"Gauntlet is a prime example of the poor processing power of the NES"

Gauntlet by Tengen (Atari) is a retro A-RPG (action-role playing game) gamer's dream. The premise is simple and old: dungeon crawl from point A to B, and collect power ups to strengthen the player's character along the way. Well, this is the type of gaming I live for! Perhaps more importantly, though, one wants to pick up gold and hack wave after wave of baddies to rack up the bodacious hi-score. The original, arcade version is 4P compatible. Home ports for the systems of the time undoubtedly got watered down versions, regardless of what arcade game we're talking about. Unfortunately, NES owners seemed to get the very short end of the stick with their home port of Gauntlet. The problem is twofold, really: there is the limited processing capabilities of the hardware — the NES system itself, and the half baked programming of the designers of the game.

Gauntlet is supposed to feel like an arcade game; the action is supposed to be fluid and fast. The NES was never intended to emulate arcade-like action (which would've been nice to know as a kid back in the day). Twenty years later, I have read virtually all the inside info available for the NES (on the Internet), and realize how slow (even for its day) the NES really was. It's no wonder the NES couldn't recreate the same experience of so many of my favorite arcade games; the wimpy processor simply can't handle action in an enjoyable way (unlike the SMS). I'm sure lots of kids back then kept making the mistake of buying NES games because they didn't know any better, but at least today we can learn from our mistakes. Gauntlet plays so clunky that there is almost a total disconnect between the gameplay here and the gameplay in the arcade version. The enemies literally chug along, instead of move in one, whole fluid manner. I also read there are not enough power ups in the dungeons because the NES simply can't handle that many objects. For whatever reason, a co-op games is often times harder than solo.

Another huge problem, as mentioned, is the programming, or should I say, the laziness/lack of skill that went into it. With a little more programming, I'm sure the designers could've offered a 4P mode. Instead, they took the easy way out and only made it 2P. The main source of fun was in the number of players that could dungeon crawl together. Two just doesn't drive the player to keep playing, like in the original. To my unpleasant surprise, the designers made the game more like the dungeons in Zelda, in an attempt to make the gameplay more console-like. It doesn't work. Moving from level to level (not dungeon to dungeon) feels like a chore because the layouts of the dungeons in Gauntlet aren't compatible with the dungeon format in Zelda. The dungeons in Gauntlet are meant to just be over with once they're played, and have no relation to past or future dungeons: Gauntlet was, is and will always be arcade dungeon crawling. This means button mashing and waves and waves of ruthless enemies. If my reader decides to go through this game, good luck; it is needlessly confusing and a lot more frustrating than the original, all in the name of making it more home friendly, I imagine.

The control, on the plus side, is good. Everything will be familiar to the arcade goer. The graphics are ho-hum. This is mainly due to the flat color and crude looking sprites. All the power ups have no animation to them, they're just plain old power ups. Still, they're passable. The only visual I thought was cool was the snazzy title screen. There is actually music during the main gameplay, but it just seems like bloops and bleeps. I didn't enjoy it. The SFX are pretty substandard stuff, even for the NES. I couldn't recognize anything from the original, so I eventually just turned off the volume and turned on the iPod. Lastly, there is a password system I didn't even bother to figure out, but the player conveniently receives a password after entering a certain dungeon in a level. The only way I can see myself playing this game is if I use the god-mode password with a friend on Kaillera.

Otherwise, if my reader emulates, go for the original, arcade game. Unbeknownst to most Americans, the SMS was a wiz at recreating authentic arcade experiences, and one of the best kept secrets is Gauntlet for that system. It is superior to the NES version and worth picking up if one prefers using actual game cartridges. Ultimately, this offering just seems like a cash-in on the series, and I would avoid it if possible. There are a couple way better options out there, even if the SMS version wasn't officially released in the U.S., but I'm sure it could easily be picked up on eBay these days.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 08/23/11

Game Release: Gauntlet (US, 1987)