<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
is	O
an	O
early-3D	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
,	O
initially	O
developed	O
for	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
and	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
,	O
and	O
subsequently	O
ported	O
to	O
several	O
other	O
platforms	O
,	O
including	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
and	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
System	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
very	O
early	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
SNES	B-Application
library	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
such	O
,	O
received	O
almost	O
universal	O
coverage	O
in	O
previews	O
of	O
the	O
then-upcoming	O
SNES	B-Application
in	O
gaming	O
magazines	O
of	O
1990	O
and	O
early	O
1991	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
was	O
notable	O
for	O
being	O
among	O
the	O
first	O
role-playing	O
games	O
to	O
feature	O
a	O
three-dimensional	O
playing	O
field	O
and	O
for	O
being	O
an	O
early	O
example	O
of	O
the	O
real	B-Application
time	I-Application
tactics	I-Application
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
features	O
an	O
animated	O
day-night	O
cycle	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
wander	O
freely	O
about	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
,	O
both	O
rarities	O
for	O
a	O
game	O
of	O
its	O
era	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
spawned	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
Dragon	B-Application
View	I-Application
,	O
for	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
player	O
may	O
freely	O
travel	O
the	O
entirety	O
of	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
's	O
game	O
world	O
not	O
long	O
after	O
beginning	O
a	O
new	O
game	O
,	O
although	O
this	O
can	O
be	O
unwise	O
in	O
practice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chance	O
encounters	O
with	O
hostile	O
monsters	B-Application
are	O
regular	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
other	O
RPGs	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
may	O
be	O
attacked	O
while	O
stationary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
is	O
given	O
time	O
to	O
focus	O
on	O
the	O
real-time	B-Application
tactics	I-Application
of	O
each	O
enemy	O
encounter	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
activating	O
defense	O
magic	O
,	O
moving	O
around	O
,	O
or	O
switching	O
weapons	O
on	O
the	O
fly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
's	O
gameplay	O
is	O
colored	O
by	O
its	O
early-game	O
brutality	O
and	O
surreal	O
enemy	O
encounters	O
,	O
the	O
former	O
especially	O
in	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
of	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
is	O
drastically	O
different	O
to	O
its	O
PC	O
predecessor	O
,	O
especially	O
in	O
visual	O
layout	O
and	O
color	O
scheme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Predating	O
both	O
Ultima	B-Application
Underworld	I-Application
(	O
1992	O
)	O
and	O
Eye	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Beholder	I-Application
(	O
1991	O
)	O
,	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
was	O
among	O
the	O
first	O
action	O
RPGs	O
to	O
utilize	O
a	O
permanent	O
,	O
real-time	O
,	O
text-adventure	O
log	O
window	O
,	O
demonstrating	O
large	O
influence	O
from	O
MUD	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
feature	O
was	O
de-emphasized	O
and	O
presented	O
more	O
elegantly	O
for	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
originals	O
were	O
criticized	O
for	O
lacking	O
a	O
compass	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
developers	O
took	O
to	O
heart	O
when	O
they	O
made	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
new	O
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SNES	B-Application
does	O
n't	O
use	O
a	O
visual	O
compass	O
but	O
instead	O
tells	O
the	O
player	O
which	O
of	O
the	O
360-degrees	O
he	O
or	O
she	O
faces	O
anytime	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
paused	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
computer	O
versions	O
allow	O
for	O
greater	O
nuance	O
when	O
traveling	O
the	O
3D	O
island	O
,	O
playing	O
to	O
the	O
strength	O
of	O
utilizing	O
a	O
mouse	O
cursor	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
uses	O
the	O
directional	B-Device
pad	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SNES	B-Application
re-release	O
of	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
did	O
n't	O
come	O
with	O
this	O
supplemental	O
book	O
that	O
was	O
written	O
by	O
Gary	O
Gygax	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
a	O
hand	O
in	O
designing	O
the	O
gameplay	O
and	O
story	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
many	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
exclusion	O
was	O
likely	O
because	O
the	O
game	O
story	O
was	O
entirely	O
rewritten	O
,	O
which	O
nevertheless	O
rendered	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
without	O
the	O
context	O
necessary	O
to	O
experience	O
the	O
game	O
the	O
way	O
the	O
developers	O
intended	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
general	O
,	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
has	O
fewer	O
NPCs	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
approached	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fleeing	O
any	O
battle	O
in	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
is	O
as	O
simple	O
as	O
tapping	O
the	O
L	O
and	O
R	O
bumpers	O
,	O
which	O
makes	O
all	O
battles	O
outside	O
castles	O
entirely	O
optional	O
,	O
as	O
this	O
does	O
n't	O
give	O
enemies	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
attack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
,	O
crossings	O
are	O
instantaneous	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
attempts	O
to	O
cross	O
between	O
areas	O
before	O
the	O
first	O
few	O
story	O
beats	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
sharply	O
rebuked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
setting	O
of	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
is	O
a	O
large	O
rectangular	O
island	O
,	O
divided	O
laterally	O
into	O
four	O
smaller	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
region	O
has	O
its	O
own	O
terrain	O
and	O
climate	O
and	O
is	O
ruled	O
by	O
two	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
caste	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
of	O
them	O
living	O
in	O
their	O
own	O
castle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
spent	O
traveling	O
between	O
castles	O
,	O
carrying	O
out	O
various	O
political	O
missions	O
at	O
the	O
behest	O
of	O
the	O
ruling	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
elite	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
player	O
may	O
also	O
wander	O
around	O
without	O
having	O
a	O
particular	O
goal	O
or	O
destination	O
,	O
perhaps	O
in	O
the	O
spirit	O
of	O
adventure	O
,	O
or	O
exploration	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
fight	O
wildlife	O
,	O
monsters	B-Application
,	O
and	O
strange	O
supernatural	O
entities	O
,	O
who	O
may	O
yield	O
loot	O
if	O
they	O
are	O
defeated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
all	O
four	O
characters	O
succumb	O
to	O
injury	O
or	O
drowning	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
will	O
be	O
informed	O
of	O
the	O
dire	B-Application
consequences	I-Application
for	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
,	O
before	O
being	O
returned	O
to	O
the	O
title	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
their	O
surprise	O
,	O
certain	O
princes	O
and	O
princess	O
of	O
the	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
clan	O
offer	O
their	O
support	O
—	O
even	O
their	O
life	O
—	O
for	O
the	O
party	O
,	O
believing	O
that	O
their	O
kind	O
was	O
never	O
meant	O
for	O
Earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
storyline	O
for	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
game	O
is	O
the	O
result	O
of	O
a	O
broken	O
translation	O
and	O
rewrite	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
lack	O
of	O
supplemental	O
stories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
a	O
French	O
team	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
then	O
translated	O
into	O
Japanese	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
then	O
translated	O
to	O
English	O
and	O
further	O
rewritten	O
with	O
help	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
French	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
exemplify	O
the	O
telephone	O
effect	O
of	O
all	O
this	O
,	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
contained	O
a	O
French	O
translation	O
of	O
an	O
Emily	O
Dickinson	O
poem	O
as	O
quoted	O
by	O
a	O
mysterious	O
wizard	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
French	O
translation	O
of	O
an	O
English	O
poem	O
was	O
then	O
translated	O
further	O
into	O
Japanese	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
version	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
translated	O
again	O
back	O
into	O
English	O
from	O
Japanese	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Dickinson	O
poem	O
that	O
survived	O
into	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
almost	O
unrecognizable	O
and	O
difficult	O
to	O
comprehend	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
game	O
,	O
a	O
subset	O
of	O
humans	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Drakkonian	O
people	O
are	O
presently	O
doomed	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
dragon	O
gods	O
of	O
the	O
four	O
elements	O
judged	O
them	O
as	O
unworthy	O
and	O
are	O
soon	O
to	O
put	O
an	O
end	O
to	O
their	O
survival	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
god	O
has	O
a	O
son	O
and	O
daughter	O
dragon	O
prince	O
and	O
princess	O
who	O
rule	O
the	O
island	O
of	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
,	O
himself	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
5th	O
dragon	O
god	O
,	O
one	O
who	O
the	O
other	O
four	O
stole	O
eight	O
of	O
the	O
nine	O
,	O
magic	O
,	O
blue	O
artifacts	O
(	O
the	O
Nine	O
Tears	O
)	O
from	O
,	O
to	O
do	O
their	O
cruel	O
bidding	O
upon	O
the	O
Drakkonian	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Four	O
warriors	O
stepped	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
challenge	O
of	O
proving	O
their	O
worth	O
as	O
a	O
people	O
to	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
censors	O
the	O
screams	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Love	O
Monster.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
original	O
,	O
a	O
shadow	O
shaped	O
like	O
a	O
frantic	O
,	O
giant	O
woman	O
repeatedly	O
shouts	O
"	O
I	O
love	O
you	O
"	O
in	O
a	O
chorus	O
of	O
demonic	O
voices	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
,	O
she	O
instead	O
moans	O
not	O
unlike	O
how	O
other	O
enemies	O
do	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
is	O
known	O
for	O
its	O
unusual	O
sound	O
effects	O
;	O
in	O
lieu	O
of	O
speech	O
,	O
monsters	B-Application
and	O
NPCs	O
make	O
noises	O
that	O
resemble	O
belching	O
,	O
chittering	O
,	O
or	O
inarticulate	O
rumbling	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
releases	O
made	O
only	O
limited	O
use	O
of	O
music	O
during	O
gameplay	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
expanded	O
for	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
was	O
originally	O
released	O
in	O
1989	O
by	O
Infogrames	O
two	O
years	O
after	O
being	O
presented	O
at	O
gaming	O
expos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
many	O
subsequent	O
computer	O
ports	O
were	O
unannounced	O
until	O
the	O
DOS	B-Device
port	O
was	O
about	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
late	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1991	O
,	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
by	O
Kemco-Seika	O
,	O
who	O
made	O
several	O
revisions	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
mostly	O
by	O
necessity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
DOS	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
in	O
June	O
2018	O
on	O
GOG.com	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
for	O
Evercade	B-Application
,	O
included	O
in	O
Piko	O
Interactive	O
Collection	O
1	O
cartridge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drakkhen	B-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
,	O
with	O
sales	O
of	O
more	O
than	O
350,000	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
by	O
giving	O
the	O
game	O
an	O
average	O
score	O
of	O
7	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
although	O
he	O
gave	O
the	O
graphics	O
an	O
excellent	O
rating	O
of	O
9	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
These	O
games	O
are	O
really	O
fantasy	O
wargames	O
rather	O
than	O
true	O
role-playing	O
exercises	O
but	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
at	O
least	O
pushes	O
the	O
standard	O
out	O
a	O
little	O
further	O
and	O
makes	O
for	O
a	O
tough	O
game	O
with	O
plenty	O
of	O
scope	O
,	O
graced	O
with	O
those	O
remarkable	O
Infogrames	O
graphics.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
August	O
1990	O
edition	O
of	O
Dragon	O
(	O
Issue	O
#160	O
)	O
,	O
Hartley	O
,	O
Patricia	O
,	O
and	O
Kirk	O
Lesser	O
admired	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
versions	O
's	O
"	O
amazing	O
graphics	O
,	O
enthralling	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
incredible	O
game	O
environment	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
admitted	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
toughest	O
fantasy	O
adventure	O
games	O
for	O
a	O
novice	O
to	O
survive	O
that	O
we	O
've	O
yet	O
encountered.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
if	O
a	O
challenge	O
is	O
your	O
desire	O
,	O
and	O
if	O
superb	O
animation	O
and	O
plot	O
are	O
what	O
you	O
want	O
,	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
is	O
for	O
you	O
 [ ... ] 	O
Drakkhen	B-Application
offers	O
a	O
high	O
dollar-to-entertainment	O
ratio	O
and	O
provides	O
gamers	O
with	O
a	O
chance	O
to	O
experience	O
gaming	O
originality	O
,	O
new	O
programming	O
techniques	O
,	O
and	O
superb	O
sound	O
and	O
music	O
enhancements.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
gave	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
a	O
mixed	O
,	O
aggregate	O
score	O
of	O
3.1	O
out	O
of	O
5	O
stars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Super	O
Gamer	O
reviewed	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
Version	O
and	O
gave	O
an	O
overall	O
score	O
of	O
84%	O
writing	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
perspective	O
is	O
unusual	O
for	O
an	O
RPG	O
;	O
a	O
fast-scrolling	O
3-D	O
landscape	O
heavily	O
populated	O
with	O
well-drawn	O
monsters	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospective	O
reception	O
of	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
has	O
been	O
very	O
mixed	O
,	O
with	O
many	O
YouTubers	O
and	O
bloggers	O
calling	O
it	O
confusing	O
and	O
"	O
unplayable	O
"	O
by	O
modern	O
standards	O
,	O
while	O
others	O
find	O
it	O
appealing	O
for	O
its	O
experimental	O
nature	O
;	O
openness-to-interpretation	O
,	O
unintentionally-cryptic	O
story	O
;	O
and	O
intense	O
absurdities	O
.	O
</s>
