In the early eighties, at the peak of the arcade's popularity, a form of
game was introduced to the world that became a standard in multiplayer and
arcade type story-based games. Gauntlet was a top down RPG-like game
that allowed up to four players to participate simultaneously, requiring
teamwork among players as they traveled through a world full of monsters and
evil beings. Since then, Gauntlet has received a few facelifts, the
most recent being Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, which was originally
released in the arcade and for many consoles. The GBA version of
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy attempts to pack a believable representation of
the classic game into a portable variation.
Sadly, Dark Legacy falls short in almost every aspect. While
graphically it is slightly more appealing than the original arcade game, it
definitely appears light years behind the fluid animation and graphical
detail of the modern iteration. Characters appear pixilated and bland. The
use of colors in Dark Legacy isn't very rich, and seems dark and
uninteresting throughout the game.
The music in Dark Legacy works well as it attempts to create the
feelings of tension and suspense. It might be the only thing in the game
that is not a total hack or waste of time. However, there are no voices, and
the music, though compelling, gets repetitive after awhile.
Gameplay:
Gauntlet thrived in the arcade genre by its original use of
multiplayer features. When it was revamped and ported into all of the major
consoles, it kept those concepts of multiplayer gameplay intact. That is
exactly what appeals to players of Gauntlet. For some reason, the
developers chose to develop the portable version of Gauntlet as a
single player game. There is not one ounce of multiplayer built into this
title. Coming in to the game, I expected at least a watered down multiplayer
mini-level, yet I was let down when absolutely nothing of the sort existed.
Instead, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy puts you in control of one of the four
main Gauntlet characters: Warrior, Wizard, Archer or Valkyrie. The
mission is actually taken directly from the console adaptations of
Gauntlet. You must travel through five realms seeking out and
retrieving thirteen rune stones in order to open a portal to defeat Skorne
and his evil master Garm. Doing so will bring peace to the world of
Gauntlet.
Each of the worlds is theoretically identical to the maps seen in the
console version, and contains the same keys, items and potions that help you
progress through each realm. Also identical to the Gauntlet genre,
hacking and slashing through hordes of foes will be the only source of
intrigue throughout the game. Quite frankly, the act of slashing with the
same weapons and constantly journeying through the same basic maps is
repetitive and nauseating. The different avatars available, which can only
be selected prior to beginning a game and cannot switched mid-game, do not
provide much difference in terms of environment and skills.
Difficulty:
Constantly regenerated enemies, and a countless maze of maps to navigate,
give even the seasoned pro a bit of a struggle in Gauntlet: Dark
Legacy. Three difficulty settings, ranging from easy to hard, control
the number of hits it takes to kill an individual monster.
Game Mechanics:
The action in Gauntlet: Dark Legacy moves slowly. Getting a character
from one side of the map to the other takes time and patience. This is due
mainly to the slow pace of the avatars. Attacks are pretty one sided.
Pressing the A button constantly should pack enough punch to eradicate those
monsters, while the B button uses potions, the L button blocks and the R
button strafes. The shoulder buttons really perform more like novelty
actions. The only truly useful action in Dark Legacy is straight
attacking. The game has its fair share of action, and players will hardly
find times when they are not battling monster upon monster.
Perhaps if it came by any other name, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy would be
a decent title worth looking at. Nevertheless, Dark Legacy is
brandished with the history of the Gauntlet name. The lack of any
multiplayer capabilities, and the needless repetition of previous terrain,
hinder Dark Legacy. The legacy of Gauntlet could surely do
without this dark moment in its path. Dark Legacy is a decent game if
all you want to do is slash away. However, with a title of this proportion,
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy comes off with players simply needing more.
In the early eighties, at the peak of the arcade's popularity, a form of
game was introduced to the world that became a standard in multiplayer and
arcade type story-based games. Gauntlet was a top down RPG-like game
that allowed up to four players to participate simultaneously, requiring
teamwork among players as they traveled through a world full of monsters and
evil beings. Since then, Gauntlet has received a few facelifts, the
most recent being Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, which was originally
released in the arcade and for many consoles. The GBA version of
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy attempts to pack a believable representation of
the classic game into a portable variation.
Gauntlet thrived in the arcade genre by its original use of
multiplayer features. When it was revamped and ported into all of the major
consoles, it kept those concepts of multiplayer gameplay intact. That is
exactly what appeals to players of Gauntlet. For some reason, the
developers chose to develop the portable version of Gauntlet as a
single player game. There is not one ounce of multiplayer built into this
title. Coming in to the game, I expected at least a watered down multiplayer
mini-level, yet I was let down when absolutely nothing of the sort existed.
Constantly regenerated enemies, and a countless maze of maps to navigate,
give even the seasoned pro a bit of a struggle in Gauntlet: Dark
Legacy. Three difficulty settings, ranging from easy to hard, control
the number of hits it takes to kill an individual monster.
The action in Gauntlet: Dark Legacy moves slowly. Getting a character
from one side of the map to the other takes time and patience. This is due
mainly to the slow pace of the avatars. Attacks are pretty one sided.
Pressing the A button constantly should pack enough punch to eradicate those
monsters, while the B button uses potions, the L button blocks and the R
button strafes. The shoulder buttons really perform more like novelty
actions. The only truly useful action in Dark Legacy is straight
attacking. The game has its fair share of action, and players will hardly
find times when they are not battling monster upon monster.