AGH Lynx Review: GAUNTLET: THE THIRD ENCOUNTER by Atari Yep, the mazes, dungeons, treasures and (most importantly) food are back. Forty treacherous new levels await you and up to three friends (Comlynxed) in Gauntlet: The Third Encounter by Epyx. Epyx? Originally, the game was to be called Time Quests And Treasure Chests, but when Atari took a look at it and realized how similar it was to the coin-op Gauntlet, the company decided to change the title to the more visible name. This game was also one of the first Lynx titles to feature a 90 degree game view to take advantage of the full length of the screen (like most arcade games.) To play the game, you simply flip the Lynx on end and hold it upright. Although it may seem a bit awkward at first, you'll get used to it in no time. This game puts you on a quest to find the magical Star Gem that's located somewhere in the depths of a monster-infested castl. You'll venture through winding (and seemingly endless) passages using one of eight selectable characters in order to find the hidden doorway to the next level. To prevent you from attaining your goal, hordes of freaky creatures, including spiders, scorpions, ghosts and giant frogs will try to make your life miserable. To help things a little, there are quite a few useful items scattered about the mazes. Apples will restore some of your damaged life. Keys open the many doors that block your way. And an assortment of scrolls do various things when picked up, such as making you invisible or increase your life ratings, among other things. You'll also periodically come across computer terminals, of all things! As unfitting as it may seem, these terminals enable you to purchase items and receive vital messages. Players expecting a virtual carbon copy of the coin-op original might be in for a letdown. The action is quite a bit slower on the Lynx, and the new adventure elements such as inventory management make this less of a true sequel. However, this game wasn't designed to be a quarter gobbler, and Epyx felt the need to embellish this version with extras to keep people playing. As a one-player contest, it's a decent - if not satisfying - adventure game with enough frills to make things interesting for a while. Unfortunately, once you're done, you're done. After starting over, you'll notice that all the doors and hidden items are exactly where you saw them before. Apparently, the concept of randomness pioneered by classics such as 2600 Adventure didn't occur to the designers at Epyx. Still, given that not many adventure titles were made for the Lynx, it's worth a try. And if you've got friends with Lynxes, get ready for a wild rush to the precious food! Title Gauntlet: The Third Encounter Publisher Atari System Atari Lynx Graphics 7 Sound 6 Gameplay 6 Overall 6 Reviewer Keita Iida