''Gauntlet IV'' is a 1993

action video game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, rhythm games and ...

developed by M2 and published by Tengen for the

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...

. It includes a four player port of the original ''Gauntlet'', as well other exclusive modes such as a new RPG Quest Mode and head to head battle mode, it was well received by critics.

Gameplay

''Gauntlet IV'' features four different modes with different game play styles: "Arcade mode", a port of the original arcade game, which has up to four players exploring a sequence of dungeons shooting at masses of enemies with projectile weapons, collecting keys to open locked doors and finding potions that wipe out all enemies onscreen. The players health decreases constantly as the game progresses and has to be replenished by collecting food items and each stage often has multiple exits which send you to different levels. "Quest mode", which is the main feature of the game, and is set in all new dungeons with new bosses to fight against and which combines the game play of the original game with new RPG elements such as character-leveling and item purchasing as well as featuring the ability to save game progress. "Battle mode", a

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 ...

game, which has the players fighting against each other in arenas. The arenas include hidden power-ups that increase the players' attributes for that match and within this mode the projectile weapons bounce around the screen and can be used to force opponents into the exits to cause a "ring out" And "Record mode", a single-player only variant of arcade mode in which progress is kept track via a password.

Development and release

''Gauntlet IV'' began as a port of the original '' Gauntlet'' for the

Sharp X68000 The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan. The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wi ...

produced as a homebrew project by a group of friends in Japan who would later form the development studio M2. It was picked up by

Atari Games Atari Games Corporation was an American producer of arcade video games, active from 1985 to 1999, then as Midway Games West Inc. until 2003. It was formed when the coin-operated video game division of Atari, Inc. was transferred by its owner Wa ...

, the makers of the original game, and used instead as the basis for a sequel for the Genesis published by Tengen, their home-publishing imprint. The game's soundtrack was composed by

Hitoshi Sakimoto is a Japanese composer and sound producer. He is best known for scoring the video games '' Final Fantasy Tactics'' and ''Final Fantasy XII'', though he has composed soundtracks for numerous other games. Sakimoto first played music and video games ...

and

Masaharu Iwata is a Japanese video game composer. In high school his musical projects included composing on a synthesizer and playing in a cover band. After graduating from high school he joined Bothtec as a composer. He composed the soundtrack to several game ...

Reception

Upon the game's release in 1993, ''

MegaTech ''MegaTech'' (sometimes styled with the katakana メガテケ) was a publication from EMAP aimed specifically at the Sega Mega Drive gaming market. The magazine was started in 1991. The launch editorial consisted of a small team including Pa ...

'' said that "the action is flawless" and had stood the test of time well. They continued that it was "a brilliant game, and one that warrants immediate attention". '' Mega'' praised the longevity of the game, saying it was "huge fun and a must-buy" and placing the game at No. 19 in their list of the best Mega Drive games of all time. Mega Top 100 feature,

Future Publishing Future plc is a British publishing company. It was started in 1985 by Chris Anderson. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History 1985–2012 The company was founded by Chris Anderson a ...

, issue 14, page 87, November 1993

Notes

References

{{Gauntlet series 1993 video games Dungeon crawler video games Fantasy video games Hack and slash games Sega Genesis games Sega Genesis-only games Video game sequels Video games about valkyries Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Masaharu Iwata Video games scored by Hitoshi Sakimoto Multiplayer and single-player video games