Gauntlet (1985 video game)
| Gauntlet | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Atari Games |
| Publisher(s) | Atari Games |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release | 1985 |
| Genre(s) | Hack and slash, dungeon crawl |
| Mode(s) | One to four players |
Gauntlet is a dungeon game released as an arcade machine by Atari Games in 1985. Up to four players explore a maze together from above, each as one of four fantasy characters: a warrior, a valkyrie, a wizard or an elf. The aim is to find the exit of each level, killing monsters and collecting treasure on the way, and every character's health drains with time.[1] It is one of five games named in 2022 by Molecular Reality Corporation as inspirations for the planned game Labyrinth of the Dragon Tyrant.
Gameplay
The view is from straight above, and the maze scrolls with the players. Monsters pour out of generators, which keep producing ghosts, grunts, demons and other enemies until a player destroys them. Each of the four characters has its own strengths: the warrior is strong in melee, the valkyrie has good armor, the wizard has the strongest magic and the elf is the fastest. Potions and keys are collected and used as in many dungeon games, and treasure adds to the score.[1]
Each character's health drains as time passes, whether or not anything attacks it, and food restores it. A voice built into the machine announces the shortage to the players, in lines such as "Warrior needs food, badly". A character whose health reaches zero can rejoin the game if another coin is inserted.
Hardware and ports
The cabinet is wider than a standard upright. It gives each player a joystick with two buttons, one for fire and one for magic, so four people could stand in a row.[1] An arcade sequel, Gauntlet II, followed in 1986. Home versions for personal computers topped the British sales charts in December 1986.
Reception
RePlay magazine ranked it the second-highest-earning arcade game in the United States for 1986. It won Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards of that year.
Influence on Labyrinth of the Dragon Tyrant
In the memo Early Releases on Maxine's Quest, Labyrinth of the Dragon Tyrant is "Inspired by: 2.5d-rogue-like, with 2d hints of Gauntlet, Ultima, and Pac-Man, and 3d hints of Bard's Tale and Dungeons of Daggaroth".[2] Its science is "biomedical gerontology and rejuvenation medicine", the study of how bodies age, and its title comes from an allegory about aging, The Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant.
Aging is the subject of the company's game, and Gauntlet already makes time an opponent, since its health drain runs whether or not anything attacks. Whether the company had that in mind is not stated. Its prototype, level 7 of Maxine's Quest, consisted of a single wall placed outside the area where the player can move.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-7615-3643-7.
- ^ "Early Releases on Maxine's Quest". Molecular Reality Corporation. 2022.