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''The Tower of Druaga'' is an arcade game released by Namco in 1984 . It runs on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware but with a video system like that used in Mappy . It was later ported to the '' MSX '', '' Famicom '' and '' TurboGrafx-16 '' platform. Although ''Tower of Druaga'' is still very popular in Japan, many Americans dislike the game, due to its overwhelming difficulty. Criticism to it is common, and reviews of the game often contain negative comments and putting the game down, often calling it a hack of '' Gauntlet '', or even a ripoff of '' The Legend Of Zelda ,'' although it predates both games. GAMEPLAY The player assumes the role of the hero Gilgamesh (also known as Gil), whose goal is to rescue the maiden Ki (pronounced "Kai") from the demon Druaga. In order to do this, he must traverse through 60 floors of an immense tower. Each floor consists of a randomly generated maze filled with monsters, and a locked door leading to the next level. The player must navigate through the maze in order to find a key that unlocks the door. In addition, each floor contains a hidden treasure, which appears once the player has performed a specific requirement. Some of the treasures contain merely helpful items, while some contain items essential to completing the game. Gilgamesh comes equipped with a sword, which he can use to defeat monsters, and a shield, which can be used to block magical attacks. The monsters get progressively more difficult as the game progresses, beginning with simple slimes and culminating with Druaga himself. The following regular enemies are: slimes, magicians, ghosts, knights, lizard men, ropers (which look like huge blobs with Tentacle s), and dragons. In the third ''Namco Museum'' game, there is a small handbook telling how to get the treasures. There is also a hidden version far more difficult than the regular. The treasures (save the first one) are all alternated in how to get. In the museum's library, there are three books containing illustrations of the game's characters. TIPS AND HINTS
SEQUELS Several sequels were later made, further chronicling the feats of Gilgamesh and Ki. These were:
The sequels were not as successful as the first game (although ''Return of Ishtar'' came very close). The Return of Ishtar It picks up where ''Tower of Druaga'' left off, and was released on the fourth ''Namco Museum'' game. The player controls two characters: Ki as well as Gilgamesh. It can also be noted in this game that Ki is a warrior, not a damsel in distress like many people believe. The tower now has a few different ways to exit, and the aggregate total of levels is 128 (covering the 60-floor tower). In the fourth ''Namco Museum'' game, you control Ki with the directional pad and Gilgamesh with the buttons. Because the latter draws his sword whenever an enemy is near, it is recommended by most that you mainly control Ki. There is also a small handbook included which shows you passwords and floor maps that make it easier to win. The Quest of Ki It is basically a prequel to ''Tower of Druaga''. See the ''Quest Of Ki'' article for more explanation. The Blue Crystal Rod The least well-known of the sequels, this picks up where ''Return of Ishtar'' left off and is the final game in the ''Tower of Druaga'' series, according to Namco. The Nightmare of Druaga This game is set three years after the original ''Tower of Druaga'' tetrology. In it, Ki and Gilgamesh are about to be married, however, Ki is kidnapped by an evil sorceress, Skulld, and Gilgamesh has to save her again. The game is known for its unforgiving difficulty, as death in the game results in losing all your items and half your gold. In terms of actual gameplay, this game actually has more in common with the Mysterious Dungeon series (see third paragraph). In this game, Ishtar (who is good-natured in earlier games) is portrayed as bossy, and whoever resets the game gets yelled at by her for "meddling with the flow of time". Nightmare was not made by Namco, but by two other companies called Arika and ''' ChunSoft '''. It was far less successful than the prior games, and was even given a low rating in a video game magazine. This game is the fifth in the "Druaga series" (not counting "Drururuaga"), and the eighth in the aforementioned Mysterious Dungeon series. Seme COM Dungeon: Drururuaga This game is placed about 100 years after the original Druaga timeline and stars Gilsh, a descendant of Gilgamesh. Gameplay is best described as a dungeon-building capture the flag with collectible cards. Use cards to equip your character with weapons and spells, and to populate your dungeon with monsters. Then battle against an opponent and his dungeon (AI or link cable). Enter opponent's dungeon via linked teleporters, find the three keys to unlock the crystal, and return it to your home base before your he does the same. Success yields additional cards. Each item or monster is highly specialized, allowing for different strategic combos. Features many Namco cameos, such as Soul Calibur 's Nightmare and the sword Soul Edge, Valkyrie, Pac Man , and even enemies from Dig Dug . TRIVIA
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