<s>
Gauntlet	B-Application
is	O
a	O
1985	O
fantasy-themed	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
arcade	B-Application
game	O
developed	O
and	O
released	O
by	O
Atari	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
noted	O
as	O
being	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
multiplayer	O
dungeon	O
crawl	O
arcade	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
core	O
design	O
of	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
comes	O
from	O
1983	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
dungeon	O
crawl	O
game	O
Dandy	B-Application
,	O
which	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
threat	O
of	O
legal	O
action	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
bears	O
striking	O
similarities	O
to	O
the	O
action-adventure	O
maze	B-Application
game	I-Application
Time	B-Application
Bandit	I-Application
(	O
1983	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
of	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
1985	O
and	O
was	O
initially	O
available	O
only	O
as	O
a	O
dedicated	O
four-player	O
cabinet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
distributed	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
7,848	O
arcade	B-Application
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
within	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
top-down	O
,	O
third-person	O
,	O
orthographic	O
mazes	B-Application
where	O
the	O
object	O
is	O
to	O
find	O
and	O
touch	O
the	O
designated	O
exit	O
in	O
every	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
player	O
controls	O
one	O
of	O
four	O
playable	O
fantasy-based	O
characters	O
:	O
Thor	O
,	O
a	O
warrior	B-Application
;	O
Merlin	O
,	O
a	O
wizard	O
;	O
Thyra	O
,	O
a	O
valkyrie	O
;	O
or	O
Questor	O
,	O
an	O
Elf	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
warrior	B-Application
is	O
strongest	O
in	O
hand-to-hand	O
combat	O
,	O
the	O
wizard	O
has	O
the	O
most	O
powerful	O
magic	O
,	O
the	O
valkyrie	O
has	O
the	O
best	O
armor	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Elf	B-Application
is	O
the	O
fastest	O
in	O
movement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
enemies	O
are	O
an	O
assortment	O
of	O
fantasy-based	O
monsters	O
,	O
including	O
ghosts	O
,	O
grunts	O
,	O
demons	O
,	O
lobbers	O
,	O
sorcerers	O
,	O
and	O
thieves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
character	O
can	O
be	O
revived	O
in	O
place	O
with	O
full	O
health	O
by	O
spending	O
a	O
game	O
credit	O
—	O
inserting	O
a	O
coin	O
in	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
—	O
within	O
a	O
certain	O
short	O
time	O
window	O
after	O
it	O
died	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aside	O
from	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
have	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
at	O
once	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
also	O
noted	O
for	O
the	O
narrator	O
's	O
voice	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
produced	O
by	O
a	O
Texas	B-Application
Instruments	I-Application
TMS5220C	I-Application
speech	I-Application
chip	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
narrator	O
(	O
voiced	O
by	O
Ernie	O
Fosselius	O
)	O
frequently	O
makes	O
statements	O
repeating	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
rules	O
,	O
including	O
:	O
"	O
Shots	O
do	O
not	O
hurt	O
other	O
players	O
,	O
yet	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Remember	O
,	O
do	O
n't	O
shoot	O
food	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Elf	B-Application
shot	O
the	O
food	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Warrior	B-Application
needs	O
food	O
,	O
badly	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
a	O
player	O
's	O
life	O
force	O
points	O
fall	O
below	O
200	O
,	O
the	O
narrator	O
states	O
,	O
"	O
Your	O
life	O
force	O
is	O
running	O
out	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Elf	B-Application
needs	O
food	O
"	O
,	O
or	O
"	O
Valkyrie	O
is	O
about	O
to	O
die	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
player	O
has	O
an	O
eight-way	O
joystick	B-Device
and	O
two	O
buttons	O
:	O
one	O
for	O
"	O
fire	O
"	O
(	O
ranged	O
attack	O
)	O
and	O
one	O
for	O
"	O
magic	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Gauntlets	B-Application
release	O
,	O
other	O
games	O
started	O
using	O
this	O
design	O
,	O
so	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
popular	O
conversion	O
target	O
for	O
newer	O
games	O
after	O
it	O
had	O
its	O
run	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
claimed	O
inspiration	O
from	O
his	O
son	O
's	O
interest	O
in	O
the	O
paper-based	O
game	O
Dungeons	O
&	O
Dragons	O
and	O
from	O
his	O
own	O
interest	O
in	O
the	O
1984	O
four-player	O
dungeon	O
crawl	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
,	O
Dandy	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
working	O
title	O
became	O
legally	O
unavailable	O
in	O
April	O
1985	O
,	O
so	O
it	O
was	O
renamed	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
in	O
May	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
game	O
which	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
bears	O
a	O
striking	O
resemblance	O
to	O
is	O
Time	B-Application
Bandit	I-Application
(	O
1983	O
)	O
,	O
especially	O
its	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
version	O
released	O
in	O
1985	O
,	O
which	O
led	O
to	O
claims	O
of	O
one	O
possibly	O
being	O
a	O
"	O
clone	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Time	B-Application
Bandit	I-Application
designer	O
Harry	O
Lafnear	O
stated	O
that	O
his	O
game	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
Konami	O
's	O
earlier	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
Tutankham	B-Application
(	O
1982	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
he	O
only	O
found	O
out	O
about	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
after	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
version	O
was	O
completed	O
in	O
late	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
believes	O
neither	O
game	O
copied	O
each	O
other	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
their	O
similarities	O
stem	O
from	O
being	O
inspired	O
by	O
earlier	O
"	O
maze	B-Application
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
"	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Tutankham	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
Retro	O
Gamer	O
magazine	O
called	O
Tutankham	B-Application
"	O
an	O
early	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ed	O
Logg	O
,	O
the	O
co-creator	O
of	O
Asteroids	B-Application
and	O
Centipede	B-Application
,	O
is	O
credited	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
design	O
of	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
in	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
1987	O
NES	B-Language
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
John	O
Palevich	O
threatened	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
,	O
asserting	O
that	O
the	O
original	O
concept	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
from	O
Dandy	B-Application
,	O
a	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
written	O
by	O
Palevich	O
and	O
published	O
in	O
1983	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
conflict	O
was	O
settled	O
without	O
any	O
suit	O
being	O
filed	O
,	O
with	O
Atari	O
Games	O
doing	O
business	O
as	O
Tengen	O
allegedly	O
awarding	O
Palevich	O
a	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
game	O
machine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
he	O
is	O
credited	O
with	O
"	O
special	O
thanks	O
"	O
through	O
1986	O
,	O
Logg	O
is	O
entirely	O
removed	O
from	O
credits	O
on	O
later	O
releases	O
and	O
as	O
of	O
2007	O
Logg	O
claims	O
no	O
involvement	O
with	O
the	O
NES	B-Language
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dandy	B-Application
was	O
later	O
reworked	O
by	O
Atari	O
Corporation	O
and	O
published	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
2600	I-General_Concept
,	O
Atari	B-General_Concept
7800	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
as	O
Dark	B-Application
Chambers	I-Application
in	O
1988	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gauntlet	B-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
,	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
,	O
Macintosh	B-Device
,	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
,	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
,	O
Apple	B-Device
IIGS	I-Device
,	O
Sega	O
Master	O
System	O
,	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
,	O
Commodore	O
64	O
,	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
,	O
Amstrad	B-Device
CPC	I-Device
,	O
ZX	B-Operating_System
Spectrum	I-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
1	I-Device
console	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Midway	B-Application
's	I-Application
Arcade	I-Application
's	I-Application
Greatest	I-Application
Hits	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Atari	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
X68000	B-Device
version	O
was	O
under	O
development	O
by	O
M2	O
,	O
before	O
being	O
showcased	O
to	O
Tengen	O
and	O
released	O
as	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
IV	I-Application
for	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
NES	B-Language
version	O
was	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Tengen	O
,	O
Atari	O
Games	O
 '	O
consumer	O
software	O
publishing	O
division	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1988	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
very	O
first	O
title	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
for	O
the	O
NES	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gauntlet	B-Application
:	O
The	O
Deeper	O
Dungeons	O
is	O
an	O
expansion	O
pack	O
for	O
the	O
original	O
computer	O
ports	O
of	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
with	O
512	O
new	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1987	O
by	O
the	O
British	O
company	O
U.S.	O
Gold	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
and	O
Europe	O
,	O
and	O
Mindscape	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
for	O
the	O
Amstrad	B-Device
CPC	I-Device
,	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
,	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
,	O
Commodore	O
64	O
,	O
and	O
ZX	B-Operating_System
Spectrum	I-Operating_System
ports	O
of	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
its	O
levels	O
were	O
entries	O
in	O
a	O
competition	O
throughout	O
Europe	O
in	O
which	O
ten	O
winners	O
were	O
awarded	O
prizes	O
,	O
a	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
T-shirt	O
and	O
a	O
copy	O
of	O
the	O
program	O
for	O
their	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
levels	O
are	O
presented	O
randomly	O
and	O
its	O
artwork	O
is	O
the	O
side	O
panel	O
artwork	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinet	O
with	O
only	O
the	O
main	O
characters	O
shown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
levels	O
were	O
much	O
harder	O
than	O
those	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
consensus	O
was	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
quite	O
as	O
good	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
or	O
the	O
newly	O
released	O
arcade	B-Application
sequel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
highly	O
profitable	O
upon	O
its	O
November	O
1985	O
launch	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
reportedly	O
earning	O
one	O
San	O
Mateo	O
,	O
California	O
arcade	B-Application
operator	O
$	O
15,000	O
in	O
sixteen	O
weeks	O
and	O
another	O
Canadian	O
operator	O
US$	O
4,500	O
in	O
nine	O
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
it	O
topped	O
the	O
monthly	O
RePlay	O
upright	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinet	O
chart	O
in	O
December	O
1985	O
,	O
and	O
topped	O
the	O
Play	O
Meter	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
charts	O
from	O
January	O
1986	O
to	O
March	O
1986	O
;	O
after	O
being	O
displaced	O
by	O
Sega	O
's	O
Hang-On	B-Application
in	O
April	O
,	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
returned	O
to	O
the	O
top	O
spot	O
in	O
May	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RePlay	O
listed	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
second	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
1986	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
below	O
Hang-On	B-Application
,	O
while	O
AMOA	O
listed	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
year	O
's	O
highest-earning	O
dedicated	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
ultimately	O
sold	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
7,848	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
video	O
game	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
for	O
Namco	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
a	O
Japanese	O
trade	O
show	O
in	O
late	O
1985	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
drew	O
large	O
crowds	O
and	O
set	O
record	O
earnings	O
for	O
an	O
Atari	O
arcade	B-Application
cabinet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Machine	O
listed	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
on	O
their	O
March	O
15	O
,	O
1986	O
issue	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
second	O
most-popular	O
upright/cockpit	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
for	O
the	O
previous	O
two	O
weeks	O
,	O
below	O
Sega	O
's	O
Space	B-Application
Harrier	I-Application
,	O
before	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
topped	O
the	O
chart	O
in	O
April	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
be	O
Japan	O
's	O
third	O
highest-grossing	O
upright/cockpit	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
during	O
the	O
first	O
half	O
of	O
1986	O
(	O
below	O
Hang-On	B-Application
and	O
Space	B-Application
Harrier	I-Application
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
sixth	O
highest	O
during	O
the	O
second	O
half	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
Japans	O
's	O
fourth	O
highest-grossing	O
upright/cockpit	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1986	I-Application
(	O
below	O
Hang-On	B-Application
,	O
Space	B-Application
Harrier	I-Application
and	O
Pole	B-Application
Position	I-Application
II	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
received	O
a	O
positive	O
review	O
from	O
Clare	O
Edgeley	O
of	O
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
upon	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yung	O
Min	O
Choi	O
reviewed	O
the	O
home	O
computer	O
conversion	O
of	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
with	O
Demon	B-Application
Stalkers	I-Application
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
in	O
reality	O
,	O
players	O
who	O
crave	O
this	O
type	O
of	O
action	O
will	O
not	O
be	O
disappointed	O
with	O
either	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Entertainment	O
Weekly	O
picked	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
the	O
14th-greatest	O
game	O
available	O
in	O
1991	O
,	O
saying	O
:	O
"	O
There	O
have	O
been	O
sequels	O
to	O
this	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
nothing	O
matches	O
the	O
original	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
,	O
an	O
innovative	O
,	O
fast-playing	O
mix	O
of	O
mazes	B-Application
,	O
monsters	O
,	O
and	O
magic	O
spells	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Macintosh	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
reviewed	O
in	O
1989	O
in	O
Dragon	O
No.150	O
by	O
Hartley	O
,	O
Patricia	O
,	O
and	O
Kirk	O
Lesser	O
in	O
"	O
The	O
Role	O
of	O
Computers	O
"	O
column	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
praised	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
version	O
's	O
sound	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crash	O
praised	O
the	O
smooth	O
and	O
fast	O
scrolling	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
longevity	O
,	O
with	O
Avenger	B-Application
being	O
listed	O
as	O
the	O
only	O
alternative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
than	O
a	O
decade	O
after	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
Official	O
UK	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Magazine	O
noted	O
that	O
they	O
"	O
spent	O
many	O
a	O
night	O
hunched	O
over	O
a	O
fag-stained	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
machine	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
limitations	O
had	O
become	O
apparent	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
,	O
while	O
not	O
including	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
their	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
,	O
noted	O
in	O
the	O
intro	O
that	O
"	O
for	O
the	O
record	O
,	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
was	O
number	O
101	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
GamesMaster	O
ranked	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
18th	O
in	O
its	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
1986	O
Golden	O
Joystick	B-Device
Awards	O
in	O
London	O
,	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
won	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
runner-up	O
in	O
the	O
category	O
of	O
Arcade	B-Application
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
won	O
"	O
Best	O
Audio	O
Enhancement	O
in	O
a	O
Video	O
Game	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Most	O
Innovative	O
Video	O
Game	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
1986	O
Amusement	O
Players	O
Association	O
's	O
Players	O
Choice	O
Awards	O
;	O
the	O
overall	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
award	O
went	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
of	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
original	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
1986	O
sequel	O
,	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
further	O
sequels	O
on	O
home	O
platforms	O
,	O
including	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Third	I-Application
Encounter	I-Application
,	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
IV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
series	O
was	O
revived	O
with	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
Legends	I-Application
in	O
1998	O
,	O
which	O
itself	O
saw	O
the	O
sequels	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
Dark	I-Application
Legacy	I-Application
and	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
:	I-Application
Seven	I-Application
Sorrows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
arcade	B-Application
game	O
is	O
included	O
in	O
Midway	B-Application
Arcade	I-Application
Treasures	I-Application
(	O
2003	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Midway	B-Application
Arcade	I-Application
Origins	I-Application
(	O
2012	O
)	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
rebooted	O
in	O
2014	O
on	O
home	O
platforms	O
as	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
.	O
</s>
