Like many other arcade translations, Gauntlet for the NES boasts extra features not found in the original. Fortunately, those extras don't get in the way here. The main extra is a storyline that puts players on a quest to rescue the Sacred Orb from the clutches of Morak the Evil One. To find the Orb, players must battle their way through dungeons full of Morak's minions as well as other booty stolen from the lands of Rendar. Every good story needs an ending, and so the NES port also caps the game at 100 dungeons. Amusingly, an explanation of why only two players can join together, instead of the original four, is also a part of the story.
Beyond that, the game is fairly faithful. The lay-out of each dungeon is different, but the playable characters, enemies, and weaponry are all effectively reproduced here, with decent graphics, sound and playability. Even after being wrapped in a story, the game of Gauntlet makes a successful transition to the NES.