Crossed Swords

Crossed Swords is a hack & slash action RPG arcade game developed by Alpha Denshi and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade system in 1990 and Neo Geo console in 1991. Its gameplay was similar to SNK's earlier 1990 first-person shooter and beat 'em up game, The Super Spy, but with role-playing game elements and hack & slash combat instead of shooting and fist-fighting. The game allowed cooperative gameplay with up to two players on the same screen.[1] As only the player characters' silhouettes are visible on screen as wire-frame models, much like Punch-Out!!,[2] the game's perspective may be considered either first-person or third-person.[citation needed] The game was later cited as an inspiration for the 2010 first-person fighting game Rage of the Gladiator. A sequel of the game entitled Crossed Swords 2 was released in Japan on May 2, 1995 for the Neo-Geo CD, and was one of the few games designed specifically for the Neo-Geo CD, rather than being an arcade port. Crossed Swords requires correct timing and movement to progress. The basic rule for the game is to defend first before striking. The player wields both a weapon and shield and can strafe, as well as guard the upper or middle part of the body. Two different weapon strikes are available, a regular attack and a thrusting attack. Weapon-based magic can also be used. Multiple paths through the game are available and the player has an option to skip the first and second chapters freely. In the enchanted land of Belkana all was well until plagues of creatures started rampaging through. But it didn't stop there, from deep within the mountains of Graisia, the Demon Warlord Nausizz arose and led the attacks wiping out settlement after settlement. However a brave warrior called "The Knight of the Journey" came a long way on a quest to stop these monstrosities. After aiding the Poor Village of Dio from the Caterdragon, the knight heads to the Castle Pulista, but as he is briefed by the king of the problems they face, an elite dark knight appears and kidnaps the princess. The knight fights his way through the enemy lands in the Matius Tower, the Gauda Fortress, the Land Battleship and finally passes the Entrance to the Devil World. Along his way, he is helped by loyalties of the kingdom. The knight battles through the Castle Graisia and comes face to face with Nausizz. As a demon with honour, Nausizz is so impressed with the knight's progress, that he has sent the princess back to Pulista. As the knight defeats Nausizz, he transforms into a fiendish demon dragon. The knight slays him and escapes the collapsing castle. Back in Castle Pulista the knight is offered to come and live with the king. Peace can proceed once more in Belkana.

Crossed Swords is a hack & slash action RPG arcade game developed by Alpha Denshi and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade system in 1990 and Neo Geo console in 1991. Its gameplay was similar to SNK's earlier 1990 first-person shooter and beat 'em up game, The Super Spy, but with role-playing game elements and hack & slash combat instead of shooting and fist-fighting.[1] The game allowed cooperative gameplay with up to two players on the same screen.[1] As only the player characters' silhouettes are visible on screen as wire-frame models, much like Punch-Out!!,[2] the game's perspective may be considered either first-person[1] or third-person.[3] The game was later cited as an inspiration for the 2010 first-person fighting game Rage of the Gladiator.[4] A sequel of the game entitled Crossed Swords 2 was released in Japan on May 2, 1995 for the Neo-Geo CD, and was one of the few games designed specifically for the Neo-Geo CD, rather than being an arcade port.[5]

Gauntlet Legends is an arcade game released in 1998 by Atari Games. It is a fantasy themed hack and slash styled dungeon crawl game, a sequel to 1985's popular Gauntlet and 1986's Gauntlet II and marks the final game in the series to be produced by Atari Games. Its unusual features for an arcade game included passwords and characters that could be saved, enabling players to play over the course of a long period.

A grand adventure in the skies awaits! Form a party of four from a diverse roster of skyfarers and slash—or shoot or hex—your way to victory against treacherous foes in this action RPG. Take on quests solo or with the help of others in up to 4-player co-op play!

Face the Lords of the Void and their endless minions, collect their Soulstones and become a god! In this Action Roguelite, unveil secret spells, craft mighty weapons, unlock multiple characters, discover game-breaking synergies and conquer the power of the void.

The Isle of the Avatar was discovered during the Fourth Age (as related in Quest of the Avatar), at the climax of the Avatar’s quest. The Stranger from Another World, who came to Britannia in answer to Lord British’s summons, completed the Test of the Eight Virtues and became the Avatar — the embodiment of the pure axiom of life. It was during his journeys that the Avatar unearthed a chilling artifact: the skull of Mondain the Wicked, the first of the Triad of Evil. There were those who claimed that the artifact held the power to destroy all life on our world. Fortunately, it was the Stranger who discovered it, and not someone of lesser Virtue. Upon completing the Path of the Eight Virtues, the Avatar embarked on a search for the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom. Legend linked this ancient tome with the subterranean maze known as the Great Stygian Abyss. “Truly, no one has ever plumbed its depths,” wrote Shamino, who arranged by magic to obtain a map of its corridors. “I cannot imagine the horrors that await the first to venture into the Stygian depths.”

Shadow over Mystara is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up with role-play elements that make it stand out from other similar games released at the time. In addition to the original four heroes found in its predecessor, Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (Cleric, Dwarf, Elf and Fighter), Shadow of Mystara adds a Thief and a Magic-User to the selection. Furthermore, with the inclusion of two separate versions of each character's sprite set, the game allows up to two players to select the same character (in Tower of Doom each of the characters could only be selected once), effectively giving the game 12 "different" characters to choose from. The two Clerics and two Magic Users also have subtle differences within their spell books. The controls are using four buttons: Attack, Jump, Select (brings up a small inventory ring around the character allowing the player to choose what item is set in the Use slot) and Use. The Cleric, Elf and Magic-User also have two extra rings for their spells, with the Jump button used to switch from ring to ring. While the game uses the same kick harness as the previous game, the Select and Use buttons are reversed. Shadow over Mystara also introduced a selection of special moves which are executed by moving the joystick and tapping the buttons in certain combinations, in a way similar to the Street Fighter series. The characters (except for the Magic-User) have a Dashing Attack as well as a Rising Attack which can be used to combo monsters or even juggle them in the air. Most characters (again, with the exception of the Magic-User and also Cleric) also have a Megacrush, a move common to nearly all of Capcom side-scrollers, which damages all enemies standing close enough to the character but in turn also damaging the player themselves.

An action adventure RPG with a hack and slash (or dungeon crawler) style gameplay. Taking place in the EverQuest world you pick between a variety of classes and races and set off on an adventure that brings you across different lands, multiple dungeons, and tasks you with a multitude of quests to complete while leveling your character, finding new weapons and armour, and learning new abilities as you progress. You can share this adventure with a partner on the couch with co-operative gameplay or jump online.

Enter a world of magic and mystery, where your closest allies may sometimes turn out to be your worst enemies. Shining Soul puts you in the middle of a desperate struggle between the Dark Dragon and a group of warriors known as the Shining Fleet. In the final stage of the war, you can play one of four character classes: fighter, wizard, archer, or dragonute. Customize your character's color schemes, weapons, and armor, and then explore the world of Shining Soul either alone or with three of your friends.

The Last Story takes place upon the island fortress of Lazulis, in a world that is slowly being drained of life by an unknown force. The story focuses on a group of mercenaries looking for work on Lazulis; one of their number, Zael, dreams of becoming a knight. During gameplay, the player controls Zael as he and the mercenary group to which he belongs undertake missions on Lazulis. Zael can command the rest of the mercenary squad during missions, and fights in battles that involve action, tactical and stealth elements.

33 Immortals is a co-op action-roguelike for 33 players. Play a damned soul, and rebel against God’s final judgment. Pick-up and raid, cooperate to survive hordes of monsters, defeat massive bosses, and face the wrath of God in a fight for your eternal life.

Kingdom Hearts IV follows protagonist Sora and some familiar characters as they journey through the mysterious city of Quadratum. Sora will once again journey to various worlds, where new figures cross his path and new powers awaken in this next chapter.