The reason that I decided to purchase this game is the simple fact that I had played the Nintendo version of Gauntlet and loved it. I thought that since I really enjoyed the older version of this game I might enjoy this version as well. Well, not only did I enjoy it but I had a tough time putting it down to write this review. This game can be described in one word: Addictive!

The object of this game is pretty simple: hack your way through an onslaught of monsters. Okay, the object might be a little more complex than that, but not by much. The first thing you do is select your gameplay options. After that you choose your hero from a rather large list of available characters and you are thrown into the game. In fact, if you feel the same way about this game that I did you will probably not be seen by family or friends for the next few days. The main object in this game is to fight your way through millions of monsters gaining items and experience on your way. Oh yeah, there's one other VERY important thing that you must find in each mission: the rune. If you happen to miss the rune in a mission you must replay some of the levels hoping to find it. You have to have a rune to advance in the game.

The Graphics
The graphics in this game are just as great as those of the arcade version. Both the backgrounds and the characters themselves are in bright, vivid colors. You will be hard pressed to find a game with better backgrounds than this one. The characters, although not as great as the backgrounds, are still really good. Each character looks as good, if not better, than the arcade version. The character's costumes are fantastic and their facial features are also great.

The brilliant graphics are not better shown than when performing one of many different spells. The first time I saw my wizard perform a spell I was convinced of the great graphics in this game. For you to really understand what I am talking about you would need pictures. Fortunately, IGN.com has some great pictures of this game. If you want to see them go here: http://dreamcast.ign.com/reviews/13555.html

There is only one part of the graphics that are a problem. The text in this game is rather small and very hard to read. Granted, I played the game on a rather small TV (25") but still there should have been no problem reading the items I was purchasing in the store. Also I have noticed that many other people have mentioned the small text in their reviews as well. This is one problem that really should have been fixed.

Any Slow downs?
If you are not familiar with the gauntlet series you probably have no idea how many characters can be on the screen at one time. Well, this game definitely pushes the limit to the max with numerous evil-doers as well as up to 4 heroes on the screen at one time. Along with the brilliant graphics you would expect numerous slow downs in this game. Well, another great thing about Gauntlet Legends is that there is absolutely no point in this game where there is a slowdown or even loss of frame rate.

The Characters
If you have played the arcade version you will have a good idea of the characters, as they are the same except for the addition of four hidden characters. I will not release the types of the hidden characters, as that is part of the fun in this game. To get a hidden character you must work four of the 8 regular characters up to the twenty-fifth level. This provides some replay value, as you will spend hours just trying to unlock the other characters.

As I mentioned there are eight characters to start the game out with. Some of these characters are wizards, knights, dwarfs, and warriors. Along with each type of character you can also choose from different costume colors. These features really help make the game the visual splendor that it is.

The type of character you choose in this game greatly affects the style of fighting you will have. Each character has different speeds and fighting styles that really affect how you approach to play this game. If you are a wizard, for example, you will obviously not have as high of a close range attack as the warrior. The warrior also will not have as high of magic points as the wizard does. Basically you pick which character best suits your skill level and go from there. One recommendation for the multi-player mode is to have a character of each major type on your team. This way whatever situation you may be in you will have the right hero to handle it.

The Sound Quality
The sound quality in this game is far from brilliant. Some times it can even be classified as terrible. Picture this: you see a bunch of monsters headed your way when all of a sudden the view changes and you only see the faces of your characters. What do you do? Well if it was me I would start shooting like mad hoping I would make contact with something. The only problem though is that sometimes you cannot even hear if you are hitting the monsters or not. The sound just stops. This is really annoying and is a major hindrance in this game.

Just like the sound effects, the voice-overs in this game are not that great. Sometimes they too can be very annoying. Also the music in this game is not what would be considered "high quality". It may not be as bad as the sound effects and voice overs but the music lowers the sound quality as well.

The Camera Views
As I hinted at above, the camera views at times can be very annoying. All of a sudden the camera view may turn to a close up of the characters and you will have no idea where you are headed. This is a big hindrance to the gameplay of this game and really should have been fixed before its release. Some times though the camera can really showcase the excellent graphics this game possesses without hindering gameplay. It’s at these times that you can truly appreciate all of the work that went into making this game.

The Gameplay
The gameplay of this game in one-player mode is really good but to truly appreciate this game you have to try out it's multi-player mode. There's nothing quite like hacking your way through numerous levels with your friends. It's something that has to be experienced to really understand how great it is.

In multi-player mode you can have up to four people playing at the same time. The more people that are playing the easier the game will be. If a person on your team is killed in battle they will be sent to a tower to wait for the next level to come up. It is to your benefit to keep your teammates alive as the game is much harder with less people. Therefore, you will probably find yourself yelling at your friend if he happens to take the last bit of food when another friend is famished.

This game was definitely meant to be purchased for it's multi-player capabilities but its one player mode is still very entertaining. With so many levels, characters, and items anyone would find themselves spending hours just trying to get through this game. This game can be played multiple times without any loss in replay value. For some reason the idea of hacking away at millions of monsters never seams to get old.

Final Thoughts
This game is one of the best arcade ports ever. It's single player and multi-player modes will keep you engaged for months. The graphics also are extremely good and some spells will downright impress you. Even with its minor view and audio flaws this game is still one of the best dreamcast games to date. If you have not played this game yet then I would highly recommend buying it now. It's that good.




Recommended: Yes