Demon’s Crest for SNES is a 16-bit power fantasy

Say hello to the bad guy

Recommended Videos

If youā€™ve played the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series, you probably know Red Arremer, even if the name doesn’t ring a bell. The red gargoyle was a memorable addition to the classic arcade title, as their AI was extremely cruel. They would hover just outside of range, then swoop down at opportune moments to trip you up. At a time when most enemies did little more than move from right to left and maybe bounce if they were feeling sassy, Red Arremer stood out as a worthy (and vexing) foe.

You can scarcely tell by looking at it, but Demonā€™s Crest is the third in a series of Ghosts ‘n Ghouls spin-offs that was originally titled Gargoyleā€™s Quest. So, after Gargoyleā€™s Quest 1 and 2, we got Demonā€™s Crest. I often complain about the bonkers nomenclature for the Ghosts ‘n Goblins localized titles. But in this case, the Japanese version of Demonā€™s Crest (Demonā€™s Blaze: Makaimura Monshou Hen) doesnā€™t follow their established nomenclature either.

Anyway, I donā€™t want to talk about the title. Iā€™d rather discuss what a work of art Demonā€™s Crest is.

Demon's Crest Gameplay
Screenshot by Destructoid

Naked, sinewy combat

Demonā€™s Crest starts with one of the best intros to a video game since Jake Armitage kicked his way out of his own morgue slab in Shadowrun. It immediately cuts in with Firebrand (the localized name of Red Arremer) standing aimlessly in a ruined colosseum. Suddenly: zombie dragon.

Before youā€™ve even established the difference between jump and shoot in your brain, youā€™re fighting a huge undead dragon. After you kill it, you break out of a window, and then the dragonā€™s head pops out behind you. Firebrand could just leave the dragon to be stuck there, but Demonā€™s Crest wants you to know one thing about the humpable piece of demon meat; heā€™s an absolute badass. So, he melts the head off the dragon before setting out.

Demonā€™s Crest quickly establishes that you are in control of the most amazing creature to walk the demon realm. There isnā€™t a lot of dialogue, but if youā€™re not talking to a shopkeep, usually the NPC is saying something along the lines of ā€œHoly shit, youā€™re awesome!ā€ One of the main recurring baddies is General Arma, and every time you kick his butt, he invariably says, ā€œI am left aroused by your combat prowess. We must lock in naked, sinewy combat again sometime.ā€

And yet, the goal of Demonā€™s Crest is to become more powerful.

Demon's Crest General Arma
Screenshot by Destructoid

Irresistible force

The narrative picks up some time after Firebrand tried and failed to assemble the eponymous Demonā€™s Crests. Each one contains special powers, and he nearly has the last one when someone finally takes him down. This is an important lesson. No one is perfect. Even the most irresistible forces sometimes fail. You just have to get back up and try again.

So, thatā€™s what youā€™re doing. Firebrand has re-awoken, and itā€™s time to regain the crests that are rightfully his. As is law in video games, he does this by beating bosses.

The weird thing about Demonā€™s Crest is that it isnā€™t linear, nor is it heavily gated. You select your level by flying over a Mode-7 landscape and landing somewhere that looks interesting. The action stages themselves actually fork in many places, with some only being accessible when you have a specific skill. Itā€™s rare that the game will outright stop you, but to be helpful, it tells you the ideal path if you hit the start button while flying.

The worst that is going to happen is youā€™ll get your fantastic, chiseled butt kicked by a boss. There isnā€™t much of a penalty for death. You can either try again or go elsewhere. The goal is to keep on gaining items, crests, and power-ups to overcome anything that gets in your way. This can be a little frustrating for a couple of reasons, including the fact that it has worse endings if you take on the final boss too early.

Demon's Crest Zombie Dragon
Screenshot by Destructoid

A real firebrand

As a platformer, Demonā€™s Crest is great, but it isnā€™t the best. Donā€™t get me wrong, in terms of gameplay, itā€™s definitely top-shelf. The level design is rather routine, and it doesnā€™t do much that wasnā€™t already established in the NES and Game Boy titles that came before it. It starts you off weak, and then it doesnā€™t take long before you live up to the name of Firebrand. After that, it doesnā€™t really know what to do with you.

You get your most important powers before the halfway mark, and then you’ll spend the rest of the game just getting health power-ups and inventory items. These are necessary to get the best ending of the game, but it makes the latter half of the game feel a bit flat when your rewards are just more on top of a lot. It thankfully doesnā€™t drag on long. Like the previous games in the Gargoyleā€™s Quest series, Demonā€™s Crest is a pretty short game. Despite this, it doesnā€™t feel truncated or short on content. It just gets its point across efficiently and doesnā€™t drag things out.

However, aesthetically, itā€™s one of the greatest things committed to grey plastic. The title screen alone is worth seeing. Everything about the visual and audio design has extra flare to it that is both uniquely gloomy and incredibly Super Nintendo. It has a lot in common with Super Castlevania IV in that itā€™s a surprisingly dark look on a console known for its bright colors. Yet, it still does a lot of audio and visual effects that were common on the console, such as chain explosions and that weird farting noise bosses sometimes do when they die.

Gargoyle fighting snail
Screenshot by Destructoid

Sexy gargoyles

Demonā€™s Crest is among my favorite games on the SNES, and I feel like I appreciate it even more each time I return to play it again. Thankfully, Capcom is pretty respectful toward the title. It landed on the Wii U and 3DS Virtual Consoles, and it’s currently on the Switch Online SNES app. Considering an original cartridge copy is worth hundreds of dollars, having it more accessible on other platforms is really appreciated.

Despite this, I find that itā€™s still overlooked. I had never heard of it when I was growing up with a Super Nintendo in my household and only tried it years later as I gradually uncovered the Gargoyleā€™s Quest series.

Strangely, there are no in-game credits to Demonā€™s Crest. Outside the music composers and the fact that the fantastic Julie Bell did the North American artwork, I canā€™t find information on who designed Demonā€™s Crest. Capcom wasnā€™t the best at crediting their development teams in the ā€˜90s, but they at least usually did a roll with pseudonyms. Not with Demonā€™s Crest, which is almost distressing.

Nonetheless, if you dig sexy gargoyles and gloomy demon visuals, then Demonā€™s Crest is something you should check out. Actually, even if you donā€™t like those things, thatā€™s weird, but you should check it out anyway. Demonā€™s Crest is the Super Nintendo and Capcom at their best. It received an honorable mention when Destructoidā€™s Timothy Monbleau made his 15 Greatest SNES Games list, but Iā€™d go even further than that. At the very least, I would give it a very honorable mention, but depending on the day, it could also have a number next to it.

For other retro titles you may have missed, click right here!


Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Zoey Handley
Zoey Handley
Staff Writer - Zoey is a gaming gadabout. She got her start blogging with the community in 2018 and hit the front page soon after. Normally found exploring indie experiments and retro libraries, she does her best to remain chronically uncool.