Xanadu set a sales record for computer games in Japan, with over 400,000 copies sold there in 1985.
[3] It was one of the foundations of the role-playing genre, particularly the action role-playing subgenre, featuring real-time action combat combined with full-fledged character statistics, innovative gameplay systems such as the Karma meter and individual experience for equipped items,[3] and platform game elements combined with the dungeon crawl gameplay of its predecessor.
[4][5] It also had towns to explore and introduced equipment that change the player character's visible appearance, food that is consumed slowly over time and is essential for keeping the player character alive, and magic used to attack enemies from a distance.
Dragon Slayer laid the foundations for the action role-playing game genre, influencing future series like Ys.
[7][8][9] Xanadu was an early real-time action RPG with full-fledged character statistics, and it introduced several innovative gameplay mechanics, such as the Karma morality system, individual experience for equipped items,[3] a heavy emphasis on puzzle-solving,[9] equipment that changes the player character's visible appearance, food that is consumed slowly over time and is essential for keeping the player character alive, magic that can be used to attack enemies from a distance, and training facilities to improve various statistics.
To progress, one must speak with the king, who gives the player the bare essentials and a small amount of cash to train.
This can be remedied by drinking a black poison bottle; these cannot be carried nor bought, and must be found within dungeons, and will remove half the protagonist's hit points.
This is raised simply by using the item; for example, swords by attacking, armor by being hit, magic by casting the spell, and so on.
This is a factor that must be juggled with weapon experience; if the player defeats all enemies using a dagger, then upgrades to a sword and proceeds to fight the area's boss, the player will be at a disadvantage and should have either kept the highly developed dagger, or bought the sword early on so as to level it up with the finite number of encounters in the area.
The manga follows the plot of the film, and was drawn by Tsuzuki Kazuhiko (都築和彦), who also did work on Falcom's Ys and Sorcerian titles.
Xanadu Scenario II, an expansion pack, features a much larger set of songs.
As of 2005, according to Falcom, its 1985 sales record of over 400,000 copies sold in Japan has yet to be broken by any role-playing PC game released in that country.
Origin Systems founder and Ultima series creator Richard Garriott flew into Tokyo to have a meeting with Nihon Falcom about having Origin release Xanadu in the US, as well as having Falcom help with releasing a port of Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar in Japan.
Xanadu contained artwork directly lifted from the manuals of the role-playing game Ultima III: Exodus.
Upon seeing this, Garriott and Origin ended the meeting and decided to sue Falcom; the lawsuit was settled out of court and the artwork in the game was changed to what appears now.
Ys featured a similar but quicker and more complex "bump" system for combat used in Ys I, II and IV, while some of the later Dragon Slayer games Romancia, Dragon Slayer IV and Sorcerian all had similar side-scrolling viewpoints.
[8] Xanadu is also like Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, due to being an "RPG turned on its side" that allowed players to run, jump, collect, and explore.