fantasy

Fantasy

Arcade, 1981

We’ve gushed about the brilliance of SNK’S forgotten gem in a recent issue of the magazine, but it’s worth iterating just how much fun Fantasy is. Like Donkey Kong it revolves around rescuing a damsel in distress and is also structured so that each stage feels markedly different from the one that comes before it. We’d argue, however, that the narrative structure of Fantasy feels a little better than Donkey Kong’s and that it offers far better variety in its tasks, even if the execution of said tasks isn’t quite as tight as in Nintendo’s game.

Play through Fantasy today and it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer amount of game that SNK was able to cram into it. One minute you’re desperately trying to land your hot air balloon on a pirate ship, the next you’re attempting to lure angry natives in front of canons, or desperately outrunning a tiger (to the tune of Funky Town no less). It’s extremely wellthought-out and there’s a real sense of accomplishment when you’re finally reunited.