This game doesn't have 5 levels, it has 7 or 8. It also has multiple endings. Yes, you can finish it after 4 or 5 levels, but that only happens if you didn't find all objects - and you won't find all objects by just flying over the levels. I think your problem is that you play this game wrong, you have to explore the levels to unlock secret areas and new levels. And the real end boss is one of the hardest I've ever played.
Him responding would be nice, or a video of yours or someone detailing it would also be neat or just plain sufficient to delve into giving this game time. It looks great, I hope you are right to be honest.
Thanks for the nice comment Shane. I think this toes the line of "how intuitive is the game" and "how much of an idiot is the player." In my case, I'm not always the sharpest cheese in the fridge, so maybe I missed certain cues or whatever. But I think some fault lies with the game for not being direct enough with the player about where to go and when.
Maybe you could change the tone of your conclusions, it would not subtract from the review itself, it would just make it more friendly, accurate, and overall better, stating things like : -I think - this game is a clasisic example of etc etc, "For me" ect etc. love your videos, you can keep doing your thing, and I know this is way back 2014.
***** Sorry, I probably got a bit emotional because that's really one of my favourite games of all time. For example, the switch between the different Gargoyles with their different looks and abilities is very unique and the idea is to go back with them to levels you already finished to explore new areas. Also I like it that the game is darker than many others from around this time and that they try to tell a story that is a bit more complex then "rescue the princess" or "get your bananas" back. On top of that, I really like the graphics, especially the backrounds and also the music. It's surely not the best platformer out there, but I like the mild RPG elements and that you need to explore the levels and discover secrets to go further. And the real last Boss is hard as hell, I think I needed a half hour to beat him beck than and you must really equip yourself with armors and spells if you want to stand a chance. I think when I played it first I finished it after 4 levels or something and thought, that can't be the real end. So I got back to the levels and looked if I missed something until I got to the real end. And yes, they maybe should make this more clear throughout the game, but today, because of the internet it's way more easy to get to the real end and I think you should maybe give it another chance by using some online guides or playthroughs.
everyone is saying it already but it's true, the end Boss is only lackluster if you didn't bother to collect everything because that's when you get the true final Boss and he's hard as hell. then you get to do a new game plus which is fun but more importantly gain access to the hidden Boss and that fuckin thing is a real pain in the ass. beating that Boss ( after countless tries ) was and still is one of my proudest gaming moments. you earn that victory through blood sweat and tears. truly a great game.
Man I have to say I don't believe you actually took some time on this one. This is my favorite snes game of all time and still play it today without it being old, maybe just growing up with it or the amazing musical scores in each level, every secret pays off and the secret, secret boss that you battle as the most upgraded demon to off is absolutely nuts and took days of patience. Please give it another thorough playthrough EVERYONE you're doing yourself a major injustice by not searching everything this one has to offer
Disagree. This game has remained in my personal top five games for over two decades. It's one of the very rare SNES games that I loved as a kid and still holds up today.
I beat it by accident today... Apparently, you can fight the main boss early and his pattern of attacks are pretty easy to predict after a couple of tries.
Holy crap, the last boss isn't hard enough for you? You're not talking about the hidden final boss, are you? Because that thing is just flat out unfair. I've got an LP of Demon's Crest on my channel and that boss tore me asunder.
If it wasn't obvious, he did say the game only had 5 levels. It shows he didn't play it. I'm getting tired of these lazy channels that shit out poor content.
Honestly, I haven't even beaten more than a couple bosses in this game and I've had it since I was a kid. With that said, it's still one of my favorite SNES games because I fucking love how amazing the game looks. Everything about it looks incredible. Firebrand, every other crest, all the levels and especially the monsters. And I don't know, I really like the music, a lot, but that's just me.
I like that you don't have a long, noisy, over-produced intro. You get right into it right away. And you dont end videos with the usual begs for Likes, Subs, etc. that a lot of people do. Some of many reasons I do Like all your vids.
true true. I myself bug people to subscribe in just about every video I make. In fact, i'll bug you right now. "Subscribe to me yerk55?????? Subscribe or your life will never be fulfilled!!!" Are you subscribed yet? Are you succumbing to the awesome force of my inescapable peer pressure? NO? Oh well I tried, see you tomorrow then. I'll be back....maybe.....
Man, I couldn't disagree with you more on this game. Nothing wrong with that of course, everyone's allowed to have different opinions on things. But to me, this was a really cool, hard as nails metroidvania with neat, Castlevania-esque bosses, amazing power-ups, and gorgeous visuals. It's also a fantastic sequel, building on the Gargoyle's Quest games in amazing ways, finally feeling like a legitimate elevation of the original game's concept rather than the quasi-remake the second game felt like. (The only point you make that I wholly disagree with is the difficulty. I had a simple enough time of it, but it was NOT easy. I submit the slime eyeball boss, Phalanx, and Dark Demon as evidence. (And like, the flight power isn't that OP when you consider you have to be a bit lower to the ground to explore some of the nooks and crannies of each level to find secrets and upgrades.)
Yeah the only part where flight is OP is the very first level. If you skip the enemies in the first section you’ll lose an upgrade though. And you can use it to cheese through the platforming, but that section would have a pain so thank god. After the first stage though it’s all about exploration tho
It's probably just nostalgia talking, but I like this game so much that I featured Firebrand on my arcade control panel. I wish Capcom would come out with another game in the series that really realized this game's full potential.
Your crazy. growing up this game was epic. this was a game changer really refreshing compared to the other options out at the time. and you could really lose yourself in it.
I found this game on Nintendo Switch SNES, just finished the second ending, and I was blown away by how well it did everything you said it did poorly. I was excited to finally have a game that wasn't afraid to give me really what other games save an end game content. The levels and bosses were made with this in mind, as well! Dark Souls and Ghouls'n'Ghosts it isn't, and there's potential for more, but for its time, it's superior, and it still utilizes that potential pretty well, especially for a singular game that didn't have a sequel like it. Even since the age of the SNES, I don't know of any game that does what Demon's Crest does. We need a sequel to tap into the potential this series still has! Hearing you say the final boss was disappointing tells me you didn't play the game very much, as I know exactly what fight you're taking about, and I can tell you that's not the real final fight. :) Obviously this isn't your type of game, and you should play what you like. I'm glad you gave this unique game a shot, and decided to share your thoughts. Have a lovely week!
I have disagree wholeheartedly with your opinion on the level design, I say this as someone who played it when it came out and completed it 100%. While you certainly could fly over most things, the most fun part of the game was exploration and finding all of the hidden upgrades and powers. This was definitely a game that you gave you what you put into it. I enjoyed all finding all of the secrets and even how dialogue changed if you had done some things before you talked to certain enemies.
I discovered this game about 7 years ago and I put it in my top 10 SNES games, and SNES is my favorite system ever. To me it feels like a massively improved take on Altered Beast with a lot more platforming. I think you're a lot too hard on this game considering it's on a almost 30 year old system.
This game blowed my mind, I finished it and only years after found out all the secrets the ultimate transformation and the real last boss, it is still one of my must play when I plug back my snes.
Wow, certainly created a fire storm here. First, I like your channel and its video, and I also love this game, though I had a lot more difficult time with it. Second, I agree that it is somewhat easy to get lost in without clear directions, but that is part of the point. It wants you to go and explore, seek out all of the treasures. While it has Mega Man elements, I would put it closer to Metroid, where new items or weapons open up new areas in old areas. I agree that it might not have used everything to its fullest potential, but I also remember many other games that could not, limited by the technology of the time. Personally, I keep hoping that Capcom will revisit this series and give Firebrand another shot. With today's hardware, who knows what they could do? I am thinking some animated cut scenes when you gain a crest (showing the transformation), the ability to craft your own potions and spells, and a lot more puzzles where you have to combine different powers to get through (earth to break into the area, water to swim through an underwater maze, and finish with air to fly up and grab a treasure). Maybe have that beggar give the player hints, for some cash and with some sarcasm on the side.
Didn't find this easy but I guess I didn't do everything in the correct order. The prequels (Gargoyle's Quest) did take the character abilites into consideration much better, and felt more fleshed out as adventures.
This is a hot take if I've ever seen one. The level design is a valid criticism, but the music being "lackluster"?? This is some of the best 16-bit music in existence, and fits the game's visual motif perfectly. Also, it's clear you didn't finish the game if you think it's easy and only has five levels, because the true final boss is pretty damn difficult.
@@Synathidy In music it is related to variety but refers to the range in volume and between soft and hard playing of instruments during a song - you've probably noticed how various songs have louder and quieter parts, and softer or more agressive parts. It can also be about range in pitch from bass to treble notes, compare for example a SNES or MD song to a Master System version of the same song and the lacking bass of the latter is pretty apparent. Though technically these are two different things, people tend to mean both when using the term dynamic about music in my experience.
I usually agree with most your video's but this is one I just can't take fully. While I agree that the game is too short and the lack of direction is harsh, but that is part of it's charm, being able to get to the last boss with little to no upgrades and see how weak you can kill him, is always a treat to some folks, and being not overly drawn out, it welcomes speed runners. The music isn't out of place, it fits more than say drums would. Still a good video though so you still get my upvote.
Uh, easy? have you fought the two end bosses, Phalanx in his final form, and the Dark Demon? They are extremely difficult, and I've actually never beaten the Dark Demon even after dedicating an entire day to it
Sounds like you might not have experienced a lot of the content in the game. There are six main stages, along with a much tougher Phalanx boss fight and a super-tough secret boss accessible after completing the game with everything. Give it a shot again one of these days!
May I suggest a let's play of this where you actually 100% it? I'd watch it for sure. You may just change your opinion too because I'm not sure you've seen everything this has to offer quite yet. Good review apart from that. I really do love your vids even when I disagree :D
Loved it back then. Awesome graphics, nice soundtrack and good gameplay plus great atmosphere. Thats all i asked for. And i thought it was really hard at times. Im glad i could enjoy it when i was still relatively young.
Look, I'm not going into the flame wars that prior comments comprise. But I will say that this vid really didn't do the game justice. Yeah, it has flaws a plenty, but in my opinion its one of the most atmospheric games made for the SNES. It has a ton of exploratory fun that just takes some effort, kind of like the original Legend of Zelda. I literally loved to discover new areas. The magic system is not phenomenal, but its still fun. Additionally, one key aspect you seem to have overlooked is that this is a post-apocalyptic game. Yes, Firebrand (aka Red Armiger) was blamed for it, even if he wasn't responsible. But the fact that you have to romp through a shattered shell of what was the Demon Realm from the first two games? Awesome, even more so if you take into account that non shop NPC's like the Fountain Demon will freak out if they recognise you. Music wise, true is that the themes are a bit repetitive. But like I said, its an atmospheric game and in that sense they shine. I hope you've given it another go since the vid, if not then please consider it.
The front image of Gargoyle's Quest is so embarrassing. Firebrand is a badass even on a Gameboy screen, but the artist turned him and the enemies into characters from a children's toon.
I actually really like the fact that it's cryptic. I just finished it on the Switch, playing it for the first time. Took me a while to get all the 4 endings, and it was a blast finding that out on my own. I don't know, it's the kind of game that intrigued me, and made me come back for a little bit more. It looks short, at first glance, but if you want to really do everything possible, the game has a ton to offer. But I get what you mean about the "sum of its parts". There's a LOT of good mechanics and gameplay there that could've easily gone into a bigger, bulkier, metroidvania. I love the confusing map though. Mode 7 will always be awesome.
Demon´s Crest is one of my all-time favourite games. I totally get your critisism and there´s a reason, why Super Metroid was way more influential than this game. Even as a kid the flying ability bothered me...this flaw can be also found in the older Kirby games, where the ability to fly endlessly completely destroys the level designs. And I don´t get, why they changed it. In the Nes version you could only fly for a short period of time so you had to use the ability only when the level demanded it. Still the art direction and general story is way to cool and playing Firebrand just feels badass. I would totally love a modern Firebrand game with a Metroidvania approach.
The high price point of this game is an enormous drawback but it's easy enough to get the Japanese Super Famicom version for cheap. Scooped mine on an eBay auction for $18 bucks plus $6 shipping a few months ago.
The final boss is lackluster? The final form of Phalanx is one of the most difficult SNES bosses I can think of (though the first two forms are really easy)
„Why bother with this floating platforms, when you can fly right over them?“ You will appreciate those, when you visit this area in Firebrands Earth-Form, Goddammit! Just a small example for everything the Reviewer got wrong about this game.
I was really digging this game for awhile and decided to give it another go. Some forms are really incredibly situational that there's no benefit to using them outside the required areas (water form, I'm looking at you). Earlier forms like the fire form get completely devalued once you get the other forms. The spells are completely garbage and bewildering as well. Even after all of that, I was willing to give this game the benefit of the doubt, that is until I came to Phalanx's last form. Wow. I've played challenging and even hard games; normally I LOVE them, but what I can't abide is garbage boss design that essentially was added to increase game rentals for this. Where do you even begin with how utterly garbage and cheap the last two bosses are? The experience completely soured any pro I had with this game and left me feeling as though I'd been swindled out of the time already invested in the game. Really, the game has a cool story (if you know where to look) and the graphics are very well done, but that's bout it. Gameplay is monotonous and sometimes tedious, many bosses are horribly designed and are made to be more frustrating than challenging. If you like FRUSTRATING games, this is the one for you, but otherwise, the time invested will not live up to what you get in return.
Which bosses are you talking about? Are you talking about Phalanx's third form? or the Dark Demon? (the secret boss you get with the password). Is that what you mean with the last 2 bosses?. Phalanx third form (the green dragon) is actually really easy, nothing unfair about it really, if you found that one frustrating maybe you were doing something wrong, i don't get it. But if we talk about the Dark Demon then that's another story, you need to prepare with health potions for that one, some of his moves are unreactable and undodgable even if you could react to them so it forces you to be really aware of your surroundings, like for example if you see a projectile is coming at you, it's probably already too late to move since your character is really slow, that's why the better strategy there is to be next to a spike wall, the spikes deal less than 1 orb of damage compared to the huge damage the projectile does, so when you see a undodgeable projectiles is coming instead of trying to dodge the projectile you need to hit yourself with the spikes so the projectiles doesn't hit you. That boss i am sure wasn't meant to be beaten without potions so they resorted to intentionally make it unfair so you force yourself to buy them, so they "balanced" it with full potions in mind, also you gotta know that the "angel form" receives less damage than the skull form, they share the same health but the skull form pretty much takes double damage, for this boss you need to take equipment into account. If you have the damage boost or defense boost talismans equipped and full health potions it should be enough to kill the boss consistently without playing perfectly or anything. Since you can any point get a lot of potions ,you could "cheese" any boss in the game if you wanted, that includes phalanx, so i imagine they said "hey so it's possible to have a lot of potions, they can cheese any boss if they really want to with that, we need a super boss so let's make sure they struggle with it even with full potions"
I got to say that Demon Crest is my favorite Snes game how ever you make a lot of good points there was much more they could a done with it But on the other hand games a lot of people forget the limitations of the Snes and this game pushes the boundaries of that time
I really, really, REALLY want someone to make a much longer, more well-executed ROM Hack of this game. The tools are there, and we've al seen that tons of people have made altered. enhanced, and expanded versions of games like certain Mario and Poke'mon titles. I see no reason that someone couldn't get on this and custom-build for the retro gaming community, a game that's nothing short of ~Unforgettable~.
Is not the hardest game out there but hell its waaaaay far from being easy, specially against the final boss or the hidden one If i can agree on something is yeah, the game is kinda short, even when u unlock everything. I wish it had a remake just like Ghost n Goblins did Also the fact of having everything in ultimate gargoyle made the other 3 quite useless but ofc by the time u use it u already had about everything, the same with the fire types, tornado became useless once u get the flying gargoyle, the dragon flame became useless once u get the red gargoyle
Demons Crest is an easy game? You've clearly never played it if you think that. Also, Super Metroid does the exact same thing where you get an upgrade and are able to unlock another section of that area. Do you think Super Metroid is a boring game because of that too?
Playing in the ghost and goblin universe, i say the background desing are well and intentionaly done that way. Backtracking in previous stage to get power up is sort of the point. I think you miss the targert on that review.
Had it, loved it. In my fan lore, Firebrand is Sparda, the demon who sided with humans and father to Dante and Vergil, in his prequel rebellion against humans.
It's funny I never heard of this game until a few months ago. And I played the hell out of my snes. I probably saw it on the shelf at the video store and never rented it. Idk. Reminds me of actraiser... perhaps I need to carve out some time to play it. I found it on my Switch just now
I remember having energy used when flying and falling down when it ran out, may be a false memory since it's been more than 10 years since I last played it.
I recently replayed this, and one thing that pains me is how slow Firebrand walks and flies. That's actually pretty consistent in Gargoyle's Quest, but when you consider how fast and agile Red Arremers are in Ghosts 'n Goblins, it's almost insulting. Too many enemies are flat out more maneuverable than Firebrand. Also, most of the spells/potions you can buy in the game are useless. I thought a defensive spell would help against Belth, but I genuinely couldn't see any effect and just had to damage race him instead.
That's the thing. It plays like a GameBoy game. On that system, the characters are often large, and you kind of need to be aware of plaforms and enemies that are currently right off the screen. That's a limitation of the system since the screen is so small. Now I'm playing this game on a 46" screen, so there's no reason for it. The flying is more like absolutely plum hovering. It feels artifical, and it is slow. Likewise, you can only shoot fire exactly parallel to the ground. There are no physics at all. It reminds me of that crappy Russian cartoon on Krusty the Clown. "What the hell is this!?" A lot of missed potential.
I love this game and also got a little history because over this game I went to jail! I see your points for sure the only way the platforming makes sense if you switch to a non flying character! The music I love! The gothic theme fits good well to me anyways but it's not for everyone! I love your opinion about games even if about 90% disagree with you on certain games you keep your opinion and stick with it and not back down and I can respect that! And I'll keep coming back for more content for sure!
I think you should revisit this game dude, you can finish the game really early if you don't get enough items and that's probably what you did, other levels will unlock after that in the map ,what you saw is less than 30% of the game's content,
Just beat this recently and agree with most of what you said except it sounds like I probably had more fun with it overall. It seems like a mixed bag over who thinks the game is hard or not. It took me about five tries to beat the final boss, without potions, and I got the proper ending. I'm average at games so maybe I got lucky. Overall the game is fun and well-made despite lacking in intuitiveness and soundtrack.
Snes drunk... Why the hype? This decades old game has zero hype that I've ever encountered... To me and every friend I knew who played it it was an under the radar game that not too many people had played before. Perhaps it seems hyped because you're annoyed at how much a physical copy costs but rest assured, those of us who are more than happy to emulate these games could care less.
This was my favorite platformer on the SNES back when I had an SNES. I liked it more than Super Metroid, which I ranked at number 2. I really enjoyed exploring the old levels with my new forms, which I guess this reviewer thought was boring. I also really liked the Wizard of Oz game for the same reason. And it seems to me that the reason people hate that game on youtube (besides it being a poor use of the license, which I will agree with), is that they didn't want to go back to old levels in that one either. UA-camrs seem to want linear platformers. I think it's because feel like they have to get through the games for their channels, not enjoy them.
I'm pretty sure they designed the first section of the game without the intent of allowing the player to fly or something, then ended up letting the player fly form the get go. Later bosses are designed around the ability to hover without penalty, but youre right about the early game - when I first picked this up i just ended up flying past everything and it ruins it. I know i can just 'not hover' and try and take the platforming seriously, but why risk losing hp/lives when i can just fly over the whole level?
It's not a bad game, but many of the problems mentioned in the video are true, it's very easy and short. The most annoying part is having to switch between gargoyles just to advance a few steps, you have to access the menu, select the gargoyle use the ability and then switch back again, which is super annoying and monotonous. I don't remember if there was a button to switch between gargoyles faster though, but I recall this as the worst part, making the game very dull at times.
You should do a 100% run and see if your opinion is any different. Fully exploring every stage would be awful if you had limited flight. Additionally, full exploration requires you to use most of the abilities you get throughout the game and it really fleshes out the experience.
interesting this is a great example of an objective review - you state clearly why the game fails in factual terms, the level design doesn't take into consideration the character's mechanics. These are facts, critics should take note of your approach and realize you can bring objectivity to your critiques... kudos.
It's only sort of objective as the level design issues are mainly an issue because he didn't figure certain things out so it detracted from his experience...which is partially subjective because someone who didn't have trouble figuring out where to go and explored, won't have a negative experience. He tends to be lenient on flaws in games he likes and focuses more on the same types of flaws when he doesn't get into a certain game. Earthbound for instance he was way more gushing about it and kind of turned a blind eye to some of the tedious and poorly executed aspects of that game because the "experience" was good enough for him to overlook those things, but if you go into Earthbound without nostalgia or romanticism for the game, it doesn't quite live up to the hype.
This game doesn't have 5 levels, it has 7 or 8. It also has multiple endings. Yes, you can finish it after 4 or 5 levels, but that only happens if you didn't find all objects - and you won't find all objects by just flying over the levels. I think your problem is that you play this game wrong, you have to explore the levels to unlock secret areas and new levels. And the real end boss is one of the hardest I've ever played.
Him responding would be nice, or a video of yours or someone detailing it would also be neat or just plain sufficient to delve into giving this game time. It looks great, I hope you are right to be honest.
Thanks for the nice comment Shane. I think this toes the line of "how intuitive is the game" and "how much of an idiot is the player." In my case, I'm not always the sharpest cheese in the fridge, so maybe I missed certain cues or whatever. But I think some fault lies with the game for not being direct enough with the player about where to go and when.
Maybe you could change the tone of your conclusions, it would not subtract from the review itself, it would just make it more friendly, accurate, and overall better, stating things like : -I think - this game is a clasisic example of etc etc, "For me" ect etc. love your videos, you can keep doing your thing, and I know this is way back 2014.
*****
Sorry, I probably got a bit emotional because that's really one of my favourite games of all time. For example, the switch between the different Gargoyles with their different looks and abilities is very unique and the idea is to go back with them to levels you already finished to explore new areas. Also I like it that the game is darker than many others from around this time and that they try to tell a story that is a bit more complex then "rescue the princess" or "get your bananas" back. On top of that, I really like the graphics, especially the backrounds and also the music. It's surely not the best platformer out there, but I like the mild RPG elements and that you need to explore the levels and discover secrets to go further. And the real last Boss is hard as hell, I think I needed a half hour to beat him beck than and you must really equip yourself with armors and spells if you want to stand a chance.
I think when I played it first I finished it after 4 levels or something and thought, that can't be the real end. So I got back to the levels and looked if I missed something until I got to the real end. And yes, they maybe should make this more clear throughout the game, but today, because of the internet it's way more easy to get to the real end and I think you should maybe give it another chance by using some online guides or playthroughs.
Shane, I think you watched this video wrong.
everyone is saying it already but it's true, the end Boss is only lackluster if you didn't bother to collect everything because that's when you get the true final Boss and he's hard as hell. then you get to do a new game plus which is fun but more importantly gain access to the hidden Boss and that fuckin thing is a real pain in the ass. beating that Boss ( after countless tries ) was and still is one of my proudest gaming moments. you earn that victory through blood sweat and tears. truly a great game.
Man I have to say I don't believe you actually took some time on this one. This is my favorite snes game of all time and still play it today without it being old, maybe just growing up with it or the amazing musical scores in each level, every secret pays off and the secret, secret boss that you battle as the most upgraded demon to off is absolutely nuts and took days of patience. Please give it another thorough playthrough EVERYONE you're doing yourself a major injustice by not searching everything this one has to offer
Disagree. This game has remained in my personal top five games for over two decades. It's one of the very rare SNES games that I loved as a kid and still holds up today.
True!
Thank goodness for the comments section. I missed the eshop Holiday sale though.. Next time!
Fucking love this game! I’ve 100%ed it like 8 times now!
You can replay it with snes online service.
I would not consider this game easy.
ModelJames13 agree
Easy game? Send me a copy of that " easy version" that you have.
He probably never got the true final boss lol
@@The_Cooler_Will I got to that boss as a kid, I never could beat him (also: this game is awesome)
I beat it by accident today... Apparently, you can fight the main boss early and his pattern of attacks are pretty easy to predict after a couple of tries.
@@surq0784 Not the true final boss. You have to collect all the items to do that.
@Spit Dragon Haha so true
Unpopular indeed. Great game. Same with Gargyole's Quest
and Demon's Darkness
Holy crap, the last boss isn't hard enough for you? You're not talking about the hidden final boss, are you? Because that thing is just flat out unfair. I've got an LP of Demon's Crest on my channel and that boss tore me asunder.
If it wasn't obvious, he did say the game only had 5 levels. It shows he didn't play it. I'm getting tired of these lazy channels that shit out poor content.
Honestly, I haven't even beaten more than a couple bosses in this game and I've had it since I was a kid. With that said, it's still one of my favorite SNES games because I fucking love how amazing the game looks. Everything about it looks incredible. Firebrand, every other crest, all the levels and especially the monsters. And I don't know, I really like the music, a lot, but that's just me.
No it is not just you. The game and the music are awesome.
And me!!!!
I loved the music of this game
I like that you don't have a long, noisy, over-produced intro. You get right into it right away. And you dont end videos with the usual begs for Likes, Subs, etc. that a lot of people do. Some of many reasons I do Like all your vids.
true true. I myself bug people to subscribe in just about every video I make. In fact, i'll bug you right now. "Subscribe to me yerk55?????? Subscribe or your life will never be fulfilled!!!" Are you subscribed yet? Are you succumbing to the awesome force of my inescapable peer pressure? NO? Oh well I tried, see you tomorrow then. I'll be back....maybe.....
Absolutely this! There's a lot to be said for concise, critical analysis not wrapped in long produced openings, comedy sketches, etc.
Man, I couldn't disagree with you more on this game. Nothing wrong with that of course, everyone's allowed to have different opinions on things. But to me, this was a really cool, hard as nails metroidvania with neat, Castlevania-esque bosses, amazing power-ups, and gorgeous visuals. It's also a fantastic sequel, building on the Gargoyle's Quest games in amazing ways, finally feeling like a legitimate elevation of the original game's concept rather than the quasi-remake the second game felt like. (The only point you make that I wholly disagree with is the difficulty. I had a simple enough time of it, but it was NOT easy. I submit the slime eyeball boss, Phalanx, and Dark Demon as evidence. (And like, the flight power isn't that OP when you consider you have to be a bit lower to the ground to explore some of the nooks and crannies of each level to find secrets and upgrades.)
You are absolutely right about how cryptic everything is, though. I was warned ahead of time about some of the worse hidden items in the game.
Yeah the only part where flight is OP is the very first level. If you skip the enemies in the first section you’ll lose an upgrade though. And you can use it to cheese through the platforming, but that section would have a pain so thank god. After the first stage though it’s all about exploration tho
It's probably just nostalgia talking, but I like this game so much that I featured Firebrand on my arcade control panel. I wish Capcom would come out with another game in the series that really realized this game's full potential.
Your crazy. growing up this game was epic. this was a game changer really refreshing compared to the other options out at the time. and you could really lose yourself in it.
You're
Imo this is a hidden snes gem, love it
I found this game on Nintendo Switch SNES, just finished the second ending, and I was blown away by how well it did everything you said it did poorly. I was excited to finally have a game that wasn't afraid to give me really what other games save an end game content.
The levels and bosses were made with this in mind, as well! Dark Souls and Ghouls'n'Ghosts it isn't, and there's potential for more, but for its time, it's superior, and it still utilizes that potential pretty well, especially for a singular game that didn't have a sequel like it. Even since the age of the SNES, I don't know of any game that does what Demon's Crest does. We need a sequel to tap into the potential this series still has!
Hearing you say the final boss was disappointing tells me you didn't play the game very much, as I know exactly what fight you're taking about, and I can tell you that's not the real final fight. :) Obviously this isn't your type of game, and you should play what you like. I'm glad you gave this unique game a shot, and decided to share your thoughts. Have a lovely week!
The fuck, dude, the music is amazing. One of the best OST of all time.
Still one of my favorite SNES games.
I never knew there was any hype for this game, I just know that this is one of the game I can return to time and time again.
I just came to say that the final final boss is the hardest thing ever...
I have disagree wholeheartedly with your opinion on the level design, I say this as someone who played it when it came out and completed it 100%. While you certainly could fly over most things, the most fun part of the game was exploration and finding all of the hidden upgrades and powers. This was definitely a game that you gave you what you put into it. I enjoyed all finding all of the secrets and even how dialogue changed if you had done some things before you talked to certain enemies.
I discovered this game about 7 years ago and I put it in my top 10 SNES games, and SNES is my favorite system ever. To me it feels like a massively improved take on Altered Beast with a lot more platforming. I think you're a lot too hard on this game considering it's on a almost 30 year old system.
I totally agree I bought it a year back, the graphics are amazing and the gameplay is great. For a game from 94 it’s very good.
This is THE game of SNES to me, no joke I've lost count of how many times I have finished it.
This game blowed my mind, I finished it and only years after found out all the secrets the ultimate transformation and the real last boss, it is still one of my must play when I plug back my snes.
capcom plz, do a remake
Wow, certainly created a fire storm here. First, I like your channel and its video, and I also love this game, though I had a lot more difficult time with it. Second, I agree that it is somewhat easy to get lost in without clear directions, but that is part of the point. It wants you to go and explore, seek out all of the treasures. While it has Mega Man elements, I would put it closer to Metroid, where new items or weapons open up new areas in old areas. I agree that it might not have used everything to its fullest potential, but I also remember many other games that could not, limited by the technology of the time.
Personally, I keep hoping that Capcom will revisit this series and give Firebrand another shot. With today's hardware, who knows what they could do? I am thinking some animated cut scenes when you gain a crest (showing the transformation), the ability to craft your own potions and spells, and a lot more puzzles where you have to combine different powers to get through (earth to break into the area, water to swim through an underwater maze, and finish with air to fly up and grab a treasure). Maybe have that beggar give the player hints, for some cash and with some sarcasm on the side.
Good comment, thanks
You are welcome, thanks for the great videos.
Didn't find this easy but I guess I didn't do everything in the correct order. The prequels (Gargoyle's Quest) did take the character abilites into consideration much better, and felt more fleshed out as adventures.
Yeah I don't understand him calling it easy. The last 2 bosses are quite challenging even with the 2 best demon stones and full healing potions.
Late to the party, but so were you on this game. You did not play it completely. This game has lots of hidden item and paths. You missed the boat.
I thought it was GREAT having a character that can fly nonstop!
The last BOSS for the true ending is very hard
You say you can just fly over everything so what's the point of most obstacles on the ground?
Tell that to Kirby.
I did, that's a problem with Kirby's Dreamland 3
this game was one of my favorite games
This game is a masterpiece. The game isn't overrated one bit.
He has some good points. I think it's a good game but I think Gargoyle's Quest II did it better.
This is a hot take if I've ever seen one. The level design is a valid criticism, but the music being "lackluster"?? This is some of the best 16-bit music in existence, and fits the game's visual motif perfectly. Also, it's clear you didn't finish the game if you think it's easy and only has five levels, because the true final boss is pretty damn difficult.
The soundtrack is amazing though! To each his own, but I think you're confusing dynamic with variety there, that's not what the term generally means.
@@Synathidy In music it is related to variety but refers to the range in volume and between soft and hard playing of instruments during a song - you've probably noticed how various songs have louder and quieter parts, and softer or more agressive parts.
It can also be about range in pitch from bass to treble notes, compare for example a SNES or MD song to a Master System version of the same song and the lacking bass of the latter is pretty apparent. Though technically these are two different things, people tend to mean both when using the term dynamic about music in my experience.
I usually agree with most your video's but this is one I just can't take fully. While I agree that the game is too short and the lack of direction is harsh, but that is part of it's charm, being able to get to the last boss with little to no upgrades and see how weak you can kill him, is always a treat to some folks, and being not overly drawn out, it welcomes speed runners. The music isn't out of place, it fits more than say drums would. Still a good video though so you still get my upvote.
Uh, easy? have you fought the two end bosses, Phalanx in his final form, and the Dark Demon? They are extremely difficult, and I've actually never beaten the Dark Demon even after dedicating an entire day to it
I remember this game being very fun as a kid. SNES library will never be de-throned.
Should fully complete the game and give it a better review.
Sounds like you might not have experienced a lot of the content in the game. There are six main stages, along with a much tougher Phalanx boss fight and a super-tough secret boss accessible after completing the game with everything. Give it a shot again one of these days!
Gorgeous looking game, though. Well-done SNES spritework is a visual treat.
May I suggest a let's play of this where you actually 100% it? I'd watch it for sure. You may just change your opinion too because I'm not sure you've seen everything this has to offer quite yet. Good review apart from that. I really do love your vids even when I disagree :D
Loved it back then. Awesome graphics, nice soundtrack and good gameplay plus great atmosphere. Thats all i asked for. And i thought it was really hard at times. Im glad i could enjoy it when i was still relatively young.
Look, I'm not going into the flame wars that prior comments comprise. But I will say that this vid really didn't do the game justice. Yeah, it has flaws a plenty, but in my opinion its one of the most atmospheric games made for the SNES. It has a ton of exploratory fun that just takes some effort, kind of like the original Legend of Zelda. I literally loved to discover new areas.
The magic system is not phenomenal, but its still fun. Additionally, one key aspect you seem to have overlooked is that this is a post-apocalyptic game. Yes, Firebrand (aka Red Armiger) was blamed for it, even if he wasn't responsible. But the fact that you have to romp through a shattered shell of what was the Demon Realm from the first two games?
Awesome, even more so if you take into account that non shop NPC's like the Fountain Demon will freak out if they recognise you. Music wise, true is that the themes are a bit repetitive. But like I said, its an atmospheric game and in that sense they shine. I hope you've given it another go since the vid, if not then please consider it.
I do agree that Firebrand should've had a flying-timer like in the first 2 games, but It's still in my top 20 games of all time
The front image of Gargoyle's Quest is so embarrassing. Firebrand is a badass even on a Gameboy screen, but the artist turned him and the enemies into characters from a children's toon.
One of the hardest games I have ever played
I actually really like the fact that it's cryptic. I just finished it on the Switch, playing it for the first time. Took me a while to get all the 4 endings, and it was a blast finding that out on my own. I don't know, it's the kind of game that intrigued me, and made me come back for a little bit more. It looks short, at first glance, but if you want to really do everything possible, the game has a ton to offer.
But I get what you mean about the "sum of its parts". There's a LOT of good mechanics and gameplay there that could've easily gone into a bigger, bulkier, metroidvania.
I love the confusing map though. Mode 7 will always be awesome.
Whose here after playing it on Switch?
yeah this shit is hard
Me.
Someone must not have fought the true boss to say that the final boss is "lackluster". 🤔🤷
Demon´s Crest is one of my all-time favourite games. I totally get your critisism and there´s a reason, why Super Metroid was way more influential than this game. Even as a kid the flying ability bothered me...this flaw can be also found in the older Kirby games, where the ability to fly endlessly completely destroys the level designs. And I don´t get, why they changed it. In the Nes version you could only fly for a short period of time so you had to use the ability only when the level demanded it.
Still the art direction and general story is way to cool and playing Firebrand just feels badass. I would totally love a modern Firebrand game with a Metroidvania approach.
I like the two Gargoyle's Quest games better but I'd still rather play this over any Ghosts 'n Goblins game.
The high price point of this game is an enormous drawback but it's easy enough to get the Japanese Super Famicom version for cheap. Scooped mine on an eBay auction for $18 bucks plus $6 shipping a few months ago.
The final boss is lackluster? The final form of Phalanx is one of the most difficult SNES bosses I can think of (though the first two forms are really easy)
„Why bother with this floating platforms, when you can fly right over them?“
You will appreciate those, when you visit this area in Firebrands Earth-Form, Goddammit!
Just a small example for everything the Reviewer got wrong about this game.
SNES Drunk, here's a great candidate for a retrospective video!
I was really digging this game for awhile and decided to give it another go. Some forms are really incredibly situational that there's no benefit to using them outside the required areas (water form, I'm looking at you). Earlier forms like the fire form get completely devalued once you get the other forms. The spells are completely garbage and bewildering as well. Even after all of that, I was willing to give this game the benefit of the doubt, that is until I came to Phalanx's last form. Wow. I've played challenging and even hard games; normally I LOVE them, but what I can't abide is garbage boss design that essentially was added to increase game rentals for this. Where do you even begin with how utterly garbage and cheap the last two bosses are? The experience completely soured any pro I had with this game and left me feeling as though I'd been swindled out of the time already invested in the game.
Really, the game has a cool story (if you know where to look) and the graphics are very well done, but that's bout it. Gameplay is monotonous and sometimes tedious, many bosses are horribly designed and are made to be more frustrating than challenging.
If you like FRUSTRATING games, this is the one for you, but otherwise, the time invested will not live up to what you get in return.
Which bosses are you talking about?
Are you talking about Phalanx's third form? or the Dark Demon? (the secret boss you get with the password).
Is that what you mean with the last 2 bosses?.
Phalanx third form (the green dragon) is actually really easy, nothing unfair about it really, if you found that one frustrating maybe you were doing something wrong, i don't get it.
But if we talk about the Dark Demon then that's another story, you need to prepare with health potions for that one, some of his moves are unreactable and undodgable even if you could react to them so it forces you to be really aware of your surroundings, like for example if you see a projectile is coming at you, it's probably already too late to move since your character is really slow, that's why the better strategy there is to be next to a spike wall, the spikes deal less than 1 orb of damage compared to the huge damage the projectile does, so when you see a undodgeable projectiles is coming instead of trying to dodge the projectile you need to hit yourself with the spikes so the projectiles doesn't hit you.
That boss i am sure wasn't meant to be beaten without potions so they resorted to intentionally make it unfair so you force yourself to buy them, so they "balanced" it with full potions in mind, also you gotta know that the "angel form" receives less damage than the skull form, they share the same health but the skull form pretty much takes double damage, for this boss you need to take equipment into account.
If you have the damage boost or defense boost talismans equipped and full health potions it should be enough to kill the boss consistently without playing perfectly or anything.
Since you can any point get a lot of potions ,you could "cheese" any boss in the game if you wanted, that includes phalanx, so i imagine they said "hey so it's possible to have a lot of potions, they can cheese any boss if they really want to with that, we need a super boss so let's make sure they struggle with it even with full potions"
I got to say that Demon Crest is my favorite Snes game how ever you make a lot of good points there was much more they could a done with it
But on the other hand games a lot of people forget the limitations of the Snes and this game pushes the boundaries of that time
i really like demon crest and the FIRST time i played was in 2015
Thankfully I got a cart only before the price exploded. I paid $25, which these days, is pretty fair.
Bloodreign1 lucky you. I had to pay 130€, but at the end it was in mint condition. "My precious".
I really, really, REALLY want someone to make a much longer, more well-executed ROM Hack of this game. The tools are there, and we've al seen that tons of people have made altered. enhanced, and expanded versions of games like certain Mario and Poke'mon titles.
I see no reason that someone couldn't get on this and custom-build for the retro gaming community, a game that's nothing short of ~Unforgettable~.
East?!?!?! This game is one of the most difficult and unforgiving things I’ve ever played
This music is seriously tickling my fancy like nobody’s business
I love this game. I'll hype it up. I'm drunk too dude.
Is not the hardest game out there but hell its waaaaay far from being easy, specially against the final boss or the hidden one
If i can agree on something is yeah, the game is kinda short, even when u unlock everything. I wish it had a remake just like Ghost n Goblins did
Also the fact of having everything in ultimate gargoyle made the other 3 quite useless but ofc by the time u use it u already had about everything, the same with the fire types, tornado became useless once u get the flying gargoyle, the dragon flame became useless once u get the red gargoyle
Demons Crest is an easy game? You've clearly never played it if you think that. Also, Super Metroid does the exact same thing where you get an upgrade and are able to unlock another section of that area. Do you think Super Metroid is a boring game because of that too?
Yo he said its to eassy, been on the third boss for weeks lmao
Playing in the ghost and goblin universe, i say the background desing are well and intentionaly done that way.
Backtracking in previous stage to get power up is sort of the point.
I think you miss the targert on that review.
Had it, loved it.
In my fan lore, Firebrand is Sparda, the demon who sided with humans and father to Dante and Vergil, in his prequel rebellion against humans.
EASY GAME??? WHERE??? WHO??? HOW??? CAN U MAKE A WALKTHROUGH AND SHOW ME HOW EASY YOU BEAT THE 100% OF THE GAME???
I completely disagree with pretty much every point you made.
BEST GAME EVER EVER ALL TIME I REALY LOVE ALL ABOUT THIS GAME
It's funny I never heard of this game until a few months ago. And I played the hell out of my snes. I probably saw it on the shelf at the video store and never rented it. Idk. Reminds me of actraiser... perhaps I need to carve out some time to play it. I found it on my Switch just now
I remember having energy used when flying and falling down when it ran out, may be a false memory since it's been more than 10 years since I last played it.
That was Gargoyle's Quest 2 for NES
I dont know, the secret last boss was a nightmare.
This was great until I got to the flame boss.. Hes SO figgin hard
I recently replayed this, and one thing that pains me is how slow Firebrand walks and flies. That's actually pretty consistent in Gargoyle's Quest, but when you consider how fast and agile Red Arremers are in Ghosts 'n Goblins, it's almost insulting. Too many enemies are flat out more maneuverable than Firebrand.
Also, most of the spells/potions you can buy in the game are useless. I thought a defensive spell would help against Belth, but I genuinely couldn't see any effect and just had to damage race him instead.
That's the thing. It plays like a GameBoy game. On that system, the characters are often large, and you kind of need to be aware of plaforms and enemies that are currently right off the screen. That's a limitation of the system since the screen is so small. Now I'm playing this game on a 46" screen, so there's no reason for it. The flying is more like absolutely plum hovering. It feels artifical, and it is slow. Likewise, you can only shoot fire exactly parallel to the ground. There are no physics at all. It reminds me of that crappy Russian cartoon on Krusty the Clown. "What the hell is this!?" A lot of missed potential.
this game makes my top 5 list for snes
I love this game and also got a little history because over this game I went to jail! I see your points for sure the only way the platforming makes sense if you switch to a non flying character! The music I love! The gothic theme fits good well to me anyways but it's not for everyone! I love your opinion about games even if about 90% disagree with you on certain games you keep your opinion and stick with it and not back down and I can respect that! And I'll keep coming back for more content for sure!
It looks better than some PS1 games.
2:01 that's the name of this song. i love it 😍
I think you should revisit this game dude, you can finish the game really early if you don't get enough items and that's probably what you did, other levels will unlock after that in the map ,what you saw is less than 30% of the game's content,
This game is awesome WTF
Ouch went from a great review of yours to this, this game is fantastic. My personal fav up there with chronotrigger.
Eh, I enjoyed it as a kid. Back then we spent more time playing than analyzing.
Just beat this recently and agree with most of what you said except it sounds like I probably had more fun with it overall. It seems like a mixed bag over who thinks the game is hard or not. It took me about five tries to beat the final boss, without potions, and I got the proper ending. I'm average at games so maybe I got lucky. Overall the game is fun and well-made despite lacking in intuitiveness and soundtrack.
Totally dont agree With anything You Said except that its too short! :D one of my all time favorite games!
This game looks fucking amazing
Snes drunk... Why the hype? This decades old game has zero hype that I've ever encountered... To me and every friend I knew who played it it was an under the radar game that not too many people had played before. Perhaps it seems hyped because you're annoyed at how much a physical copy costs but rest assured, those of us who are more than happy to emulate these games could care less.
Favorite Channel right now
I discovered this on switch snes but I love it
Don't hold back.
This was my favorite platformer on the SNES back when I had an SNES. I liked it more than Super Metroid, which I ranked at number 2. I really enjoyed exploring the old levels with my new forms, which I guess this reviewer thought was boring. I also really liked the Wizard of Oz game for the same reason. And it seems to me that the reason people hate that game on youtube (besides it being a poor use of the license, which I will agree with), is that they didn't want to go back to old levels in that one either. UA-camrs seem to want linear platformers. I think it's because feel like they have to get through the games for their channels, not enjoy them.
I'm pretty sure they designed the first section of the game without the intent of allowing the player to fly or something, then ended up letting the player fly form the get go. Later bosses are designed around the ability to hover without penalty, but youre right about the early game - when I first picked this up i just ended up flying past everything and it ruins it. I know i can just 'not hover' and try and take the platforming seriously, but why risk losing hp/lives when i can just fly over the whole level?
This game is great. Its my favorite snes game.
It's not a bad game, but many of the problems mentioned in the video are true, it's very easy and short. The most annoying part is having to switch between gargoyles just to advance a few steps, you have to access the menu, select the gargoyle use the ability and then switch back again, which is super annoying and monotonous. I don't remember if there was a button to switch between gargoyles faster though, but I recall this as the worst part, making the game very dull at times.
You should do a 100% run and see if your opinion is any different. Fully exploring every stage would be awful if you had limited flight. Additionally, full exploration requires you to use most of the abilities you get throughout the game and it really fleshes out the experience.
Oh, you are way off on this game. This game is a classic
interesting this is a great example of an objective review - you state clearly why the game fails in factual terms, the level design doesn't take into consideration the character's mechanics. These are facts, critics should take note of your approach and realize you can bring objectivity to your critiques... kudos.
It's only sort of objective as the level design issues are mainly an issue because he didn't figure certain things out so it detracted from his experience...which is partially subjective because someone who didn't have trouble figuring out where to go and explored, won't have a negative experience. He tends to be lenient on flaws in games he likes and focuses more on the same types of flaws when he doesn't get into a certain game. Earthbound for instance he was way more gushing about it and kind of turned a blind eye to some of the tedious and poorly executed aspects of that game because the "experience" was good enough for him to overlook those things, but if you go into Earthbound without nostalgia or romanticism for the game, it doesn't quite live up to the hype.
this game is amazing, you just ate too much of the hype pills.
I loved this in the 90’s. Granted, I haven’t revisited it, but it was a good time then.