Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance is one of the more unusual Dungeons & Dragons games released on the NES. Set in the Dragonlance universe, it follows eight familiar heroes as they enter the ruined city of Xak Tsaroth in search of the sacred Disks of Mishakal. Along the way, they must survive monsters, traps, and eventually face the ancient black dragon Khisanth. The NES version was released by FCI in 1991 and developed by Natsume.

Despite the D&D name, Heroes of the Lance is not a traditional role-playing game. Most of the adventure plays like a side-scrolling action game. You control one hero at a time, moving through the dangerous ruins and fighting enemies that appear along the way. When a character falls, another member of the party takes their place. The eight heroes have different abilities, weapons, and statistics, giving each one a slightly different role in combat.

The party includes recognizable Dragonlance characters such as Tanis Half-Elven, Caramon and Raistlin Majere, Sturm Brightblade, Goldmoon, Riverwind, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, and Flint Fireforge. Some characters are particularly useful for their special abilities, including healing, magic, or dealing with traps.

What makes the game memorable is also what makes it difficult. Movement can feel slow, combat requires practice, and the interface takes some time to understand. It is certainly not the easiest NES adventure, but fans of Dragonlance will appreciate seeing these characters and locations brought into an interactive format.

Heroes of the Lance is best viewed as an ambitious early attempt to bring the Dragonlance world to consoles. Its unusual gameplay and challenging design make it a fascinating part of the NES D&D library, even if it feels very different from a conventional RPG.