That’s right, it’s time to run the Gauntlet. The much-beloved arcade classic has seen several iterations over the years, the most recent being a 2014 reboot. While it wasn’t the most popular in the series (most fans still prefer the arcade, Legends or Dark Legacy), this particular title was chosen because it’s one of the few with good co-op runs. And let’s face it, if you’re going to play Gauntlet, you want someone to play it with. Usually. In this case, Keycraftsman plays as the elf and CinNec as the warrior. What, no wizard? I like the wizard! The red wizard looked like God in Dark Legacy!
Most co-op runs in Gauntlet are done with two players. The 4th place slot belongs to a team of three featuring Lucent White, Throwerman and Gritty. Speaking of running, there’s a lot of it happening here, as not all of the fights are necessary for advancing the level. And with regards to the background music, notice how this video has Gauntlet‘s audio replaced (I’ve been seeing that a lot in the past few runs I’ve covered). Happily, the awesome substitute track along with Key’s and Cin’s commentary lets everything flow smoothly. Some of the Gauntlet run videos have no sound at all.
The 2014 reboot wasn’t as well-received as the arcade original, nor as much as some of the earlier console versions. Developer Arrowhead added a pinch of variety by giving the characters extra skills, such as a shield throw for the valkyrie and a spell tree for the wizard. The occasional puzzles and procedural generation only partially succeed in breaking the monotony of horde-slaying, but the fast and harrowing pace is cleanly maintained throughout.
Well, we’ve successfully escaped the dungeon. In addition to the loot we snagged, here’s a bonus Sumner% run from Dark Legacy. And don’t forget to check out this equally gritty Darksiders II speedrun if you haven’t already.