Retro(game)spective - Knights of the Round

Retro(game)spective

Every day Ben “Ben Pack” Pack or one of his brave compatriots will play a retro game, and break it down for you. That’s right, every day. To complain about us eventually missing a day or suggest your own, go ahead and comment below the article, or email us at retrogamefunclub@gmail.com

9/21/2010

The Game: Knights of the Round

Release Year: 1991 Arcade, 1994 SNES

Good thing the characters totally look like this in the game...

Skewes: Arcade, SNES

So what’s it like: Think final fight, but with swords. Well, more swords. “Knights of the Round” is a side-scrolling beat-em-up set in the age of King Arthur. You play as either the king, or one of his fellow knights of the round Lancelot or Perceval, who must defeat Garibaldi, the most flamboyant of evil dictators.

If Liberace was a knight.

Like other beat-em-ups such as “Streets of Rage,” the game’s characters each have their own stats. Although basic, each character has two attributes, speed and strength. Unlike “Streets of Rage,” blocking is a key component, as you can die in an average of 4-5 hits. There is also a timer, which won’t be a problem if you don’t dilly dally and slice dudes up.

Percival is the Mike Haggar of the Knights of the Round table.

As beat-em-ups go, it’s average. Perfectly servable for what it is. Made a lot easier than the arcade version, the SNES version is actually beatable. As with most, if not all of these, best played with two people.

Armor is for pansies.

Should you go back: No. There are many more awesome side-scrollers (cough, “Streets of Rage 2,” cough). Only play this if you’ve run out of the good ones. Not saying that this is a bad game, but it doesn’t do anything new or exceptionally well.

Should this game be remade: No. Castle Crashers did what this game does, but better.