Gauntlet: Dark Legacy
Score: 55% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Midway Developer: Pocket Studios Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: 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.
-==Boy, GameVortex Communications AKA Kyle Prestenback
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