Gauntlet
Warrior, Valkyrie, Wizard and Elf: four friends, a thousand ghosts and food nobody should shoot.
Coming soon to UsuArcade
Votes to bring it to the arcade: 0
In the meantime, head into the arcade and play the cabinets that are already there
- Year
- 1985
- Manufacturer
- Atari Games
- Players
- 4 players at once
- Genres
- Maze games, Action
- Decade
- '80s arcade games
Gauntlet was the cabinet for the whole crew. Four joysticks, four heroes and a stack of quarters lined up on the control panel, because your health drained on its own and you had to keep feeding the machine. And that voice: the deep, booming voice announcing your character was about to die made the entire arcade turn around.
Gauntlet isn't on UsuArcade yet, but it's on our wishlist. If you want to run those dungeons with your friends again, vote with “I want to play it.”
History
Atari Games released Gauntlet in 1985. It was one of the first arcade games to let four people play together at the same time, teaming up through a maze of dungeons. It drew on tabletop fantasy role-playing, but with straight-up arcade action.
The digitized voice was a huge part of the appeal: a narrator called out what was happening, warned who needed food and scolded whoever shot something they shouldn't have. Some of those lines became legendary.
How to play
Each player picks a hero with their own strengths: the Warrior hits hard, the Valkyrie takes hits best, the Wizard rules at magic and the Elf is the fastest. You crawl through top-down dungeons hunting for each level's exit while ghosts, demons and other monsters pour nonstop out of generators.
Take out the generators first, or the monsters will never stop coming. Your health ticks down even when nothing's hitting you, so grab food and, at the arcade, drop in more coins to top off. Magic potions clear the screen, keys open doors, and there's one enemy, Death, you really want to run from.
Fun facts
- It was one of the first arcade games for four simultaneous players.
- Your hero's health drains over time even if nobody's attacking.
- The narrator would call you out for shooting the food.
In the arcade
Coming soon to UsuArcade. When it arrives, the idea is the same as ever: gather your friends around one machine, even if everyone's at home, and let the lobby watch the run. Until then, for co-op adventures there's Golden Axe and Final Fight, and for chaos with friends, Bomberman World: they're all in the lobby and free to play.
FAQ
Can I play Gauntlet on UsuArcade?
Not yet. It's on the wishlist, and you can vote for it with “I want to play it” to help bring it in sooner.
What year did Gauntlet come out?
Gauntlet came out in 1985, made by Atari Games.
How many players does Gauntlet support?
Up to four players at once, in co-op.
Who are the characters in Gauntlet?
The Warrior, the Valkyrie, the Wizard and the Elf, each with their own strengths.
What similar games can I play in the lobby?
Golden Axe, Final Fight and Bomberman World are all free to play on UsuArcade right now.
