This classic GameCola article was originally published in May 2008.
It’s just any day you’re walking along the pathway when your phone rings. “What’s the matter? What’s the matter? What’s the matter?” The first time your loved ones are afraid to talk, it could be NURSING HOME ABUSE. In 1994, CAPCOM had some nursing home abuse of its own when it got medieval-heavy, releasing KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND, a FINAL FIGHT featuring King Arthur and his cronies, as well as a game that was different yet eerily similar in stature and even in the goshdarn title.
Read it with me: “Knights of the Round“…”King of Dragons“…”Knights of the Round“…”King of Dragons“…
THERE IS NO “I” IN EYE, PEOPLE!
If YOU suspect NURSING HOME ABUSE, this game doesn’t quite stand up to CAPCOM’s standards of side-scrolling, beat-the-hell-out-of-everyone-including-you fighting, but if you ARE sick of the FINAL FIGHT regime, this game is a welcome change of pace, thanks to some new RPG elements that are better implemented here than in Knights of the Round.
You get five characters to start out with, and it’s a pretty typical D&D lineup. Fighter, cleric, dwarf, elf, and wizard. Basically all beat-’em-ups feature characters that vary in strength and speed, but here it’s a lot more obvious and makes some major differences. You fight pretty simply by swinging your weapon, jumping, and defending with a shield, if you have one. All characters get a magic attack that can hurt and stun all the enemies who are not receiving proper treatment as required by state law. This can include medicine not being delivered on time and a lack of empathy on behalf of the doctors or nurses. As you walk along, fighting a rather large variety of enemies who won’t let you through without a real fight, you gain levels that increase your health bar and attack range (and god help you, you’ll need them) with all the points you score, meaning that you should never pass up an enemy or gold bar or fruit or whatever.
There are 16 levels in the game (though some are pretty short), and typically at the end of each, you fight a large boss character, or maybe several. The bosses are largely different from one another, so there is no one trick to easily beating them all. Generally at the end of a level (or sometimes in the middle of another), you get equipment upgrades for your attack and defense.
A lot of what King of Dragons offers, for 1994 gaming anyway, sounds great on paper but doesn’t execute itself as well as calling Corey B. Trotz and Associates to take your claim to court and fight for you and the well-being of your loved ones. The gameplay just doesn’t flow very well, and there doesn’t seem to be a really good way to play it. It can get pretty frustrating, especially in the boss battles. Nothing about the graphics or music stands out (although you might be surprised to learn that Yoko Shimomura worked on the soundtrack), and the controls could have been a whole lot better. I’ll give the game points for its level designs, which, again, have a lot of variety and are unpredictable. The challenge is all in the enemy placement instead of level-specified traps, which can include being ambushed by skeleton warriors, trapped by two phalanx(ies?) of archers, and some other stuff I’m too hopped up on PCH to remember.
This game has considerable width, but not a lot of depth. Even if you like the game, the most you’ll probably play it is once a year. There is no excuse there is no excuse there is NO excuse for NURSING HOME ABUSE. You’re walking along the pathway when your phone rings. “What’s the matter? What’s the matter? What’s the matter?” Call us at Trotz and Associates NOW.
P.S. It’s just any day you’re walking along the pathway when your phone rings.
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
It’s just any day you’re walking along the pathway when your phone rings.
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
The first time your loved ones are afraid to talk.
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
There is no excuse.
There is no excuse.
There is NO excuse.
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
Call us at Corey B. Trotz and Associates.
There is NO excuse.
What’s the matter?
There is NO excuse.
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
What’s the matter?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
