Editorial | 4/18/2011 at 11:00 PM

Co-Op Classics Video Edition: Dungeons & Dragons Tower of Doom

It's time once again for a video edition of Co-Op Classics.  Typically, we try to create videos for two of our previously featured classics in a video edition.  However, this time around, the game was so massive and full of cool action that it deserved an edition of its own!  A typical playthrough of this brawler is just under an hour, which was unheard of in the arcades, and so the video itself is similarly super sized.  We've got a dragon-sized gallery of screenshots for you, as well.  Come with us on a journey through Dungeons & Dragons Tower of Doom!

 

Dungeons & Dragons Tower of Doom

Read the original Co-Op Classics article

I have played through many, many brawlers in my life as a gamer.  The co-op beat 'em up is one of my absolute favorite genres, from TMNT to Golden Axe and beyond.  Great as these two games (and others) may be, there is one series that stands head and shoulders above them all: Capcom's Dungeons & Dragons games.  Tower of Doom is the first of these two magnificent co-op masterpieces.

Four players can team up, choosing iconic fantasy classes plucked straight from the tabletop RPG: fighter, cleric, dwarf, and elf.  This is no button mashing brawler, featuring a robust inventory system, experience points, gaining levels, and of course casting spells.  Lightning Bolt, Magic Missile, Hold Person, and Cure Serious Wounds all make appearances, and you'll need to master them to take down the legions of baddies.  Epic boss fights including the catlike Displacer Beast, the horrific Beholder eye-monster, and of course a dragon or two make D&D Tower of Doom a memorable experience from start to finish.  The "choose your own adventure" plot and variety of classes made replaying the game a unique experience every time.  Enjoy the video, and remember that while Tower of Doom is great, the sequel, Shadow over Mystara, is even better!  We hope to cover it in video form soon.