1991 is a year we simply can’t forget. As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, arcades were overflowing with side-scrolling beat ’em ups — and finally, a game arrived that blended that style with the world of Dungeons & Dragons!

We’re talking about The King of Dragons. I first saw it at the bar near my house, and I was instantly captivated by the chance to choose between five characters:

Fighter – strong in close combat, with solid defense.
Cleric – a balanced mix of attack and magic, with a small healing ability.
Wizard – masters powerful ranged spells but has low defense.
Elf – fast and agile, uses a bow for ranged attacks.
Dwarf – tough and sturdy, though with a short attack range.

I was absolutely blown away. I wished I had endless coins to keep playing, but I had to live with my eternal gamer poverty!

I still fondly remember the thrill of playing co-op — fighting huge, beautifully drawn monsters, and especially that massive three-headed dragon! One player shooting arrows while the other slashed with a sword — pure magic.

Just talking about it makes me want to play it all over again… but this time, with infinite credits!