The Crystal of Kings (2001, Arcade)

The Crystal of Kings is a beat'em up developed and published by BrezzaSoft. It was only released in the arcades.

You can select between four different characters to play. Each has different values regarding speed, strength, agility, reach and magic, and every character uses a different type of magic, like in Golden Axe. You can slash and jump, and perform a few combos. You have also a powerful roundhouse attack which drains your health. Magic is used with a dedicated button. You need to have a minimum amount of magic, which is indicated with a gauge, in order to use it. The fuller the gauge is, the more powerful your magic attack will be. Using magic will drain the gauge. Magic can be gained by picking up flasks left over by enemies or found inside destructible objects. You can also gain magic from fairies. You will find fairies trapped inside cages in the stages. If the smash the cage and pick up the fairy, it will follow you for a while and give you a bonus. One type will give you points every few seconds, one will refill a bit of health every few seconds, another one will refill your magic the same way, one will shoot arrows in your line of sight. There is also a fairy with a negative effect which will alter the controls for a while.
There is also a crystal level which can rise or fall. If the level fall to low, your charcater will become evil or tempted by darkness. He will be more powerful, but the ending of the game will change.