THE EVOLUTION OF GAUNTLET
Retro Gamer|Issue 261
WHEN ATARI ADAPTED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FOR THE ARCADES WITH GAUNTLET, IT POPULARISED FOUR-PLAYER CO-OP GAMING AND PAVED THE WAY FOR A SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISE. BOB FLANAGAN, MIKE HALLY AND JOHN ROMERO EXPLAIN HOW THE SERIES EVOLVED
RORY MILNE
THE EVOLUTION OF GAUNTLET

AIthough Atari's coin-op division remained profitable throughout the US videogame crash of 1983, there were lay-offs from the department, and this resulted in a fantasy RPG-style arcade game that Ed Logg had started designing late in the year being put on the backburner. By the time Ed had the staff he required it was early 1985, and soon after, coder Bob Flanagan replaced an Atari legend on Ed's team. "I got on to the project about three months in," Bob recalls. "Dave Theurer had been doing the work with Ed and then I took over. Dave had built the level editor, and I think some of the initial mazes. Then my job was to maintain the editor and extend it, and also create mazes and do other coding."

Naturally, Bob assessed the work that had been done before his arrival. The inspiration for its theme and heroes were obvious to him, and some earlier coin-ops came to mind as he analysed its gameplay. "Gauntlet was based on Dungeons & Dragons-type games, and all the characters were based on typical D&Dtype characters," Bob observes. "It reminded me a little of Berzerk and Frenzy, with a bit of Robotron but much less high-adrenaline. Pat McCarthy had done the hardware, and he came up with the brilliant idea of how to have so many objects on the screen at the same time. That was instrumental in being able to accomplish what Ed wanted, which was a screen just swarming with characters."

Esta historia es de la edición Issue 261 de Retro Gamer.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición Issue 261 de Retro Gamer.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE RETRO GAMERVer todo
EVERCADE EXPANDS
Retro Gamer

EVERCADE EXPANDS

We go hands-on with Blaze’s upcoming releases

time-read
3 minutos  |
Issue 263
Rock Band Unplugged
Retro Gamer

Rock Band Unplugged

WHO NEEDS PLASTIC PERIPHERALS?

time-read
2 minutos  |
Issue 263
Super Woden GP II
Retro Gamer

Super Woden GP II

In a world where additional extras are often hidden behind microtransactions and downloadable content it’s rather refreshing to find a game that comes loaded with an obscene amount of extras.

time-read
3 minutos  |
Issue 263
THE MAKING OF MICKEY MANIA
Retro Gamer

THE MAKING OF MICKEY MANIA

THERE WERE SEVERAL GAMES ON THE MEGA DRIVE FEATURING THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS MOUSE, SOME VERY GOOD (CASTLE OF ILLUSION), SOME VERY BAD (FANTASIA). AND THEN THERE WAS MICKEY MANIA, AN IMPRESSIVE TECHNICAL SHOWCASE FROM TRAVELLER'S TALES

time-read
9 minutos  |
Issue 263
PARKER BROS
Retro Gamer

PARKER BROS

BY USING ITS CONTACTS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR AND FORMIDABLE MARKETING CLOUT, PARKER BROTHERS BROUGHT TITLES LIKE STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, SPIDER-MAN AND FROGGER TO THE ATARI 2600 AND ITS RIVALS. RETRO GAMER HIGHLIGHTS THE FIRM’S BEST RELEASES

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 263
SNATCHER
Retro Gamer

SNATCHER

AS HIDEO KOJIMA HAS BECOME A RARE CELEBRITY IN THE GAMING WORLD, SO HIS OLDER WORKS ARE INCREASINGLY REVISITED. BUT HIS 1988 CYBERPUNK ADVENTURE SNATCHER IS ALMOST UNPLAYABLE TODAY, LEGALLY, AND ONLY RECEIVED ONE ENGLISH PORT – WHICH HAS ONLY INCREASED ITS CULT APPEAL, AND COST

time-read
5 minutos  |
Issue 263
ULTIMATE GUIDE TARGET:RENEGADE
Retro Gamer

ULTIMATE GUIDE TARGET:RENEGADE

THE CITY STREETS ARE NEVER SAFE FOR LONG, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELIGHTFUL-SOUNDING SCUMVILLE, WHERE IT'S KILL OR BE KILLED. JOIN US AS WE REVEAL HOW WITH TARGET: RENEGADE, OCEAN SOFTWARE RETOLD THE STORY OF A VENGEFUL VIGILANTE AND CREATED ONE OF THE BEST EVER 8-BIT BRAWLERS

time-read
5 minutos  |
Issue 263
THE MAKING OF Trivial Pursuit
Retro Gamer

THE MAKING OF Trivial Pursuit

IN 1986, A SMALL SOFTWARE HOUSE ON THE VERGE OF BANKRUPTCY LICENSED THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BOARD GAME FOR HOME COMPUTERS. IT CHANGED DOMARK – AND THE UK GAMES INDUSTRY – FOREVER

time-read
9 minutos  |
Issue 263
Donkey Kong
Retro Gamer

Donkey Kong

ABRIDGED TOO FAR?

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 263
THE SPECTRUM
Retro Gamer

THE SPECTRUM

IT’S ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC HOME COMPUTERS EVER MADE, AND IT’S BACK IN PLUG-AND-PLAY FORM. WE SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT TO FIND OUT WHY IT’S TAKEN SO LONG, AND GET A CHANCE TO GIVE OUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS AHEAD OF LAUNCH

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Issue 263