This classic game was developed and published by Capcom, as well as it is one of it's challenging games, but nothing compared to their toughest Ghosts 'N Goblins series. The game was also released on the PSP as part of Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded on March 24, 2006. Prepare to fight for Camelot and the Holy Grail in this review that is Knights of the Round.
Plot. Arthur, who had trained himself hard to become a great knight, pulled out the sacred sword Excalibur from out of the rock. After pulling it out, Arthur realized that it was his destiny to become the first King of the Britons. The wizard Merlin then sends Arthur and his two closest companions, Lancelot and Perceval, to overthrow the evil king Garibaldi and unite of all England.
In terms of the characters, Arthur is a well balanced fighter and useful for intermediate players due to his slow powerful attack, he is the main protagonist and his main weapon is Excalibur. Upon gaining levels, Excalibur becomes stronger and his armor changes. Arthur's special attack is a powerful slashing blow. Lancelot is very good for beginners, he is very fast but lacks in strength. His weapon of choice is a sabre, and his special attack is a jumping kick. Perceval is not a sword wielder unlike Arthur and Perceval, he wields an axe. He is slow, but he is very strong, useful for intermediate players, and can perform a dash and a "Giant Swing" special.
Concept. Knights of the Round has seven stages, each of them become tougher the more you progress. However, you can level up by collecting the treasure chests, coins, and gold that are dropped by enemies and bosses after defeat. Each stage has enemies and bosses that will try to prevent you from progressing and fulfill Arthur's destiny.
Design. The game is 16-bit to 24-bit graphics, and it's displays are: Raster, horizontal orientation, 384 x 224 pixels, 4096 colors, 60 Hz refresh rate. The stages have excellent perspective such as views of burning villages, castle sieges, and so on. I actually found this beat-em-up game very interesting, because it distances itself from typical ones where you punch, kick, and grapple. Nevertheless, this game is like a mixture of Final Fight and Dungeons and Dragons.
Rantings. What I don't like about this game is that even if it's cool to ride on a horse, you can't make it run. Get this folks, you make the horse run by dismounting on it and it attacks opponents, never coming back until you get another horse. Fighting animals, such as tigers was a pain in the ass as well. And some bosses like the final ones will have your thumbs really sore.
Good Aspects. This arcade game has a lot of good qualities and it has averagely high replay value. I liked it a lot, and if you have the Capcom Classics Collection for either the PS2 or PSP, you will enjoy this game to the fullest as you enjoy other Capcom titles such as: Street Fighter, Final Fight, Ghosts 'N Goblins, and so on.
Overall. Knights of the Round is a classic game, not one of the greatest but awesome titles ever that Capcom has ever made. This game gets an 8 out of 10.
God Bless and Play Hard Gamers!