Dungeon Explorer was the first RPG-type game to be released on the TurboGrafx-16. It was released in November 1989, shortly after the launch of the console.
Dungeon Explorer mixes a Zelda-like overworld, with enemies and villages to explore, plus various dungeons where you must defeat various bosses to restore peace to the land (or something like that).
Instead of straight-up sword swinging action, however, you can choose from eight different character classes (Fighter, Thief, Warlock, Witch, Bard, Bishop, Elf, and Knome), each with different stats and abilities, plus all characters fire their primary weapon as a projectile - kind of like how Gauntlet plays.
In keeping with the "kind of like Gauntlet" theme, enemies play a lot like in Gauntlet as well, where there are monster spawners that must be destroyed to stop the never ending tide of baddies.
But while I was never a huge fan of Gauntlet (I always wanted to like it, but it was generally too hard to be much fun for long), the gameplay loop in Dungeon Explorer is not nearly as punishing, and the added RPG elements, like the villages you can visit, add a nice touch.
The graphics, as you can see in the screenshots, are pretty decent for games at the time, with plenty of detail in the characters, and well animated enemies and NPCs. Certainly a step up from what gamers would have been used to on the NES.
The sound and music are above average for games of this time, like many of the TurboGrafx games I've played so far, and are enjoyable to listen to as you cut through hordes of enemies (honestly much more enjoyable than some of the sharp and grating audio in Gauntlet).
I played through several sessions of Dungeon Explorer, starting out as a Fighter, and progressing to a Warlock, which is the character I've stuck with the longest so far.
Honestly both play very similarly, and other than the different effects you get with the potions or the bombs with each character, I didn't see much of a difference (although the other characters might be).
So far, I've honestly enjoyed my time with Dungeon Explorer a lot more than I thought I might when I heard it was "kind of like Gauntlet". As I said already, the gameplay loop is far less punishing and more enjoyable.
Having the villages to explore and the townspeople to interact with adds some RPG-like elements that are fun, and clearing out specific dungeons with a boss at the end, gives you a specific objective to work towards.
Dungeon Explorer is a game I could see myself getting for Christmas back in the day, and playing a ton of.
You can watch my first hour-ish of gameplay on YouTube, if you are so inclined:
Dungeon Explorer is challenging but not too punishing, and the various characters give it more replay value than some of the early TurboGrafx games (at least to me).
Given my experience thus far, I can certainly see myself playing more Dungeon Explorer, but I'm also excited to move onto playing my next TurboGrafx game, which is...
R-Type!
This is a game that I was very aware of back in the day, and I recall it received glowing reviews, but I've never really played it. Since it was released as one of the early TurboGrafx games, I'm eager to get into it and see what all the hype was about.
Until next time...
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