Gauntlet Legends is a 1998hack and slashvideo game developed and published byAtari Games forarcades. It is a sequel to 1985'sGauntlet and 1986'sGauntlet II, and the final game in theGauntlet series to be produced by Atari Games. It has many unusual features for an arcade game, includingpasswords and characters that can be saved, enabling players to play over the course of a long period.
In ages past, a corrupt mage named Garm used a set of Runestones to summon a demon named Skorne. However, Skorne crushed Garm and imprisoned his soul in the Underworld. Skorne, fearing the power of the Runestones, scattered them throughout the four realms, so that they could never be used against him. The player(s) must defeat the end bosses of each of the four kingdoms to obtain the four keys which allow access to the desecrated temple and be able to banish Skorne to the Underworld. While traveling through each realm, they must also collect the Thirteen Runestones from where they have been scattered. The complete set of Runestones allows them to pursue Skorne to the Underworld in order to finally destroy him. The players must find three rune stones on each kingdom in order to defeat Skorne in the Underworld (in the arcades only), and one from the battle grounds (home versions only). The initial arcade version had a contest by which the first 500 players to complete the game and send in the supplied validation code would win a freeGauntlet Legends shirt. This game will not end unless the player runs out of health.
A new aspect of theGauntlet series is established inLegends: the ability tolevel up the player's character(s) as the game is played, increasing their abilities throughexperience earned by slaying enemies and acquiring treasure, similar to the character progression methods in manyrole-playing video games. The four primary attributes are:
Strength - Determines damage dealt by physical attacks.
Speed - Determines character movement and attack rates.
Armor - Determines amount of damage character takes from enemy attacks.
Magic - Determines the range and effectiveness of magic potion attacks
Attributes increase with each level attained; increases can also be purchased from the Items menu with gold acquired in gameplay.
The stock fantasy characters from the originalGauntlet return forLegends; as before, each has greater starting ability in a single attribute than their fellows.
Warrior/Minotaur - Strength
Wizard/Jackal/Sumner - Magic
Archer/Tigress - Speed
Valkyrie/Falconess - Armor
Character progression is saved through a password system; a player can progress all four characters to a maximum level of 99, and each of their attributes to a maximum of 999.
The firsthome consoleport ofGauntlet Legends was released for theNintendo 64 in September 1999 in North America. This port saw a European release by the end of the year, and it was the exclusive platform for the Japanese release in the following year, on April 7, 2000.[6] It can support up to four players by using theExpansion Pak, or up to three when using the standardJumper Pak. It requires aController Pak to save game progress, and it is compatible with theRumble Pak.
Though it was originally planned to be released in 1999 alongside the Nintendo 64 version,[7] thePlayStation port was released in 2000 for North America and Europe. Unlike the other versions, this release only supports one or two players, as it omittedmultitap support.
TheDreamcast port was also released in 2000 for North America and Europe. It incorporated much of the features fromGauntlet Dark Legacy.[5]
The arcade version received favorable reviews. Dan Elektro ofGamePro said, "Overall,Gauntlet Legends takes advantage of the 3D space and uses it as much more than a gimmick. [...]Gauntlet deserved an update—and the legend has been treated with befitting respect."[40][c] In Japan,Game Machine listed the game in their March 1, 1999 issue as the sixth most-successful dedicated arcade game of the previous year.[41]
The PlayStation version received "mixed" reviews according to thereview aggregation websiteMetacritic.[11] Greg Orlando ofNextGen said of the Dreamcast version, "Four controllers and oneLegends make for party-game excitement of the highest order."[37]
Vicious Sid ofGamePro said of the N64 version in one review, "Gauntlet Legends is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it's an impressive port of a polished arcade game that manages to cram in some extra playability to boot. If role-playing with an arcade twist lights your fire, you'll combust withGauntlet Legends."[42][d] In anotherGamePro review, Ash said, "Die-hard fans ofGauntlet will especially want to own this game, but it's also a great one for gamers who love the idea of intense multiplayer action. It doesn't get much better than wasting line after line of grunts with a group of friends."[43][e] Boba Fatt later said that the PlayStation version "makes up for its crimes with a responsive, though complicated, interface and a strong two-player performance. Ultimately, this is a rental at best, unless you're a huge fan of the arcade version."[44][f] Dan Elektro said in oneGamePro review, "With all the hidden stuff and the reworked sections,Gauntlet Legends on the Dreamcast feels as fresh as a newly minted quarter."[45][g] In anotherGamePro review, The D-Pad Destroyer said, "If you like mindless action, gather some friends and playGauntlet 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."[46][h]
^Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006).アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 20.ISBN978-4990251215.
^Johnston, Chris; Kujawa, Kraig; MacDonald, Mark (July 2000)."Gauntlet Legends (DC)"(PDF).Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 132. Ziff Davis. p. 140.Archived(PDF) from the original on May 8, 2023. RetrievedApril 19, 2024.
^"Gauntlet Legends (N64)"(PDF).Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 123. Ziff Davis. October 1999. p. 224.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 3, 2022. RetrievedApril 19, 2024.
^Miller, Sean (December 7, 1999)."Gauntlet Legends (N64)".The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived fromthe original on August 23, 2002. RetrievedApril 20, 2024.
^Hudak, Chris (May 3, 2000)."Gauntlet Legends (PSX)".The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived fromthe original on July 5, 2003. RetrievedApril 20, 2024.
^McNamara, Andy; Fitzloff, Jay; Reiner, Andrew (December 1999)."Gauntlet Legends (N64)".Game Informer. No. 80. FuncoLand. Archived fromthe original on May 22, 2000. RetrievedNovember 19, 2013.
^"Gauntlet Legends (PS)".Game Informer. No. 85. FuncoLand. May 2000.
^Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Ngo, George "Eggo"; van Stone, Matt "Kodomo" (July 2000)."Gauntlet Legends (DC)".GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 7. Shinno Media. p. 12. RetrievedApril 20, 2024.
^Weitzner, Jason "Fury" (July 2000)."Gauntlet Legends (DC)".GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 7. Shinno Media. p. 35. RetrievedApril 20, 2024.
^Boulding, Aaron (September 30, 1999)."Gauntlet Legends (N64)".IGN. Ziff Davis.Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. RetrievedApril 16, 2024.
^Perry, Douglass C. (April 7, 2000)."Gauntlet Legends (PS)".IGN. Ziff Davis.Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. RetrievedApril 19, 2024.
^"Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 (Dedicated Videos)".Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 582.Amusement Press, Inc. March 1, 1999. p. 25.
^Vicious Sid (November 1999)."Gauntlet Legends (N64)"(PDF).GamePro. No. 134. IDG. p. 116.Archived(PDF) from the original on April 4, 2023. RetrievedApril 19, 2024.
^Boba Fatt (May 2000)."Gauntlet Legends (PS)"(PDF).GamePro. No. 140. IDG. p. 92.Archived(PDF) from the original on August 22, 2023. RetrievedApril 19, 2024.
^Dan Elektro (July 2000)."Gauntlet Legends (DC)"(PDF).GamePro. No. 142. IDG. p. 90.Archived(PDF) from the original on November 2, 2022. RetrievedApril 19, 2024.
