Throwing it down, one axe blast at a time.
PLAYERS: 1-2 simultaneous
PUBLISHER: Tengen
DEVELOPER: Tengen
GENRE: Arcade
RELEASE DATE: 1987
Gauntlet is not a game for those who just want to throw on some Benny Goodman and settle back into a leather couch with a glass of wine. Even in the initial levels, the game can be merciless with the waves and waves of regenerating enemies. Gauntlet is a game for those who desire great challenge amidst overwhelming odds. You get your choice of stereotypical character: archer, barbarian, wizard, and half-naked chick. Each has different attributes that lend themselves well to the fray. I chose the half-naked chick, not because she was half-naked, but because she was the most well-rounded of the four… I know, I know, but it’s true. There are 30 levels at your disposal. Your life bar slowly whittles down over the entire game and can only be replenished through meat pies and such. Destroy all the enemies, navigate the sometimes puzz-tacular environments, and get as much loot as you can. There’s no real point to the loot, but it makes a cool chime noise when you pick it up that’s incredibly satisfying. If I were you and you were me, I’d bring a friend along for the ride. It’s a shame the game’s only equipped for one extra player ( I believe the original arcade was four players, which makes sense given the character selection), but at least they give you that much. Should you desire to actually beat the game, a friend is required, unless you just want to enter passwords over and over again. In other words, unless you’re crazy and have no friends.
B+
Latest posts by Dylan Cornelius (see all)
- By Request – New Ghostbusters II - April 4, 2014
- The 86 Worst NES Games – Part 4 - April 1, 2014
- The 86 Worst NES Games – Part 3 - March 29, 2014
3 replies on “#249 – Gauntlet”
I still have this game tucked away somewhere in its box, but it has been ages since I’ve played it. I seem to remember it having more than thirty levels though. I got way up there to a point where the walls were invisible and it was a serious pita. (yes, I was crazy and had no friends)
-j
Wow a tengen game that actually got nintendos seal of approval!
My cousins had this. We played hours on end, saved passwords, but were never able to complete it. I recall level 97 is as far as we got. On another note, the one we had WAS LICENSED! I later saw unlicensed copies re-sold as used games in various stores. It was the first time I ever saw an unlicensed Tengen game & I wondered at the time why the unlicensed cartridges somehow looked different. We later purchased a couple of unlicensed games & thought it weird that the top/end tapered, but we didn’t care as long as they were good games. But the tapering made it difficult to position it exactly right in order to get them to function properly, you know after a few years of abusing your console. I doubt my cousins saved the cartridge after all these years. Being a licensed version, I wonder if it would fetch a pretty penny online.