Back in the 80s, one of the biggest arcade smashes of the time was a game called Gauntlet.  Gameplay consisted of navigating one of four warriors through numerous mazes in search of treasure and a way out while hacking through huge packs of enemies.  Over a decade later, the series returned in the form of a game called Gauntlet Legends.  With its classic gameplay intact, it came back with more moves, treasure, enemies, power-ups, and better overall presentation thanks to leaps in technology over the years.  After becoming an instant hit in the arcades, Gauntlet Legends made its way to the Dreamcast with everything that made it fun in the arcade --  and more -- intact.

Gauntlet Legends is a videogame in the purest sense of the term.  The setting is in the days of wizards and dragons. The goal is to defeat the evil power.  The gameplay is simple enough to be fun for a few minutes, yet entertaining enough to keep the player's interest for hours at a time.  You start off by picking out one of several characters and then plowing your way through hordes of enemies in an effort to get from point A to point B while grabbing all the treasure, food, and power-ups you can obtain along the way.  If you pay attention enough and fully explore each level, you'll more than likely find relics that open up more levels, secret bonus rooms, and powerful weapons that are tailor made for the  boss battles.  If you're playing with friends, things get even more interesting because while you're working together to defeat the enemies, you're also racing each other to the treasure and power-ups that are all over the place.  It can get pretty exciting and that’s a sure sign of a great videogame if there ever was one.

Though the Dreamcast is a powerful system, the graphics aren't quite as good as in the arcade.  The Dreamcast version is better looking than the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 versions hands down, but the arcade version is still a little bit sharper.  The characters and enemies are where the main difference lies between the Dreamcast and the arcade.  Most of the levels, except for a couple in the first world specifically, have great design and are vibrant with color.  The few bland looking levels are not exclusive to the Dreamcast, though, because they're that way in the arcade too.  Actually, they only appear bland because the rest of the levels look so outstanding.  Overall, there is a lot of polish and the game looks very good.

As an arcade-to-home port, Gauntlet Legends on the Dreamcast sounds exactly like it does in the arcade.  That said, the sound effects were never that great to begin with.  Nothing sounds out of place.  It’s just that the sound of an axe chopping down an enemy is the same as the sound of a wooden staff striking an enemy across the face.  Though the sound effects are recycled, it isn't like everything you do causes the same sound.  Smashing a barrel open isn't like opening a treasure chest, but the combat noises are pretty limited.  Most people won't even notice and if they do it’s not likely that they'll care.  They'll be having too much fun.  On the other hand, the music is great.  Everything from classical to heavy metal is in there and it all works perfectly to help set the mood for each level.  Even the classic Gauntlet theme song is represented with new versions.  The "Tower" area specifically has an excellent remake of the old theme.

Also deserving special mention are the incredible boss battles.  In typical videogame fashion, the boss battles are larger than life.  There are special weapons hidden throughout the regular levels that make the boss battles a bit easier, but even with those, you'll have a tough time finding a sure fire way to beat them.  The good news is that you can go on to later levels without having to beat them right away, so you can find all the weapons and come back later with tons of experience. 

Gauntlet Legends is not for everyone.  Some people may not think there's much more to it than hacking and slashing everything in sight.  For action and adventure fans, it's all about over the top weaponry, grabbing everything in sight, and immersing yourself in the huge world that sprawls out before you.  A great party game for sure, but still a solid experience if played alone.