GAME CLEAR No. 130 -- Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness

Gargoyle’s Quest II: The Demon Darkness (1992, NES/Game Boy)

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Clear Version: NES
Clear Platform: 3DS
Clear Date: 4/7/23

Arthur’s Bane: Origins

Once again, I’ve returned to the world of my beloved Ghosts ’n Goblins. Once again, I’ve enjoyed my stay.

Gargoyle’s Quest II is a prequel to Gargoyle’s Quest, and it tells the tale of the first time Firebrand whooped the ass of a big bad demon who wanted to take over the Ghoul Realm. The game begins with Firebrand training to become a “True Warrior,” but adventure is quickly thrust upon him when the titular “Demon Darkness” is cast over the land, creating all manner of problems for the denizens of the Ghoul Realm.

Not unlike its predecessor (or indeed Ghosts ’n Goblins), the story is fairly threadbare after that. It’s similar to, say, the first Dragon Quest inasmuch as you do at least have to walk around to various towns and talk to their little citizens or kings or whatever so they will tell you what cave to go to to get the magical whatsit you need to get to the next place you gotta go – or kill the next guy you gotta kill. I found the towns and their citizens a bit less charming than the first game, but it’s still fun to talk to the ghouls and actually take stock of what they say so you know what your next move should be. No logbook, no waypoints, just gotta make mental notes and make sure to check out the stuff they tell you to!

But when you’re not walking around the world map going to all the little towns, you’re gonna be experiencing the real draw of the game, which is its action-platforming segments. Just like before, Firebrand can walk, jump, fly for a short period, and cling to walls to navigate the stages, and he can fire projectiles from his mouth to deal with enemies. He is pretty dogshit at all of these things at the start of the game, but just about every boss encounter will reward you with an upgrade that makes him a little less pitiful. Whether it’s a better jump, better wings, or a cool new projectile, the power creep is pretty constant. It’s a rewarding feeling, but I would argue Firebrand is maybe a smidge too weak at the start of the game, a problem reminiscent of Pit in Kid Icarus (albeit not as bad IMO). On the plus side, once you’re fully powered up toward the end of the game, you really can fuck shit up. It’s a tough balance, and I’m willing to tolerate that it wasn’t perfect in 1992.

That’s basically the whole gameplay loop. Go to a town and ask them why their mayor or whatever is dying. They’ll tell you he needs the Gremlin Stick from the cave to the northeast or something, and you’ll go there and do some fun platforming, kill a boss, and get the stick. Take it back to the beleaguered Ghoul In Charge, and he will thank you by powering you up. Do this over and over until you eventually reach the big bad and fuck him up with your much-improved fireballs and infinite-flight wings.

It’s all done in a little over three and a half hours if you take as long as I did, and frankly it’s a blast. Throw in some solid sprite work and decent music, and you’ve got yourself a late-NES game worth anyone’s time. This one is no longer available on any digital storefront, but I would expect it to make its way to Nintendo Switch Online eventually (Gargoyle’s Quest the First is already available on the Game Boy app). Give the original a shot now, and maybe by the time you’re done, the sequel will be out. The third game, Demon’s Crest is also available on the SNES app, so it only makes sense for them to bridge that gap ASAP. It took me beating every Ghosts ’n Goblins for them to make another sequel to that series. Maybe if I knock out Demon’s Crest another Firebrand game will be announced? I reckon I should time it up with Summer Game Fest. 😈