Magic Sword

Magic Sword: Heroic Fantasy from 1990 is among those Capcom gems unfairly forgotten, even though it offers one of the most magical fantasy action experiences of its time. The core idea is simple and catchy at once: you climb up a fifty-floor tower full of monsters, traps, and bosses, and with each floor you draw closer to a showdown with the evil Drokmar.

The ally system is ingenious. Along the way you come across imprisoned fighters — an archer, a mage, a knight, an amazon, a lizardman, and others — and when you free them, they join you and cover your back with their own firepower and abilities. Each helper has limited stamina and different strengths, so the choice of whom to take a floor higher gives the game a pleasant tactical flavor. Your hero, moreover, grows stronger by collecting items and upgrades his magic sword.

Retro players love Magic Sword for its beautiful pixel graphics, its medieval fantasy atmosphere, and its finely tuned two-player co-op. It's a game that combines platformer, action, and a pinch of strategy into an effortlessly entertaining whole — and that's precisely why it holds a loyal audience even after decades.