GENRE
	Action
	DEVELOPER
	Midway
	PUBLISHER
	Midway
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	no
	WII EXCLUSIVE
	gcn
	EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
	BUY NOW AT

The Gauntlet series has been hugely addictive and popular thus far in both the arcade and console scenes, and now we are finally getting a chance to continue the feverish gaming on our next-gen platforms. For those of you who are new to the series, here’s a brief description of what this franchise is all about:

You and up to three friends play the role of one of several different classes of medieval characters including Warriors, Valkyries, Archers, Wizards, Jesters*, Sorceresses*, Dwarves* and Knights*. The gameplay revolves around a quest in which you must trek through expansive mazes and environments in search of artifacts and, ultimately, the exit.

Along the way, you will be battling seemingly endless armies of monsters, gathering gold and treasures, and consuming a good quantity of food to keep your health up. And let's not forget the enormous bosses found at the end of each world, stat upgrades for your characters, and lots of special items and abilities to acquire.

*New classes available in Dark Legacy.

Impressions
The Gauntlet series has always been more popular for multiplayer gaming than solo gaming, but just like the original, there is plenty of solo gaming to be had in Gauntlet Dark Legacy (GDL). Yet while GDL is sporting enhanced visuals and an improved framerate over previous incarnations-- as it should be expected by today’s standards-- there isn’t a whole lot new to be found because it is essentially an upgrade of the older game.

GDL includes exactly the same gameplay formula, as well as retreads of all the original stages and worlds, but, thankfully, it also includes a few new worlds to explore, new character classes to choose from, special abilities, and baddies to thwart-- all are likely to be the same as the PS2 version's, but were not on your N64 version. N64 version fans beware, though: should GCN's version be like the PS2 version, you won't be able to save up items to sell or use for later-- adding a decidedly different slant to the N64's version that was much more flexibile in item usage.

Word On The Street
Running around wielding powerful magic and an assortment of medieval weapons has never been so appealing. GDL looks to improve upon the old formula it paved in every way possible and become an instant classic on each platform it graces-- which, at this point, appears to be all of them, sans Game Boy.

From The Horse's Mouth

• Role-playing Adventure: Advance characters with combat and adventure experience - bigger, badder, faster, stronger
• Numerous Characters: Eight Different Playable Characters: Warriors, Valkyries, Archers, Wizards, Jesters, Sorceresses, Dwarves and Knights
• Secret Characters: Over two-dozen secret characters with eight different split personalities to unlock
• Massive Gameplay Worlds: Mountain, Desert, Forest and Castle plus Ice, Town, Sky and Dream. Venture where only legends dare tread with more than 50 evil enemies, challenging evil bosses and countless potions, power-ups and secrets to uncover
• Advanced Combat: Each of the eight different characters pack unique combo moves and turbo attacks
• Masterfully crafted worlds, powered by a revamped graphics engine and the most extensive display of cinematics ever for the franchise

Conclusion
This might be just an old game with a pretty face, but it still looks like another instant party classic for the four-player ready 'Cube. People who have already shelled out cash on the N64 version might not want to purchase this version, but it looks like it’s definitely going to be a hot item on the rental scene in the worst-case scenario.

media

impressions

word on the street

press release notes

overall