Welcome to a new edition of Retro Corner and it’s finally Halloween, a holiday that I love out of the rest because of its theme. I know what type of game that would fit this occasion perfectly and it’s so good that I even have this title in my top 10 great games of all time. This is Demon’s Crest both a sequel to Gargoyle’s Quest II and a spiritual successor to Super Ghouls N Ghosts. Demon’s Crest is about a Red Aremer demon known as Firebrand who embarks on a quest to retrieve six magic crests that were stolen from him by an Arch Demon called Phalanx. Firebrand came off as the last demon to stand among many battles with the others over the crests and now must face more under Phalanx to reclaim what was stolen from him. This title was also one of the Super NES’s darkest game to be available on the system. Demon’s Crest also improved on the Ghosts N Goblins formula by adding features that made it more accessible for gamers. Gameplay The gameplay consists of fighting enemies, avoiding any hazards, collecting items, and facing a boss at the end of a level. There are several things that are different from Ghosts N Goblins and RPG elements are used for the challenge. You don’t have to worry about taking two hits anymore as now there is a life bar that increases every time you get a large red vile. These are collected from defeating some of the bosses or are hidden in the levels which will require a certain power to obtain them. Capcom finally took our criticism seriously for once with implementing a better design for the character’s life. The game is still challenge, however, now you are given more chances of progressing rather than being careful every time. I also love the other RPG elements like the pause menu which allows you to equipped demonic powers, spells, potions, and talismans. There is even a currency system where the player collects money called GP. The player can find shops where other demons sell items like potions and spells. That’s why I love these types of games and the way they designed it by mixing a platformer’s mechanics with RPG elements was pure genius. The Talismans were the best part of the RPG system with increasing you attributes when equipped. However, only one talisman can be equipped at a time which is part of the challenge considering this is not a straight up RPG. Each one that you find had its own purpose no matter how small or big the equipment was. The best ones are obviously the Armor, Fang, and Hand which would increase you defense or offense. The attacks and potions were done in a similar matter but the spells didn’t get the same creative treatment. Aside the Imp spell, this was really the only one useful as long as you had a lot of GP for the imp’s services. The level design was a huge improvement with having a similar structure to Castlevania and Metroid. I weren’t be surprised if this was the blue print for Konami to make Castlevania: Symphony of the Night years later. Anyway, the levels were designed with the need to explore each area so the player can find a hidden part that lets you complete it at your choice. Of course as you complete the first four levels more stages start to appear on the over world to access. Speaking of the over world, this also make a return from Gargoyle’s Quest II but it’s designed a lot better especially with those Mode 7 graphics. It’s no different than the previous games but I still love how Firebrand flies around and swoops down to enter a level. This was the huge improvement the series needed desperately to now be excellent. Rating: 9.6/10 Graphics/Presentation The world of Demon’s Crest has dark and spooky environments like in the intro level which gave it a haunted feeling. However, some of levels in the game don’t have a Gothic theme such as the Enchanted Forrest or the Cursed Towers as examples. The environments are rendered beautifully and probably the most the series has seen. This is what attracted me to this game in the first place as it was way above what the previous titles ever did. Whether it’s the lush but dark textures, the backgrounds, or the elemental effects like fog and fire, these features set the mood beautifully in each level. Another thing that adds to these environments is the parallax effect which was the best designs compared to most titles on the system. The first level showcased it fantastically with a huge statue of a dragon seen looming over the background. Even the Aqueduct Ruins, Ruined Metropolis, Cursed Towers, and Phalanx’s Palace also had good parallax for its backgrounds. Then we have the over world with its Mode 7 graphics as Firebrand’s sprite can fly and descend. It’s on par with the other RPGs such as Final Fantasy VI despite the places being designed flat on the surface as a texture. My favorite thing is the cloud animation and I love that whenever you moved at an angle it would create a 3D effect. The sprites saw a huge upgrade from Super Ghouls N Ghosts and the broadness of each character was tripled. This is the best rendering I have seen out of any of the games so far and it’s because each sprite had a defining characteristic. This is mainly due to the improved art style which is a lot better compared to the cartoonish design from the previous games. Even the animation was another thing that saw a slight bump for these characters. The frames of each one is almost the same as in Super Ghouls N Ghosts but the effort was taken further thanks to Capcom learning how to use the Super NES’s hardware. The intro is literally the best one yet and I loved the way it explained the theme in such a Gothic fashion. It even gave a short description of the world but in much bigger detail compared to previously. The Demon Realm was shown before in Ghosts N Goblins but never was it explained in such detail which still blows my mind. As for the theme, it was a lot different and the one thing I loved about it was the fact you weren’t saving a princess. You were a badass demon trying to get revenge from another powerful one that stole what was rightful yours. Just when I think the quality couldn’t get any better, it continues to do so with the soundtrack. This is literally one of the best soundtracks of the Super NES as the theme of each song matched perfectly for any screen or environment it was in. I also love the haunting melody that some of the tracks had as seen from Beyond the Coliseum. Of course that wasn’t the only one as Prelude to Horror, Aqueduct Ruins, and Tidal Reef Caverns had these tones. The songs from the Enchanted Forest, Ice Caverns, Phalanx’s Palace, Ruined Metropolis, and the Catacombs had engaging themes to them as well. Capcom’s composers for some reason know how to create great themes for the Option Menu and Password screens. This was a time when the composer put effort into creating a unique song for something as small as the Option Menu. Overall, the Graphics are top notch that renders these Gothic environments from the Demon Realm beautifully. The soundtrack and the presentation were among the best in the series which gave it an impactful feeling. Rating: 10/10 Features and Content For once Capcom took it upon themselves to fix what has been a problem with the series since the first entry. The usual design of replaying the game on a harder difficulty to finally beat it was changed. Instead there is an over world to explore similar to the previous Gargoyle’s Quest but this time you have a non-linear function. Meaning, you can pick the levels that are available to you in any order and when everything becomes opened you can complete any task. Every level needed to be explored to find other areas or hidden items that could be found. You also didn’t need to complete everything to finish the game which of course would result in the bad ending. However, this game also has side quests to complete in a bit of a Zelda fashion with increasing your health and defense. There is a mini game where you head butt skulls from holes and a couple of shops in places like the Ruined Metropolis. The head butt mini game was fun for what it is but you do get rewarded for completing it. There are three endings that can be achieved between a bad, a good, and the best one. We all know that you have to collect the entire crests to get the best ending which doesn’t include the hidden boss. The last thing is the secret boss that becomes unlocked after you collected all of the crests. He is literally the hardest boss in the game with the player needing every upgrade and crest to attempt to defeat it. The content was the best the series would get which showed that Capcom only got better at making these features. Rating: 9.2/10 Final Rating Demon’s Crest is literally the best game in the series overall with beautifully render graphics and sound to its excellent gameplay. The gameplay was very accessible by having the right mechanics and challenges to make for excellent controls. The level design was the best improvement the series saw at the time giving players a different way of progression thanks to the nonlinear function. Even the levels had two areas to them that needed to be explored to face a boss or find additional items. The RPG system was a near perfect match mixing the concepts from Castlevania and Metroid. The graphics and presentation were awesome offering a darker approach to the theme. It didn’t matter whether it was the intro, the beautifully render environments and sprites, or the Mode 7 effects; this was among the best of the best. The soundtrack was also one of the best ones on the Super NES with its Gothic and dark themed songs. This would create so much feeling throughout the game and bought these environments to life. I would also say that this game’s quality is up there with the other classics of Chrono Trigger and Zelda: A Link to the Past. Gameplay: 9.6/10 Graphics/Presentation: 10/10 Features/Content: 9.2/10 Final Rating: 9.6/10 Amazing
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Retro Gamer has over 25 years of gaming experience and played many classics since the Golden Age. She has been an avid fan since the day the NES graced her life and changed it forever.
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