Summary
- Release Year: 1985
- Genres: Arcade, Hack and slash/Beat ’em up
- Platforms: Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Arcade, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST/STE, Commodore C64/128/MAX, DOS, Mac, MSX, Sega Master System/Mark III, Xbox 360, ZX Spectrum
- Developers: Atari Games
- Publishers: Mindscape, Inc., U.S. Gold
Gauntlet: The Original Dungeon Crawler
Released in 1985, Gauntlet is a classic arcade game that helped to define the dungeon crawler genre. Players control one of four fantasy-based characters—Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wizard, Thyra the Valkyrie, or Questor the Elf—as they battle their way through hordes of monsters in a series of top-down, third-person perspective mazes.
Gauntlet was one of the first games to feature four-player cooperative gameplay, and it remains a popular choice for fans of the genre today. The game’s simple but addictive gameplay, combined with its charming pixel art graphics and memorable soundtrack, has made it a timeless classic.
Gameplay
The goal of Gauntlet is to find and touch the designated exit in every level. Along the way, players must battle a variety of monsters, including ghosts, grunts, demons, lobbers, sorcerers, and thieves. Each monster has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, so players must use their wits and teamwork to defeat them.
In addition to monsters, players can also find a variety of special items in each level. These items can increase the player’s health, unlock doors, gain more points, and magical potions that can destroy all of the enemies on screen.
As the game progresses, higher levels of skill are needed to reach the exit, with success often depending on the willingness of the players to cooperate by sharing food and luring monsters into places where they can be engaged and slaughtered more conveniently. While contact with enemies reduces the player’s health, it also slowly drains on its own, thus creating a time limit. When a character’s health reaches zero, that character dies. The character can be revived in place with full health by spending a game credit (i.e. inserting a coin) within a certain short time window after it died. This allows even the least proficient players to keep playing indefinitely, if they are willing to keep inserting coins.
Characters
There are four playable characters in Gauntlet, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses:
- Thor the Warrior: Thor is the strongest character in hand-to-hand combat. He is also the slowest character, but he can take more damage than the other characters.
- Merlin the Wizard: Merlin is the most powerful magic user in the game. He can cast a variety of spells, including fireballs, lightning bolts, and ice shards.
- Thyra the Valkyrie: Thyra is the best-armored character in the game. She can also use her shield to block enemy attacks.
- Questor the Elf: Questor is the fastest character in the game. He is also the weakest character, but he can use his agility to dodge enemy attacks.
Legacy
Gauntlet was a critical and commercial success upon its release. It was one of the first games to feature four-player cooperative gameplay, and it helped to popularize the dungeon crawler genre. Gauntlet has been ported to a variety of platforms over the years, and it remains a popular choice for fans of retro gaming today.
The game has also been referenced in popular culture, including in the films The Goonies and Pixels. In 2014, a Gauntlet reboot was released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Conclusion
Gauntlet is a classic arcade game that helped to define the dungeon crawler genre. Its simple but addictive gameplay, combined with its charming pixel art graphics and memorable soundtrack, has made it a timeless classic. Whether you’re a fan of retro gaming or just looking for a fun and challenging game to play, Gauntlet is definitely worth checking out.
Review Score
9/10
Art
Cover Art
Screenshots
