![]() ![]() In my Gauntlet IV review I said this was a love it or hate it kind of series and that’s still true. This was the first console version of the game and it also introduced an inventory system which is a pretty big deal. The Nintendo 64 version is considered to be the best. As of right now I’ve only played the Nintendo 64 version of the game but from what I hear, the PlayStation version is the worst, only supporting two players rather than four, and having significantly less enemies in the levels. I recently acquired the Dreamcast version for my collection and I hear it’s basically a straight arcade port with some features added from the sequel, Gauntlet Dark Legacy. It was ported to the N64 in 1999, and the Sony PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast in 2000. Developed and published by Atari Games, Gauntlet Legends was released as an arcade game in October, 1998. For this review I’ll be going over Gauntlet Legends for the Nintendo 64. Unfortunately, this game is another piece of evidence that indicates that some classics should be left well enough alone.When someone says the word “Gauntlet” I usually think of two things – the Gauntlet series of games and the unrelated Gauntlet movie starring Clint Eastwood. There's no real motivation to complete the game, and the reward you receive once you do makes you regret the time you had invested in the game. ![]() There's nothing innovative here, and the game is neither enthralling nor interesting. Gauntlet Legends boils down to another top-down fantasy button masher. The music is mediocre at best, and the sound effects are repetitive. In fact, there's really nothing great about the sound in the game. And on the audio front, you'll be sick of the God-like voice that reads all the obvious game hints for you by the second level. Although there's a new money system that lets you buy power-ups, I found that I was instead collecting power-ups and selling them just to buy my health back. ![]() This makes the game extremely one-hand friendly, and it takes the challenge of out playing. And, just as in the arcade version, you don't even have to hit the attack button if you don't want to - it'll automatically strike enemies for you when you get close. You're still meandering about, opening doors, collecting treasure, and killing everything around you. Maybe there was just something special about the carbon-copy levels contained in the original that made Gauntlet so enjoyable. Even though my character was now climbing volcanic mountains, exploring temples, and trekking through the East, I still would have preferred the basic, randomly generated 2D dungeon. Gauntlet Legends tried to take the birds-eye-view concept of the original and transfer it into a 3D environment, but this simply doesn't work, and you end up playing essentially the same old game with prettier looking backgrounds. It seems as though there was a polygon shortage around the time of this game's development, as everything has a real flat look to it. Gauntlet Legends takes advantage of Nintendo's RAM pak, but don't expect it to look nearly as good as most other games that do. And now our little elven archer buddy is a she. However, there have been some additions to the formula: You'll now be able to buy stuff with that treasure levels now have themes and you'll have to go up against bosses at the end of certain stages. All the while you'll collect treasure, play with magic, and dish out the hurt. You still act as one of four characters (warrior, valkyrie, wizard, or archer) who make a stand against a seemingly bottomless reservoir of baddies. Those of you unfamiliar with the arcade version of the remake will at least be familiar with the unchanged premise. Unfortunately, Gauntlet Legends wasn't a particularly good arcade game, and it isn't any better on the N64. Not too long ago, Gauntlet suffered the fate of many classic games: It was given a major facelift and reinvented for the '90s. ![]() You remember Gauntlet, don't you? Between bites of pizza or slurps of soda, you played as a warrior of light slapped into an endless series of randomly generated dungeon levels, where you fought a slew of evil denizens. ![]()
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