GB Feature: Retro Role-Playing, Arcade Style
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I want my kids to experience the games that I grew up with in the same manner that I experienced them and, luckily, they can. Thanks to MAME, Daphne, and a host of other console emulators, the classic games we played during the 80's and 90's are still very much a reality. And while you can certainly make use of these software-based feats of genius sitting at your computer desk, the way these emulators and their games really play as intended is to put them to use inside a custom-built arcade cabinet. That's where things get a little tricky, as most of us don't possess the right tools and parts, nor the skill in carpentry, to get the job done right.
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For RPG enthusiasts like myself, an arcade cabinet actually has a lot to offer, as there are literally hundreds of role-playing games across the many platforms that can be configured in the aforementioned frontends. The most prominent of these is MAME, which actually features several action RPGs within the 8000+ games it currently supports. Among these are Cadash, Crossed Swords, Dungeon Magic, Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara, Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom, The King of Dragons, and The Super Spy. There are also many other fantasy games with very light RPG elements, including Dark Seal, Gauntlet Dark Legacy, Gauntlet Legends, Magic Sword, and the Rastan trilogy. And although they wouldn't typically be considered RPGs, the Daphne-powered laserdisc games Dragon's Lair and Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp are most likely fondly remembered by Dungeons & Dragons fans that spent any time in arcades during the 80's.
