If you know me, you know that I'm a huge fan of classic arcade games and beat-em-ups in particular; from the early ones like Double Dragon and Golden Axe to more complex examples like the Kunio games and Guardian Heroes, they're one genre I can reliably have a good time with no matter my mood. Tower of Doom was the first of two Capcom-produced beat-em-ups based on the Dungeons & Dragons license, and it was a remarkably faithful adaptation, representing several of the game's character classes as one would expect - the Fighter has high health, range and attack power, the Elf casts several offensive spells, the Cleric can heal, stun enemies and cast Sticks to Snakes (always fun), and the Dwarf has short range but can combo relatively quickly. In addition to that there are variety of spell scrolls and items to collect, purchase and use as the game progresses - throwing knives, arrows, healing potions, thrown hammers that stun enemies, bottles of flaming oil and so forth. There are even some surprising nods to D&D rules worked in, like the troll boss not truly dying until you down it and then burn its body. A good beat-em-up by one of the best names in that field, and for my money, a very fun and faithful D&D experience as well.
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: 1994, 1999, 2013
Platforms: Arcade, Sega Saturn (as part of the Dungeons & Dragons Collection), Playstation 3/Wii U/PC/XBox 360 (as part of the Chronicles of Mystara collection)