Gauntlet is of course a game well known to arcade game enthusiasts, as it was a very popular game in the '80s. Essentially a mashup of Dungeons & Dragons and Robotron 2084, you ventured through over 200 dungeon levels blasting monsters and generators, collecting treasures for points, eating food to restore some of your constantly dwindling health, collecting keys to open doors, and avoiding traps. Occasionally you'd also find powerups to give benefits like rebounding shots or extra damage, and potions could be used as a "panic button" to clear the screen of monsters. It's had several sequels and followups but 1998's Gauntlet Legends was a significant changeup, giving it a defined ending, a proper leveling system, 3D visuals and a slew of new powerups and level secrets to uncover. Dark Legacy was basically an expansion on that game, adding even more levels, powerups and playable characters (four to start, many more unlocked by completing bonus stages). There is quite a bit more to the mechanics now, too; you can press combinations of weak and strong attacks to do flashy melee combos that clear out weaker enemies and deal heavy damage to Generals. Potions can be used either as the typical screen-sweepers or to generate a shield that temporarily protects from harm, and there's a ton of powerups that can be stored for later use; from flight and gas masks to avoid level hazards to Phoenix Familiars, Rapid Shots and Acid and Fire Breath. It is a fairly monotonous game at its core, but if you just want a few hours of over-the-top monster mash action it's a ton of fun; especially with three friends powering up their characters and helping you wipe out the hordes.
Developer: Midway Games
Publisher: Midway
Released: 2000, 2001, 2001
Platforms: Arcade, Playstation 2, XBox, Gamecube, Game Boy Advance