| The Guardian Legend | |
|---|---|
 North American NES cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Compile |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Director(s) | Masamitsu Niitani |
| Programmer(s) | Takayuki Hirono |
| Artist(s) | Koji Teramoto |
| Composer(s) | Masatomo Miyamoto Takeshi Santo |
| Platform(s) | NES |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Guardian Legend[note 1] is a 1988 hybrid action-adventure/shoot 'em up video game developed by Compile for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the sequel to the 1986 MSX game Guardic, and was published and released in Japan by Irem in 1988, in North America by Broderbund in 1989, and in Europe by Nintendo in 1990.
It incorporates gameplay elements from other games such as The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and 1942. In the game, the player controls a lone protagonist, the Guardian, who is on a quest to destroy a large alien-infested world named Naju before it reaches the planet Earth. The player must deactivate ten safety devices scattered throughout Naju, thus activating the alien world's self-destruct sequence. The player explores Naju in a non-linear fashion and can acquire different weapons during the course of the game.
The Guardian Legend received mixed reviews from magazines such as Electronic Gaming Monthly and Nintendo Power. While it has been praised for its impressive graphics, memorable sound, and responsive controls, it has been criticized for its repetitive gameplay and complicated password system. It has since been considered a classic example of a multiple-genre game that set a standard for others such as Sigma Star Saga.
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