Gauntlet (1985 video game)

Atari Games

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	1984 (1984)
Headquarters	Sunnyvale, California , United States
Key people	Ed Logg (designer)
Products	Gauntlet (1985 arcade game)
Parent	Warner Communications (at the time of Gauntlet release)

Gauntlet is a fantasy-themed hack-and-slash arcade title released in 1985 by Atari Games. It stands as one of the pioneering multiplayer dungeon crawl experiences in arcade gaming. Its fundamental design traces back to the 1983 Atari 8-bit game Dandy, which subsequently resulted in legal disputes. Additionally, the game exhibits notable parallels to the action-adventure maze game Time Bandit from 1983.

The arcade edition debuted in November 1985, initially available as a dedicated cabinet supporting four players, with Atari manufacturing 7,848 units. Namco handled its Japanese release in February 1986. To better meet operator needs and address space limitations, Atari launched a two-player cabinet version in June 1986.

Gameplay

Players navigate top-down, third-person orthographic mazes filled with monsters to defeat, treasures to gather, and exits to locate. Each stage contains special items that restore health, unlock doors, boost scores, or eliminate foes.

Four distinct fantasy heroes are available: Thor (a warrior), Merlin (a wizard), Thyra (a valkyrie), and Questor (an elf). Each character possesses unique attributes—Thor excels in close combat, Merlin specializes in magic, Thyra boasts strong armor, and Questor is the swiftest. In four-player mode, character assignment is determined by the control panel; in two-player mode, selection occurs either at the beginning or during gameplay.

Opponents include ghosts, demons, sorcerers, and thieves that emerge from destructible generators. The most formidable adversary is Death, who can only be defeated using a magic potion; failing that, Death disappears after draining player health.

Advancing through the game requires increasing skill and teamwork—players share food resources and tactically attract enemies. Health diminishes upon enemy contact and gradually over time, effectively imposing a time constraint. When health depletes entirely, characters perish but can be revived by inserting a coin shortly after death, enabling continued play at an added cost. Final scores are adjusted based on credits expended.

The four-player cabinet features an expanded control panel equipped with eight-way joysticks and two buttons per player—one for ranged attacks ("fire") and another for magic (also used to start the game). This configuration influenced many subsequent arcade titles.

A distinctive feature is the narrator’s voice synthesized through a TMS5220C speech chip, performed by Ernie Fosselius. The narrator reiterates gameplay instructions and provides commentary during battles with phrases such as "Your life force is running out" or "Let's see you get out of here," enhancing player immersion.

Development

Initially titled Dungeons, the project was conceived by Atari designer Ed Logg, inspired by his son’s enthusiasm for Dungeons & Dragons and the 1983 Atari 8-bit dungeon crawler Dandy. Development spanned from 1983 to 1985 under Logg and Roger Zeigler’s leadership. Due to legal restrictions on the original title in April 1985, it was renamed Gauntlet in May. The game incorporated some of Atari's most sophisticated hardware designs and marked their first coin-operated machine featuring a voice synthesizer chip.

Gauntlet also shares similarities with Time Bandit (1983), especially its 1985 Atari ST iteration, leading to allegations of cloning. Nevertheless, Time Bandit creator Harry Lafnear explained that his game was inspired by Konami’s 1982 arcade release Tutankham, learning about Gauntlet only after finishing the Atari ST version. Both titles drew influence from earlier maze shoot 'em ups like Tutankham. In 2008, Retro Gamer referred to Tutankham as "an early Gauntlet".

'Dandy' controversy

Ed Logg, known for co-creating Asteroids and Centipede, is acknowledged as the designer behind both the arcade and 1987 NES editions of Gauntlet. Following its release, John Palevich asserted that the game's concept was derived from his 1983 Atari 8-bit title Dandy. The disagreement was resolved amicably without legal action, with Atari Games (operating as Tengen) reportedly presenting Palevich with a Gauntlet arcade cabinet. Palevich continued to receive "special thanks" acknowledgments through 1986, whereas Logg was omitted from subsequent credits and publicly distanced himself from the NES version by 2007. Subsequently, Atari reimagined Dandy into Dark Chambers, which launched for the Atari 2600, 7800, and 8-bit computers in 1988.

Ports

Gauntlet was adapted for a broad range of systems, including MS-DOS, Apple II, Mac, MSX, Nintendo Entertainment System, Apple IIGS, Master System, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit computers, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, and the original PlayStation as part of Midway's Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 2. A version for the X68000 was created by M2 and released under the title Gauntlet IV for the Sega Genesis.

The NES adaptation, developed and published by Tengen—the consumer software branch of Atari Games—debuted in 1988 as the first NES game developed within the United States.

Expansion pack

The original computer versions received an expansion titled Gauntlet: The Deeper Dungeons, which introduced 512 additional levels. Launched in 1987 by British publisher U.S. Gold in Europe and by Mindscape in the United States, it was available on Amstrad CPC, MSX, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum platforms. Developed by Gremlin Graphics, many of these levels originated from a European contest where winners earned prizes such as a Gauntlet T-shirt and copies of the game.

This expansion featured randomly presented levels accompanied by artwork inspired by the arcade cabinet’s side panel, showing only the main characters set against a pink backdrop. Critics observed that while the new levels were notably more challenging, the expansion was generally regarded as less engaging than either the original game or its arcade sequel.

Commercial

Following its North American release in November 1985, Gauntlet proved to be highly lucrative; one arcade operator in San Mateo reportedly earned $15,000 within sixteen weeks, while another in Canada made $4,500 over nine days. In the United States, it reached number one on the monthly RePlay chart for upright arcade cabinets in December 1985 and dominated the Play Meter arcade video game rankings from January through March 1986. Although displaced by Sega's Hang-On in April, it reclaimed the top position in May. In 1986, it ranked as the second highest-grossing arcade video game in the U.S., trailing only behind Hang-On, while AMOA recognized it as the highest-earning dedicated arcade cabinet that year. Atari sold a total of 7,848 units of the Gauntlet arcade cabinet.

In Japan, Namco experienced strong commercial results with Gauntlet. At a late-1985 trade exhibition, the game attracted large crowds and set revenue records for an Atari cabinet. According to Game Machine, it was ranked as the second most popular upright/cockpit arcade game in March 1986 before ascending to first place in April. It became Japan’s third highest-grossing upright/cockpit arcade game during the first half of 1986—following Hang-On and Space Harrier—and placed sixth in the latter half. Overall, it finished as Japan’s fourth highest-grossing upright/cockpit arcade title for all of 1986.

In the United Kingdom, home computer versions topped sales charts in December 1986. By 1987, sales had surpassed 200,000 copies in the UK and exceeded 300,000 units by 1988.

Critical

Upon its release, the arcade version of the game earned favorable feedback from Clare Edgeley of Computer and Video Games. Yung Min Choi evaluated the home computer adaptation of Gauntlet alongside Demon Stalkers for Computer Gaming World, remarking that enthusiasts of this genre "will find both titles satisfying". In 1991, Entertainment Weekly placed it as the 14th-best game available, emphasizing that "the original Gauntlet remains unmatched, offering a groundbreaking and fast-paced blend of labyrinths, creatures, and magical spells".

The Mac edition was assessed in 1989 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in Dragon issue No. 150, awarding it four stars out of five. The Macintosh release also received commendations for its sound effects from Compute!. Computer and Video Games praised the Amstrad version for its faithful adaptation, highlighting "excellent visuals, quality audio, and flawless gameplay". The magazine Crash lauded its fluid and rapid scrolling mechanics as well as its lasting appeal, noting that only Avenger served as a comparable alternative. In their review of the Master System version, ACE observed that the controls were intuitive enough for players across all age groups to quickly grasp. The Spectrum iteration became the top-selling game in 1986 and secured the 38th spot in the Your Sinclair Readers' Top 100 Games of All Time.

More than ten years after its debut, the Official UK PlayStation Magazine reminisced about spending numerous evenings with Gauntlet, while recognizing its shortcomings by the late 1990s. Although it did not make their "Top 100 Games of All Time," Next Generation noted that "for reference, Gauntlet ranked number 101". In 1995, it was positioned 89th on Flux magazine’s "Top 100 Video Games", and a year later, GamesMaster placed it 18th in their "Top 100 Games of All Time."

Awards

At the 1986 Golden Joystick Awards held in London, Gauntlet secured the title of Game of the Year and was also a finalist for Arcade Game of the Year. Additionally, it earned a Smash Hit accolade from ZX Computing magazine and received honors for "Best Audio Enhancement" as well as "Most Innovative Video Game" at the Amusement Players Association's Players Choice Awards in 1986; nevertheless, the overall Game of the Year award was presented to the arcade edition of Super Mario Bros..

Legacy

Building on the success of the original arcade release, Gauntlet II appeared in 1986, followed by home console sequels including Gauntlet: The Third Encounter, Gauntlet III: The Final Quest, and Gauntlet IV. The arcade franchise was revitalized with Gauntlet Legends in 1998, which was succeeded by titles such as Gauntlet Dark Legacy and Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows. The initial game has been included in compilation releases like Midway Arcade Treasures (2003) for major consoles and PC platforms, as well as in Midway Arcade Origins (2012) for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A reboot simply named Gauntlet was launched on home systems in 2014.

Sources

• Casus Belli issue 35 (December 1986)

External links

• Gauntlet entry in the Arcade History database