Best Gauntlet Game?

[chuckster]

Inspired by alienjesus's recent Games Beaten post, I'm wondering what game in the Gauntlet series everyone likes best. I've played Dark Legacy and Seven Sorrows myself. Dark Legacy was fun and I played it a ton with my dad on Xbox, so I have some good memories attached to it. Really it was just a button mash most of the time, with some positioning and fun boss fights, but I love the all-powerful voiceovers and the general style. Seven Sorrows was dull somehow and I didn't really enjoy it even though it looked a lot better graphically.

[Ack]

Well, I will throw my hat in the ring and say that the answer is definitely NOT Gauntlet: Slayer Edition. That is a poor man's action RPG. It wears Gauntlet's clothes, but it is no Gauntlet, sir.

[Exhuminator]

Honestly it's

[prfsnl_gmr]

On topic...I always thought that the NES port of the original Gauntlet was the best game in the series.

I have played ports of both Gauntlet and Gauntlet II, and I own a copy of Gauntlet IV for the Genesis. Where is Gauntlet III? Did it even come out?

EDIT: I did a little research. It is probably for the best no one remembers Gauntlet III.

[MrPopo]

The correct answer is Gauntlet Legends on an arcade cabinet. Doing it any other way just isn't as awesome.

[Nemoide]

Fun fact: on the night of my senior prom in high school, I was at home, alone, playing Gauntlet on Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits vol. 2 for Dreamcast. I sure as hell wasn't getting dates in highs school and so I wanted to pick the dorkiest sounding activity for reverse-bragging-rights?
I was determined to see the end and was disappointed that the game just loops infinitely. TBH it's the kind of game that's really best in arcades because infinite credits kind of defeats the point.

I remember having fun playing some Gauntlet Legends and Dark Legacy in arcades back when they were new, but I never made a serious attempt at beating them or anything. I'd feel like I ought to get Gauntlet Legends for Dreamcast at some point.

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is one that piqued my interest because John Romero and Tom Hall worked on it, but I think they may have left the project before its completion and I haven't heard much in the way of positive response to that one.

(I'm not sure what the best Gauntlet game might be, I just wanted to chime in with some of my Gauntlet-thoughts!)

[Segata]

Legends on Dreamcast. The game is still great fun! N64 version not so much. Also not a fan of the PS2 port. Don't play the new one, however. Even after they fixed it. It's just not good. On the surface, it looks fine but it just doesn't play very well.

[Sarge]

I love the arcade originals. I also like the Tengen NES port a lot.

I've always heard that Dark Legacy is one of the best, but haven't really put a lot of time into it. Same with the PS2 game. I want a copy of Gauntlet IV, some of that soundtrack is astoundingly good (and creepy):

Exhuminator might have the right of it with his choice. I played a bit of that when I got my Duo, but have held off playing much more until I get some better discs in. (Seriously, this thing hates these Memorex discs I have.)

[Exhuminator]

Exhuminator might have the right of it with his choice.

I was only halfway being a smart ass, Dungeon Explorer II plays a lot like Gauntlet, only so much better.

To be fair, I've never been a big fan of Gauntlet in general. I suppose the arcade original is the best. For a more modern take; Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is decent-ish.

[dunpeal2064]

If you want to play OG Gauntlet (Not Legend or Dark Legacy), then the game you are looking for is Gauntlet IV on the Genesis.

It is a port of Gauntlet, with about as much passion and love as you could dump into a port at the time. On top of a great arcade mode, complete with voice samples and 4-player co-op, it contains a Quest Mode, that is an entirely unique mini rpg that has you climbing various towers to unlock more of the game, while upgrading gear. Oh, and the legendary Sakimoto did the soundtrack conversion, so it also has the best Gauntlet soundtrack ever.

Seriously, if you want to play OG Gauntlet, you are doing yourself a disservice not playing this version.