Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara Reviews

I haven’t yet picked up a copy of Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara, but judging by this first wave of critiques, I just might have to consider it very soon.

Forbes gives it an 8/10:

And a part of me would have liked to see a complete overhaul, with all-new hand-drawn graphics, or at least the old graphics given new and improved animations. Some of the attack moves are pretty neat, but the game feels stiff and blocky compared to what we’ve come to expect from modern games, and some subtle improvements could have been made that wouldn’t have upset the retro look and feel.

The Escapist gives it a 4/5:

The only real problem with Chronicles of Mystara is that Capcom seems to be running out of new ways to improve its older titles. With each successive remake its introduced over the past few years Capcom has always added one big new addition that clearly set the newer efforts apart from their predecessors. That’s not really the case with Chronicles of Mystara. It’s absolutely a fantastic remake, and should be a mandatory purchase for any D&D geeks or fans of Final Fight-style beat ’em ups, but where does Capcom go from here? Fingers crossed for a next-gen Quiz & Dragons.

Destructoid gives it an 8.5/10:

Chronicles of Mystara is worth the purchase for any fans of beautiful sprite-based artwork or classic beat ’em ups. Its only flaws come from the technical limitations of its time and the design decisions that defined the arcade era. Gauntlet, Golden Axe, and Cadash all suffer from similar issues. Thankfully, Shadow Over Mystara trounces them all. It’s the king of D&D-themed arcade action games, and should be respected as such.

Just Push Start gives it an 8.2/10:

Overall though, Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara is a fun game and it’s nice to see that Capcom is rummaging through its archives to re-release some hidden arcade gems from the 20th century. I never knew these games existed, but I still had a lot of fun playing this game because I’m a fan of retro gaming in general. The RPG elements are what made the game more fun for me to play because it made the combat less repetitive. If you’re willing to bypass the short length of the game, I suggest all retro fans should give this game a try.

Blistered Thumbs gives it a 9/10:

Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow of Mystara is easily the best beat ’em up produced during an era that marked the genre’s high point and possibly might even be the best beat ’em up of all time. It’s a bold claim to be sure, but one I feel well justified in making all the same and Tower is hardly a slouch in the quality department either. To say these two games were ahead of their time is to badly understate. Revisiting Tower and Shadow for this review I found they held up not only in comparison to my own memories, but by the standards of the modern video game medium of today as well. These games do not play like forgotten relics of yesteryear and indeed many of the conventions present in them have since gone on to become standard in the handful of newer beat .m ups released in recent years. At fifteen dollars Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara is a real bargain and everyone should avail themselves of the opportunity to own two of the finest examples of the beat .m up genre ever made as soon as possible.

Xbox Addict gives it a 78%:

1200 Microsoft Points may seem like a hefty price tag for two HD remakes of almost twenty year old games, but there are few brawler games that actually carry the depth and online multiplayer component like Chronicles of Mystara does. Sure you’re going to get sick of hearing the same battle cries over and over, fighting the same creatures a thousand times, and even getting one-shot by bosses, but that’s what made brawler games so endearing. Sadly I never got to play these games in the arcade as a kid, but on the other hand, without a good team of friends it would have taken me more than the amount of quarters I would have been able to carry to beat it anyways if I did. Sometimes you just want to turn your brain off and smash some button to beat up some bad guys, these games certainly allow for that, but those that want to employ some strategy and skill are also encourage to come and enjoy as well.

The Kansas City Star gives it an 8.5/10:

“Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara” is a stand-out digital collection, a reminder that Capcom still cares about its classic library just as much as its current-generation releases. Iron Galaxy’s treatment is refined, and the online/offline multiplayer options, coupled with the level-up system and vintage brawling gameplay, wrap up well into a neat little package. For $15, you get two pieces of gaming goodness that are well worth exploring – and in a language you can understand.

GameZone gives it an 8.0/10:

That lack of even basic life-limiting options hurts Chronicles of Mystara as a home adaptation. That said, it more than gets the job done in all other respects, and anyone with nostalgia for these games will surely have a blast with them regardless. Newcomers may want to set some limits for themselves, infinite lives be damned. Shadow over Mystara isn’t a game to blast through in a single mindless session, but a co-op classic that can be savored again and again.

And ZTGD gives it an 8.8/10:

With some friends, both games offered in Chronicles of Mystara will have beat .m up fans having a great time. Even I, being the big D&D fan, had a good amount of fun seeing just how true to the source material they came. It’s rather impressive for a couple of arcade games from the 90s. With the extra challenges, multiple paths and endings in place, players can replay several times and still have a great experience. I highly suggest Chronicles of Mystara.