faerie, Pixie. Latok embarks on the King's quest to slay Badu, hoping to find his father along the way.
In his travels, Latok is guided by Duel's spirit. Over the course of the game, it turns out that Dork and thus Latok is a descendant of Duel.
s Latok meets include:
, in that the game proceeds by the player finding his way through labyrinthine maps, defeating opposing monsters on the way. In each map, keys, NPCs and other objects have to be found to gain entrance to the room where a boss
dwells. After defeating the boss, the player can proceed towards the next map, where the structure repeats. Various subquests involving non-player character
s are present, most of them obligatory.
Combat is in real-time. The player's character walks around on the game maps, as well as the monster characters. Each character has an attack and defense rating, different for each of its four sides. Moreover, Latok's ratings change depending on whether he has his sword drawn (as the player keeps the space bar depressed) or sheathed. As Latok or a monster takes damage or wards off an attack, the character is pushed backwards. This combat system requires some manual dexterity, especially during boss fights—bosses are generally several times larger than Latok himself.
Latok advances in power through a classic leveling
system. Moreover, there are several shops scattered through the game where Latok can buy stronger swords, armour
s and shield
s. Gold, the game's currency, and experience points are awarded for killing monsters that wander the map.
's PC-8801
and PC-9801 systems in June 1989. These were then followed by graphically distinct releases for the MSX2
(November 1989) and Sharp X68000
(April 1990). In 1992, the game was released for the PC Engine
along with its sequel, Xak II: The Rising of the Red Moon
, in the one-disc compilation Xak I & II
. Ported by Riot
, the game features animated cut scenes and requires the Super System Card update if played on the PC Engine's original CD-ROM add-on. Another console port was published by Sunsoft for the Super Famicom
in February 1993. The latest visually enhanced remake was developed for Japanese mobile phones and became available on Vodafone live!
on June 1, 2004. The game was the first release in Bandai
's "RPG Empire" line of role-playing games.
During 2001–2008, the PC-8801, MSX2, X68000, and PC-9801 versions of The Art of Visual Stage were made downloadable for Microsoft Windows
through D4 Enterprise's Project EGG online service. The first official English translation of the game was also released on Dutch MSX games distributor WOOMB.net in early 2007. Although the website was shut down in 2008, its content is being transferred to the English counterpart of Project EGG.
and Tadahiro Nitta, marking the first collaboration between the two musicians. The game's soundtrack comprises 42 tracks and was released on May 5, 1989 under the title All Sounds of Xak: The Art of Visual Stage. From 2007 through 2008, music from the game's PC-8801, MSX2, and X68000 versions was added to the catalog of D4 Enterprise's video game music service EGG Music. The site offers both a PSG
and an FM
variation for most of the MSX2 tracks. The use of a FM sound source is most extensive in the music of the X68000 game.
described the game’s story as "magnificent". Jayson Napolitano of Original Sound Version stated its music was "some great stuff for fans of that distinct sound from the late 80s." The audio of The Art of Visual Stage has been regarded as being of higher quality than that of most games of the time. It has also been noted for its use of a visual representation system which gave an impression of depth and three-dimensionality.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
computer role-playing game series Xak developed and published by Micro Cabin
Micro Cabin
Micro Cabin Corporation was a Japan-based video game developer and publisher incorporated in 1982, who grew from the Ōyachi Electrics Microcomputer Club. Micro Cabin has developed/released games for the: 3D0, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, MSX2, PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Saturn,...
. It was originally released for the NEC PC-8801
NEC PC-8801
The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88"....
computer system, with subsequent versions being developed for the NEC PC-9801, Sharp X68000
Sharp X68000
The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030...
, MSX2
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, PC-Engine
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
, Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, and mobile phones. The first four versions were re-released for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
on online store Project EGG. An English translation of Xak: The Art of Visual Stage was also released in 2007 on the now-defunct retro gaming service WOOMB.net, and is now to become available on Project EGG.
Setting and story
Xak: The Art of Visual Stage features a typical high fantasyHigh fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
setting. According to the game world's legends, a great war was fought between the benevolent but weakening ancient gods and a demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
race, which led to the collapse and eventual mortality of the gods. After this 'War of Sealing', the gods divided the world into three parts: Xak, the world of humans, Oceanity, the world of faeries, and Zekisis, the world of demons. The demon world of Zekisis was tightly sealed from the other two worlds as to prevent reentry of the warmongering demon race. Some demons were left behind in Xak, however, and others managed to discover a separate means to enter Xak from Zekisis anyway. This ancient history is displayed in the introduction of Xak II
Xak II: The Rising of the Red Moon
Xak II: The Rising of the Red Moon is a fantasy computer role-playing game developed and published by the Japanese software developer MicroCabin. It is a direct sequel to Xak: The Art of Visual Stage . The game was released in Japan only, but due to an MSX scene that arose in Europe some of the...
.
One of them, Badu, was a very powerful demon, able to use coercive
Coercion
Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. In law, coercion is codified as the duress crime. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way...
magic
Magic (fantasy)
Magic in fiction is the endowing of fictional characters or objects with magical powers.Such magic often serves as a plot device, the source of magical artifacts and their quests...
to make humans do his bidding. Duel, the god of war, managed to defeat Badu and seal him away in a mountain of ice for 250 years. The god later settled in a village known as Fearess to live out the rest of his mortal life.
At the beginning of the game, Badu's prison is broken. Demons overrun parts of Xak once again. In order to stop the ravaging of his lands, the King of Wavis sends a messenger faerie to Dork Kart, a famous warrior living in the village of Fearess. Dork, however, has gone missing. The player takes on the role of Latok Kart, Dork's 16-year old son, as he meets the messenger faerie, Pixie. Latok embarks on the King's quest to slay Badu, hoping to find his father along the way.
In his travels, Latok is guided by Duel's spirit. Over the course of the game, it turns out that Dork and thus Latok is a descendant of Duel.
Characters
Latok is the only playable character in the game. Notable non-player characterNon-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s Latok meets include:
- Lou Miri Pixie, the green-haired messenger faerie sent by the King of Wavis that guides Latok along his way.
- Freya "FrayFray in Magical AdventureFray in Magical Adventure is a spinoff sidestory or "gaiden" game in a fantasy computer role-playing game series called Xak developed and published by the Japanese software developer MicroCabin. Even though it is directly connected to the more serious Xak series storyline, Fray has a less serious...
" Jerbain, a blue-haired girl Latok rescues from a wolf-infested forest. Fray is the main heroine of a Xak series spin-off, Fray In Magical AdventureFray in Magical AdventureFray in Magical Adventure is a spinoff sidestory or "gaiden" game in a fantasy computer role-playing game series called Xak developed and published by the Japanese software developer MicroCabin. Even though it is directly connected to the more serious Xak series storyline, Fray has a less serious...
Please see also Fray CDFray CDFray CD is a graphically enhanced remake of Fray in Magical Adventure, which was a spinoff sidestory or "gaiden" in a fantasy computer role-playing game series called Xak. Both Xak and Fray were developed and published by the Japanese software developer MicroCabin...
However, during the course of Xak she does not know yet how to use magic. - Rune Greed, a green-haired warrior. He is a descendant of Duel as well and is on a quest to slay Badu of his own.
- Rabby, a magician's familiar rabbit given to Latok.
- Duel, the god of war, living on in spirit form.
- Elise, a childhood friend of Latok and the granddaughter of Fearess' Mayor. She could be considered as a possible romantic interest of Latok.
- Saria, Latok's Mother, who is blind. Latok has taken care of her ever since his father disappeared.
- Bobby, the pacifist son of the blacksmith Dac of the town of Fearess.
- Nurse Elle, the nurse of the village of Fearess.
- Kane, a magician in the hobbit village of Nemnu who gives Latok a mascot familiar named Rabbie.
- Rachael, a girl whose father is in charge of a resistance hideout against the demons in the Land of Fire.
- Zwoon, a demon disguised as a human man who Latok accidentally sets free.
- Necromancer, a powerful black-robed demon with power over the dead. Necromancer is a recurring villain in the series.
- Badu, the main villain of the game who was recently released from his 250 year imprisonment.
Gameplay
Xak is a classic dungeon crawlDungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
, in that the game proceeds by the player finding his way through labyrinthine maps, defeating opposing monsters on the way. In each map, keys, NPCs and other objects have to be found to gain entrance to the room where a boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
dwells. After defeating the boss, the player can proceed towards the next map, where the structure repeats. Various subquests involving non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s are present, most of them obligatory.
Combat is in real-time. The player's character walks around on the game maps, as well as the monster characters. Each character has an attack and defense rating, different for each of its four sides. Moreover, Latok's ratings change depending on whether he has his sword drawn (as the player keeps the space bar depressed) or sheathed. As Latok or a monster takes damage or wards off an attack, the character is pushed backwards. This combat system requires some manual dexterity, especially during boss fights—bosses are generally several times larger than Latok himself.
Latok advances in power through a classic leveling
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
system. Moreover, there are several shops scattered through the game where Latok can buy stronger swords, armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
s and shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
s. Gold, the game's currency, and experience points are awarded for killing monsters that wander the map.
Releases
The initial versions of Xak: The Art of Visual Stage were released for NECNEC
, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
's PC-8801
NEC PC-8801
The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88"....
and PC-9801 systems in June 1989. These were then followed by graphically distinct releases for the MSX2
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
(November 1989) and Sharp X68000
Sharp X68000
The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030...
(April 1990). In 1992, the game was released for the PC Engine
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
along with its sequel, Xak II: The Rising of the Red Moon
Xak II: The Rising of the Red Moon
Xak II: The Rising of the Red Moon is a fantasy computer role-playing game developed and published by the Japanese software developer MicroCabin. It is a direct sequel to Xak: The Art of Visual Stage . The game was released in Japan only, but due to an MSX scene that arose in Europe some of the...
, in the one-disc compilation Xak I & II
Xak I & II
Xak I & II is a re-release of Xak and Xak II, a fantasy computer role-playing game series Xak developed and published by the Japanese software developer MicroCabin and Telenet Japan's development team Riot. This set contains both the first two Xak series games back-to-back on one complete Super...
. Ported by Riot
Riot (developer)
Riot was one of Nihon Telenet's in-house development teams. They were mainly responsible for the ports of several Telenet games on the PC Engine, such as Browning, Valis, Exile and Xak I & II.-See also:*Nippon Telenet...
, the game features animated cut scenes and requires the Super System Card update if played on the PC Engine's original CD-ROM add-on. Another console port was published by Sunsoft for the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
in February 1993. The latest visually enhanced remake was developed for Japanese mobile phones and became available on Vodafone live!
Vodafone live!
Vodafone live! was the brand name for the multimedia portal service of mobile phone operator Vodafone, which was initially developed by Japan's J-Phone under the J-Sky brand...
on June 1, 2004. The game was the first release in Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
's "RPG Empire" line of role-playing games.
During 2001–2008, the PC-8801, MSX2, X68000, and PC-9801 versions of The Art of Visual Stage were made downloadable for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
through D4 Enterprise's Project EGG online service. The first official English translation of the game was also released on Dutch MSX games distributor WOOMB.net in early 2007. Although the website was shut down in 2008, its content is being transferred to the English counterpart of Project EGG.
Music
The musical score of Xak: The Art of Visual Stage was composed by Ryuji SasaiRyuji Sasai
is a Japanese former video game composer and bass guitarist. He is best known for his work on Xak, Final Fantasy Legend III and Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Sasai is noted for his rock style. His musical career came about when he was 15 years old and he formed a band...
and Tadahiro Nitta, marking the first collaboration between the two musicians. The game's soundtrack comprises 42 tracks and was released on May 5, 1989 under the title All Sounds of Xak: The Art of Visual Stage. From 2007 through 2008, music from the game's PC-8801, MSX2, and X68000 versions was added to the catalog of D4 Enterprise's video game music service EGG Music. The site offers both a PSG
Programmable sound generator
A Programmable Sound Generator is a sound chip that generates sound waves by synthesizing multiple basic waveforms, and often some kind of noise generator, and combining and mixing these waveforms into a complex waveform, then shaping the amplitude of the resulting waveform using...
and an FM
Frequency modulation synthesis
A 220 Hz carrier tone modulated by a 440 Hz modulating tone with various choices of modulation index, β. The time domain signals are illustrated above, and the corresponding spectra are shown below ....
variation for most of the MSX2 tracks. The use of a FM sound source is most extensive in the music of the X68000 game.
Reception
Praised for its storyline and music, Xak: The Art of Visual Stage has been referred to as Micro Cabin's breakthrough title. The website of Famitsū magazineFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
described the game’s story as "magnificent". Jayson Napolitano of Original Sound Version stated its music was "some great stuff for fans of that distinct sound from the late 80s." The audio of The Art of Visual Stage has been regarded as being of higher quality than that of most games of the time. It has also been noted for its use of a visual representation system which gave an impression of depth and three-dimensionality.