Gauntlet II
1986 · Dungeon Crawler · Arcade
Overview
Gauntlet II (1986) is Atari's four-player dungeon sequel, adding 'It', acid puddles, reflective shots and shifting walls to the original.
Deep Dive
Gauntlet II keeps the original's Warrior, Valkyrie, Wizard and Elf, its monster generators and its constantly draining health, and adds new tricks: the 'It' monster, which makes the player it tags the target of every enemy, acid puddles, a dragon, walls that move or can be walked through, and power-ups such as reflective shots and invisibility. Any player can choose any hero, so four Wizards are possible. Designed by Ed Logg, it was as big a hit as the first game.
Developer Story
Gauntlet II was designed by Ed Logg at Atari Games in 1986. It expanded on the original with new enemy types including ghosts that could only be damaged briefly, IT enemies that transferred their status on touch, and the Supershot — a charge-up weapon. The game retained the four-player simultaneous format and the health-draining over time mechanic that made the original a revenue powerhouse.
Did You Know?
- The "It" demon transferred a debilitating status effect to any player it touched — players avoided each other as frantically as they avoided enemies.
- Gauntlet II introduced flying enemies that the original's pathfinding couldn't handle — they bypassed walls entirely.
- The Supershot was a charged projectile that could clear entire rooms — holding the fire button for a few seconds was a skill in itself.
Sources & further reading
- Gauntlet II — Wikipedia
