Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first hour of Multimixx 4 is really about choosing how much Gauntlet you want in your life. This is a tightly themed three-game package, not a sampler that constantly changes genre or mood. Starting with the original gives the collection a clear anchor, while The Deeper Dungeons and Gauntlet II make the set feel like an extended visit rather than a single isolated game.

That focus is its strongest point and its obvious limitation. If you already enjoy returning to the same core series, having three related entries together is more satisfying than owning a lone installment. You can move from the original to its dungeon-focused follow-up and then to the sequel without the collection pulling you away into unrelated material.

Frustration can set in if you expected breadth. There is no cushion of wildly different games between these entries; Multimixx 4 asks you to be interested in Gauntlet specifically. For a fan, that concentration is honest and useful. For anyone merely curious, it is a fairly demanding way to test the waters.

Graphics

Multimixx 4 spans Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC editions, so the pictures you see depend on which version you play. The compilation’s visual character comes from those three platform versions and from the shared Gauntlet lineage, rather than from a new wrapper or a separate compilation theme.

Story

Story is not what ties this package together; the connection is the Gauntlet name and the progression from the original game through The Deeper Dungeons to Gauntlet II. That is enough of a thread for a compilation, but it does not turn the set into a narrative journey.

There is still a small sense of history in playing the titles as a group. You are not being handed three random releases from U.S. Gold’s catalogue; you are getting a concentrated slice of one series. The sequel and dungeon follow-up give the original some context simply by being present beside it.

If you want a story-led collection, this will feel thin. Go in wanting series continuity instead. Multimixx 4 works better as an opportunity to compare related games from the same line than as a package with dramatic stakes or a plot to chase.

Overall Experience

Multimixx 4 is a sensible compilation with a narrow audience. Its three selections belong together, and that matters: the package has a point beyond sheer quantity. On the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, or Amstrad CPC, it offers a direct route through the original Gauntlet, its deeper-dungeon follow-up, and its sequel.

The payoff depends entirely on your appetite for that run of games. Fans get a focused bundle that avoids filler, while newcomers get several chances to decide whether the series clicks. The same concentration that makes it purposeful can make it feel repetitive, so it is easier to recommend as a dedicated Gauntlet purchase than as an all-purpose retro compilation.

At its best, this is a compact, coherent archive of a single gaming lineage. At its worst, it is three versions of a very similar invitation. If that invitation sounds good, Multimixx 4 is worth your time; if you need variety from a compilation, look elsewhere.

Retro Replay Score

6.2/10