Players can play as a fighter, thief, warlock, witch, bishop, elf, bard, or gnome. Special classes, like the princess and hermit, can also be unlocked as the game progresses. The classes vary primarily in their black and white potion abilities. For example, the bishop's white potion heals nearby allies, whereas the bard's black potion has the ability to change the music. The game supports up to five players simultaneously. All extra lives are shared between players. The game also features a password system that tracks the player's level, class, and four base stats.
Synopsis
It is centered on the quest of several heroes to find the Ora Stone for the king of Oddesia. When the alien race that now rules the land invaded, the stone was hidden deep in the dungeons of the land by the King to keep it safe. Now, however, the king wants the players to recover the stone, which can bring life, light, and happiness, and to kill the alien king, Natas: King Satan. The heroes progress through several different dungeons and fight fearsome bosses such as Bullbeast and Grimrose, and finally recover the Ora stone. Upon giving it to the king, however, the king reveals himself as Natas and steals the stone. Additionally, a guard named Judas also betrays the heroes, but is defeated by them. The adventurers then chase and confront Natas, killing him and taking back the Ora stone and ushering in a time of peace.
Dungeon Explorer has been met with a more mixed reception from reviewers since its re-release on digital platforms.
Legacy
Sequels and related games
A sequel to the game, Dungeon Explorer II, was later released for the TurboGrafx-CD console in 1993. A heavily modified port of Dungeon Explorer II was made for the Super Famicom, titled Crystal Beans: From Dungeon Explorer, and was released in Japan in 1995. There was also a Sega CD game which goes by the name of Dungeon Explorer. It is related to the series, but not a port of any previous game, and very different from the others. Developed by Westone Co, Dungeon Explorer for the Sega CD is far closer to Gauntlet than the other games. Weapons and armor may be bought with the gold found in dungeons. In 2007, two related games, again different from the original titles, were released to coincide with the release of the original Dungeon Explorer on the Wii Virtual Console. The first game, Dungeon Explorer: Meiyaku no Tobira, was released for the PlayStation Portable in November 2007. The second game, Dungeon Explorer: Jashin no Ryouiki, was released for the Nintendo DS in December 2007. Both games were localized, but were both released as .
