“Gauntlet,” for its limited graphics and hopelessly repetitive gameplay was an extraordinarily fun game.

User Rating: 7 | Gauntlet APL2
I fondly remember crowding around the Apple II with three friends for a rousing game of “Gauntlet.” At the height of its popularity, “Gauntlet” couldn't be topped. The players would each assume the role of one of four characters (Warrior, Valkyrie, Wizard, or Archer), each with their own strengths and weaknesses within the game.

The male Warrior, who bore a striking resemblance to Conan or He-Man, was incredibly strong, but moved slowly, threw his axes slowly, and had limited magical ability when using potions. The female Amazonian Valkyrie was the most well-rounded character, having average strength, walking gait, sword-throwing speed, and magical ability. The Wizard, who looked like Gandalf, was weak, moved slowly, and his attacking strength was below-average, but his magical ability was off the charts. Finally, the Elven Archer, who appeared to be based off of Legolas, had average strength, but moved like the wind, and flung his arrows in a blur. His magical ability was also above-average, but nowhere near the level of the Wizard.

With these characters, the players would wander through maze after maze, destroying all manner of ghosts, goblins, and other beasts, collecting keys to open locked doors and magic potions to eliminate all the enemies on the screen. Enemy generators were spread throughout the mazes, and once destroyed the number of enemies would decrease, making the trek through the maze easier. Death roamed each maze, and had to be avoided at all cost, as Death would drain a significant amount of health. Food could also be found to replenish health. The objective of each level of “Gauntlet" was to move from the starting point to the swirling teleportation icon which marked the end of the maze.

“Gauntlet,” for its limited graphics and hopelessly repetitive gameplay was an extraordinarily fun game for a 12 year old and provided hours of fun for me and my friends.