The Guardian Legend

[roflmao]

So a few days ago I watched this video on Youtube: .

The Guardian Legend was the number one game mentioned, and it looked pretty cool.  And then I promptly forgot about it.

Then our very own starsoldier1 to the aforementioned video and, honestly, because we both share an unhealthy obsession to OBEY, I was convinced to pick it up. 

I don't think I'd ever heard of this NES game before.  Holy %&#* this game really damn cool!  Why isn't this game more popular?  The graphics are jaw-dropping for an NES title.  The music is badass.  The gameplay... oh the gameplay.  I have so much work to do right now, and when it arrived in the mail today, I popped it in to test it out thinking "I'll play it for five minutes, and get back to it later", as is the case with most NES games, but I just couldn't stop playing!

So what's the deal?  Does anybody know why this NES game fell under the radar?  I don't collect much for NES, but I'm really surprised that a game that looks so good, sounds so good, and plays so good isn't mentioned with the likes of Super Mario or Zelda.

The good thing is it can still be picked up for dirt cheap.  Mine cost a little under $6 shipped off ebay. (loose)

Did I mention it was developed by Compile? (Who also had their hands in Blazing Lazers, Spriggan, and the Crush Series to name a few)

I apologize for raving here.  I just don't think I've ever been so jazzed about an NES game before. 

[NightWolve]

I remember it. I rented and beat it as a kid and thought it was one of the best NES games that I had ever played.

[jperryss]

I loved it as a kid and actually played through it again less than two weeks ago, after playing Blazing Lazers  and remembering how good it was (there is lots of similarities between the two). It definitely fell under most peoples radar which is odd because I remember commercials airing for it. The crappy US cover probably didn't help though.

[ProfessorProfessorson]

Guardian Legend was actually a pretty popular title amongst me and my friends during the Nes days. Supposedly EGM did kind of shit on the game when it was reviewed by them, but regardless, when I was growing up the game was well known and enjoyed. I own it myself. It was actually the second game I had ever played on Nes that was published by Borderbund, the first being Raid on Bungeling Bay, which someone bought for me and I ended up feeling pretty meh about (I mean come on, the ocean had f*cking stars in it making it appear to be blue space, wtf...).

[thesteve]

loved the game BITD (once i figured out what i was doing)

[Bernie]

One of my favorite NES games.  I actually still play it from time to time. 

[Tatsujin]

It's not only made by compile itself, but also in cooperation with irem. Thats what makes it so cool

[TheClash603]

I am fairly certain I got this game in a lot of about 50 NES games and threw it into my parents attic a few years ago.  Never played it, and now I need to dig it out.

Thanks for letting me know I have something good I didn't know I had.

...no thanks for making me have to find the damn thing.

[thesteve]

i didnt really get into it the first play.
it starts out with a zelda1 feel and the boss stages are all IF

[csgx1]

I never heard of Guardian Legend either until I came across it on a NES list of must have games recently.

I've been getting back into the NES and I just picked up a loose copy of the game just a few days ago too.  Never play it before and it looks very interesting.  Not sure how I missed it back in the day.

[DesmondThe3rd]

Ohya, any fans of Blazing Lazers will notice a few similarities between the two games especially in the enemies.

[HercTNT]

Its one of my favorites. pretty challenging to get through.

[roflmao]

I am fairly certain I got this game in a lot of about 50 NES games and threw it into my parents attic a few years ago.  Never played it, and now I need to dig it out.

Thanks for letting me know I have something good I didn't know I had.

...no thanks for making me have to find the damn thing.

Lol.  Looking at the cart artwork, you'd NEVER think is was part Zelda, part Blazing Lazers with a buxom beauty as the protagonist.  What were they thinking.  I've probably seen this game before in the local thrift stores and not given it a second notice because the cart artwork doesn't say anything about the game.

I can't wait until this weekend is over and I have some big projects off my plate so I can dig back into it.

[bob]

Just today I passed right over it at a charity shop. I never played it, but have come across it quite a bit.

I decided to get Xexyz instead. Same thing, I have never played it before and found out that I should have bought it long ago. It's pretty fun

[kazekirifx]

I saw the video and was surprised to see it on that list. Didn't know it was "obscure".