Wizards & Warriors X: The Fortress of Fear Review

Notable for serving as Rare’s pioneering Game Boy effort, Wizards & Warriors X: The Fortress of Fear had quite a bit to prove on its release, with the added pressure of representing a series that had fared well on the Nintendo Entertainment System with two titles that had been praised for its graphics, sense of scope and engaging gameplay – if handled poorly, the Fortress of Fear might have scared players off from the first portable outing.

Luckily, the handheld stands quite well on its own merits, and while it might not be as robust an adventure as presented on the Nintendo, it makes up for with its demanding challenge, which should keep you quite invested despite its relatively short length (provided you can survive it).
The gameplay is quite linear as you’ll only be tasked with exploring the perils and pitfalls of the eponymous fortress in distinct stages, often requiring you to move left or right – though there are some secret areas and desirable treasures just off the beaten path which shake things up. If this sounds rather simple, I’ve done the title a great injustice, as these platforming elements require absolute precision and timing to master, and you’re likely going to spend a long time getting used to the difficulty curve, especially when it comes to learning when to play offensively or defensively at a moments notice.

For example, you might yourself trying to make quick work of a rising platform segment by blindly jumping through only to discover that an enemy has been placed in a sinister spot and rushing through has made you completely vulnerable to being blindsided. This of course is made worse if you’ve run aground of certain platforms that drop after you’ve completed your arc, forcing you to leap before you look. The game does provide you a chance to slay your foes as you land, but earning the desired condition to do so can take some doing.
Is this a detriment to the game, though? Not especially, and if you’re a fan of a hearty challenge you might even enjoy it moreso. For the rest of us, these trials can prove ultimately frustrating – though, to the credit of Fortress of Fear, you’ll find each stage does adhere to a pattern, and it can be easily learned with a just a few attempts.
The largest crux that the title suffers from in this regard is a lack of continues – send the valiant Kuros tumbling to his doom a few more times than he can stand it, and you’ll find yourself all the way back to the drawbridge, regardless of how much progress you had made with your previous attempt. While the adventure is short, the punishment in repeating the initial set pieces until you’ve mastered every hazard that had dogged you before might be too arduous for some.

For its inaugural debut, the graphics found within Fortress of Fear are kept relatively simple, we do have to acknowledge that Rare would continue to push the boundaries of the machine in their later efforts, making their first venture looking quite dated in comparison. Still, the title does play to its strengths in this area, as each portion of the stronghold is given variety in its design, and despite the amount of enemies at any given time there’s an absence of sprite flickering. There’s also a bit of sophistication to be found in the later stages where venturing out onto the fourth stage presents a long portion of hoarding, adding foreground elements that add to the depth of the visuals. While only one layer of foreground/background could be utilized in this way, this first attempt shows the fledgling efforts Rare would make use of in later releases on the Game Boy.

One element of the title that doesn’t inspire mixed opinion is the soundtrack, which is in typical ‘rare’ form as one might expect. Things start relatively carefree and jaunty outside of the castle walls with a medieval-sounding tune that bodes well for repeated listening (which is a plus, since you’ll be hearing it a lot given the games lack of continues) and it isn’t long until you’re being pushed onward by more serious heroic-sounding tunes suitable for storming the castle. For the most part, each track is kept reserved for its own area – you’ll have your upbeat Bridge and Moat track in the three chapters of the first stage, followed by the suitably aggressive-sounding dungeon theme for the second section. This is then contrasted with the catchy militant chant of the Armory for the third, and lastly the optimistic melody of the Parapet in the fourth. Hearing each theme is enough to drive you onward to the later stages just to hear them, and while some tunes are shared amongst certain stages, levels like the Parapet do have their own unique track, serving as a reward in itself.

Provided you’re willing to stick with the game and not shy away easily, Wizards & Warriors Fortress of Fear can be a quite enjoyable – albeit frustrating – experience. While the test of time hasn’t been too kind, it must be viewed in context as Rare’s first portable game, and for that it’s a very tidy package that should keep you invested for quite a long time as you storm the castle and take on your nemesis, Malkil.

3/5