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DEMON'S CREST Company: Capcom Released: November 1994 Genre: Side-Scroller Graphics: 9.5 Control: 8.0 Sound/Music: 7.5 Storyline: 7.5 Review by: Corbie Dillard ©2008 SUPER-NES.COM

Most of you should remember this little demon, Firebrand, from the popular Ghosts n' Goblins series of games. A lot of gamers don't realize that Firebrand got two spin-offs that appeared on the Gameboy and NES systems. The third game in this series of spin-offs comes to the Super NES, this time in the form of a boss-bashing side-scroller that seems to continue the tradition of the Ghosts series with it's high degree of difficulty and tricky level design. The only downside to this almost-forgotten game is that it was released with very little fanfare or advertising, thus it was not the big seller it should have been. Fans of the Ghouls & Ghosts series are going to feel right at home in the nicely constructed worlds of Demon's Crest. Each area has a very spooky and distinctive look to it, complete with the high level of detail we've come to expect from Capcom with these two series of games. You'll see everything from graveyards and towers to the underwater city of Atlantis. Since this was one of the Super Nintendo's later games, you can rest assured the visuals are some of the best the Super NES has to offer and the sheer level of detail, even in the distant backgrounds, is astonishing. You'll even see some nice drop-shadow effects when you're near the flames on the torches. Once again Capcom manages to outdo themselves. The bosses in the game are huge, but the animation on some of the larger ones isn't quite as fluid as you'd like given the fact that this is a 16-bit game, but given the size and detail of these bosses, it's hard to complain. Overall a sharp-looking game. If you've played any Ghouls & Ghosts games you're gonna have a pretty good idea of what the music in Demon's Crest sounds like. It's got a spooky, pipe-organ style to most tracks that sets the mood perfectly for the game. I did like the fact that most of the tunes were fairly long as to avoid the constant repeating of the same melodies over and over again. The game also sports some downright scary sound effects that do a really good job of showing off the Super Nintendo's sound chip. Overall the music and sound effects were a nice surprise, and quite a bit better than what we normally hear in side-scrollers. Think Ghouls & Ghosts with a little darker feel to the tunes. Thankfully the control system used in Demon's Crest is light-years ahead of the Ghosts & Goblins series. Not only do you have full mid-air control of Firebrand in this one, but you also have a wide range of attacks and special moves. You can jump, and if you press the jump button again it allows you to hover in mid-air, which makes avoiding some of the nasty obstacles in the game a tad easier. You also have the ability to grab onto walls, as well as thrust your shoulder into objects to break them open. But you're main attack comes from your ability to breath fireballs. You will also acquire items called Transformation Crests that will allow you to transform into a much more powerful demon with special abilities ranging from the ability to swim, cut vines, jump higher, and also cut the amount of damage you take from enemies in half. You can also purchase items such as potions that allow you magical spells that will definately come in handy on some of the tougher levels and later bosses. I do have to mention the fact that this game is tough. And by tough I mean, "approaching the level of god-awful difficulty of Ghouls & Ghosts" tough. This game is not for the less-seasoned gamer and should be approached with caution for those gamers that are easily frustrated. This is a game that's going to take a lot of playing in order to beat, so prepare yourself accordingly. Other than the high degree of difficulty, this is a terrific-playing game with a lot of depth for a side scroller. It's hard not to like this game, despite it's difficulty. The ability to play the levels in different orders, not to mention the free-roaming feel of the game make playing it feel a little like an rpg in places. The fact that it's also chock-full of gameplay elements just further makes the game endearing and likeable. As I said above, for fans of the Ghouls & Ghosts series, this one is right up your alley. Basically any side-scroller fan is gonna like this one, but be warned, if you go into this game half-hearted, you're gonna get your ass handed to you on a silver platter. Great game, but this one takes some time and patience to beat. Only dedicated gamers need apply here.