Lightbringer

About

Lightbringer is a 1994 arcade brawler that swaps side views for a top-down isometric perspective. Up to four players team up as warriors battling through dungeon corridors and magical landscapes, smashing enemies and solving environmental puzzles. The game blends beat ’em up action with light platforming, like stacking boxes to reach hidden loot, and features oversized animated characters that pop against detailed backdrops. Its dual European releases under different titles (Light Bringer and Dungeon Magic) add a curious footnote, though the gameplay remains consistent: fast, chaotic, and built for shared-screen co-op. The game stands out for its technical ambition, using large, expressive sprites that were rare in arcade brawlers at the time. Optional gore settings let players toggle between cartoonish and bloodier violence, a flexibility uncommon in early 90s games. While its medieval fantasy premise is familiar, the isometric angle and cooperative depth offer a fresh twist on the genre. The mix of combat and puzzle-solving keeps matches dynamic, and its inclusion in Taito Legends 2 hints at a dedicated retro audience.

Storyline

An evil magician has brought an evil spirit back to life and is plotting to seize control of the kingdom, and has kidnapped the princess for use as a sacrifice. Four warriors venture into the world of magic to save the princess of the kingdom from the wicked magician: Ash the knight, Gren the roving warrior, Cisty the elf, whose whole family was destroyed by the evil spirit in the past, and the old magician Vold with the magic staff must now set off to save the princess.