Looking back: Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara

Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara was an arcade game developed and published by Capcom in 1996 as a sequel to Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom.

It’s also my 2nd favorite arcade game of all time, just falling short of first place (owned by Konami’s X-Men from 1992).

The game is set in the D&D campaign setting Mystara. It was the next-to-last 2-D arcade sidescrollers by Capcom; only Battle Circuit came after Shadow over Mystara.

In addition to the original four characters found in Tower of Doom, the Cleric, Dwarf, Elf and Fighter, Shadow of Mystara adds a Thief and a Magic-User to the selection. Furthermore, with the inclusion of two separate versions of each character’s sprite set, the game allows up to two players to select the same character (in Tower of Doom each of the characters could only be selected once), effectively giving the game twelve “different” characters to choose from. The two Clerics and two Magic Users also have subtle differences within their spells books.

Player Characters:

• Cleric, aka Greldon: The Cleric’s main role is to be the party’s healer and buffer, but he is also a formidable warrior, possessing the best rushing attack in the game. He also has the ability to turn undead, instantly destroying skeletons and ghouls, and can cast from a large library of clerical spells that can heal, strengthen allies, and blind enemies. In line with classic Dungeons & Dragons rules he cannot wield any weapon that is bladed. However, he can wield a spiked morning star from which he gains new special attacks. The two Clerics have minor differences within their spell books.
• Dwarf, aka Dimsdale: More hardy than even the Fighter, the Dwarf has the most hit points in the game, as well as being able to deal the most physical damage in a short amount of time. The Dwarf is a difficult character to use as his strengths lie in his special attacks rather than his normal attacks; however, once mastered he is a dervish of destruction. He also has the ability to bash opened treasure chests to reveal extra gold and treasure.
• Elf, aka Lucia: The Elf is a fighter-mage, combining the offense of a fighter with the spells of a magic-user, both wielded with equal ease. Although her capabilities in such are less powerful than that of the Fighter and Magic User (respectively), she remains a well-rounded and useful character. Her disadvantages are her low constitution and short weapon reach. The Elf has an unlimited quantity of arrows in her inventory and has the ability to fire them in rapid succession. Much like the Dwarf, she reaches her maximum level fairly early in the game, which gives her an early advantage but just as well halts her progression abruptly.
• Fighter, aka Crassus: The Fighter is a melee character with an excellent move-set and high endurance, making him suitable for beginners and experts alike. He can wield nearly every weapon in the game, including the two-handed sword, and is the only character with the ability to dual-wield with a short sword in his offhand. The Sword of Legends is named after the highest ranking Fighter in the high scores.
• Magic-User, aka Syous: The Magic-User is a master of devastating spells but is physically the weakest character in the game. He is quick to die when played by novices due to his low constitution and relatively weak melee abilities. To offset his low amount of health, the Magic-User has a useful teleportation move which allows him to dodge all physical attacks, along with a spell that grants him temporary invulnerability. He also can cause critical hits with his poisonous dagger to inflict severe damage. Like the two Clerics, the two Magic-Users have a slight variation in spell selection. The Magic-User is a difficult, but rewarding, character to use that requires previous knowledge of the game and effective management of his spells. His offensive spells are greatly enhanced by the Staff of Wizardry, arguably making him the most powerful character in the game.
• Thief, aka Moriah: The Thief is a dexterous character, with many unique skills, that can double jump, wall jump, back flip, and leap across the screen. She has the abilities to pick locks, detect traps, pickpocket enemies, and even backstab enemies for severe damage. She also has an unlimited supply of rocks to sling with and utilizes flasks of burning oil in some of her special attacks. However, she suffers defensively due to her low constitution and lack of a shield.

Japanese sales booklet for the arcade game: