also known as Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Eye of the Beholder
Super Nintendo (SNES)
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 1994
72
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✪ Reviewed on September 3, 2024
66
A dark first person dungeon crawler that stays faithful to AD&D rules. Slow and austere, but deeply immersive once you fall under its spell.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
First-person dungeon RPG adapted from the renowned AD&D tabletop role-playing game. Published by Kemco, released in Japan in 1994. First-person dungeon exploration, turn-based combat, party management with typical D&D classes and original scenario. Japanese version of the foundational dungeon RPG on Super Famicom.
Eye of the Beholder review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Gameplay
"Decent"
Fun
"Frustrating"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Progressing through these labyrinthine dungeons takes patience and method, since every floor hides secret passages, puzzles and traps you must map yourself. Managing a full party, the AD&D class-and-spell system and the turn-based battles stretch the adventure across many hours. That deliberate slowness is the very charm of the dungeon crawler, which is why it remains a touchstone for fans of demanding first-person exploration.
The original Super Famicom incarnation of Kemco's AD&D dungeon crawler, this Japanese edition is the authentic source of the title: SFC cardboard box with spine card, Japanese text and the distinctive Super Famicom presentation. The austere first-person crawler is niche, which limits its spread but feeds an import cult among 16-bit D&D fans. An intact spine card and clean manual are decisive for the Japanese set.
Is Eye of the Beholder still worth playing in 2026?
A port of Westwood's dungeon crawler, this title carries over first person exploration through the vaults of Waterdeep, faithful to the AD&D rules. The dungeon design, the party management and the spatial puzzles keep real density. Tile by tile movement and the lack of an automap demand discipline and graph paper, which will put off anyone used to modern comforts. For fans of old school RPGs and Dungeons and Dragons, the experience keeps an authentic flavour.
