US Gold
£4.99

What a fine game Gauntlet is - kept me amused for hours (You mean months! Ed). And this is a fine addition to it - another 512 whole levels to zap your way through. The blister on my joystick thumb is getting bigger by the day.

You need the original game to play it, loading this in first so that you can choose the character you want to be, and selecting between joystick or keyboard. Then, where the tape tells you to rewind to the start of side 2, you just load in the Deeper Dungeons tape and orft you jolly well go.

The first thing you notice is that it's not vastly different to the original. Then you start playing and realise that, while its not that different, it's lots harder. There are loads more nasties to fight - the generators throw them out at a worrying rate of knots. Also, the blue flashing traps appear right from the very beginning. These are to be avoided like the plague - blunder into them and they'll remove the walls holding the baddies back. Then you'll have to fight like fury if you're going to progress any further. In fact, the whole game needs furious weapon wielding, 'cos there's more of everything and you really have to hack away.

The dungeons themselves have been titivated too. They're similar to the original (let's fact it how many dungeon designs can you have?) but they're a bit flashier-looking and a sight more tortuous. If you're anything like me you'll be wandering around some of them for quite a while before you can get through to an exit.

All the usual bits and pieces appear, but there's more of those too. The invisibility amulets turn up quite regularly, and the potions are easy to find and collect, apart from the ones at the end of passages with an exit in front - most annoying. The treasure now twinkles attractively in the chests, though treasure rooms are still frustrating - why do I never find the exit before the counter gets to zero? Food is available too - both the plates and the bottles of cider. Mind you, as with everything else, there's also lots more poisoned cider - just look out for OXO before you have a guzzle.

And the meanest trick of all is that there are more Deaths dashing around. Everything's okay if you've been wise and stocked up on your potions, or if your joystick waggling is finely tuned so that you can out-run them. but if you're a ham-fisted fool like me, you'll find yourself in a couple of sticky situations.

If you're hooked on Gauntlet, then you've probably already got your fiver put on one side for this. If you weren't convinced by the original, then you'll not be very interested, but I can't help it if you're soft in the head! Rollicking good fun - I love it!

Label: US Gold
Price: £4.95
Joystick: various
Memory: 48K/128K
Reviewer: John Gilbert

Gauntlet was by far the best selling game of 1986, so it's only natural - and profitable - that US Gold should try a sequel.

There are 512 deeper dungeons. Some of them have been created by players - p'raps you - who entered the US Gold design competition on the original game's cassette inlay and most of them you'll the easiest is wicked. I managed level four, and just try beating that.

Once you've spent the best part of ten minutes loading the original Gauntlet, deciding whether you're gong to be Merlin. Thor, Thyra or Questor and feeding in the Deeper Dungeons tape you'll come face to face with the familiar monsters, treasures and monster generators. Only the layouts have changed and they're not awe inspiring.

I was impressed with the original game. But when you've seen one US Gold dungeon you've seen them all. I expected extra-devilish twists and turns within the thin-walled mazes, the odd new monster - as in 'Wow that looks different' or 'Uggh, it's ugly' - and treasure with a measure of glitter 'cos I never was one for those drab old chests. Instead all I found were the same old ghosts and goblins, but more and more and more and more of them. At times I was amazed that they managed to cram so many into such pokey holes. There was the odd glimmer of excitement as I'm still a big D&D hack-and- slash fan but eventually disappointment reigned.

Deeper Dungeons extends Gauntlet's life, but only by cramming more of them same into the game. US Gold did right by sticking on a low price tag, you might even call this a budget release.

US Gold
£4.95

So you rushed out and bought Gauntlet didn't you and spent a month of sleepless nights raiding its 512 levels of food, potions, keys and treasure but now all the monsters are dead! What are you going to do?

You've played some of the clones but they don't quite sooth the itch to wipe out grunts, ghosts, sorcerers and lobbers. Don't worry as US Gold have just released the Deeper Dungeons featuring 512 additional levels or monsters, magic and mayhem.

The dungeons were created by the players of the original Gauntlet who sent in their designs to create this compendium of chaos. Since the levels were created by players they are actually harder and more involved than the original and so you should find it a whole new challenge.

Ghosts and grunts are soon joined by the more deadly sorcerers, lobbers and deaths as the game starts at top speed. In fact you have to blast your way through a section of wall in the second level, most potions are guarded by deaths (only destroyed by potions!) and level 4 begins with a shower from rock throwing lobbers!

The Deeper Dungeons are loaded into the original game (which you obviously must have!) when it tells you to load in side 2.

The graphics and gameplay are just as quick and impressive as the original which won't disappoint Gauntlet addicts but for a sequel I would have liked the inclusion of some new monsters and magic artefacts to collect. Who knows, perhaps there's an "Even beeper Dungeons" waiting in the wings.