Gauntlet II is an action video game released in 1986. It was created and published by Atari Games for arcade machines. This game is the second in a series, following the original Gauntlet from 1985. Like the first game, Gauntlet II is a fantasy-themed game where players explore dungeons from a top-down view. It was available as a special arcade machine and as a conversion kit. Both versions allowed two or four players to play together.
Gameplay
Gauntlet II is an expanded version of the original Gauntlet game. Players can still choose from four character classes: Warrior, Valkyrie, Wizard, and Elf. A major change is that multiple players can now select the same class. To tell players apart, each character has a unique color palette. Red and blue are used in all versions of the game, while yellow and green are only available in the 4-player version. New voice samples were added to identify players by their color and class, such as "Yellow Elf" or "Red Wizard."
New level designs were introduced, including levels that can be played with the play-field rotated in 90° increments. Additional features include an enemy called "It," which turns a player into "It" upon contact and causes all enemies to chase them. The only way to end this effect is by touching another player or reaching the exit, making levels with "It" resemble a game of tag. Other additions include the ability to bounce shots off walls using a special item, acid puddles that deal specific amounts of damage, and a large dragon that takes up multiple spaces and requires multiple hits to defeat.
New level elements were also added to increase variety. These include levels where all walls are invisible, "magic walls" that turn into monsters or items when hit, "stun tiles" that temporarily stop players, and fake exits that lead nowhere.
A challenge in the game is finding a "secret room," which becomes available after completing certain tasks in a level, such as finding the real exit first. The secret room contains items like food and magic potions that provide extra abilities, such as increased shot power, speed, magic strength, armor, and combat strength.
Development
After the original Gauntlet was released, Atari Games ran a contest from the time of its release until March 31, 1986. Players sent in level designs, game ideas, and other suggestions for a possible Gauntlet sequel. The contest winners were listed in the April 1986 issue of Atari Games' newsletter, and some of the ideas were used in Gauntlet II. When Gauntlet II was released, Atari Games held another contest. Players were asked to find secret rooms in the game. After completing a task, players received a code and sent it to Atari Games using an entry form. The top prize was a U.S. government savings bond worth $5000, and the first 500 entries received a t-shirt. The contest ended on December 19.
Releases
Gauntlet II was released on the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS in Europe by U.S. Gold in 1987. The versions for the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS were also released in North America by Mindscape. Most versions allowed only two players, but the Atari ST version had an adaptor that let two additional joysticks connect through the machine’s parallel port. In 1990, Mindscape released the game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and in 1991, it was released for the Game Boy. The NES version of Gauntlet II was one of the first games for the console to support up to four players, using either the NES Four Score or NES Satellite adapters. Unlike the NES version of the first Gauntlet game, Gauntlet II closely matched the original arcade version, without including a storyline or ending.
Gauntlet II is also included in the compilations Midway Arcade Treasures 2 (released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube in 2004) and Midway Arcade Origins (released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012). A separate version of the game was released by Sony Online Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 on May 3, 2007, as a downloadable game on the PlayStation Store. However, this version was later removed from sale.
Reception
The Game Boy version of the game was praised by German Play Time magazine for its technical features, such as 8-directional movement, accurate graphics, and sound effects that reminded players of older games. However, the magazine also noted that some characters were hard to see clearly and that the background music was not very strong technically.
The ZX Spectrum version was positively reviewed. Sinclair User called it "excellent," saying it had fast action and great gameplay, making it one of the best sequels available. Your Sinclair described it as a "must have" for fans who wanted the game on their Desert Island Disks. Both Your Sinclair and Crash magazines pointed out that the game's weaknesses included its sound quality and how similar it was to the original version.
In 1997, Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked Gauntlet II as the third best arcade game of all time.