The Guardian Legend

[roflmao]

So a few days ago I watched this video on Youtube:

(Top 10 Obscure NES Gems with Mike Matei #NES)

The Guardian Legend was the number one game mentioned, and it looked pretty cool.  And then I promptly forgot about it.

Then our very own starsoldier1 posted a video response to the aforementioned video and, honestly, because we both share an unhealthy obsession to OBEY, I was convinced to pick it up. 

I don't think I'd ever heard of this NES game before.  Holy %&#* this game really damn cool!  Why isn't this game more popular?  The graphics are jaw-dropping for an NES title.  The music is badass.  The gameplay... oh the gameplay.  I have so much work to do right now, and when it arrived in the mail today, I popped it in to test it out thinking "I'll play it for five minutes, and get back to it later", as is the case with most NES games, but I just couldn't stop playing!

So what's the deal?  Does anybody know why this NES game fell under the radar?  I don't collect much for NES, but I'm really surprised that a game that looks so good, sounds so good, and plays so good isn't mentioned with the likes of Super Mario or Zelda.

The good thing is it can still be picked up for dirt cheap.  Mine cost a little under $6 shipped off ebay. (loose)

Did I mention it was developed by Compile? (Who also had their hands in Blazing Lazers, Spriggan, and the Crush Series to name a few)

I apologize for raving here.  I just don't think I've ever been so jazzed about an NES game before. 

[NightWolve]

I remember it. I rented and beat it as a kid and thought it was one of the best NES games that I had ever played.

[jperryss]

I loved it as a kid and actually played through it again less than two weeks ago, after playing Blazing Lazers  and remembering how good it was (there is lots of similarities between the two). It definitely fell under most peoples radar which is odd because I remember commercials airing for it. The crappy US cover probably didn't help though.

[PCEngineHell]

Guardian Legend was actually a pretty popular title amongst me and my friends during the Nes days. Supposedly EGM did kind of shit on the game when it was reviewed by them, but regardless, when I was growing up the game was well known and enjoyed. I own it myself. It was actually the second game I had ever played on Nes that was published by Borderbund, the first being Raid on Bungeling Bay, which someone bought for me and I ended up feeling pretty meh about (I mean come on, the ocean had fucking stars in it making it appear to be blue space, wtf...).

[thesteve]

loved the game BITD (once i figured out what i was doing)

[Bernie]

One of my favorite NES games.  I actually still play it from time to time. 

[Tatsujin]

It's not only made by compile itself, but also in cooperation with irem. Thats what makes it so cool

[TheClash603]

I am fairly certain I got this game in a lot of about 50 NES games and threw it into my parents attic a few years ago.  Never played it, and now I need to dig it out.

Thanks for letting me know I have something good I didn't know I had.

...no thanks for making me have to find the damn thing.

[thesteve]

i didnt really get into it the first play.
it starts out with a zelda1 feel and the boss stages are all IF

[csgx1]

I never heard of Guardian Legend either until I came across it on a NES list of must have games recently.

I've been getting back into the NES and I just picked up a loose copy of the game just a few days ago too.  Never play it before and it looks very interesting.  Not sure how I missed it back in the day.

[DesmondThe3rd]

Ohya, any fans of Blazing Lazers will notice a few similarities between the two games especially in the enemies.

[HercTNT]

Its one of my favorites. pretty challenging to get through.

[roflmao]

I am fairly certain I got this game in a lot of about 50 NES games and threw it into my parents attic a few years ago.  Never played it, and now I need to dig it out.

Thanks for letting me know I have something good I didn't know I had.

...no thanks for making me have to find the damn thing.

Lol.  Looking at the cart artwork, you'd NEVER think is was part Zelda, part Blazing Lazers with a buxom beauty as the protagonist.  What were they thinking.  I've probably seen this game before in the local thrift stores and not given it a second notice because the cart artwork doesn't say anything about the game.

I can't wait until this weekend is over and I have some big projects off my plate so I can dig back into it.

[bob]

Just today I passed right over it at a charity shop. I never played it, but have come across it quite a bit.

I decided to get Xexyz instead. Same thing, I have never played it before and found out that I should have bought it long ago. It's pretty fun

[kazekirifx]

I saw the video and was surprised to see it on that list. Didn't know it was "obscure".

[munchiaz]

i picked it up today. the video makes it seem pretty cool. Cant wait to give ti a shot

[roflmao]

Yeah, I saw that.  You picked up a lot of good gaming today!

[munchiaz]

indeed i did. played GL for like an hour. The game is seriously awesome

[Gogan]

I picked up GL at a flea market around '98.  Knew nothing of the game, other than the sweet name and the $1 price tag. I was pleasantly surprised.

[jperryss]

Ohya, any fans of Blazing Lazers will notice a few similarities between the two games especially in the enemies.

Definitely! I mentioned in another thread that playing through BL a few weeks ago reminded me of TGL, particularly a couple of the bosses, so much that once I cleared BL I booted up TGL and played through it again after almost 20 years.

[guyjin]

One of my favorites back in the day. I don't remember ever reading about it (even though I read every issue of Nintendo Power religiously) but got it from a neighbor's garage sale in the very early 90s. Best 5 bucks ever spent on a videogame.

it was butt-kickingly hard, though. Never did beat it fairly (but did manage with a game genie.)

[jperryss]

One of my favorites back in the day. I don't remember ever reading about it (even though I read every issue of Nintendo Power religiously) but got it from a neighbor's garage sale in the very early 90s. Best 5 bucks ever spent on a videogame.

it was butt-kickingly hard, though. Never did beat it fairly (but did manage with a game genie.)

Every time I play through it, I struggle with the 2nd version of the eye boss (the one with one big eye, not the one with many eyes). It usually takes me 10-12 tries to get past him. Oddly I have no trouble with the 3rd version.

[BigusSchmuck]

Man who hasn't heard of this game? I guess I was one of the lucky ones who had it while growing up, still got the poster with the other Brøderbund games (Deadly Towers, Legacy of the Wizard, Battle of the Olympus and of Guardian Legend). I think what turned most people off to this game was the fact it had a crappy password system so I recall people having to leave their NES's on for a very long time to play through it.

[thesteve]

i didnt have much chance to play it (i may have rented it), but i had the poster

[kazekirifx]

My only gripe with it when I was growing up was that I couldn't finish it. Some of the last stages are pretty damn hard.
I should try it again someday.

[Jugbug]

This was one of my favorites back in the day too, and I certainly understand the excitement of discovering a great old game I haven't known about before.

[DrBread]

I've heard this was an amazing game.

[DesmondThe3rd]

I wanted to play this one again: youtu.be/SJM8WtJ6Fpk

[Colossus1574]

Good job bringing Guardian Legend back into the spotlight here ROFLMAO!
While I won't say it's obscure, i'll just say it didn't get the praise it should've got among the best of the NES. It was quite an ambition game having Zelda type levels mixed with top shooter stages...surprisingly it's got solid gameplay in BOTH arenas. Unlike...say Bayou Billy where it didn't really excel in any of it's mixed levels. GL is awesome, i remember it stayed in the top 10 "Pro's Picks" chart in Nintendo Power magazine!

[Jammaniaclord]

Owned it when it first came out. Yes-incredible game by Compile. I believe after that title, my brother and i bought anything made by them because of that game.

[kazekirifx]

I believe after that title, my brother and i bought anything made by them because of that game.

Solid policy.