It is said that the world was once divided into two realms, one belonging to humans and one inhabited by demons. One day six magical crests, each containing power over one of the elements, fell into the Demon Realm (Makai in the Japanese version). The realm erupted into civil war as the demons fought over the crests. Thus, the Crest War raged until Firebrand, the Red Demon (Red Arremer in the Japanese Version), claimed the crests of Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Time. Not satisfied that possessing that those Crests alone would end the war, he fought Somulo for the prize of the Crest of Heaven, Firebrand emerged victorious. But the cost of victory was high, as he was mortally wounded.
The player collects different 'crests' which, when equipped during the game, allow to change into different-ability Firebrands. Some of the possible powers are Earth, Wind and Water. The player also collects talismans, magic potions and other equipment during the journey.
The game's story revolves around the Crests, six magical stones which preside over their respective elements (Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Time and Heaven). When all crests are combined, the Crest of Infinity will appear, allowing its holder infinite power and the ability to conquer all realms with it. The demons of the Demon Realm have long fought each other for possession of the Crests, five of which have since fallen into the hands of a red demon named Firebrand. Seeking infinite power, Firebrand challenges a Demon Dragon for the Crest of Heaven and is victorious, though badly wounded. In his weakness, a rival demon named Phalanx ambushes Firebrand and takes all the Crests except the Fire Crest, which shatters into five shards, one of which Firebrand retains.
Finally, Firebrand challenges Phalanx in his castle within the Demon Realm. Depending on the player's choices, three different endings are possible in this battle. The worst ending has Firebrand killing Phalanx and leaving the Demon Realm as it falls into complete anarchy, while a more favorable ending has Phalanx sealing himself inside the Crest of Heaven and Firebrand hiding all the Crests. The third ending concludes with Firebrand slaying Phalanx after he summons the Crest of Infinity to transform into a hideous beast, then tossing the crests off a cliff after deciding that he does not seek conquest.
In 2018, Complex listed Demon's Crest 59th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time". They commented that Demon's Crest is like Castlevania, but with the abilities to fly and shoot fireballs, and they felt the game was "awesome".[17] In 1995, Total! ranked the game 57th on their Top 100 SNES Games writing: "Almost an RPG but this platformer has more action then you can wave a demonic entity at."[18] IGN rated Demon's Crest 44th in its Top 100 SNES Games.[19]
Red in color. Ruling over flame, the crest allows the owner to control fire. The crest of fire has been shattered and must be put back together. The possessed shard contains the general ability of pyromancing. The four remaining pieces complete the crest.
One day, six crests fell from the heavens into the demon realm, each one carrying power over the elements and even time itself. Wars were fought over them and after years of battle, one demon stood victorious: Firebrand.
Having collected five of the crests, the Red Arremer Firebrand challenged the demon dragon Somulo for the final crest, the Crest of Heaven. After a long and desperate battle, Firebrand defeated the dragon and gained the final crest. This came at a cost, though, as he was critically wounded.
Using the Red Arremer's moment of weakness, the Arch Demon Phalanx attacked him and stole all of the crests for himself, with the exception of the Crest of Fire, which was broken into pieces (Firebrand still has one shard of it at the game's outset). With the power of the crests, Phalanx proclaims himself the new ruler of both the demon realm and the human world.
Having slayed the demons who guarded the crests, as well as General Arma, Phalanx's right hand, Firebrand goes on to engage the Arch Demon. The Red Aremer succeeds in besting Phalanx and, finally, is able to reclaim all six crests.
This is not the end of his quest, however, as a new enemy emerges in the form of the mighty Dark Demon. After a long and tedious battle, Firebrand emerges victorious. Regaining his former glory, Firebrand realizes that his true power is not derived from the crests, and disposes of all of them. He then returns to the Demon Realm, hoping to find a true warrior with whom he could once again taste glory of battle.
As if your wealth of gameplay moves isn't enough, you will also acquire items throughout your quest called Transformation Crests that will allow you to change into a much more powerful demon with special abilities, ranging from swimming, cutting vines, jumping higher, and reducing the amount of damage you take from enemies. You can even purchase items such as potions that allow you to use magical spells that will definitely come in handy on some of the tougher levels and later bosses. It is worth mentioning that this game is not for the less-seasoned gamer and should be approached with caution for those that tend to find themselves easily frustrated. This is a game that's going to take a lot of playing in order to beat, so prepare yourself accordingly. But other than the stiff degree of difficulty, this is a terrific game with a surprising amount of depth for a side scroller.
@CanisWolfred & @Squid: It's the same review from when @Corbs did it in 2009 with a little "Wii U VC" and "save states" key words thrown in for good measure . ://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/10/demons_crest_retro
@SetupDisk I missed this on the snes and was interested after the review but with so many other titles out at the moment I thought I'd leave this for later. Until I read your post that is.after that kind of praise I'll be downloading this day 1 when it drops in europe next year sometime. If we're lucky that is
I had played the NES gargoyles quest 2 when I was VERY young, my older bro had borrowed it from a friend. I loved it but never got to beat it. I had thought about that game for years but never thought I'd find it again....as I didn't remember the games title. Then few weeks ago I stumbled upon a screen shot and instantly recognized it. I immediately bought it on 3ds eShop, then I got the Gameboy gargoyles quest and loved it even more than the NES one......but then...
I found 'demons crest" and.....WOW. it's freaking amazing. Terrific gameplay, and the visuals are just... impossibly good. It looks SO much like "Castlevania symphony of the night" in terms of style and presentation. This game series is brilliant and I'm honestly shocked it hasnt seen a reboot. A full 3d game with "firebrand" would have so much potential that it could literally destroy the world as we know it lol
Developed and published by Capcom and released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Demon's Crest is the third iteration in the Gargoyle's Quest franchise, an offshoot of the popular Ghosts 'n Goblins series. As was the case with the series' previous titles, Gargoyle's Quest and Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness, Demon's Crest is a side-scrolling platform game which places players in the role of the anti-hero Firebrand, a member of the very same Red Arremer demon clan often found antagonizing the valiant Arthur in the Ghost 'n Goblin franchise. Its gameplay utilizes mechanics commonly seen in Metroidvania action-adventure games, such as areas which are inaccessible until later upgrades are obtained, and furthermore it shares similarities with Capcom's own Mega Man series, as evidenced by its level selection mechanics and bosses, which often become much easier to defeat with certain weapons. In addition, the game features a rudimentary economy that allows Firebrand to purchase spells and potions with currency found within destructible environmental items or after defeating opponents. In a similar fashion to the Metroid series, Demon's Crest features multiple endings which unfurl differently depending upon the player's item collection percentage at the time they choose to access the game's final battle against Phalanx, which opens up fairly early on.
In a time long past, the world was divided into two realms, with one realm ruled by man, and the other the dominion of demons. For many years the two kingdoms were peaceful, until one fateful day six powerful crests fell from the sky into the demons' lands. The demons began to fight amongst themselves over the control of these mysterious artifacts, as it was rumored their combined magics were sufficient to make those who possessed them powerful beyond measure. Eventually, a single red demon by the name of Firebrand proved to be more cunning and vicious than his brethren, securing the Crests of Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and Time for himself. Not content to have only five of the six crests, however, Firebrand challenged the demon dragon Somulo for possession of the final crest, the Crest of Heaven. The ensuing battle tested both combatants to their limits, but ultimately the demon dragon succumbed, and Firebrand emerged as the undisputed master of the crests.
Firebrand's control over the six crests was brief, however. Taking to the skies following his battle with Somulo, Firebrand finds himself attacked unexpectedly by another of his kind, the scheming Phalanx, who took advantage of his weakened state in order to pry the crests from him. Though his exact motives are unclear, Phalanx harbors ambitions of ruling over both the human and demon realms, and he knows that the crests will give him the power to do so. Phalanx successfully wrests all six crests from his wounded opponent, though a single shard of the Crest of Fire, which splintered into five pieces during the fight, still remains in Firebrand's possession at the end of their confrontation.
Defeated but still alive, Firebrand swears to take revenge against the opportunistic Phalanx and reacquire the crests. His vengeance will not be easy, though. Wary that some jealous demon would come to take the crests from him in the same manner that he took them from Firebrand, Phalanx separates the crests and spreads them arcross the demon realm, keeping only the Crest of Heaven on his person. Before he can properly challenge Phalanx for the Crest of Heaven, Firebrand must first search the land for the four hidden crests while also recovering the shattered remnants of the Crest of Fire. Time is of the essence. Phalanx intends to use the six crests to create the Crest of Infinity, which would make him unstoppable. Only the small sliver of the Crest of Fire which remains in Firebrand's possession prevents him from doing so.
df19127ead