Dear Lord, I just realized I was renting this game way back in probably 88, 89. That's a lifetime man, and I'm still playing games hardcore today, well into my 40s. I've seen such insane changes in this industry its unbelievable. That's why I love From Software games so much. they retain that Nintendo games Ideology. Still one of the few major studios that retain the golden era mindset. we will put it this way. I'm old enough to vividly remember Ironswords' marketing in Worlds of Power, Captain N, commercials etc. That was kind of the killer app of my day lol. Most Acclaim games were huge.
I was thinking to myself what a modern version would look like I would say a From Software game might be a good representation. I think something like Dark Souls is a bit lower fantasy though.
This and Knight Rider were my go-to rentals back then. I was telling someone the other day my first NES games were Simon's Quest and The Bard's Tale. Music from the third WW game still lives in my head. Kuros for Smash Bros.
I fell in love with this game the first time i played it. It was my brother's friends copy or we rented it can't remember. So I ended up asking for it for Christmas, and actually got it! I was so excited when I opened it, I started shouting and ran into Nintendo room and shoved it in and was playing within 30 seconds. I didn't even care about my other gifts lol. My family came in a couple minutes later like, are you going to finish Christmas with us? lol. They thought was funny and were happy I liked so much. I played it, a lot. There was a time where I would beat the game everyday after school. We didn't own a ton of games, but this was a good one to have.
@@neithermanc1 the infinite continues helps ;D but ya i got pretty good at it after memorizing the game. tbh Super Mario bros was actually kind of intimidating to me haha
@CharlieFive. most def did! Both great games. But was so happy to live through the nostalgia w this video. So many things about this game that I had forgotten. Really ahead of it's time!
I spent countless hours on this as a kid, and found it really hard, but so compelling. I can't remember if I actually beat it, but I enjoyed it so much.
This game has been like a boomerang in my life, always circling back around. Super nostalgic, whether playing as an 8yo in 88, in college in 1999 or 2016 watching Feasel speedrun it. Always comes back to me.
I rented this game during the craze surrounding Super Mario Bros 2 and Zelda 2. Anyone from the West Palm Beach area around Jupiter will remember Center St Video. This was recommended to me by an employee as an alternative. Never was able to get into this as a kid. In retrospective it was no failure of the but excitement over Mario and Zelda. Great video, I had forgotten all about that memory. My Mother took me to the rental store. I lost her in 2000 so any memory that is inadvertently triggered is a gift due to my brain injury. Thank you, great content, the late 80s, early 90s were a great time in my life.
I’m sorry to hear about your Mother, but I’m glad you have so many wonderful memories of her. I’m so glad this video helped bring back some good feelings for you. Thank you for sharing this.
This video is ridiculous. I mean that in the best way. This game is so great and to used to play it for hours between school and dinner time when I was like 9 or 10 years old in 1989/90 or so. The details you’ve provided here just enlightened me to all the magical parts of the game that I never got far enough to explore. I just subscribed. If all f your videos are this in depth, then I’m very much looking forward to more. Jeremy Parish also does really good work if you’re not already subscribed to him. Thanks again. This was wild. 🗡️🧙♂️🗡️
Thank you! My videos range in topic and depth, but they’re all NES related in one way or another. My next NES Masterpiece will have just as much depth.
"Excalibur" (1981) is such an outstanding film. I'm surprised sometimes how little I see it discussed or have heard people in their 20s/30s not having seen or even heard of it. It's goofy at times as befits an early 80s fantasy film but also surprisingly interesting and textured at times. It actually nails the dark fantasy visuals that have become more popular today
@@jcrowellz2000 In truth, I've never experienced a large portion of Arthurian legend. It's kinda like Shakespeare today, you might not have seen the original, but you've read 100 books and played 2 dozen games that are more or less directly based on one of his works
@@ThommyofThenn I've recently saw a documentary on J R R Tolkien. He was teacher of literature in Cambridge, i think, for like 30 years and versed in all the classics. His problem with the Arthurian stuff was that it was all cobbled loosely from French and other countries folklore. There really isn't a true British mythos of Arthur. Yeah, there's actual books like De Morte Arthur, not sure that's the correct spelling, but that one is the end since it deals with his death. So Tolkien wanted to write a mythology that was purely British. And that's when he started creating middle earth which led to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
I played this game with my older brother back in the 80’s. It was very hard for a younger me. I could never get very far but it still was one of my favorite childhood games on the nes
Can we just take a moment to raise a glass to the amazing music, particularly the first level? I was absolutely terrible at this game but it’s one I’ll never forget.
David Wise did a good job here. I love some of the 8-bit adaptations of classic melodies too. He went on to do Donkey Kong Country and a bunch more and is still active in the industry. I really loved seeing him start to put things out for the OC Remix community.
Thank you. My family had this game when i was young, and it was very difficult for 6 year old me to make any progress on. But no one I've ever talked to who played NES games 30+ years ago remember this game. I was beginning to think I was going crazy!
This game was my jam. I remember having to rebuy this game in the 90s because I just couldn't get this game out of my head. It's really fantastic. I 'm glad you spent so much time on the color palette- it's wonderful.
I love this true life story of your experience with wiz and warriors, I always liked the game although I never really got to play it as a kid, my best pal owned it and as it seemed to take a long time to get anywhere in,I would not even ask to play cuz it would often take all the time we had for NES for him to make any headway whatsoever. But I always enjoyed cheering him on and telling him things, items, whatever, that I would see around the game environment. Anyway, thanks for the memories
Man... These games were golden. I had all 3 Wizards & Warriors games and played them a ton. Out of the 3, this was the only one I beat as a kid. I revisited all 3 a couple of years ago and went until I beat all of them. Somewhat frustratingly difficult, but all 3 are beatable. I think Ironsword was the hardest.
This is the first video game I ever played. I was 6. I’ve been addicted ever since. I’m now 42. In my 20’s, I managed to get a copy off of eBay. It held up, still, after all those years. I still have it and play it from time to time ❤
Wizards and Warriors was the first game I ever rented around the spring of 1988 when I was 8.I made the right choice because I was totally immersed in the game for 2 days till it had to go back.Its definitely in the top 40 nes games along with other lesser known masterpieces like Rygar,Crystals,The Guardian Legend and so on.Ironsword was an average sequel if you can stand the insane difficulty Stay away from part 3 though,I rented and played it one weekend and even after over 30 years I haven't forgotten how horrible it was.
At 49 yrs old I remember playing this game with obsession late at night or on the weekends or during the summer (vacation) I had a long time figuring it out as I got more into the game but, the more I played it the more I learned about it… it is a non stop adrenaline, nerve wracking and exciting game to play… it was one of the most hands down game of the 80’s!! Thanks for sharing your childhood memories and making me laugh and cry missing my childhood memories. You did a number on me… you gained a new follower… I’m gonna check out your video content and hope you do more on the 80’s Nintendo game memories.
Thank you for a trip back to my childhood. This game was formative in my life, namely the title song got me into Baroque music, the most beautiful music ever made. This was the first game I ever beat with no cheats or outside help. It’s a shame that Rare hasn’t re-released this game on any of its compilations.
Great review. Your intro about your interests in medieval fantasy essentially described me growing up. D&D, Conan movies, fantasy novels, and games like Wizards and Warriors really captured my imagination. If you are looking for a great medieval fantasy-type game to play, consider Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves for the NES.
I didn't know about this game when I was growing up, but I'm very happy to hear someone getting a game like this. Good experiences are reasonably common, but this one sounds like exceptional experience. 😊
Bro, this one and the second one to top tier childhood games! Kingsfield bit me pretty hard to on the ps one. I dumped countless hours into these. Thank you for the memory bump! This is one of those games that lives seared into your memories as one of the all time greats. The sfx the music, all of it made you feel like you were on a mythical quest. Awesome stuff, living through the 80’s was wildly awesome. But now realizing that I’ve probably got more time in life than left is kind of a wild thought. Watching the younger people is wild too. I remember being young enough to think I knew something. Now I’m old enough to know I don’t know anything. Life is weird, but this was a fkn awesome dopamine ride. So thank you for that. Algorithm came in clutch. And ima definitely like and sub. Boss shiz brother. Boss shiz.
Thank you so much for the comment! Life is blazing by for sure, but I'm enjoying as much of it as I can. We were placed in a special time, growing up in an analog era, but gaining wisdom in the digital age. We truly have seen the best of both worlds! Thank you for the like and sub, and there will be more NES Masterpieces for sure!
Yes and this game is basically a reskinned version of “underworld” tbh a lot of their early NES games was kind of ports of their previous spectrum games
A wonderful love letter to this game. I want to like Wizards and Warriors but always found it too difficult, being constantly bombarded by enemies while trying to make difficult jumps. Anyway, excellent video. Subscribed.
"Git Guud" Lol. Joke. Haven't played it myself, so can't comment on the difficulty. But it looks interesting. I hope they add it to the switch library.
Absolutely awesome video. I felt the same way when I first received this game. However, I knew of no one who had it and it didn't take me very long to complete it. That has been par for the course, as I've finished thousands of games. However, I will say that I've come back to this unforgettable classic close to 100 hundred times since I finished it for the first time in the late 80's. I've been creating a list of the Top 250 games of all time and this game ranks pretty high on that list. Again, great job with the video. I watched the entire thing and heartily agreed with each sentiment and thought you had of the game!
Thank you so much for the kind words and story. As you said, this game has tremendous replay value and deserves a high spot on your list! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
I remember being 8 years old, home from school sick with the flu. I couldn't believe it when I eventually beat the game. It took me two days to jump and button mash my way up to the evil wizard. I really enjoyed W&W 2 as well. Good times!
Wizards and Warriors is in my Top 20 all time games! Your analysis MMMOVED ME at how passionately you took this legend of an adventure! You’ve set the standard for W&W fandom! Thank you for the Justice!
Hell yeah, this video was fantastic!!! The whole 80's vibe, the way the writing built up along with the gameplay in this beautiful organic way, giving what is of course an exercise in nostalgia a dreamlike quality... making something that is a fitting tribute to the experience of playing this game as a child, in what is, effectively, an entirely novel format. I really hope others appreciate this, and that you make many more of these.
Thank you so much for that! I really appreciate the kind words, and yeah, I had lots of fun making this, with definite plans of making more in the future!
@@CharlieFive. When I was leaving, I told my lead that I thought emulation was the best way to handle older games that they wanted to re-release. And then we got Mortal Kombat Gold for the Dreamcast. It uses emulation to run the MK arcade roms. I also explained to them that an open, explorable world like Daggerfall from Bethesda on PC would be a great idea. I pictured something like Oblivion in my head. They went bankrupt before cashing in on that one.
I loved this game. There was a super hard jump in the ice caves where you had to levitate before you jump. I was stuck on that for 6 months and even wondered if this was really where I was supposed to go. But I liked the game and kept playing until I randomly found the right pixel to stand on to make the jump.
I’d like to think your account name was GriefALot, but after you successfully completed that jump, you were officially knighted, and became SirGriefALot.
I got this game with my NES Christmas of '88. Wish I still had the cart and system that I gave away when the SNES came out. This was a great game that opened up exploring to me. The colors, graphics, sound and music were all top notch considering it was an 8-bit game. I used to hit the 'Cloak of Darkness' when fighting bosses just so my friends and I could laugh during the princess rescue scene because well, Kuro's sword looked like a schlong bouncing up and down when he was cloaked. (The things that amused us as kids.) I was blown away climbing up Ironspire castle where Potion of Levitation and Feather of Fall were critical. One thing I always wondered was whether the grass section between the first forest level and Ironspire castle was a secret level or just there to round out the map.
The grass was probably there just to round out the map, but either way, it sounds like you and your friends had a great time with it. Thank you for sharing your story, I'm glad this video brought back fond memories for you.
One of my favorite games as a kid. It was one of the few that was easy enough for me to beat way back then and one of the first games I git when i started collecting again.
I loved this game as a kid in the 80's. It's Sequel "Ironsword" was great as well, but I never managed to beat it. I played very little of Wizards & Warriors III. And there was also a game boy game that was descent, yet difficult.
I thought i was the only one who loved this game! The only nes game I've beat multiple times. It was mid to early 90s as a youngester. I remembered being really young watching my older cousins play this in the basement... it was so kino. A quiet warm summer night A light breeze coming through the window Crickets chirping Sitting on the floor in a dark room with just the glow of the game on the tv... heaven.
@CharlieFive. Your video brought that memory to life. I've been so stressed with work, and I haven't thought about this game for years! Thank you for that. You have a sub from me!
I remember laying hands on the Game Players VHS tapes with looks at Wizards and Warriors and Ironsword, among various other games. Some of those games I was able to pick up and own to this day. Wizards and Warriors was something I could only "play" by watching these tapes. I never could find it to rent and various other titles seemed to jump ahead on my birthday or Christmas lists. I always had a certain fascination with Wizards and Warriors and its sequel, however. Something about the gameplay and the visuals were definitely captivating to a young lad back in the heyday of the NES. Part of me wants to buy a cartridge and play it on my original hardware... and part of me thinks I should keep the rose-tinted glasses on and treat this game as something that will remain out of reach, almost like a magical artifact itself.
What a great video- excellent music, great voice over with awesome information. A soothing and detailed revisit into a fantastic game that gave me endless amounts of stress haha well done!
Never got a chance to play 1. I think 2 is what I played and I seem to remember it being extremely tough as a kid. There were these waterfall elemental things I'll never forget. I remember the game fondly. Edit: the one I played had Fabio on the cover.
@@MrStimpson38 I’ve had lots of people share their stories of W&W 2 and 3. They seemed to remember how difficult they were. If you get the chance, play the first one, it’s great.
My favorite thing to do was climb all the way to the top of the final tower and use Featherfall to drop slowly back to the bottom. Platformers at the time never gave you this sort of option. Very fun.
One of the first NES games I ever played. I was too young to really tackle it seriously so I just kind of went around dying. And I never went back to it since. But I've always remembered it.
@@CharlieFive. Definitely planning to now. Along with a lot of other ones I didn't get to appreciate fully, from my archive of definitely 100% completely legally obtained ROMs.
Rare sure knew how to make em tough. I remember telling a friend’s kid years ago if you can beat Battletoads, skips or otherwise, then you can accomplish anything in life.
I was so disappointed when my parents bought me this. It didn’t get off to a good start. I started this game at least 4-5 times and then one day something just clicked and I beat it a couple days later. Sooo good
This game & its sequel were 2 of the Hardest games i remember ever playing! But they were gorgeous! (And still are!) ..although i've never personally beat either, they are still freshly burned into my memories. Great Vid!
Back when the cover art made my rental decisions. I rented this game and the sequel often. It was always too hard for me as a kid though it was fun i remember.
The cloak of Darkness and the potion have some great music. I recall finding a hidden room and just using these repeatedly and even recorded the entire OST to cassette tape. Now a few fun tricks with the potion of levitation is you can actually burst through the left barriers of screens and fall into weird zones (but this is very tine consuming and you better have some OCD. The funniest is using it at the bottom of the first forest. Go to the left and quickly and repeatedly hit the up arrow on the gamepad to activate the potion. It will slowly push you further left. If done correctly in the 2nd forest you will clip into the first forest. Then you can repeat entire sections you already did and it will be the later princesses saved. I think you'll find the final princess somewhere around killing either the lava cave or crystal cave for the 2nd time. Another thing you can do is do this in the boss chambers. You'll glitch out the wall. Try to run left or continue levi clipping. Caves will turn weird and you may even fall but you can't see what you're doing. The game will keep glitching to odd weirdness.
I was curious on youtube others who knew of this "cheat/bug" and I just found a clipping I never knew about: m.ua-cam.com/video/lYYwFq7Pj2c/v-deo.html I suspected something was weird in the crystal level. That bug clipping is similar graphical glitches you'll see if doing the levitate clipping to zip off the screen.
Nice video! I share your enjoyment of the game, the mood of it is really good. Only Nes games has such atmosphere. Thank you for your video, it was really enjoyable to watch!
Dear Lord, I just realized I was renting this game way back in probably 88, 89. That's a lifetime man, and I'm still playing games hardcore today, well into my 40s. I've seen such insane changes in this industry its unbelievable. That's why I love From Software games so much. they retain that Nintendo games Ideology. Still one of the few major studios that retain the golden era mindset. we will put it this way. I'm old enough to vividly remember Ironswords' marketing in Worlds of Power, Captain N, commercials etc. That was kind of the killer app of my day lol. Most Acclaim games were huge.
Other than featuring swords this has nothing to do with Dark Souls. Mega Man is probably closer to Dark Souls in gameplay than W&W
I was thinking to myself what a modern version would look like I would say a From Software game might be a good representation. I think something like Dark Souls is a bit lower fantasy though.
@@suburbanindie cool but no one has compared this to DS?
This and Knight Rider were my go-to rentals back then. I was telling someone the other day my first NES games were Simon's Quest and The Bard's Tale. Music from the third WW game still lives in my head. Kuros for Smash Bros.
@@simondaniel4028 From Software means "Souls Like" genre. It's synonymous at this point.
I fell in love with this game the first time i played it. It was my brother's friends copy or we rented it can't remember. So I ended up asking for it for Christmas, and actually got it! I was so excited when I opened it, I started shouting and ran into Nintendo room and shoved it in and was playing within 30 seconds. I didn't even care about my other gifts lol. My family came in a couple minutes later like, are you going to finish Christmas with us? lol. They thought was funny and were happy I liked so much. I played it, a lot. There was a time where I would beat the game everyday after school. We didn't own a ton of games, but this was a good one to have.
wow, you actually beat it? i was never good enough to finish this one as a kid so I stuck to super mario instead :D
@@neithermanc1 the infinite continues helps ;D but ya i got pretty good at it after memorizing the game. tbh Super Mario bros was actually kind of intimidating to me haha
Awesome story dude! 👊🏻
When i was a kid, my parents bought me this game bc Mike Tysons punch out was sold out. What a fantastic game! What a hidden gem!
It really is! I hope you got Mike Tyson's Punch Out later though, that was a great game also!
@CharlieFive. most def did! Both great games. But was so happy to live through the nostalgia w this video. So many things about this game that I had forgotten. Really ahead of it's time!
@@kniqhtfall I’m glad the video was able to bring back good memories for you.
I think the entire game was made by 2 or 3 people.
Getting a hidden gem for the NES in the 80s and early 90s was the best. It was such a great era to be a gamer.
I spent countless hours on this as a kid, and found it really hard, but so compelling. I can't remember if I actually beat it, but I enjoyed it so much.
One of my all-time favorite games and the best NES game OST of all time.
OST is fire 🔥🤘🏼
IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II was my favourite in the trilogy, but the first game was pretty good too.
Nice to see a video doing justice to one of the most underrated games of the NES library!
Thank you very much!
You should definitely do more videos like this.
I appreciate it. There are definitely more in the works.
Wizards & Warriors definitely one of the greatest games ever made especially for its time! I was addicted to this game!
@@ss.stevensoto It’s a great game to be addicted to!
Thats funny! My husband and I were just talking about this game, last week! Along with a few other old RPGs that we played when we were kids!
I hope the video brought back good memories!
We need a new W&W. A great series, but the first is the best, in my opinion.
@@NearLife4life Without a doubt!
Yeah, WnW was my introduction to Nintendo . The intro music song is still a banger
I played this game so much as a kid
This game has been like a boomerang in my life, always circling back around. Super nostalgic, whether playing as an 8yo in 88, in college in 1999 or 2016 watching Feasel speedrun it. Always comes back to me.
@@makotroid108 I’m glad I could throw it back to you one more time. 👍
I rented this game during the craze surrounding Super Mario Bros 2 and Zelda 2. Anyone from the West Palm Beach area around Jupiter will remember Center St Video. This was recommended to me by an employee as an alternative. Never was able to get into this as a kid. In retrospective it was no failure of the but excitement over Mario and Zelda. Great video, I had forgotten all about that memory. My Mother took me to the rental store. I lost her in 2000 so any memory that is inadvertently triggered is a gift due to my brain injury. Thank you, great content, the late 80s, early 90s were a great time in my life.
I’m sorry to hear about your Mother, but I’m glad you have so many wonderful memories of her. I’m so glad this video helped bring back some good feelings for you. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you Sir
This video is ridiculous. I mean that in the best way. This game is so great and to used to play it for hours between school and dinner time when I was like 9 or 10 years old in 1989/90 or so.
The details you’ve provided here just enlightened me to all the magical parts of the game that I never got far enough to explore.
I just subscribed. If all f your videos are this in depth, then I’m very much looking forward to more.
Jeremy Parish also does really good work if you’re not already subscribed to him.
Thanks again. This was wild.
🗡️🧙♂️🗡️
Thank you! My videos range in topic and depth, but they’re all NES related in one way or another. My next NES Masterpiece will have just as much depth.
"Excalibur" (1981) is such an outstanding film. I'm surprised sometimes how little I see it discussed or have heard people in their 20s/30s not having seen or even heard of it. It's goofy at times as befits an early 80s fantasy film but also surprisingly interesting and textured at times. It actually nails the dark fantasy visuals that have become more popular today
Still the best King Arthur movie, by a long shot. As much as I like Clive Owen as an actor, his Arthurian movie sucked
"It is the old wound my King. It has never healed."
@@robspot101 the movie is full of great metaphors. His betrayal was what ruined his life.
@@jcrowellz2000 In truth, I've never experienced a large portion of Arthurian legend. It's kinda like Shakespeare today, you might not have seen the original, but you've read 100 books and played 2 dozen games that are more or less directly based on one of his works
@@ThommyofThenn I've recently saw a documentary on J R R Tolkien. He was teacher of literature in Cambridge, i think, for like 30 years and versed in all the classics. His problem with the Arthurian stuff was that it was all cobbled loosely from French and other countries folklore. There really isn't a true British mythos of Arthur. Yeah, there's actual books like De Morte Arthur, not sure that's the correct spelling, but that one is the end since it deals with his death. So Tolkien wanted to write a mythology that was purely British. And that's when he started creating middle earth which led to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
I played this game with my older brother back in the 80’s. It was very hard for a younger me. I could never get very far but it still was one of my favorite childhood games on the nes
It’s never too late to give it another shot!
Can we just take a moment to raise a glass to the amazing music, particularly the first level? I was absolutely terrible at this game but it’s one I’ll never forget.
@@TomFooleryTheAustere A toast, to the wonderful music of Wizards & Warriors! 🥂
The ending was also awesome with the black screen surrounding the princess, and shortly afterward, the name of the game appears. Classic!
David Wise did a good job here. I love some of the 8-bit adaptations of classic melodies too. He went on to do Donkey Kong Country and a bunch more and is still active in the industry. I really loved seeing him start to put things out for the OC Remix community.
One of my favorite games growing up.
Thank you. My family had this game when i was young, and it was very difficult for 6 year old me to make any progress on. But no one I've ever talked to who played NES games 30+ years ago remember this game. I was beginning to think I was going crazy!
@@user-hb9lw8by9y It was, and is, very real. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Now this is a thorough exploration of a game with a hefty dose of love for the title itself. Very well done and encaptivating all the way!
Thank you very much!
This game was my jam. I remember having to rebuy this game in the 90s because I just couldn't get this game out of my head. It's really fantastic. I 'm glad you spent so much time on the color palette- it's wonderful.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I love this true life story of your experience with wiz and warriors, I always liked the game although I never really got to play it as a kid, my best pal owned it and as it seemed to take a long time to get anywhere in,I would not even ask to play cuz it would often take all the time we had for NES for him to make any headway whatsoever. But I always enjoyed cheering him on and telling him things, items, whatever, that I would see around the game environment. Anyway, thanks for the memories
You're welcome! You were a great friend cheering him on like that. It's great when a one-player game like that can still be enjoyed by two friends.
One of the better game reviews I’ve seen in awhile! I remember playing this game late into the night. Thanks 🙏
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
You've given me a new appreciation for this game! I had only rented it as a kid and it was too difficult and confusing for my feeble young brain.
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Man... These games were golden. I had all 3 Wizards & Warriors games and played them a ton. Out of the 3, this was the only one I beat as a kid. I revisited all 3 a couple of years ago and went until I beat all of them. Somewhat frustratingly difficult, but all 3 are beatable. I think Ironsword was the hardest.
You are a true Wizards & Warriors champion!
This is the first video game I ever played. I was 6. I’ve been addicted ever since. I’m now 42. In my 20’s, I managed to get a copy off of eBay. It held up, still, after all those years. I still have it and play it from time to time ❤
@@mellowmissmuffett I’m glad to see you’ve still got and enjoy it. Thank you for the comment.
Wow, glad I just found you! Your review of this iconic game is a masterpiece, thank you for making it!!!
Thank you for watching!
I LoVed this game as a kid. I remember sitting at the castle for days before I realized you had to CLIMB it..
@@jeffrix27 Lol, yeah, and the climb was NOT easy!
Wizards and Warriors was the first game I ever rented around the spring of 1988 when I was 8.I made the right choice because I was totally immersed in the game for 2 days till it had to go back.Its definitely in the top 40 nes games along with other lesser known masterpieces like Rygar,Crystals,The Guardian Legend and so on.Ironsword was an average sequel if you can stand the insane difficulty Stay away from part 3 though,I rented and played it one weekend and even after over 30 years I haven't forgotten how horrible it was.
At 49 yrs old I remember playing this game with obsession late at night or on the weekends or during the summer (vacation) I had a long time figuring it out as I got more into the game but, the more I played it the more I learned about it… it is a non stop adrenaline, nerve wracking and exciting game to play… it was one of the most hands down game of the 80’s!!
Thanks for sharing your childhood memories and making me laugh and cry missing my childhood memories. You did a number on me… you gained a new follower… I’m gonna check out your video content and hope you do more on the 80’s Nintendo game memories.
@@FLATEARTHPANDA88 Thank you so much for your comment. There are plenty more NES memories to come!
Thank you for a trip back to my childhood. This game was formative in my life, namely the title song got me into Baroque music, the most beautiful music ever made. This was the first game I ever beat with no cheats or outside help. It’s a shame that Rare hasn’t re-released this game on any of its compilations.
I’m glad it brought back great memories!
My folks bought my brother and I this game based solely on the cover art. How lucky we were.
@@ChannoBonanno Very lucky indeed 🍀
i got really far in this game as a kid. Never beat it but it has stuck in my memory ever since. I should try to play again, i do love the game music.
It’s definitely worth playing again. I hope you get the chance to finish it.
Great review.
Your intro about your interests in medieval fantasy essentially described me growing up. D&D, Conan movies, fantasy novels, and games like Wizards and Warriors really captured my imagination.
If you are looking for a great medieval fantasy-type game to play, consider Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves for the NES.
I’ll check that out, thanks!
I didn't know about this game when I was growing up, but I'm very happy to hear someone getting a game like this. Good experiences are reasonably common, but this one sounds like exceptional experience. 😊
@@capesword111 It was for sure. If you ever get the chance, give it a try. For an 8-bit platformer, it’s lots of fun.
Love how you maxed out your points right there at the end.
This was by far one of the best games on the nes. I'm gonna have to pick it up again and play in 4k in 2024.
@@amansway-rulesforlife4113 Yes, for sure!
Bro, this one and the second one to top tier childhood games! Kingsfield bit me pretty hard to on the ps one. I dumped countless hours into these. Thank you for the memory bump! This is one of those games that lives seared into your memories as one of the all time greats. The sfx the music, all of it made you feel like you were on a mythical quest. Awesome stuff, living through the 80’s was wildly awesome. But now realizing that I’ve probably got more time in life than left is kind of a wild thought. Watching the younger people is wild too. I remember being young enough to think I knew something. Now I’m old enough to know I don’t know anything. Life is weird, but this was a fkn awesome dopamine ride. So thank you for that. Algorithm came in clutch. And ima definitely like and sub. Boss shiz brother. Boss shiz.
Thank you so much for the comment! Life is blazing by for sure, but I'm enjoying as much of it as I can. We were placed in a special time, growing up in an analog era, but gaining wisdom in the digital age. We truly have seen the best of both worlds! Thank you for the like and sub, and there will be more NES Masterpieces for sure!
Great video thanks. It criminal this hasn't seen a modern reboot or a new update in the series.
It would be great to see a reboot of this NES classic!
Excellent video! I share many of your feelings for this game. You forgot to mention the excellent music the game has.
That’s one thing I’ve noticed in the comments, a lot of people mentioned the music. It was definitely a great part of the game.
The music in this game is amazingly great.
Yes it is!
you have an exhaustive knowledge of this game...and your passion for it is remarkable.you make top quality content
@@TylerDurden-oy2hm Thank you very much!
I have had images of this game playing in my head for 30 years and I have never been able to remember the name. Thanks for the nostalgia blast.
You’re welcome!
Rare Games produced some great games on the zx spectrum early on in the eighties. They went under the name of "Ultimate: Play The Game."
Yes and this game is basically a reskinned version of “underworld” tbh a lot of their early NES games was kind of ports of their previous spectrum games
I imidiately thought of Underworld. Thank you for confirming. 🎉
A wonderful love letter to this game. I want to like Wizards and Warriors but always found it too difficult, being constantly bombarded by enemies while trying to make difficult jumps. Anyway, excellent video. Subscribed.
Thank you so much!
"Git Guud" Lol. Joke. Haven't played it myself, so can't comment on the difficulty. But it looks interesting. I hope they add it to the switch library.
Insane classic.... Freaking hard when I was 8 in the 80's.
It’s time to revisit it and give it a good run through!
Absolutely awesome video. I felt the same way when I first received this game. However, I knew of no one who had it and it didn't take me very long to complete it. That has been par for the course, as I've finished thousands of games. However, I will say that I've come back to this unforgettable classic close to 100 hundred times since I finished it for the first time in the late 80's. I've been creating a list of the Top 250 games of all time and this game ranks pretty high on that list.
Again, great job with the video. I watched the entire thing and heartily agreed with each sentiment and thought you had of the game!
Thank you so much for the kind words and story. As you said, this game has tremendous replay value and deserves a high spot on your list! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
I remember being 8 years old, home from school sick with the flu. I couldn't believe it when I eventually beat the game. It took me two days to jump and button mash my way up to the evil wizard. I really enjoyed W&W 2 as well. Good times!
This game was a masterpiece. I loved the intro music and would hit reset on the NES just to listen to it again
@@Maurinusa The music really did it justice!
Wizards and Warriors is in my Top 20 all time games! Your analysis MMMOVED ME at how passionately you took this legend of an adventure! You’ve set the standard for W&W fandom! Thank you for the Justice!
Wow! And thank you for the wonderful comments! I hope I can continue to make the W&W people proud!
Omg finally! I’ve always thought this game was an A+! I beat it back then a bunch, and I still do every few years. Awesome!
Glad to hear you are still enjoying it!
Hell yeah, this video was fantastic!!! The whole 80's vibe, the way the writing built up along with the gameplay in this beautiful organic way, giving what is of course an exercise in nostalgia a dreamlike quality... making something that is a fitting tribute to the experience of playing this game as a child, in what is, effectively, an entirely novel format. I really hope others appreciate this, and that you make many more of these.
Thank you so much for that! I really appreciate the kind words, and yeah, I had lots of fun making this, with definite plans of making more in the future!
I LOVED this game. When I went to work for Acclaim, they asked me what my favorite game from them and this was it.
@@Trick-Framed That’s awesome you worked for Acclaim! I bet you’ve got some great stories, and Wizards & Warriors is definitely my favorite!
@@CharlieFive. When I was leaving, I told my lead that I thought emulation was the best way to handle older games that they wanted to re-release. And then we got Mortal Kombat Gold for the Dreamcast. It uses emulation to run the MK arcade roms. I also explained to them that an open, explorable world like Daggerfall from Bethesda on PC would be a great idea. I pictured something like Oblivion in my head. They went bankrupt before cashing in on that one.
I loved this game. There was a super hard jump in the ice caves where you had to levitate before you jump. I was stuck on that for 6 months and even wondered if this was really where I was supposed to go. But I liked the game and kept playing until I randomly found the right pixel to stand on to make the jump.
I’d like to think your account name was GriefALot, but after you successfully completed that jump, you were officially knighted, and became SirGriefALot.
I got this game with my NES Christmas of '88. Wish I still had the cart and system that I gave away when the SNES came out. This was a great game that opened up exploring to me. The colors, graphics, sound and music were all top notch considering it was an 8-bit game. I used to hit the 'Cloak of Darkness' when fighting bosses just so my friends and I could laugh during the princess rescue scene because well, Kuro's sword looked like a schlong bouncing up and down when he was cloaked. (The things that amused us as kids.) I was blown away climbing up Ironspire castle where Potion of Levitation and Feather of Fall were critical. One thing I always wondered was whether the grass section between the first forest level and Ironspire castle was a secret level or just there to round out the map.
The grass was probably there just to round out the map, but either way, it sounds like you and your friends had a great time with it. Thank you for sharing your story, I'm glad this video brought back fond memories for you.
The music for this game is incredible. I've even heard part of one of the songs sampled for a rap beat.
@@RepublicConstitution LOL, that’s awesome!
Great review, fantastic video. I loved this game as a kid. This really brought me back!
@@josephiarocci245 Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This is like a love letter to one of my favorite NES games. Good job.
Thank you!
One of my favorite games as a kid. It was one of the few that was easy enough for me to beat way back then and one of the first games I git when i started collecting again.
In the UK this game was called Tittleman's Crest, Canada it was released as "Wizard Knights"
I never knew that, thanks for the info!
The music is unforgettable and the sound effects are great. I love this game 👍!!
Needs more views. Subscribed.
Thank you very much! Please feel free to share this video with others!
I loved this game as a kid in the 80's. It's Sequel "Ironsword" was great as well, but I never managed to beat it. I played very little of Wizards & Warriors III. And there was also a game boy game that was descent, yet difficult.
This game was an absolute classic
Yes it was!
This is one of the best game reviews I have ever seen. I'm really not even a fan of W&W, but I loved every minute of this video.
Thank you very much!
I thought i was the only one who loved this game! The only nes game I've beat multiple times. It was mid to early 90s as a youngester. I remembered being really young watching my older cousins play this in the basement... it was so kino.
A quiet warm summer night
A light breeze coming through the window
Crickets chirping
Sitting on the floor in a dark room with just the glow of the game on the tv... heaven.
You just described the most perfect NES gaming atmosphere! 👍
@@CharlieFive. thanks! It's so good
@CharlieFive.
Your video brought that memory to life. I've been so stressed with work, and I haven't thought about this game for years! Thank you for that. You have a sub from me!
@@W-C-F-o1k You are very welcome! I’m glad the video could bring back great memories for you.
I loved this game. It was the first game I ever finished for the NES
@@AbrasiveTea That’s awesome!
I remember laying hands on the Game Players VHS tapes with looks at Wizards and Warriors and Ironsword, among various other games. Some of those games I was able to pick up and own to this day. Wizards and Warriors was something I could only "play" by watching these tapes. I never could find it to rent and various other titles seemed to jump ahead on my birthday or Christmas lists. I always had a certain fascination with Wizards and Warriors and its sequel, however. Something about the gameplay and the visuals were definitely captivating to a young lad back in the heyday of the NES. Part of me wants to buy a cartridge and play it on my original hardware... and part of me thinks I should keep the rose-tinted glasses on and treat this game as something that will remain out of reach, almost like a magical artifact itself.
Your conflict is a large one indeed. But if you get the physical game, just enjoy it as a fun, campy, 8 bit magical, medieval adventure.
I remember getting this for Christmas those sure were the days
Awesome days indeed!
Nicely crafted video.
Thank You!
What a great video- excellent music, great voice over with awesome information. A soothing and detailed revisit into a fantastic game that gave me endless amounts of stress haha well done!
@@raven2tongue Thank you so much for the comment, I really appreciate it!
Never got a chance to play 1. I think 2 is what I played and I seem to remember it being extremely tough as a kid. There were these waterfall elemental things I'll never forget. I remember the game fondly. Edit: the one I played had Fabio on the cover.
@@MrStimpson38 I’ve had lots of people share their stories of W&W 2 and 3. They seemed to remember how difficult they were. If you get the chance, play the first one, it’s great.
From a 1981 kid, you don’t know how much I love this! One of my faves on NES. Part 2, iron-sword, is awesome too if ya haven’t tried it.
I'm glad you loved it. People have been telling me about Ironsword quite a bit, I'm gonna check it out!
@@CharlieFive. Do it!! Fabio’s your bonus prize 😂
@@BlueWingedChaos 😄
I loved this game as a kid.
My favorite thing to do was climb all the way to the top of the final tower and use Featherfall to drop slowly back to the bottom. Platformers at the time never gave you this sort of option. Very fun.
Still one of my favorite games of all time
It's definitely a classic!
This and duckhunt on nes were the first games i ever had ❤
I loved this game as a kid. I remember it being pretty hard.
@@Davivd2 It sure could be!
One of the first NES games I ever played. I was too young to really tackle it seriously so I just kind of went around dying. And I never went back to it since. But I've always remembered it.
It's never too late to go back and tackle it now with more experience and wisdom. I say go for it!
@@CharlieFive. Definitely planning to now. Along with a lot of other ones I didn't get to appreciate fully, from my archive of definitely 100% completely legally obtained ROMs.
@@Grayald Nice!
Never played this one, but I did have Wizards & Warriors 2 back in the day. Which was a fun game, I suppose.
This was a pretty solid game. I remember there being one jump that must have taken me 45 minutes to finally land.
In the ice (blue) cave, jumping over to the right in the alcove to get the feather of Feather Fall drove me crazy 🤪
Great Video. My favourite Nes game ever, 1 of my top 10 ever games too.
Man, thanks for the soothing voice. Great video.
@@chefharold4747 You’re welcome!
Rare sure knew how to make em tough. I remember telling a friend’s kid years ago if you can beat Battletoads, skips or otherwise, then you can accomplish anything in life.
@@robottaway Lol, very true!
I’ve never played this one but Iron Sword: Wizards & Warriors 2 was one of my all time favorites for the NES.
@@AT-qm8gv This one is definitely worth playing!
@@CharlieFive. it looks amazing. I missed out on the first one but yeah it looks like a lot of fun.
I loved this game as a kid!!
Loved this game as a kid!!!
Great video. I hope this becomes a regular series.
Well earned like and subscription, can't wait for more
Thank you so much!
Music in this game was incredible
@@MinnesotaFats Yes it was!
This game was incredible to play!
@@chiragdoshi5036 Yes it was!
Between this and Kid Icarus, i spent many, many hours as a kid playing this..Great video i agree 100%
Thank you!
I was so disappointed when my parents bought me this. It didn’t get off to a good start. I started this game at least 4-5 times and then one day something just clicked and I beat it a couple days later. Sooo good
@@Channelisunderconstruction I’m glad you were able to finish it, even with a rocky start.
I've owned this game for almost a couple decades now but never had the grit to play it more than a half hour. Maybe I should try again 😅
You should definitely try!
This game & its sequel were 2 of the Hardest games i remember ever playing! But they were gorgeous! (And still are!) ..although i've never personally beat either, they are still freshly burned into my memories. Great Vid!
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Back when the cover art made my rental decisions. I rented this game and the sequel often. It was always too hard for me as a kid though it was fun i remember.
The cover art to these NES games was definitely a big influence!
The cloak of Darkness and the potion have some great music. I recall finding a hidden room and just using these repeatedly and even recorded the entire OST to cassette tape.
Now a few fun tricks with the potion of levitation is you can actually burst through the left barriers of screens and fall into weird zones (but this is very tine consuming and you better have some OCD.
The funniest is using it at the bottom of the first forest. Go to the left and quickly and repeatedly hit the up arrow on the gamepad to activate the potion. It will slowly push you further left. If done correctly in the 2nd forest you will clip into the first forest. Then you can repeat entire sections you already did and it will be the later princesses saved. I think you'll find the final princess somewhere around killing either the lava cave or crystal cave for the 2nd time.
Another thing you can do is do this in the boss chambers. You'll glitch out the wall. Try to run left or continue levi clipping. Caves will turn weird and you may even fall but you can't see what you're doing. The game will keep glitching to odd weirdness.
That’s a lot of awesome info, thank you for sharing it!
I was curious on youtube others who knew of this "cheat/bug" and I just found a clipping I never knew about: m.ua-cam.com/video/lYYwFq7Pj2c/v-deo.html
I suspected something was weird in the crystal level. That bug clipping is similar graphical glitches you'll see if doing the levitate clipping to zip off the screen.
@@BaneMcDeath Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful artwork
@@RepublicConstitution Definitely!
Sliding down those caves were tragic for me!! I used to try for hours to get around in there!!
@@turn5990 They could be difficult getting around for sure!
Nice video! I share your enjoyment of the game, the mood of it is really good. Only Nes games has such atmosphere. Thank you for your video, it was really enjoyable to watch!
You are very welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
What a great video! Thanks for uploading it.
Thank you!
I still jam out to the title screen music. It goes so hard!
Yes it does!