Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 6:37 am
I remember playing the original Gauntlet. It was far, far too quick for anyone to stay alive!

Also, it's impossible for 4 people to play it on a PC ... you try getting 4 people to share the same keyboard.

Yeah, that was a problem with action-oriented games on computers decades ago, especially the issue of local co-op (cooperative play on the same machine) where game companies acted as if sharing a keyboard was functionally reasonable.
Today, no one shares a keyboard in local co-op. It's expected that one person will use KB+M and the other player(s) will use a controller, or everyone will use a controller. Most (if not all) games won't even ALLOW you to have more than one person on the keyboard in today's gaming market.
Maia and I have played a lot of local co-op games through the SteamLink (so we can run the game on one of our PCs, but see it on our living room TV and play sitting on the couch), and that really necessitates using a controller. For a game like Gauntlet and most local co-op titles, controllers are great.
That said, sometimes we'd play in our office on each of our computers through online co-op. Maia prefers using a KB+M (and in most games, I do too) while I used a controller, not because it's necessarily "better" for this type of game, but because I use KB+M all the time and switching controls up is a good way to prevent repetitive strain injuries.
Rath Darkblade wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 6:37 am
Is the 2014 version any better? If you don't have 3 other people to play with you, does the computer play with you?

The 2014 version is as fast-paced as the older games, so if you want something slower-paced, then Gauntlet is NOT for you (especially the areas where you have to keep moving while fighting and never stop or an invulnerable ghost-like mist will follow you and kill you).
As for AI-controlled teammates: no, if you play it single player, it's you against all the other enemies. At its core, Gauntlet is a multiplayer (local co-op or online co-op) action title, which means the game really expects you to play alongside at least one other person, despite allowing you to do play solo.
As an example, Maia and I were just two players against all the enemies, whether or not we played local co-op or online co-op. We chose characters that complemented each other, so I'm sure that helped.
For the record, I wouldn't recommend getting it today unless you had friends to play it with you. The game was released in 2014 and as such, it's highly likely that there are few-to-no online players left. Even if there were, you'd have to play with random people and in most cases that's an aggravating experience.