Gauntlet was a four player Dungeons
and Dragons arcade game. Ok so you don't build extra power by
progressing through various levels but you do get to play a warrior,
elf, valkyrie or wizard. On the small screen it obviously is only two
player. You pick up health, posions and keys while shooting the demons
and looking for the exit. The demons are created out of demon creation
boxes, shoot these and the demons stop. The game is best played by two
people, it can get a bit boring if you are one player going from one
dungeon to the next.
There really isn't much difference between
the games, the Commodore doesn't have particularly good sound in this
game, the Spectrum therefore doesn't, for once, lose in this category.
The graphics on the Commodore is better, both games scroll well, both
have numerous demons on the screen at once and no slowdown is witnessed.
Let's call it a draw! Ghost 'n Goblins
Ghost 'n Goblins was a huge
arcade hit, it was thus dutifully converted to all the home
computers. It was the game to be had, devilishly difficult. You
have to rescue your girlfriend from the monster, the plot doesn't
matter. You are a knight, dressed in armour, if you get hit by a demon
you jump out of your armour. On the Spectrum you look like you are
naked, on the Commodore you wear underwear. You start the game in the
graveyard where zombies rise from the graves, you progress through the
forest, past a mid level boss, to the end of level boss. The game
includes four levels of demon bashing.
When you look at the graphics you might
come to the conclusion that the Spectrum graphics look pretty good, for
a Spectrum that is. But all illusions are destroyed when the game
starts moving. It is difficult to make out what is going on, your head
seems to be flashing, the ladder in the picture above goes to the top
of the hill, only it flashes on and off all the time. I started getting
a headache very soon after starting to play the game.
The Commodore version in contrast has small graphics but well defined,
it really looks good after playing the Spectrum version. A Spooky tune
playes in the background to create atmosphere, still damn difficult
however.
