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Gauntlet 'The Official Conversion' has at last appeared. The main difference between the arcade classic and this version, is that US Gold have produced a game for one or two players - whereas up to four combatants can enter the coin-op arena.

The package comes complete with extensive instructions to help Gauntlet novices who didn't spend their formative years pumping coins into the arcade machine. The program is multi-load, with up to eight levels loading at a time.

To begin with, each player must choose one of the four characters, these are: Thor the Warrior, Thyra the Valkyrie, Merlin the Wizard, and Questor the Elf. Each has different levels of Strength, Armour and Magic Power. Strength determines how quickly a character can destroy opponents, Armour level determines the amount of damage a character sustains from a hit, while Magic Power affects the power of potions that are used. In a two player game, the pair of adventurers can work together, sharing the tasks between them and using their unique abilities to best effect.

The aim is to scurry around the spacious dungeons, blasting everything that moves and collecting as much food and treasure as possible. Keys must be found and collected so that locked sections of the dungeons can be entered and explored. While all this is going on, the exit to the next level must be located. Each dungeon consists of a maze of two-dimensional walls and doors, with exits to the other levels scattered about. At the start of each level a message details any special conditions that apply - for instance your shots stun your partner in some maze areas.

Characters begin with 2,000 health units, displayed on a counter at the bottom of the screen. Confrontations with the evil beings that inhabit the dungeons reduce health points, and death ensues when a character's health rating reaches zero. In the two-player game, a character can rejuvenate a dead partner, who reenters with a zero score.

The dungeons are full of guards and demons waiting to do battle with intruders. Generators located in the mazes continually produce dozens of deadly denizens - unless they are quickly destroyed. Characters can either shoot the enemy or enter into hand-to-hand combat, which usually scores more points - at the expense of the loss of more energy. Hordes of opponents tend to congregate together in sections of the maze, just waiting for you to turn a corner or destroy a wall so they can get at you.

Ghosts are the most common opponents and hit a character once, drain some energy and then disappear: hand-to-hand fighting is pointless with spooks. Lobbers are sneaky fellows, throwing rocks and other heavy items over the maze walls. Demons spray fireballs which sap energy very rapidly. Grunts are armed with heavy clubs and run up to your character buffing away repeatedly. Sorcerers use their magic to defeat you, making themselves temporarily invisible and immune to your shots. Death is the toughest guardian of them all and can only be defeated by use of magic - the best approach is to avoid him altogether.

Food and drink (some of which is poisoned) can be collected to restore health and boost your score. Potions found in the mazes have a range of effects - some act as 'smart bombs', while special potions confer additional fighting or shooting ability, increase your character's speed or improve magic power. All the collectable objects are picked up by walking over them, although potions can be shot, in which case their 'smart bomb' effect is reduced.

Points are awarded for each denizen despatched and for collecting objects. Every so often a bonus treasure room is encountered where the aim is to gather up all the treasure and escape before a time limit expires. Transporter pads appear on some levels, and stepping on one moves the player to another pad on the screen. As in the original game, some of the walls can be destroyed by repeated shots, while stepping on a trap makes a section of wall disappear.

Producer: US Gold
Price: £8.99
Author: Tony Porter, Kevin Bulmer, Bill Allen



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