<s>
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
is	O
a	O
1988	O
hybrid	O
action-adventure/shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Compile	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
(	O
NES	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
1986	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
game	O
Guardic	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
published	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Irem	O
in	O
1988	O
,	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
by	O
Broderbund	O
in	O
1989	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Europe	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
in	O
1990	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
incorporates	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
from	O
other	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
,	O
Metroid	B-Device
,	O
and	O
1942	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
from	O
magazines	O
such	O
as	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
considered	O
a	O
classic	O
example	O
of	O
a	O
multiple-genre	O
game	O
that	O
set	O
a	O
standard	O
for	O
others	O
such	O
as	O
Sigma	B-Device
Star	I-Device
Saga	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blue	O
Landers	O
play	O
multiple	O
roles	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
the	O
gynoid	O
guardian	O
of	O
Earth	O
,	O
a	O
"	O
highly	O
sophisticated	O
aerobot	O
transformer	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Famicom	O
by	O
Compile	O
as	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
1986	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
game	O
Guardic	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
Guardic	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Irem	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
director	O
was	O
Masamitsu	O
"	O
Moo	O
"	O
Niitani	O
,	O
Compile	O
's	O
president	O
and	O
the	O
creator	O
of	O
the	O
Puyo	B-Application
Puyo	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
team	O
featured	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
staff	O
who	O
helped	O
create	O
Guardic	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Zanac	B-Device
and	O
Blazing	B-Device
Lazers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
box	O
art	O
for	O
Guardic	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
was	O
created	O
by	O
Japanese	O
science-fiction	O
illustrator	O
Naoyuki	O
Kato	O
and	O
depicts	O
the	O
Guardian	O
as	O
a	O
female	O
cyborg	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
a	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
game	O
that	O
was	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Compile	O
and	O
makes	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
Lander	O
characters	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
is	O
the	O
intellectual	O
property	O
of	O
Irem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
NES	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
by	O
Broderbund	O
in	O
April	O
1989	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
published	O
in	O
Europe	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
in	O
1990	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
previewed	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
in	O
January	O
1989	O
,	O
where	O
they	O
discussed	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
mechanics	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
sequences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
was	O
exhibited	O
at	O
the	O
1989	O
Winter	O
Consumer	O
Electronics	O
Show	O
in	O
Las	O
Vegas	O
,	O
Nevada	O
before	O
its	O
release	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
prime	O
attractions	O
at	O
the	O
Broderbund	O
booth	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
U-Force	B-Device
controller	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1990	O
,	O
remaining	O
inventory	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
was	O
among	O
the	O
assets	O
Broderbund	O
sold	O
to	O
THQ	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
its	O
New	O
Ventures	O
Division	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Steve	O
Harris	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
does	O
more	O
than	O
most	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
ups	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
's	O
a	O
"	O
good	O
follow-up	O
for	O
Zanac	B-Device
fans	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ed	O
Semrad	O
called	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
Blaster	B-Application
Master	I-Application
clone	O
and	O
"	O
only	O
average	O
at	O
best	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
echoed	O
Harris	O
 '	O
opinion	O
that	O
those	O
who	O
enjoyed	O
Zanac	B-Device
would	O
enjoy	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jim	O
Allee	O
also	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
Zanac	B-Device
and	O
repeated	O
what	O
Nauert	O
said	O
about	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
difficulty	O
except	O
in	O
the	O
boss	O
battles	O
;	O
he	O
overall	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
successfully	O
bringing	O
together	O
two	O
distinct	O
themes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
received	O
accolades	O
from	O
the	O
editors	O
of	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
recognition	O
of	O
its	O
achievements	O
,	O
the	O
magazine	O
's	O
editors	O
and	O
staff	O
nominated	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
several	O
awards	O
in	O
its	O
first-ever	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
Awards	O
for	O
1989	O
—	O
among	O
them	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
Graphics	O
&	O
Sound	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
Play	O
Control	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Best	O
Overall	O
"	O
—	O
but	O
the	O
game	O
did	O
not	O
win	O
the	O
top	O
award	O
in	O
any	O
of	O
these	O
categories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
published	O
a	O
partial	O
walkthrough	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
following	O
November	O
1989	O
issue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Video	O
Games	O
magazine	O
the	O
reviewer	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
being	O
a	O
good	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
style	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
;	O
he	O
notes	O
that	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
find	O
hidden	O
items	O
and	O
areas	O
and	O
the	O
top-down	O
perspective	O
closely	O
resemble	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
classic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
reviewers	O
from	O
Power	O
Play	O
compared	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
to	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
and	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2005	O
,	O
Lucas	O
Thomas	O
of	O
the	O
Evansville	O
Courier	O
&	O
Press	O
favorably	O
compared	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
with	O
the	O
NES	O
title	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
title	O
Sigma	B-Device
Star	I-Device
Saga	I-Device
;	O
he	O
emphasized	O
Compile	O
's	O
successful	O
fusion	O
of	O
the	O
action-adventure	O
,	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
and	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
genres	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
2008	O
IGN	O
article	O
,	O
Thomas	O
listed	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
#2	O
on	O
his	O
"	O
Top	O
10	O
Unreleased	O
NES	O
Hits	O
"	O
list	O
and	O
contended	O
that	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
took	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
the	O
multiple-genre	O
game	O
to	O
a	O
farther	O
extent	O
than	O
Blaster	B-Application
Master	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2009	O
,	O
IGN	O
ranked	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
as	O
#87	O
on	O
its	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
NES	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
list	O
and	O
deemed	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
influential	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
the	O
gaming	O
industry	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2008	O
,	O
Game	O
Informer	O
editors	O
referred	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
ultimate	O
genre	O
bender	O
"	O
and	O
likened	O
it	O
to	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
the	O
NES	O
games	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
,	O
Metroid	B-Device
,	O
and	O
1942	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
Gamasutra	O
interview	O
,	O
Retro	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Challenge	I-Application
designer	O
Mike	O
Engler	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
games	O
ever	O
released	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
and	O
sound	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Guardian	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
have	O
been	O
influential	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robert	O
Dewar	O
and	O
Matthew	O
Smosna	O
of	O
the	O
open	B-Operating_System
computing	I-Operating_System
magazine	O
Open	B-Operating_System
Systems	I-Operating_System
Today	O
cited	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
how	O
graphics	O
co-processors	O
such	O
as	O
those	O
in	O
the	O
NES	O
can	O
compensate	O
for	O
inadequate	O
CPU	B-General_Concept
speed	O
in	O
graphics-intensive	O
computer	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
fast-paced	O
action	O
seen	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
replicated	O
on	O
a	O
personal	B-Device
computer	I-Device
at	O
that	O
time	O
(	O
1992	O
)	O
without	O
an	O
expensive	O
graphics	B-Architecture
board	I-Architecture
and	O
regardless	O
of	O
CPU	B-General_Concept
speed	O
.	O
</s>
