I played Adventure Quest, which came out in 2002. I'm going to take a deep breath for a minute.

In case you're wondering how much of a phenomenon "Adventure Quest" really was, it never quite matched the popularity of RuneScape, but it occupied the same niche of a persistent RPG that could be played on basically any computer with an Internet connection

In short, it was a game that was "a game of the mind.

In other words, you could play Adventure Quest on your school computer. It was also a charming game, as shabby as a piece of tape and glue. The developer, Artix Entertainment, has been making the game for the past 21 years (take a deep breath, Harvey) with mixed success: DragonFable, Adventure Quest 3D, and apparently even a game for the NES. This may be the first instance of a modern game being published through this particular route, but who are we to judge?

The player becomes Artix von Krieger, the face of Adventure Quest, as he travels through Zelda-like 8-bit caves and graveyards to defeat the Doom Knight. The gameplay and presentation are charming, but clunky in a way.

The controls are stiff but usable enough, and the gameplay loops are too simple to describe. As far as I've experienced, there are two types of gameplay: a Zelda-esque overworld zone and a 2D platformer area. In both, you approach skeletons, press the axe button, and try not to die. This is what the combat system is all about.

As you play, you unlock some Metroidvania-style abilities. For example, I was able to send my undead-seeking Pomeranian through a small door to attack skeletons that couldn't get close enough. You have to find a key, defeat all the enemies on the screen, or hit a switch to move on. It's a muddled imitation of retro. For mercy's sake, world progression is not reset when you die. In other words, the "save point" system is designed to determine where you end up when you inevitably bite the bullet.

The star of the show is the game's unique sense of humor, which will not ring true at all unless you understand the words "numinous" and "leek spin" at all. Within the first 10 minutes, there is a joke that says, "Your base is all ours. If you don't know what you're talking about, "Dungeons & Doom Knights" is not for you.

Otherwise, the game is cute and that's it. The exploration is satisfying there, and there are some interesting puzzles. At first I thought it was a hardcore challenge, but that's because I jumped off a dragon in the wrong direction and accidentally stumbled upon a secret boss fight that was death-defying.

Nothing surprising there. It's like fighting to decipher what is the real cave entrance and what is just a piece of scenery. But the retro style the game is going for is definitely part of its charm.

The only problem is the price: $19.99 (£16.75) seems high for a gag-filled game, and it loses some of the novelty of the NES version of the cartridge. And it has lost the novelty of the NES version of the cartridge. Whether or not this game is worth your time will depend on whether or not you're nostalgic for the days of Moglin and Zard, and whether or not you're begging your parents for Guardian upgrades.