Long ago the land was conquered by the Drakkhen, which are large and slightly anthropomorphic draconian beings.  Now their age is at an end, with the last being slain by a wayward knight.  Or has it?  A mysterious island is discovered containing a final holdout for Drakkhen princes and princesses, whom are rapidly raising armies to re-conquer the world.  Naturally, the best thing to do is to send four mysterious neophyte adventurers to the island, which is laid over with hostile creatures and beasts (not counting the Drakkhen soldiers), with the hopes that war can be averted and the land brought back to peace.

Or rather, that is the best that I can ascertain from the short story in the manual of the PC version, which is full of what looks suspiciously like translation errors (which makes sense if you take into account the French origins of the game).

Drakkhen was always a bit of an oddity on the SNES.  While it was marketed as an RPG, it clearly had more in common with what was happening on the 16-bit computers than the burgeoning 16-bit console market.  With a mix of first-person, third-person, and some classic PC adventure elements, it was no doubt a turn-off to many would-be purchasers (despite having a photo on the illustrious SNES porn-like photo spread in issue 26 of Nintendo Power).  While it's origins are on the Western 16-bit computers (Amiga and Atari ST, and later the DOS), something about the game really grabbed onto the Japanese imagination, where it was ported to no less than three different computers and one console: the FM Towns, x68000, PC-98, and finally the SNES (respectively).  Surprisingly, the game play was largely untouched in the Japanese ports (save a few much needed refinements), though a great deal of (for the most part) excellent music was added, which really adds a sense of wonder and atmosphere to the Western originals.  So after a great deal of research (even for me) I think I can identify the definitive versions of Drakkhen: the DOS port (best graphics) and the SNES port (for music and controls).  Also, it just so happens that I now have both of those games...


Like many of you,  I was ultimately only familiar with the SNES version, and although I've never shied away from indulging occasionally in abadonware, through some strange coincidence I've never played the DOS version until now (although I've dipped into the CRPG Addict's playthrough).  This will be my first actual playthrough.  Thanks again, slackur!  I didn't really intend this to be a versus, but since this my first real exposure to the DOS port (and likely most of yours), I'd like to point out some of the differences.


(Before we start, I'd like to apologize for the audio.  I'm forced to use a desktop video capture until I can recover my FRAPs key. Sorry again!)

The first things I noticed were the graphics and the music.  Research showed that most of the DOS versions are actually 16 color CGA, while through some quirk the version gifted to me by slackur was the 256 color VGA.  Oddly enough the CGA port is the most colorful, while the VGA has a great amount of detail.  Still, I wasn't ready for how detailed the DOS port was as compared to the SNES, especially considering the length of time between the DOS port and the SNES one (1989 for the DOS port and 1992 for the SNES one).

The sound is a different matter altogether.  Where the SNES varies between bass-slapping synth-funk (character selection) and single keyboard dreamy compositions (pretty much everything else), the DOS version features more atmospheric music that is more typical of music found in DOS games during the early 90's.  So, pretty much on the level in 1989 but not nearly as good as what would  happen on the SNES.

Now for game play, where the biggest variance is.  In both versions you roam the overworld in first-person, switching to a third-person mode when encountering either a random battle or a structure to enter.  Once inside a structure or dungeon you can only move one of your party at a time, but you can choose whether this will move the one character from room to room or the whole party.  It's a little awkward at first, but you get used to it quickly.  Or you'll quit.

In the SNES version things run fairly smooth.  Controlling with the SNES pad is easy with only a bit of awkwardness.  Through use of clues gained from conversation and the in-game map and compass finding your next destination is pretty much a snap.  In fact, once you've got the controls down and gotten a few levels under your belt (and learned how to run from battles), the game is pretty easy, and shouldn't take more than 5-10 hours.

The DOS version in comparison is incredibly brutal.  No map, no compass.  Basic directions are given and the player navigates directions by using the sun.  In fact, the game pretty much tells you how things will be during the first few minutes, for if you head towards a structure in the distance after rolling your characters you notice a castle and drawbridge surrounded by a moat.  Circling the castle in the moat is a shark.  You will likely end up with a dead party at least two times until you get the timing of the shark down.  In fact, even if you make it past the shark you will end up with a dead party multiple times before getting more than a few rooms into the castle!  However despite all that, I keep booting the DOS version back up.  There is just something about the game that keeps bringing me back, making me try different tactics to progress into new areas.

So in conclusion I hope I might have turned a few heads.  Both versions of the game are pretty affordable, with the SNES version being the cheapest.  Ebay prices seem to be around $6 or $7 (with shipping) with a complete version costing an additional $10.  The DOS version is a little bit more, with copies either being in 5.25" or 3.5" disks, or CD-ROM (usually in part of a collection).  Prices tend to be around $20 - $30.  The best version is the VGA version, which is either on CD-ROM or 3.5" disk (I think), so go for that one if you can. 

Now for some legal-ese.    For all intents and purposes the DOS version of Drakkhen is abandonware, which if you are not familiar is just a blanket term for certain games that have either been forgotten by the copyright owners or just negligent towards enforcement.  It's a little hard to tell, but it looks like Infogrames is still the rights holder for Drakkhen.  I don't imagine this will end up on GoG any time soon, as the SNES port was really the darling version for most Western gamers.  Still, if you download this game from an abandonware site be forewarned: Pretty much every version that these sites have is the EGA/CGA version, which I'm pretty sure is a rip of the of the 5.25" version of the game.  It's still the game (and watercolored in CGA), but the detail and animation in the VGA are worth getting a copy if you really want to play it instead of taking it for a test drive.

Well, there it is.  I've been procrastinating on doing this game for years now, and it I think it finally took slackur's gift to finally nudge me forward.

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