Gauntlet Legends
- June 08, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Just how perfect is "arcade perfect?" Gauntlet Legends brings classic hack-n-slash to the Dreamcast, and it includes all the strengths and weaknesses of its arcade namesake.
- GamePro Score
- User Score
- Write your review!
Throw Down the Gauntlet
Many gamers toss their heads back with pride at the memory of the original Gauntlet, a classic arcade hackfest that threw gamers, up to four at a time, into dark dungeons inhabited by hordes of ghouls and goblins. Collecting items and finding the exit were the easy parts; you had to wade through piles and piles of enemy monsters to get there. To this very day there are hungry gamers proclaiming "Elf needs food� badly" when they walk by vending machines or restaurants, all thanks to Gauntlet.
Gauntlet Legends was an arcade rebirth of the classic, with new-school 3D graphics and more characters and levels than ever. This time you have to battle your way through multiple levels collecting rune stones and activating obelisks that open up later levels and allow you to access powerful boss monsters. There's a story behind all this, but it's really inconsequential, since the whole reason to play Gauntlet is to get in there and break some heads. The problem is, that's all you do. A tiny bit of puzzling and exploration round out the experience a bit, but all in all you're mainly there to do damage.
Renaissance Fair
For the most part, Gauntlet Legends succeeds in its quest to update the original Gauntlet spirit, as its gameplay is quite similar. Graphics and sound have been improved considerably. Replacing the flat dungeons are outdoor areas, caves, catacombs and mountains, and the strange top-down characters are now fully-built polygonal beasties. The characters could use a bit more definition and detail, but overall they look good. Thanks to the action-packed nature of the game, the soundtrack consists mostly of dying monsters, but it booms with characteristic arcade fervor and manages to keep the excitement high. Control comes down to just wading through waves and waves of bad guys, bashing the attack button and using your magic whenever you get a chance.
At least the Dreamcast version differs in some ways from the arcade. In the DC version, you can revisit any level you've previously completed, to collect more gold, food, or experience. There are also new levels and new challenges, with side quests, hidden areas, breakable walls, and the like. The Dreamcast even includes four characters that don't appear in arcades. Sure, they're just new models that act the same as the original four characters, but it's still nice to have the choice.
Smell the Glove
If you like mindless action, gather some friends and play Gauntlet Legends for a day or two. As long as you're not looking for depth, you'll enjoy walking thigh-deep in bad guys and knocking over barrels in a desperate quest for food.
