Summary
- Release Year: 1990
- Genres: Adventure, Arcade, Hack and slash/Beat ’em up, Strategy
- Platforms: Atari Lynx
- Developers: Epyx
- Publishers: Atari Corporation
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter (1990)
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is a dungeon-crawling arcade game released in 1990 by Atari Games. It is the third game in the Gauntlet series, and the first to be released in arcades. The game was ported to the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Amiga in 1991.
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is set in the fantasy world of Tyram, which is being terrorized by an evil sorcerer named Garm. Garm has stolen the Star Gem, a powerful artifact that can be used to control the forces of darkness. The player characters must travel through a series of dungeons to defeat Garm and retrieve the Star Gem.
There are four playable characters in Gauntlet: The Third Encounter: Thor the warrior, Thyra the valkyrie, Merlin the wizard, and Questor the elf. Each character has their own unique abilities and weapons. Thor is a powerful melee fighter, Thyra is a skilled archer, Merlin can cast powerful spells, and Questor is a nimble thief.
The game is played from a top-down perspective. The player characters must navigate through a series of rooms, each of which is filled with enemies. The player characters can attack enemies with their weapons or spells, and they can also collect items to help them on their quest.
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter was a critical and commercial success. It was praised for its addictive gameplay, its variety of enemies and levels, and its innovative use of four-player cooperative play. The game has been ported to a number of different platforms over the years, and it remains popular with fans of dungeon-crawling games today.
Gameplay
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is a dungeon-crawling game in which the player characters must travel through a series of rooms, each of which is filled with enemies. The player characters can attack enemies with their weapons or spells, and they can also collect items to help them on their quest.
The game can be played with up to four players, each of whom controls one of the four playable characters. The player characters can work together to defeat enemies and solve puzzles, or they can compete against each other to see who can score the most points.
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter features a variety of different enemies, including goblins, skeletons, zombies, and dragons. The player characters must use their unique abilities and weapons to defeat each type of enemy.
The game also features a variety of different items that can help the player characters on their quest. These items include potions that can restore health or mana, weapons that can do more damage, and armor that can protect the player characters from enemy attacks.
Characters
There are four playable characters in Gauntlet: The Third Encounter:
- Thor the warrior: Thor is a powerful melee fighter who is proficient with all types of weapons. He is also the strongest character in the game.
- Thyra the valkyrie: Thyra is a skilled archer who can attack enemies from a distance. She is also the fastest character in the game.
- Merlin the wizard: Merlin is a powerful spellcaster who can cast a variety of spells to attack enemies and heal his allies.
- Questor the elf: Questor is a nimble thief who can use his agility to avoid enemy attacks and steal items from them.
Each character has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Thor is the strongest character, but he is also the slowest. Thyra is the fastest character, but she is also the weakest. Merlin is a powerful spellcaster, but he is also very fragile. Questor is a nimble thief, but he is also the least powerful character.
Development
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter was developed by Atari Games. The game was designed by Ed Logg, who also designed the original Gauntlet game. Logg wanted to create a game that was more challenging and varied than the original Gauntlet. He also wanted to add more cooperative play elements to the game.
The development of Gauntlet: The Third Encounter took approximately two years. The game was programmed by Ed Logg, Dave Needle, and Neil Falconer. The graphics were designed by George Petro, John Tobias, and Dave Manzo. The music was composed by Tim Follin.
Release
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter was released in arcades in 1990. The game was ported to the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Amiga in 1991.
The arcade version of Gauntlet: The Third Encounter was a commercial success. It was one of the top-grossing arcade games of 1990. The home versions of the game were also successful, selling over one million copies worldwide.
Reception
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter was praised by critics for its addictive gameplay, its variety of enemies and levels, and its innovative use of four-player cooperative play. The game was also praised for its graphics and sound.
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter was nominated for several awards, including the Golden Joystick Award for Arcade Game of the Year. The game won the award for Best Arcade Game of the Year from Electronic Gaming Monthly.
Legacy
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is considered to be one of the greatest dungeon-crawling games of all time. The game has been ported to a number of different platforms over the years, and it remains popular with fans of the genre today.
The game has been cited as an influence on many other dungeon-crawling games, including Diablo and Torchlight. Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is also credited with popularizing the use of four-player cooperative play in arcade games.
Conclusion
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is a classic dungeon-crawling game that is still enjoyed by fans of the genre today. The game’s addictive gameplay, variety of enemies and levels, and innovative use of four-player cooperative play make it a timeless classic.
Review Score
8.5/10
