Gauntlet

Gauntlet

October 15, 1985·Single player, Multiplayer
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Ratings

70
User Score
47 ratings
77
Critic Score
3 reviews
74
Total Score
50 combined

About

The players, up to four at once in the arcade version, select among four playable fantasy-based characters; Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wizard, Thyra the Valkyrie, or Questor the Elf. Each character has his or her own unique strength and weaknesses. For example, the Warrior is strongest in hand-to-hand combat, the Wizard has the most powerful magic, the Valkyrie has the best armour and the Elf is the fastest in movement. Upon selecting a playable character, the gameplay is set within a series of top-down, third-person perspective mazes where the object is to find and touch the designated exit in every level. An assortment of special items can be located in each level that increase player's character's health, unlock doors, gain more points and magical potions that can destroy all of the enemies on screen. The enemies are an assortment of fantasy-based monsters, including ghosts, grunts, demons, lobbers, sorcerers and thieves. Each enters the level through specific generators, which can be destroyed. While there are no bosses in the game, the most dangerous enemy is "Death", who can not only drain a character's health, but is difficult to destroy. As the game progresses, higher levels of skill are needed to reach the exit, with success often depending on the willingness of the players to cooperate by sharing food and luring monsters into places where they can be engaged and slaughtered more conveniently. While contact with enemies reduces the player's health, it also slowly drains on its own, thus creating a time limit. When a character's health reaches zero, that character dies. The character can be revived in place with full health by spending a game credit (i.e. inserting a coin) within a certain short time window after it died. This allows even the least proficient players to keep playing indefinitely, if they are willing to keep inserting coins.

Release Dates

PlatformDate
ArcadeOct 15, 1985
ArcadeNov 1985
Atari 8-bit1985
ArcadeFeb 1986
MSX1986
Amstrad CPC1986
Commodore C64/128/MAX1986
ZX Spectrum1986
Commodore C64/128/MAXSep 01, 1987
Atari ST/STEOct 01, 1987
Atari 8-bitDec 01, 1987
Atari ST/STE1987
DOSFeb 02, 1988
Apple IIGSMar 01, 1988
Apple IIApr 05, 1988
MSX1988
MacMay 02, 1989
Sega Master System/Mark III1990
Xbox 360Nov 22, 2005
Xbox 360Dec 02, 2005

Trailer

Screenshots

Gauntlet screenshot 1Gauntlet screenshot 2Gauntlet screenshot 3Gauntlet screenshot 4Gauntlet screenshot 5Gauntlet screenshot 6

Game Info

Developer
Atari Games
Publisher
Mindscape, Inc., U.S. Gold, Midway Games, Namco, Atari Games
Release Date
October 15, 1985
Porting
Backbone Entertainment, Gremlin Graphics
Collection
Gauntlet
Perspective
Bird view / Isometric

Where to Buy

How Long to Beat

See estimated completion times on HowLongToBeat.

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Platforms

ArcadeApple IIGSAtari 8-bitCommodore C64/128/MAXZX SpectrumAtari ST/STEMacDOSApple IIXbox 360Amstrad CPCSega Master System/Mark IIIMSX

Genres

Hack and slash/Beat 'em upArcade

Themes

ActionFantasy

Game Modes

Single playerMultiplayer

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