Anyone remember Gauntlet (the old arcade game)?

[80251]

I know there's at least one other Gauntlet fan out there ("red warrior is about to die")! I remember Gauntlet being the first game to have 4-way cooperative play (or not, some people would use the other players as cannon fodder to extend their own gameplay time). Wizard of Wor had coop play as well I think. I used to play Gauntlet at the Ackerman Union at UCLA (right near the bowling alley, if that's even still there).

 

[timta2]

I used to love playing it at my local bowling alley. I also spent an insane amount of time playing the Commodore 64 version. Good times and great memories.

 

[LifeOnMars]

First played it on Amstrad in multiplayer with my cousins, awesome experience as a kid but then managed to play it on the 4 player Arcade version and was blown away. So much fun and Merlin was the man!!!

Edit - Cabinet was like this but can't tell if that's Gauntlet 1 or 2

 

[BSim500]

I know there's at least one other Gauntlet fan out there ("red warrior is about to die")! I remember Gauntlet being the first game to have 4-way cooperative play (or not, some people would use the other players as cannon fodder to extend their own gameplay time). Wizard of Wor had coop play as well I think. I used to play Gauntlet at the Ackerman Union at UCLA (right near the bowling alley, if that's even still there).

That's the beauty of PC gaming. You still can play them today via emulators (and I still have the ZX Spectrum version of both Gauntlet 1 & 2 lying around somewhere). Many hours of childhood fun on that.

 

[the54thvoid]

Elf needs food...baaaadddlllyyyyyy!

Loved it.

 

[delshay]

It's suppose to be a team game, but it never worked out as everyone is for themselves when it comes to food. ..Then there's shoving of players on one player towards black death, soaking up he's energy. This was one of the fun part, as it's the nearest play when black death appears get's picked on. ...it's all about survival & not putting in more money to continue your game where you left off.

 

[skizzo]

I first played it on the NES. I remember it being one of the first games I ever played actually. Never did get to play it in the arcade, or at least, I don't remember playing the real cabinets, I always wanted to play games at the arcade that I did NOT have access to at home through ports. Though I do have a decent Hyperspin setup I've been piecing together that I eventually want to build a cabinet for. Recently started debating with myself if I should switch my frontend ecosystem over to Bigbox instead though. With that said, been reminiscing in this game and the follow up sequel through MAME in recent years.

 

[kapone32]

Guantlet was fun but cost too many quarters to get anywhere. Wizard of Wor was one of my favorite Arcade Games. There is a PC release of Gauntlet on Steam that is pretty good but pales in complexity to other Games in the space but is great for nostalgia (with modern Graphics).

 

[skizzo]

There is a PC release of Gauntlet on Steam that is pretty good but pales in complexity to other Games in the space but is great for nostalgia (with modern Graphics).

Did not know this existed, thanks for mentioning it and putting this game on my radar. I just put it on my wishlist.

 

[eidairaman1]

I know there's at least one other Gauntlet fan out there ("red warrior is about to die")! I remember Gauntlet being the first game to have 4-way cooperative play (or not, some people would use the other players as cannon fodder to extend their own gameplay time). Wizard of Wor had coop play as well I think. I used to play Gauntlet at the Ackerman Union at UCLA (right near the bowling alley, if that's even still there).

I Played 1 of the 3D versions in an Arcade long time ago.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Guantlet was fun but cost too many quarters to get anywhere.

WHAT?! I got banned from arcades from playing. My long streak is 16 hours on 1 quarter! Broke countless high scores. I can not remember the exact scores, but it was in the millions. Cant remember the highest level either.

There would be people that joined in not able to keep up and die a lot. Fun times.

I know there's at least one other Gauntlet fan out there ("red warrior is about to die")! I remember Gauntlet being the first game to have 4-way cooperative play (or not, some people would use the other players as cannon fodder to extend their own gameplay time). Wizard of Wor had coop play as well I think. I used to play Gauntlet at the Ackerman Union at UCLA (right near the bowling alley, if that's even still there).

I wonder who that could be?

 

[kapone32]

WHAT?! I got banned from arcades from playing. My long streak is 16 hours on 1 quarter! Broke countless high scores. I can not remember the exact scores, but it was in the millions. Cant remember the highest level either.

There would be people that joined in not able to keep up and die a lot. Fun times.


I wonder who that could be?

Well from what you are saying you sound like the GOAT of Gauntlet.

 

[BlaezaLite]

Played it on Arcade, Master System and Mega Drive. Its also on Dreamcast called Gauntlet dark legacy. Awesome game but just never could play it long enough. Used to get me frustrated as hell.

 

[Ruru]

I barely remember playing it with my uncle on C64 in the early 90s.

 

[thesmokingman]

Elf needs food...baaaadddlllyyyyyy!

That was literally my first thought while reading the OP.

 

[80251]

The Gauntlet arcade game I played was a top down variant. It was the only game that attracted an audience in the arcade back then. I never knew they came out with a 3D version. The console versions look pretty bad in comparison to the arcade variant, but that's how it was for everything back then.

It's hard to believe anyone remembers Wizard of Wor, it was never as popular (or as good) as Gauntlet.

 

[kapone32]

The Gauntlet arcade game I played was a top down variant. It was the only game that attracted an audience in the arcade back then. I never knew they came out with a 3D version. The console versions look pretty bad in comparison to the arcade variant, but that's how it was for everything back then.

It's hard to believe anyone remembers Wizard of Wor, it was never as popular (or as good) as Gauntlet.

After I gave up on Asteroids (another quarter muncher) I was pleased to find that in the Bowling Alley on the way home in Grade 6 The fact that the Wizard was so random made that Game cool Robotron was a good one too. When they got Tempest that was it though because that Game was so different than anything before it.

 

[80251]

@kapone32
My friend and I got pretty good at playing coop Wizard of Wor, but the arcade was too far away to play on a regular basis. Was the Wizard unkillable? I remember at some point he would make an appearance on every level.

 

[kapone32]

@kapone32
My friend and I got pretty good at playing coop Wizard of Wor, but the arcade was too far away to play on a regular basis. Was the Wizard unkillable? I remember at some point he would make an appearance on every level.

He would be unkillable for the the first 2 levels if I remember correctly, then you had to learn where he would appear after the 3rd level because it took several hits to get him down.

 

[80251]

The entire series of Gauntlet arcade games for sale, right now (incl. available upgrades [e.g. replacing the CRT with an LCD] for an extra price):
https://www.vintagearcade.net/product-category/arcade-games/?ap=g

My cable TV has been replaying an ancient video gaming game show called Starcade (which I never remember from back in the day) It has some arcade games I've never heard of and some of the cheesiest door prizes I've ever seen (probably because they're meant for kids, but at least two adults were contestants). One door prize was the Texas Instruments TI-99 (my family had one of those). The host of the show had never played a video game in his life until he was chosen to be the host, reportedly he himself got hooked on video games after playing them as market research for the show.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

16 hrs on one dime, the sports centre /arcade I was in never even opened that long.

Not that it would have mattered to me , I would vaguely guess I couldn't stay alive an hour on a dime, great game and memories though.

 

[80251]

@DeathtoGnomes

I wonder if that Gauntlet machine is still out there -- with your high score. After 16 hrs. your parents must have thought you had been kidnapped...

 

[Mr.Scott]

Played it. Wasn't my fav though. I was more of a Dragon's Lair guy.
Or Missile Command.

 

[chromecut]

I know there's at least one other Gauntlet fan out there ("red warrior is about to die")! I remember Gauntlet being the first game to have 4-way cooperative play (or not, some people would use the other players as cannon fodder to extend their own gameplay time). Wizard of Wor had coop play as well I think. I used to play Gauntlet at the Ackerman Union at UCLA (right near the bowling alley, if that's even still there).

great game-then you will like gauntlet:seven sorrows for ps2, gauntlet:dark legacy(PS2)or a modern take gauntlet:slayer steam edition-all couch co-op player games
I played the gauntlet legend arcade game forever ago-it kept you profile/saved progress-first arcade game I ever saw that saved your progress-it took me a month to beat it
(I worked at the arcade) and forver and a day ago I beat gauntlet 2-the table version using some string and bandaid tape on a quarter trick-play for hours on one quarter lol
good times

 

[timta2]

Guantlet was fun but cost too many quarters to get anywhere. Wizard of Wor was one of my favorite Arcade Games. There is a PC release of Gauntlet on Steam that is pretty good but pales in complexity to other Games in the space but is great for nostalgia (with modern Graphics).

The problem with that Gauntlet is that it's modern and an entirely different game. I spent a few hours playing it and while fun, it's nothing like the original (like so many other things these days...)