Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara

Posted on June 23, 2013 by geelw

Platform: PC (also on PSN/XBLA/Nintendo eShop)

Developer: Iron Galaxy Studios/Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

# of Players: 1 – 4

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Score: A- (90%)

It’s really too bad developer Iron Galaxy didn’t make its version of Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara compatible with Windows XP simply because I’d bet a dollar that people still using that older OS would get a hell of a lot more of a kick from this pair of classic Capcom arcade hit than a chunk of more current OS users filling up the Steam forums with all sorts of complaints about everything from the visuals not being worthy of the system requirements to the game not working properly on certain systems or supporting any other peripheral except an official Xbox 360 controller. Us non-picky oldsters who prefer XP because 90+ percent of the games we run ARE old news to you big-riggers out there (long live gog.com!) would be all over this game like white on rice (or brown on rice is you’re into that variety) and even though we only make up less than 8% of Steam users (according to Steam), that’s almost a potential 8% more people buying and possibly NOT bitching about the graphics and having to use one controller type that works perfectly as soon as it’s plugged in. But I digress…

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Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara – Meet The Thief (Your Wallet Will Be Lighter, But You Won’t Mind)

Posted on June 5, 2013 by geelw

Another week, another class from Capcom’s upcoming arcade classic set to hit PC, PSN, XBLA and Nintendo’s eShop later this month. As I noted in my hands-on preview last week or thereabouts (hey, it’s close to E3 and I’m up to my newly clipped nose hairs in press releases and such!), the game is coming along fantastically and will be packed to the gills with content and game modes that should make it highly replayable.

Hopefully, this will do well enough that we also see portable versions hit as well as a new sequel or all-new D&D game starring the same characters plus a few more classes for good measure. All that’s up to you (well… partly, as I’m not sure how “easy” it is to get the license for a new game from whomever owns it these days), so make sure you make yourself happy and Capcom happier by snapping this up.

UPDATE! Release dates from Capcom incoming: Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara is due out this June on PSN (NA: 6/18; EU: 6/19), Xbox LIVE (NA: 6/19; EU: 6/19), Wii U e-Shop (TBC – more info coming soon!), and PC (NA: 6/18; EU: 6/18) for $14.99.

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara Hands-On: The Eye of the Beholder Sees An Instant Classic Return…

Posted on May 23, 2013 by geelw

After a bit of hands-on time with a build of Capcom’s upcoming PC, PSN, Xbox Live and Wii U eShop arcade game Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara, let’s just get this out of the way and say it’s probably going to be one of the bigger hits of the usually dry summer game season. With solo or drop-in/drop-out play, gorgeous high-definition 2D visuals (that can be displayed in a few fun resolutions) plenty of challenging gameplay and a wealth of bonus content, this game defines “arcade” and just might be seen as the way to port over an arcade classic. Developer Iron Galaxy has gone a few extra miles and packed the game with content without mucking with the original games’ visuals and yes, that Dungeons & Dragons license gets put to really good use here. If you were a Sega Saturn owner lucky enough to buy the expensive import version double pack, you can finally put that one back up on the shelf, as what’s here is a superb replacement…
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Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara: The Elf – In A Class All By Herself…

Posted on May 10, 2013 by geelw

Hey, now… before you get all finger-pointy and mention that elves are a race and not a class, you should probably take note that in Dungeons and Dragons, they were initially seen as a separate class along with halflings and dwarves. Of course, elves don’t exist in real life (despite people spending too much time believing they do), so there’s a moot point here somewhere I keep misplacing. Anyway, whee – I get to try this Iron Galaxy-developed HD reboot/remake out next week when Capcom rolls into NYC with it and a few other awesome upcoming games, so expect a nice hands-on report shortly afterward. Dungeon & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara hits PC, PSN, Xbox Live and Nintendo’s eShop on July 14 – back in a bit with more on this instant classic soon.

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara – The Cleric: The Doctor is IN!

Posted on April 24, 2013 by geelw

Not just a skilled fighter, the Cleric can dish out some truly nasty spells that cause damage to all sorts of pesky creatures. Of course, going at it solo with the character is a challenge, but that’s the fun thing about these arcade games because they bend the D&D rules enough to allow anyone to play as any class and still have a complete blast. As in that Turn Undead spell completely blasting the game screen free of undead things before they get within chomping distance. Clerics don’t much care for zombie bites on their forearms (or foreheads, for that matter!). Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara goes on sale July 14 on PSN, Xbox Live Arcade, Nintendo’s eShop (for the Wii U) and PC. Yes, I’m still hoping there’s a Vita version coming down the road, as this one begs to be played on a road trip!

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara – The Fighter: This Tank Won’t Tank!

Posted on April 10, 2013 by geelw

Capcom gets with the rolling out of gameplay footage from their more than eagerly awaited HD remake of one of the cooler arcade games we never saw in the US. Check out the Capcom Unity post about this beefy brawler here and get ready for some superior hack & slash action coming to the PC, PSN, Xbox Live Arcade and Wii U eShop. Like a few of you out there wringing your hands for a Vita version, yeah – I’m with you there. Hopefully, Capcom WILL make this happen, as this one’s perfect for some on the go action, especially if the dev team at Iron Galaxy can make it run smoothly for some serious four player co-op. OK, I’m getting ahead of myself here, but hey, it’s a damn great idea I think NEEDS to get done.

Gallery: Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara

Posted on March 23, 2013 by geelw

(Cue stereotypical booming RPG narrator voice along with equally stereotypical epic-sounding fantasy music) NARRATOR: “And so, it came to pass, after many years of online fire and calamity that Capcom doth finally decree that the gamers worldwide long starving for a pair of decent fantasy hack & slash arcade games long consigned to history’s dusty trails become updated and set loose as one whole product to be forever named Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. And that game, now headed to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and Windows PC (developed for Capcom by Iron Galaxy and priced at $14.99/€14.99/£11.99/1200MSP) was indeed met by the cheers and praises of the long-starved masses destined to play until the long hours of the dark night have turned to day… and beyond!”

Or something like that. I’ll just shut up with the silly stuff and run the gallery below:

PAX 2013: Capcom Makes My Day: Dungeons & Dragons AND DuckTales Are Back!

Posted on March 22, 2013 by geelw

Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom and its sequel Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara have been two arcade games fans in the US have been begging Cacpom to localize for the US. For years, the only ways to play this were flying to Japan, buying an expensive Sega Saturn import or through not so legal emulation means, but now PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC owners will get to get down with some serious D&D arcade action in Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. Iron Galaxy is handling the dev chores on the two D&D games, which will get the HD remaster treatment and more (read that link for details – I have to warm up my happy dance) with everything set to release digitally in June.

As for DuckTales? This NES classic platformer is getting the SUPER royal deluxe McDuck treatment, as its HD remake is being handled by none other than WayForward Technologies, one of the best 2D developers in the business (in my humble opinion). Expect to see this one on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U this summer. I’ll post galleries for both games later today or tomorrow, as I have a museum trip and dinner appointment calling me and I’m about to dance on over thataway, happily…