Wizards & Warriors (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Acclaim's 1987 action-adventure game for the NES, Wizards & Warriors.

Wizards & Warriors was the second game that Rare developed for the NES (Slalom being the first), and it was their very first platformer. You'd never know it just by playing the game though - this does not come off as a sophomoric effort by a company with no experience on the platform. Especially by 1987 standards, Wizards & Warriors was a phenomenal effort that really pushed the boundaries for NES games at the time.

It's a platformer that casts you in the role of Kuros, a knight whose princess has been kidnapped. He has to save her from some bad guy magician named Malkil who is hiding out in Castle Ironspire. Of course there are a ton of obstacles between you and the big baddie, but there are a lot of options at hand - Kuros can be equipped with several different items that enhance his abilities, like potions that grant speed-ups, invincibility, and the power to levitate; throwable daggers and axes that extend and strengthen his attack range and power; boots that allow walking on fire or stomping enemies; as well as several others that are quite useful in specific situations.

The levels are fairly open, and most hide a set of keys that Kuros will have to collect to gain access to different parts of the level, as well as caches of gems that will need to be collected before reaching the area's boss. Most of them are straightforward once you get your bearings, and though there generally is an "optimal" path, there are several ways most of the stages can be completed. It's focused enough to prevent you from getting lost or frustrated, but the game provides just enough freedom to let you feel like you have some meaningful choices. I really liked that about Wizards & Warriors.

The graphics and sound are equally as excellent by 1987 standards. The backgrounds do feature some retina-searing color schemes, but there's little flicker and slowdown. Everything is generally distinct and clear (except for the red key's annoying tendency to hide against the background), and Kuros comes across as an actual character instead of a cardboard cutout protagonist thanks to his detailed sprite and some nifty animation work. The music is also good, and incredibly nostalgic for anyone that remembers it from back in the day. Seriously, how many of you that played this in the 80s can still remember at least a couple of the songs? That title theme will never leave my head. I'm 100% sure of that.

The gameplay is tuned well - the floaty controls take a bit of getting used to, but they're precise and reliable - an absolutely necessity with how much the game focuses on jumping between tiny platforms. You'll get completely bombed by enemies in a few of the late game stages, but the controls are more than good enough to keep up, as long as you are. For a Rare game, though, Wizards & Warriors is fairly easy: the platforming itself is fairly difficult, but the game gives you unlimited continues, and you always start right where you left off. Even if you aren't so hot at old platformers, you do actually stand a chance at finishing this one. In this playthrough I had a lot of close calls. I did make it through without continuing, but it seems like I was always scrambling toward the end of the boss fights. Either way, I think it came out pretty well.

I still really enjoy Wizards & Warriors. It was a good platformer that didn't clone Mario, and it garnered a lot of attention and praise when it came out for its sheer quality.