''Gauntlet'' is an unreleased

Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...

hack and slash Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as ...

dungeon crawl A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a "dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video g ...

video game developed by

Backbone Entertainment Backbone Entertainment was an American video game developer based in Emeryville, California. The company was formed in 2003 as the result of a merger between developers Digital Eclipse and ImaginEngine. In 2005, Backbone merged with The Colle ...

, based on the 1985 arcade game by the same title. The game was originally announced in April 2008, and was scheduled to be released later that year.

Gameplay

Press releases and previews of the game characterized it as "retro", with gameplay based on the first two titles in the ''Gauntlet'' series, with some additions such as the character leveling system introduced in '' Gauntlet Legends''. The four original classes from the series,

Warrior A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal society, tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, social class, class, or caste. History ...

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Li ...

Elf An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic peoples, Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in Norse mythology, North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'' ...

and Wizard, return, along with a number of "fan favourite" enemies. Also included are newly recorded versions of the series' trademark speech samples, whereby a narrator announces events occurring in-game with statements such as "Red Warrior shot the food" and "Wizard is about to die!" The game features play spanning both screens, using an entirely new 3D graphical engine, with local wireless as well as online four-player mode, 40 maps, and voice chat capabilities. ''Gauntlets multiplayer modes were said to include ranked

deathmatch Deathmatch commonly refers to: * A particularly brutal type of hardcore wrestling * Deathmatch (video games), a free-for-all video game mode Death Match may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *'' Tom Clancy's Net Force Explorers: D ...

, team deathmatch, and capture the flag styles of play. Its

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...

features were said to use a dedicated server rather than the

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (sometimes shortened to Nintendo WFC) was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's W ...

and its

Friend Code Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (sometimes shortened to Nintendo WFC) was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's W ...

system, featuring all of the same multiplayer modes available locally. Players are able to use their single-player characters in multiplayer modes, and retain experience earned in multiplayer games for solo play.

Development

The possibility of a Nintendo DS ''Gauntlet'' title was first revealed by an ESRB listing in February 2008 which was later removed. The intended publisher, Eidos Interactive, officially announced the game on April 7, 2008, with a projected release in "summer 2008". This estimate was refined to a more specific June release date, which was later amended to October. The game was featured in a playable state at the

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in August 2008, with both single-player and multiplayer modes available. At this time, the game was still expected to meet its October release date. Additionally, a demo of the game was made available to the public in the United States via the DS Download Station service during the summer of 2008. By late 2008, the still-unreleased game had received several reviews in the gaming press, from magazines such as ''

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'', ''

Official Nintendo Magazine ''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British Video game journalism, video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo. Originally p ...

'', and ''

Retro Gamer ''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering Retrogaming, retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' ...

''. In February 2009, however, rumors began circulating that Gauntlet had been canceled by Eidos, though no official statements were made by the involved parties. In June 2009, ''Gauntlet'' was found on the

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web site under a new publisher,

Majesco Entertainment Majesco Games Corporation (formerly Majesco Sales Inc. and Majesco Entertainment Company) is an American video game publisher and distributor based in Hazlet, New Jersey. The company was founded as Majesco Sales in Edison, New Jersey in 1986, an ...

. In May 2013, Artwork of the game, depicting various classes, surfaced thanks to a former

artist. Despite the game itself being unreleased, its engine was reused by Backbone for the Nintendo DS version of the film

tie-in A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, website, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original proper ...

game '' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'', (released August 4, 2009 in the United States) itself a ''Gauntlet''-style hack and slash. North American and European 100% complete ROMs were dumped and released in December 2013.

References

External links

Official websiteNintendo.com website
{{Gauntlet series Cancelled Nintendo DS games Cooperative video games Midway video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Nintendo DS-only games Nintendo DS games Video games about valkyries Video games featuring female protagonists Top-down video games Backbone Entertainment games