This was another game that you could play with the Lynx turned 180 degrees sideways. At the time, I remember being amazed that somebody finally put Gauntlet on a portable system and it was a real solid version of the game. The object of "Gauntlet: The Third Encounter" is pretty much what you'd expect from any Gauntlet game: battle your way through impossible odds in the form of spiders, ghosts, slime and even land sharks all in the hopes of rescuing the Star Gem from a deadly castle. And what Gauntlet game would be complete without some great characters to choose from: An Android, a Valkyrie, a Gunfighter, a Nerd, a Pirate, a Punk Rocker, a Samurai and a Wizard! When it comes right down to it, I've always believed that Gauntlet is a multiplayer game at heart... I mean, who wouldn't want to see a Nerd and a Pirate fighting side-by-side? The Lynx does allow you to play the game with up to 3 other people, and unless you're doing just that, chances are you won't appreciate it as much.

When someone hears the name Gauntlet, they expect a fun enduring 200+ level game. Gauntlet was one of the most popular multiplayer arcade role-playing game's of all time, and is still in all kinds of locations (movie theatres, pizza parlors and the like). Epyx's Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is not that game by any means -- although it may be a limitation of being a portable game -- it only boasts 40 pretty short levels and limited play. When ever an enemy touches you it disappears instantly making for quite an easy experience, just stand still and press fire and you will beat any level in no time. When Atari bought the rights for the Lynx they needed to have a hard hitting title, and Time Quest and Treasure Chests seemed to be close enough to slap the Gauntlet name on it.

Being one of the first Lynx titles, it offers quite a few unique features and capabilities, such as ComLynx -- where three other players can hook into the same game with their Lynx to play multiplayer. It also shows off the Lynx's 3D capabilities with the Zoom Window, which will show enemies and items close to you in a 3D view, allowing you to see more detailed monsters. Another unique aspect of this game is the 90 degree viewing angle, requiring you to turn your lynx on its side in order to play, giving the game a more arcade feel. But with all these cool features comes consequences, such as very limited viewing on the small portable screen.

Characters come in a wide variety, such as the original Wizard and Valkyrie. New characters consist of Samurai, Gunfighter, Pirate, Android, Punk Rocker, and ... Nerd! Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of speed and ammo (even the nerd). While playing through the levels you will encounter Spiders, Ghosts, Scorpions, and even Huge Frogs (oh my). They all pretty much act and die in the same manor and cause little to no damage to your character. In the case that you need to heal you will have to collect food, which will be required even if you avoid all contact with enemies as your life will naturally decrease as time runs out.

Just as the NES Metal Gear 2: Snakes Revenge has nothing to do with the MSX2 Metal Gear 2, Gauntlet III: Third Encounter has nothing to do with its counterpart on the PC. Once you get bored of the same repetitive action and finish off the game, you will quickly realize that this game has no replay value what so ever. A random monster generator or anything random exists in this game. Everything is the same as the first time you went through it, and will all ways be that way. RPG's before this have had the monster generator capabilities, so there is no excuse why this game is way to easy.

No, you're not mistaken. Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is not a Lynx adaptation of any of the Gauntlet arcade games. Instead, this was originally a similar game developed by Epyx called Time Quests and Treasure Chests. When Atari bought the rights to the Lynx, they gave it a quick name change in hopes that the Gauntlet title would enhance its market appeal.

In any event, the game pits you and up to three companions against the demonic hordes of an abandoned castle. Players can choose to be one of eight characters, each of whom is rated differently in speed, strength, fighting skill, and health. Your objective is to fight through a dungeon of 40 maze-like levels, and retrieve a mysterious Star Gem of immense power. Along the way, you will find food, treasure, keys, magic potions and scrolls, and computer terminals(!) which offer information and sell supplies. You lose health from time and attacks, and die when it disappears. The action is seen from a scrolling overhead map, along with a second window that provides a first-person view of the action.

One new twist to the gameplay in Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is inventory management. Everything your character finds is carried along until used, though there is a limit to how much you can tote. It's possible, for instance, to drop pots of gold and "build" a protective wall to shield your adventurers from nearby threats. The game itself is fairly difficult, as survival depends on both minimizing your damage and on managing your food supplies. There is also quite a bit of creativity and variety throughout -- opponents include multiplying slime creatures, falling stalactites, and robots, and your character choices range from cowboys to pirates to nerds.

Unfortunately, these points are counterbalanced by a number of criticisms. Since levels are presented in a fixed order, and the location of their contents never change, the game becomes static and predictable. The arcade frenzy has slowed down a bit, due to monsters who will not attack until you either strike first or approach close enough. Worse, if a creature touches your character, the monster disappears, reducing the overall difficulty. Progress can often be made by standing still and holding down the attack button, which reduces the strategy needed and increases the repetitive atmosphere.

The orientation of the game is worth a few extra words. Used properly, vertically-oriented games can add to the fun, giving a taller viewing window into the action. Here, it feels more like a gratuitous demo of the Lynx than an aid to gameplay, as the display could be rearranged for a horizontal setup with no loss of data. Worse, the bright backgrounds used in some levels have been known to cause eyestrain and headaches in some players when played for long periods.

The sights and sound of Gauntlet: The Third Encounter are pretty average, neither highly appealing nor truly repulsive. Game graphics are small but varied and clearly recognizable, though animation is at a minimum. Scaling is used in several places, but not to great effect, and the first-person-perspective "action window" does little to enhance the game. Sounds are also short and varied, consisting mainly of clips indicating the attacks used by the monsters and your players. A low-key background tune plays throughout the game as well.

This cartridge offers some good points and some bad points, coming to rest as an average game. Several more refinements would have been welcome, but as it is now, whether or not you should get Gauntlet: The Third Encounter depends on whether you can tolerate its weaknesses.