Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness | |
---|---|
![]() European box art | |
Developer(s) | Capcom |
Publisher(s) | Capcom |
Producer(s) | Tokuro Fujiwara |
Designer(s) | Ryo Miyazaki |
Composer(s) | Yuki Iwai |
Series | Ghosts 'n Goblins |
Platform(s) | NES, Game Boy |
Release | NESGame Boy
|
Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness [lower-alpha 1] is a 1992 action-adventure game released on the NES by Capcom. [1] It is the prequel to Gargoyle's Quest (part of the Ghosts 'n Goblins franchise) and features a similar gameplay style, which combines adventure elements with side-scrolling action in a macabre fantasy setting. [2]
The Demon Darkness utilizes a password system and is broken into two sections: Traversing the Ghoul Realm via an overhead map view, and side-scrolling action areas, that take place in dungeons, across giant pits, and more. [3]
The action portions of the gameplay are nearly identical, in a broad sense, to the previous Gargoyle's Quest game. The main difference between these parts and the original Gargoyle's Quest's action platforming segments is the addition of the Magic Tornado power-up, which allows Firebrand, the playable character, to raise himself into the air in vertical directions by standing on temporary platforms. Like in the previous game, Firebrand gets around with the added help of his wings which let him glide horizontally in mid-air. [4] Firebrand can shoot "magic weapon" projectiles as a mean of attack or self-defense at any given moment. [5] One of the staple abilities of Firebrand is his power to cling to walls for climbing up vertical cliffs, [5] grabbing on to the sides of moving objects, and slower descending. Firebrand is notably slower than most video game characters of his kind, often leading to a necessary confrontation with each foe. Occasionally, Firebrand is blocked by foes that have significantly more health than regular ones and must defeat them in confined rooms to advance.
In the overworld and town screens, Firebrand moves in the four cardinal directions to navigate the realm he inhabits in semi-linear paths. Towns contain ghoul denizens, who talk to Firebrand, and various stone buildings that can be entered. [5] Firebrand becomes more powerful as he progresses, whether by increased glide time, higher jumping ability, or more stamina, through the use of acquired enchanted items. [2]
According to the video game's content, a long, long time ago before humans started appearing in the fictional place called the Ghoul Realm, there was a fictional, young ghoul warrior, a gargoyle [lower-alpha 2] named Firebrand from the town of Etruria. One day, while Firebrand was out partaking in his daily routine of training in a small, alternate dimension, The Black Light appeared unexpectedly and destroyed his home. When he returns from his training, he was told to hurry to the local King by another ghoul just before it collapsed and died before him. [2] [6]
Firebrand then made his way there. After defeating Nagus (the spaulder-wearing monster as seen in the distance on the European box art), Firebrand was able to meet with King Morock, who informed Firebrand that he himself was on the brink of death. Before dying, he gave Firebrand the Spectre's Fingernail and set him off on a journey to unravel the mystery of The Black Light, facing off against an invading army the whole way. [6]
Gargoyle's Quest II was ported to the Game Boy in 1993 in Japan & China (DMG-201 CHN) only, under the name Makaimura Gaiden: The Demon Darkness (魔界村外伝 The Demon Darkness). This port was an enhanced version of the original title containing two new action stages (a cave in the northern part of Sittem Desert and another cave in the desert where Dagon dwells). Completing these levels unlocks abilities unique to this port of the game: a homing upgrade for Firebrand's basic attack as well as an astral projection technique that can be used to briefly scout out the area around Firebrand. It was scheduled to be released in North America in July 1993 but was later canceled.
The NES/Famicom version was re-released in Japan on March 5, 2014 and May 21, 2014 on the Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, respectively and in North America on October 30, 2014 on both the 3DS and Wii U and Europe on September 4, 2014 on the Wii U and October 30, 2014 on the 3DS. All Virtual Console versions of the game have an ESRB rating of "E for Everyone" in North America, unlike all previous versions, which were unrated. [7]
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Electronic Gaming Monthly | NES: 29/40 [8] |
Famitsu | NES: 25/40 [1] GB: 22/40 [9] |
GamePro | 16/20 [10] |
Nintendo Life | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Nintendo Power | 13.7/20 [13] |
Total! | 82% [14] |
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment | 7/10 [15] |
Tim Latshaw of Nintendo Life called Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness "a fine little gem from back in the day that deserves all the appreciation of players who are up to its tough but not impossible style of gameplay." He deeply welcomed the virtual console's "restore point" save function as an addition to the archaic password system, going as far as to imply either of these ports were the superior ways to play the NES version of the game. [12]
IGN put the NES version at number 63 on their list of the best North American NES games ever created. [4]
The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flagship, Vanpool, and Grezzo. Its gameplay incorporates action-adventure and elements of action RPG games.
Ghouls 'n Ghosts, known as Dai Makaimura in Japan, is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Capcom, released as an arcade video game in 1988 and ported to home platforms. It is the sequel to Ghosts 'n Goblins and the second game in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series.
River City Ransom, known as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is an open world beat 'em up video game originally for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is an English localization of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari for the Famicom. The game was developed by Technōs Japan and released in Japan on April 25, 1989.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an action role-playing game developed and published by Nintendo. It is the second installment in the Legend of Zelda series and was released in Japan for the Famicom Disk System on January 14, 1987—less than one year after the Japanese release and seven months before the North American release of the original The Legend of Zelda. Zelda II was released in North America and the PAL region for the Nintendo Entertainment System in late 1988, almost two years after its initial release in Japan.
Ghosts 'n Goblins, known as Makaimura in Japan, is a platform video game developed by Capcom and released for arcades in 1985. It is the first game in the Ghosts 'n Goblins franchise, and has since been ported to numerous home platforms.
Breath of Fire II is a role-playing video game developed and published by Capcom. First released in 1994, the game was licensed to Laguna for European release in 1996. It is the second entry in the Breath of Fire series. It was later ported to Game Boy Advance and re-released worldwide. The game was released on Wii's Virtual Console in North America on August 27, 2007. Nintendo of Europe's website mistakenly announced it for release on July 27, 2007, but it was in fact released two weeks later, on August 10, 2007. In 2013, it was released for the Wii U Virtual Console. In 2016, it was released for the New Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. In 2019, it was released for the Nintendo Switch SNES games library.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse is a 1989 action-platform game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan in 1989, and in North America in 1990, and in Europe by Palcom in 1992. It was later released on the Virtual Console for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U.
Mighty Bomb Jack is a platform video game developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was later ported to the Amiga, Atari ST and Commodore 64. Mighty Bomb Jack is a sequel to the 1984 arcade game Bomb Jack.
Solomon's Key is a puzzle game developed by Tecmo in 1986 for an arcade release on custom hardware based on the Z80 chipset. It was ported to multiple systems including the Nintendo Entertainment System and Commodore 64. The PC Engine version was known as Zipang and the Game Boy version as Solomon's Club. A prequel, Solomon's Key 2, was released in 1992 for the NES. The game was also ported to Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in 2006 and later to Nintendo Switch Online in 2018.
Demon's Crest, known in Japan as Demon's Blazon, is a side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third video game starring Firebrand, following Gargoyle's Quest and Gargoyle's Quest II.
The Virtual Console is a defunct line of downloadable video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, known as Chou Makaimura in Japan, is a platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. As the third game in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series and the first not to be released for the arcade, it again depicts knight Arthur saving Princess Guinevere and the kingdom from Emperor Sardius, who has cast a spell that has revived the Ghoul Realm.
Gargoyle's Quest is an action-adventure platform game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy and released in 1990. It is a spin-off of the Ghosts 'n Goblins series, featuring the series antagonist character Firebrand as the main playable character. Gargoyle's Quest was followed by the NES prequel Gargoyle's Quest II in 1992 and the Super NES sequel Demon's Crest in 1994.
Ghosts 'n Goblins, known in Japan as Makaimura, is a run-and-gun platform video game series created by Tokuro Fujiwara and developed by Capcom. The first entry in the series was Ghosts 'n Goblins, released in arcades on July 7, 1985. The series has subsequently been ported to and released on a variety of personal computers, game consoles and mobile platforms and spawned several sequels and spin-offs.
Pilotwings is a series of flight simulation video games beginning with the 1990 video game Pilotwings and most recently Pilotwings Resort in 2011. One of Nintendo's franchises, the series was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, and Nintendo 3DS.
The gargoyle is a fantasy and horror monster inspired by the gargoyle architectural element. While they were believed in mythology to frighten away evil spirits, the idea of such statues physically coming to life is a more recent notion. Like golems, they are usually made of magically animated or transformed stone, but have animal or chimera traits and are often guardians of a place such as a cathedral or castle. They can also be depicted as vessels for demonic possession or as a living species resembling statues.