SNES Knights of the Round “Repro”

Gameplay

The gameplay is very similar to other Capcom beat ’em ups, such as Final Fight and Capcom’s previous hack-and-slash fantasy title The King of Dragons. There are seven stages, each with its own boss and a variety of generic enemies that try to stop the players’ progress. The fights rely strongly on the blocking ability, which is triggered by pressing the attack button, then pressing the joystick away as the opponent strikes. If successful, the player gains a few seconds of invincibility with which to counter-attack. However, if no one strikes the player’s character while holding the block, they will tire and drop their guard, making them vulnerable to attack. Blocking is vital in certain cases, since some bosses will be vulnerable only after their attack has been blocked by the player.

As in most beat ’em ups, a desperation attack is performed by pressing both the attack and jump buttons simultaneously. This kills off most enemies on the screen, but the player loses a little bit of health every time he uses it.

At various points in the game, the players get to ride a horse, where they can attack enemies on horseback. The horses can stomp on enemies by pressing the joystick two times forward. On occasion, bosses and certain enemy characters can ride horses as well.

Characters

There are three playable characters:

• King Arthur, the main hero, is a well-balanced character in speed and power. His weapon is the sword Excalibur. He can perform a special attack, a powerful slashing blow, by pressing attack then holding the joystick toward the enemy’s direction. Initially, Arthur wears chain mail and leather armor. Upon gaining levels, Excalibur becomes stronger, and he eventually gets more body armor (later in silver and gold colors). Arthur is also the most devastating character, when mounted on horseback.
• Sir Lancelot is a talented swordsman and has been traveling all over the world to find a worthy king he should serve. Lancelot is the fastest character but lacks in strength. Since the game favors maneuverability, he is very good for beginners. His special attack is the jumping kick, done by pressing attack then holding the joystick up. Sir Lancelot’s weapon of choice is a sabre. Sir Lancelot starts out wearing a blue tabard with a yellow cross. In eventual level-ups, Lancelot gains plate armor and a broader sabre.
• Sir Perceval, a son of a blacksmith, is a strong warrior with a gentle heart. Unlike his sword-wielding friends King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, Sir Perceval prefers to use a battle-axe as his primary weapon. He has never been defeated thanks to his well-built body. Perceval is the strongest character but lacks in agility, making him good for intermediate to advanced players. He is the only character who can dash by tapping the joystick forward twice, cancelled into a “Giant Swing” by pressing the attack button while dashing. At first, Sir Perceval has blond hair and light armor with green long pants. In eventual level-ups, Sir Perceval becomes bald with a beard, and gains heavier armor, though most of his chest is bare.