Dungeon Magic/Light Bringer (ARC, 1994)
Graphics-8 Sound-8? Control-7 Challenge-8*/7.5 Story-5.5
Level Design-7 Frustration-8.5*/7.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-6.5
Overall Score-7.5**
*As Ash in 1-player if you're not credit feeding but trying to beat the game in about 9 credits
**1-player
+
Beat 'em up w/ RPG elements (exp point leveling - increases HP+AP (maybe, conflicting info in guides and wikipedia)+affects the charge attack timer, shows a level map when entering new rooms (Smash TV?) - vaguely maze-like levels, find different types of main weapons including elemental ones and enemies have elemental affinities (plain (minor critical hit chance - these can knock down enemies), fire, ice, thunder/electricity, power (purple, higher damage and critical hit chance+faster), holy (ultimate weapon (as good as a power weapon)+deals more damage to undead although some prefer Power for Ash); the game shows you if an enemy is weak to an element), some hidden items (for example on top of the first building in the game), alternate paths within levels)
Large and detailed sprites, Good animation, Very good visual variety, Several music tracks per level, Good art direction
2 to 4-player coop
Can change character after every game over
Difficulty options (easy-very hard, lives per credit, coin worth)
Basic-decent block puzzles (place objects near platforms to reach higher, fairly advanced stacking puzzle in one later level)
Grab and throw moves (can throw enemies into each other and into traps - very few pits though)
Decent variety of temporary alternate weapons (crossbows, knives, swords, morning stars, axes)
Dash and charge attacks (the latter hits lower than a regular one when playing as Ash - useful against certain enemies, different charge attack if holding a magic candle)
Special/desperation attack which gives you invincibility time for its entire duration (similar to spinning in TMNT, works like a smart bomb for some chars such as the elf woman; can hold more than 9 at once even though the counter stops at 9, note that Cisty's invincibility ends a bit before the attack ends)
Can change direction mid-combo (only after the second strike though)
Some mini-bosses
Can skip fighting various monsters (usually not recommended though unless you get all of the secrets)
4 different playable chars (knight/fighter (Ash), martial arts specialist/monk (Gren), ninja/rogue elf (Cisty), wizard (Vold))
Some decent bosses (giant snake, spider queen)
One minor side quest at one point if playing as/with Cisty
Enemies are also affected by traps
+/-
Time limit in each room (about 2 mins, early on you start getting attacked by ghosts if you waste too much time in a room - doesn't always happen though) - goes against the exploration and puzzle elements a bit
Can't visit every room in any single playthrough
No shops
Only treasure and picking up the same type of weapon yields good exp (and you should either stick with a plain (200k) or power weapon (90k) for the best result) - killing enemies generally yields minor exp
Can't use a temporary weapon alongside your main one or as a sub weapon - it replaces your main attack and is generally used up after one attack unless it's a crossbow
Can sometimes stay in a room and grind on enemies as they'll keep respawning (slowly and generally 1-2 at a time though so it's a bit dull)
Can't extend your basic 4-hit attack combo
No shops
Auto-block while wielding a shield
If an enemy blocks then your combo is interrupted and you are sometimes vulnerable to a counter attack - can generally side step to avoid damage though
Vold the wizard is mostly OP although his charge attack while using a thunder weapon is kinda bad and his throw is weak
Can't throw boulders and boxes into enemies unless you jump first (otherwise you'll only pick them up and put them back down)
The final boss feels similar to Super Shredder from Turtles in Time (some attacks are cheaper however)
-
Some control/interface issues (short timer on each text box as well as when selecting your char before beginning - pointless, unforgiving hit detection when attacking flying enemies (charge attacks help if playing as Ash though), can't dash up/down or diagonally, no jump length or height control - some platforming, can't see how much more exp is needed to reach the next level, can't double check the map before exiting a room, hard to hit with Gren's alternate charge attack (firebreath, requires magic candle), pretty easy to accidentally skip dialogue, somewhat loose horizontal scrolling)
Some trial & error (various mechanics, boss patterns, best routes, most secrets (and not getting most of them makes the game noticeably harder), all enemies in level 2's temple are weak to ice)
Can't block without having a shield equipped - these break quickly and are pretty rare (can sometimes dodge using a dash attack but it requires double-tapping, can also use jumping or moving up/down at times)
Somewhat slow default combo speed as Ash and some enemies can interrupt it mid-way and hit you (can also happen to Gren vs some enemies)
If enemies block your charge attacks as Ash it leaves you open to a counter attack+his dash attack doesn't knock enemies down
Leveling up is a bit slow after the first 4 or so levels (faster if you can find all the secrets)
Cheap hits from trapped item containers (seems you can generally avoid them by attacking from far away and moving away though)
Tedious blue demon boss
Sometimes uneven difficulty (not enough health to find at various points (and in a few rooms you get too much instead) - if you know the best routes to take and how to find all the secrets it balances out a bit since you regain about 30% health when leveling up but it's not really enough since shields are also pretty rare) - feels balanced for 2-player coop overall
Some unavoidable (or close to it) enemy attacks and maybe some traps as well
Gets repetitive towards the end
You'll sometimes find gear for other chars even in a 1-player game
The magic candle can be found only in two places during the game, one of which being the first room
The flying imps can retaliate before you land again right after you hit them with a jump attack - can avoid it if you jumped in a direction but this can lead to jumping into hazards (can destroy their spears with your attacks but it can be hard to time) and generally isn't effective if there's more than one (see the room after the elevator in level 3)
Can cheese a couple of bosses by standing in a safe spot and repeating the first attack in your combo when they appear (infinite combo strat - easiest to do with Vold)
Notes:
-Critical hit chance can be increased by picking up mice
-Enemies that yield decent exp when killed: blood - 500, selrian - 500, werewolf - 500, imp - 500, ghost - 600, orc head - 600, archer - 800, orc mast - 800, mad orc - 1,000
-Cisty's critical ability is different from the rest; it ONLY affects her charge (NOT desperation) attack - it allows her to randomly fire off a desperation attack when using a charge attack
Level Design-7 Frustration-8.5*/7.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-6.5
Overall Score-7.5**
*As Ash in 1-player if you're not credit feeding but trying to beat the game in about 9 credits
**1-player
+
Beat 'em up w/ RPG elements (exp point leveling - increases HP+AP (maybe, conflicting info in guides and wikipedia)+affects the charge attack timer, shows a level map when entering new rooms (Smash TV?) - vaguely maze-like levels, find different types of main weapons including elemental ones and enemies have elemental affinities (plain (minor critical hit chance - these can knock down enemies), fire, ice, thunder/electricity, power (purple, higher damage and critical hit chance+faster), holy (ultimate weapon (as good as a power weapon)+deals more damage to undead although some prefer Power for Ash); the game shows you if an enemy is weak to an element), some hidden items (for example on top of the first building in the game), alternate paths within levels)
Large and detailed sprites, Good animation, Very good visual variety, Several music tracks per level, Good art direction
2 to 4-player coop
Can change character after every game over
Difficulty options (easy-very hard, lives per credit, coin worth)
Basic-decent block puzzles (place objects near platforms to reach higher, fairly advanced stacking puzzle in one later level)
Grab and throw moves (can throw enemies into each other and into traps - very few pits though)
Decent variety of temporary alternate weapons (crossbows, knives, swords, morning stars, axes)
Dash and charge attacks (the latter hits lower than a regular one when playing as Ash - useful against certain enemies, different charge attack if holding a magic candle)
Special/desperation attack which gives you invincibility time for its entire duration (similar to spinning in TMNT, works like a smart bomb for some chars such as the elf woman; can hold more than 9 at once even though the counter stops at 9, note that Cisty's invincibility ends a bit before the attack ends)
Can change direction mid-combo (only after the second strike though)
Some mini-bosses
Can skip fighting various monsters (usually not recommended though unless you get all of the secrets)
4 different playable chars (knight/fighter (Ash), martial arts specialist/monk (Gren), ninja/rogue elf (Cisty), wizard (Vold))
Some decent bosses (giant snake, spider queen)
One minor side quest at one point if playing as/with Cisty
Enemies are also affected by traps
+/-
Time limit in each room (about 2 mins, early on you start getting attacked by ghosts if you waste too much time in a room - doesn't always happen though) - goes against the exploration and puzzle elements a bit
Can't visit every room in any single playthrough
No shops
Only treasure and picking up the same type of weapon yields good exp (and you should either stick with a plain (200k) or power weapon (90k) for the best result) - killing enemies generally yields minor exp
Can't use a temporary weapon alongside your main one or as a sub weapon - it replaces your main attack and is generally used up after one attack unless it's a crossbow
Can sometimes stay in a room and grind on enemies as they'll keep respawning (slowly and generally 1-2 at a time though so it's a bit dull)
Can't extend your basic 4-hit attack combo
No shops
Auto-block while wielding a shield
If an enemy blocks then your combo is interrupted and you are sometimes vulnerable to a counter attack - can generally side step to avoid damage though
Vold the wizard is mostly OP although his charge attack while using a thunder weapon is kinda bad and his throw is weak
Can't throw boulders and boxes into enemies unless you jump first (otherwise you'll only pick them up and put them back down)
The final boss feels similar to Super Shredder from Turtles in Time (some attacks are cheaper however)
-
Some control/interface issues (short timer on each text box as well as when selecting your char before beginning - pointless, unforgiving hit detection when attacking flying enemies (charge attacks help if playing as Ash though), can't dash up/down or diagonally, no jump length or height control - some platforming, can't see how much more exp is needed to reach the next level, can't double check the map before exiting a room, hard to hit with Gren's alternate charge attack (firebreath, requires magic candle), pretty easy to accidentally skip dialogue, somewhat loose horizontal scrolling)
Some trial & error (various mechanics, boss patterns, best routes, most secrets (and not getting most of them makes the game noticeably harder), all enemies in level 2's temple are weak to ice)
Can't block without having a shield equipped - these break quickly and are pretty rare (can sometimes dodge using a dash attack but it requires double-tapping, can also use jumping or moving up/down at times)
Somewhat slow default combo speed as Ash and some enemies can interrupt it mid-way and hit you (can also happen to Gren vs some enemies)
If enemies block your charge attacks as Ash it leaves you open to a counter attack+his dash attack doesn't knock enemies down
Leveling up is a bit slow after the first 4 or so levels (faster if you can find all the secrets)
Cheap hits from trapped item containers (seems you can generally avoid them by attacking from far away and moving away though)
Tedious blue demon boss
Sometimes uneven difficulty (not enough health to find at various points (and in a few rooms you get too much instead) - if you know the best routes to take and how to find all the secrets it balances out a bit since you regain about 30% health when leveling up but it's not really enough since shields are also pretty rare) - feels balanced for 2-player coop overall
Some unavoidable (or close to it) enemy attacks and maybe some traps as well
Gets repetitive towards the end
You'll sometimes find gear for other chars even in a 1-player game
The magic candle can be found only in two places during the game, one of which being the first room
The flying imps can retaliate before you land again right after you hit them with a jump attack - can avoid it if you jumped in a direction but this can lead to jumping into hazards (can destroy their spears with your attacks but it can be hard to time) and generally isn't effective if there's more than one (see the room after the elevator in level 3)
Can cheese a couple of bosses by standing in a safe spot and repeating the first attack in your combo when they appear (infinite combo strat - easiest to do with Vold)
Notes:
-Critical hit chance can be increased by picking up mice
-Enemies that yield decent exp when killed: blood - 500, selrian - 500, werewolf - 500, imp - 500, ghost - 600, orc head - 600, archer - 800, orc mast - 800, mad orc - 1,000
-Cisty's critical ability is different from the rest; it ONLY affects her charge (NOT desperation) attack - it allows her to randomly fire off a desperation attack when using a charge attack