Chankan: The Forever Man was an Action Platformer for the Sega Megadrive/Genesis. 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 by Robert A. Kraus and was produced by Ed Annunziata, who met Chakan's creator at a convention and was impressed.
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My brother and I used to call this "Monkey Game" because Chakan's wrinkly face looked vaguely monkey-ish and his death yell kinda sounded like a monkey.
Anyways, I haven't played this game in a looooong time so I'll need to come back to it before I can write a proper review. I do remember the game being pretty freaky and I think it was on the list of "games I refused to play alone as a kid". I also remember the game being downright cruel. I mean, just a godsdamned platforming nightmare. Why was that damn double-jump so hard to perform? But it definitely stuck with me. The graphics and music are very, very cool, as is the whole concept behind the game. Imagine being skilled enough to kick Death's ass in a duel but not savvy enough to realize there's no way he isn't going to screw you over in asking for eternal life. Makes for a great story, though. The sword-slinging felt really good. It's like being able to whip in every direction in Super Castlevania but way snappier. It's spooky, it has swords and alchemy and a gratuitously "Genesis" soundtrack. What's not to love?
I mean, other than the game kind of being a pain in the ass, I suppose. Maybe someday.
Anyways, I haven't played this game in a looooong time so I'll need to come back to it before I can write a proper review. I do remember the game being pretty freaky and I think it was on the list of "games I refused to play alone as a kid". I also remember the game being downright cruel. I mean, just a godsdamned platforming nightmare. Why was that damn double-jump so hard to perform? But it definitely stuck with me. The graphics and music are very, very cool, as is the whole concept behind the game. Imagine being skilled enough to kick Death's ass in a duel but not savvy enough to realize there's no way he isn't going to screw you over in asking for eternal life. Makes for a great story, though. The sword-slinging felt really good. It's like being able to whip in every direction in Super Castlevania but way snappier. It's spooky, it has swords and alchemy and a gratuitously "Genesis" soundtrack. What's not to love?
I mean, other than the game kind of being a pain in the ass, I suppose. Maybe someday.
Immensely difficult, obtuse, and so misleading that it's a wonder anyone can really beat this game. Offers some of the most gorgeous pixel art on the Genesis and an atmospheric soundtrack like nothing else (except maybe Skeleton Krew).
Chakan's a game that asks a lot, offers next to nothing in return, and honestly? I respect that.
Chakan's a game that asks a lot, offers next to nothing in return, and honestly? I respect that.
Dificil pra p*rr@
Everything looks so cool, and you can stab in eight directions, but the platforming is so laughably pixel perfect stupid garbage where you fall into a bit and get kicked out of the level.
If this game's combat and enemy patterns were better, this would be a Genesis GOAT.
Everything about this game is so stylish and cool. The menus and levels are detailed head-to-toe with 90's comic book macabre chic. The music is akin to having a nervous breakdown on drugs. The visuals and audio just work in setting up the vibes of the game so well. It's a classic case of an entire experience being greatly diminished by a combat system that is just poop.
So you are Chakan, the Forever Man. He is the Forever Man because he beat Death in a sword fight and was granted eternal life, which Chakan comes to regret after a century of not being able to die. The only way Chakan can die is to eliminate ALL EVIL; a pretty tall order he takes on because what other choice does he have? I don't know if there's another game that depicts eternal life sucking ass besides Legacy of Kain 2 or Lost Odyssey.
For as little plot there is in this two hour game, it's setup and ending are great! This game's ending in particular is one of the best endings to a game I have ever played. Even if it is a tease for a sequel that never came out. The outcome of Chakan is so brutal and hype you almost forget the torture you have to go through to get it.
It really doesn't matter if a sequel never came out because it doesn't need one. If this game ever got re-do, it should be kept the way it is but with combat that doesn't make you feel like you yourself need the sweet release of death.
Here is the ending text crawl by the way bc it is worth seeing knowing pretext the I established in this review
Everything about this game is so stylish and cool. The menus and levels are detailed head-to-toe with 90's comic book macabre chic. The music is akin to having a nervous breakdown on drugs. The visuals and audio just work in setting up the vibes of the game so well. It's a classic case of an entire experience being greatly diminished by a combat system that is just poop.
So you are Chakan, the Forever Man. He is the Forever Man because he beat Death in a sword fight and was granted eternal life, which Chakan comes to regret after a century of not being able to die. The only way Chakan can die is to eliminate ALL EVIL; a pretty tall order he takes on because what other choice does he have? I don't know if there's another game that depicts eternal life sucking ass besides Legacy of Kain 2 or Lost Odyssey.
For as little plot there is in this two hour game, it's setup and ending are great! This game's ending in particular is one of the best endings to a game I have ever played. Even if it is a tease for a sequel that never came out. The outcome of Chakan is so brutal and hype you almost forget the torture you have to go through to get it.
It really doesn't matter if a sequel never came out because it doesn't need one. If this game ever got re-do, it should be kept the way it is but with combat that doesn't make you feel like you yourself need the sweet release of death.
Here is the ending text crawl by the way bc it is worth seeing knowing pretext the I established in this review
I understand why Chakan is called The Forever Man. This game is so empty and so long it takes the eternity to find a little fun in it.