Knights of the Round Longplay (Arcade) [60 FPS]

Developed and published by Capcom in 1991
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For today's video we will be taking a look at another classic Capcom brawler based on the venerable CPS1 arcade system. The game is based on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table , although quite why Capcom omitted 'Table' from the title remains a mystery to me.
In a somewhat surprising departure from the usual fighting games of the day, Capcom stepped back in time to the days of the Arthurian legends for some swords 'n sorcery action.
The game feels very much like an evolution of Sega's seminal hack 'em up, Golden Axe. Whereas Sega's game was a near-pure arcade fighting game, Capcom introduced a blend of RPG-lite elements into the game (something they would later refine in their Dungeons & Dragons arcade titles).
The game's story begins with Arthur, having recently removed Excalibur from the rock, being dispatched on a quest by Merlin to defeat the evil King Garibaldi and reunite Britain under his banner. Along the way, Arthur must deal with all manner of foot-pads, knights and even the occasional tiger (let's not get too hung up about historical accuracy on this occasion).
Having deposited a coin, the player can select from one of three playable characters, each of which has varying levels of speed and attack strength. Each of the characters increases in strength and ability throughout the course of the game, usually levelling up following successful completion of each mission. With each new level, the characters gain bigger and better weapons, as well as donning ever-more impressive looking armour, which also improves protection against enemy attacks.
The game features a combo system similar to most other fighting games. Tapping the attack button initiates a flurry of strikes that can be chained to together, ultimately ending in a powerful finishing move. It's also possible to parry incoming blows with a well-timed combination of button presses, which also has the benefit of granting the player a few seconds of invulnerability - it's risky to perform and requires good timing, but it can be a risk worth taking.
Also making an appearance in the game is mounted combat, enabling the player to strike at foes from atop a valiant steed. Not only do horses move more quickly, they also have a useful charge than can be used to send opponents flying. The down-side to this is that it's all too easy to get dismounted by an enemy that manages to land blow; not only will you spend precious time scrambling from the floor, certain enemies will steal the horse, using it to strike back at you.
Another interesting feature is the way that treasure dropped by defeated enemies can be split into smaller quantities. Give a treasure chest a quick whack with your sword and it transforms to piles of gold and gems that can be collected for a greater number of points than if you simply picked up the chest.
Being a CPS1 game, the game boasts some truly excellent art and animation. All of the characters look great in their medieval clothes and armour, and the colours are vibrant and really make the artwork stand out - this really is a great game to look at.
Equally impressive is the game's audio, boasting a musical score with plenty of swash-buckling atmosphere to enjoy. The sound effects are also great, featuring plenty of metallic clunks and clanks as steel clashes against steel in each and every battle.
Whilst I really like the game, I couldn't help feeling that I never quite mastered the game's combat. For whatever reason, it never felt as fluid nor fast-paced when compared to the Punisher or other Capcom fighters; it's still feels solid and fun to play, but I always found myself feeling I could have handled each encounter more expertly.
Ultimately, Knights of the Round is another excellent fighting game from Capcom's stable, truly cementing their reputation as a master of the genre and continuing to produce some of the best arcade experiences available.
#retrogaming

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Knights of the Round Longplay (Arcade) [60 FPS]: Capcom deliver another fighting tour de force in this medieval fighting game! Read the video description for my review!

[@frostmann7653]

Another great 'soundtrack to my youth' title - that oh-so-satisfying 'CLANG' from a successful defence and that strangely appealing 'hiccup' sound when you picked up the food items. Burned through much silver in the summer of '91 in Weston-super-Mare's arcades on this one!

[@kikeyluis]

COMO OLVIDAR ESE CLASICAZO DE LOS AÑOS 90 UNO DE LOS MEJORES JUEGOS DE LAS ARCADES DE LOS 90S DE LA HISTORIA.

[@iceagex]

One of my favourites!!!!! Great game and soundtrack

[@LordSephleon]

This game, particularly the SNES port, was the first time I ended up having the most fun playing the "big strong character" over the "agile skillful character." Percival is one of the most versatile "strong" characters I've ever played in any video game, and it still stands even to this day. He even inspired me to create a D&D character almost a decade later, complete with greataxe, no shirt, and only a great helm and a single plate vambrace and pauldron covering one arm for blocking purposes. This game really does require a lot of dedication to master its combat. Despite the dozens of hours I've put into single-player and cooperative play, some bosses and even a couple of standard foes still give me trouble, although at my best (which is decades in the past), I was able to get through an SNES single-player playthrough on Normal without losing more than one or two lives. That slight invincibility from successful defense is key to some bosses. Been watching a few of your vids and love that you give reviews along with a skilled full playthrough. Subbed. :)

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

LordSephleon glad you enjoy reading the reviews! I've actually started a blog where I'll be publishing the reviews from now on: al82retro.blogspot.co.uk/

[@macstar8317]

Only recently become aware of this and King of the Dragons games - both excellent in Arcade form.

[@impaler_7425]

Nice game. I fondly remember playing the SNES version with my friends.

[@TheParappa]

A great game and also one where you should stay away from the home console version. Except the PS2-Version, but only because that was an emulation of the actual arcade game.

[@JavierGarcia-dy1bl]

😔 Como echo de menos ésos tiempos! Todo era más fácil 😔!Gran juego por cierto!

[@p6mkq]

Stage 5 was always my favorite due to its music. I have always played as Lancelot.

[@Pro_Skillz]

Fun fact: the Garibaldi biscuit was named after King Arthur defeated Garibaldi in rl

[@christidavis7295]

Knights of the Round Longplay (Arcade) [60 FPS]

[@sionbarzad5371]

amazing beat them up

[@csandrade87]

16:18 help is on the way! No, wait.

[@jorgemillian9751]

Genial

[@felipejose33]

Jogo top

[@Emulous79]

Hmm, never heard of this before.

[@dawnbreaker2912]

We're Knights of the Round Table We dance when 'er we're able We do routines and chorus scenes With footwork im-pecc-able