Home > The Definitive Archive of Demon's Crest

The Definitive Archive of Demon's Crest

Ever wonder what it's like to be the bad guy? Let's dive into Capcom's ghoulish SNES masterpiece, Demon's Crest.
Disclaimer: Images on this page are provided for illustrative and historical context. They represent classic video game themes and eras rather than actual gameplay footage or promotional materials.

Most Super Nintendo games had you playing as the hero... but not this one. In Demon's Crest , you're a demon, a gargoyle named Firebrand, and you're out for pure, nasty revenge. Let's explore Capcom's dark, spooky, and criminally overlooked classic.

Firebrand, the demonic gargoyle protagonist of Demon's Crest, perched menacingly on a gothic ruin.

A Dark Jewel of the 16-Bit Era

Most Super Nintendo games were bright and heroic. Demon's Crest was not. It was a dark, ambitious game that blended side-scrolling action with exploration and RPG elements. 1 In Japan, it was called Demon's Blazon: Makaimura Monshou Hen , and you don't play a noble knight, you play as a power-hungry demon.

The game is the final chapter of the Gargoyle's Quest trilogy, which was itself a spin-off of the super-hard Ghosts 'n Goblins series. 3 The hero (or anti-hero) is Firebrand, a winged demon who used to just be a common enemy for the knight Arthur. 5 After getting his own games on the Game Boy and NES, Demon's Crest gave him a grim, realistic makeover, ditching the cartoony look of the older titles. 4, 8

This gloomy tone is what makes the game stand out. 10 Its world is full of decaying ruins and grotesque monsters, all set to a creepy, orchestral soundtrack. 1 It was probably too different for its time, and a late release date meant it sold terribly... but that's why it's now a beloved "cult classic". 5, 13

A Demonic Civil War

The story kicks off in the Ghoul Realm when six magical stones fall from the sky. 15 These Crests represented Fire, Earth, Air, Water, Time, and Heaven. 3 Unite them all, and you form the Crest of Infinity, granting total power over demons and humans, which of course started a massive civil war. 3, 15

The six magical Crests from Demon's Crest: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, Time, and Heaven, glowing with elemental power.

One ruthless gargoyle named Firebrand came out on top. 16 He collected five of the six Crests through pure strength. For the final Crest of Heaven, he fought the mighty Demon Dragon and won, but was left badly wounded. 3, 17 This was his big mistake, a jealous rival, the Arch-Demon Phalanx, ambushed the wounded Firebrand and stole all the Crests for himself. 16

Phalanx became the new ruler and tossed Firebrand into a colosseum to die. 20 The game starts with you fighting the zombified corpse of the same Dragon you already killed (now called Somulo). 3 Your quest is all about pure, unadulterated revenge, not saving the world. 9

One cool theory about the ending suggests that Firebrand himself causes the war to start all over again. After winning, he discards the Crests, which then fall from the sky... a tragic loop. 22

How to Be a Gargoyle

Basic Moves

At his core, Firebrand is a pretty versatile demon. He can spit fireballs, cling to walls with his claws, and hover across huge gaps. 5 He can also headbutt things like statues to break them open, often revealing secrets. 24

Finding Your Form

The main mechanic is collecting Crests to unlock new gargoyle forms, each with unique skills for getting around. 26 The Crest of Earth turns you into the Ground Gargoyle, a bulky form whose shoulder charge can smash through barriers. 10 The Crest of Air gives you the Aerial Gargoyle, with huge wings for true, multi-directional flight. 16

A collage showing Firebrand's different forms: Ground Gargoyle, Aerial Gargoyle, Tidal Gargoyle, and Legendary Gargoyle.

The Crest of Water morphs you into the Tidal Gargoyle, the only form that can survive underwater. 16 For pure toughness, the Crest of Time unlocks the Legendary Gargoyle, whose iron skin halves all damage you take. 17

Gear and Goodies

You can also find pieces of the shattered Fire Crest to upgrade your basic fireball into new attacks, like the "Buster" or "Tornado". 16 Hidden Life Vessels (or Clear Souls) increase your maximum health. 21 You'll also find Urns and Vellums, which let you carry powerful potions and magic spells bought from shops. 6

Key Collectibles: To maximize Firebrand's power, search for Crest pieces to upgrade attacks, Life Vessels for health, Urns to carry potions, Vellums for spells, and Talismans for passive buffs.

These range from the Ginseng potion (restores all health) to the Death spell (kills all weak enemies on screen). 17 Talismans give you passive buffs, like the Armor Talisman for better defense or the Fang for more attack power. 21

Exploring the Realm

You explore the Ghoul Realm using an overworld map, shown in the SNES's cool Mode 7 graphics. 5 The game encourages you to revisit stages with new abilities to unlock new paths, just like in Metroid . 1 It’s a challenge, but it's more about strategy and picking the right form for the job than perfect jumping. 8

Switching forms requires pausing to go through a menu, which can break the flow a little. But it also makes you think more methodically about your choices. 23

A Tour Through the Ghoul Realm

The game's levels are all about mood. You start in a cold, stone Colosseum, forced to fight for your life against the giant, rotting zombie dragon Somulo. 18 It immediately sets a grim, spooky tone.

Firebrand battles the giant, decaying zombie dragon Somulo in a dark, stone colosseum.

From there, you explore the rest of the Ghoul Realm. You'll go through haunted graveyards filled with fog and ogres, and spooky forests with flesh-eating plants. 19, 25 One of the coolest parts is when a forest is set on fire, forcing you to escape a raging inferno. 30

The journey takes you through ruined cities, murky underwater catacombs, and a massive tower with powerful winds trying to blow you away. 19, 31, 32 Each area has its own unique, disgusting monsters, from blade-armed skeletons to creepy insect creatures. 30 It all ends at Phalanx's towering gothic castle, the perfect final stage for a usurper king. 19

Secrets and Endings

The real point of Demon's Crest is finding all its secrets. To get the true ending, you have to scour every level for every last item. 1 That means finding all five Urns, all five Vellums, every Talisman, and all fourteen hidden Life Vessels. 24

Path to the True Ending: Achieving the true ending requires 100% item completion. This includes finding all five Urns, all five Vellums, all Talismans, and all fourteen Life Vessels before defeating the final boss.

The Ultimate Gargoyle

Your reward for finding everything is becoming the Ultimate Gargoyle. After beating the final boss, Phalanx, with a 100% complete inventory, you get a special password. 20 Entering it starts a new game where you have the Crest of Heaven, which lets you transform into a majestic, all-powerful gargoyle. 16

This final form combines the powers of all the others, it can smash statues, fly freely, swim, and has boosted defense, all while shooting a massive charged fire blast. 16

The majestic and powerful Ultimate Gargoyle form of Firebrand, glowing with celestial energy.

The True Final Boss

Being the Ultimate Gargoyle unlocks a secret eighth stage and a fight against the game's true final boss: the Dark Demon. 20 This battle is seriously tough, one of the hardest of the 16-bit era, and pushes all your skills to the limit. 16 Win, and you get the true ending, proving Firebrand is the undisputed master of the demon world.

So Many Ways to Finish

If you rush to the end, you'll get a "bad" ending where the realm falls apart, which is meant to feel unsatisfying. 3 This pushes you to go back and explore more. Other endings see Phalanx seal himself away, or Firebrand becoming ruler only to get bored and discard the Crests. 3, 22 The true ending, after beating the Dark Demon, cements your status as the most powerful being in the universe.

Making a Monster

The team at Capcom, led by producer Tokuro Fujiwara, wanted to completely re-envision the Gargoyle's Quest series for the Super Famicom. 3, 8 They focused on adding more strategy and exploration, moving away from the pure, punishing action of Ghosts 'n Goblins . 9 The idea was to create a darker, more realistic game where you played as an amoral demon. 9

The game came out in Japan on October 21, 1994. 2 When it was brought to North America a month later, a few things were changed. 3 The title screen was altered, and terms like "Blazon Power" and the "ZAM" currency were renamed to "Crest Power" and "G.P.". 36

More importantly, the item descriptions in the "Identify" menu were completely removed, making some items a bit of a mystery. 36 The game was also made harder, the very first boss, Somulo, had his health doubled from three hits to six. 36 This might have been done to match Western expectations for a tough game, even though the Japanese developers were trying to move away from that.

Localization Changes: The North American release featured several changes, including a tougher first boss, altered terminology (e.g., "Blazon Power" to "Crest Power"), and the complete removal of item descriptions from the "Identify" menu.

A Cult Classic is Born

When it came out, critics loved Demon's Crest . Electronic Gaming Monthly and GamePro praised its amazing graphics and strategic gameplay. 3 But despite the good reviews, the game was a huge commercial failure. 2

It sold so badly that Nintendo Power once reported it had "negative sales" in a week, meaning more copies were returned than bought. 6 This was due to a perfect storm of bad luck: little marketing from Capcom, a late release in the SNES's life, and massive competition from the mega-hit Donkey Kong Country . 5, 6

The Demon's Crest SNES cartridge displayed prominently on a collector's shelf, representing its cult classic status.

For years, the game was mostly forgotten. But thanks to the internet and retro gaming fans, its reputation grew. 5 The same things that made it flop in 1994, its dark theme and complex gameplay, are now celebrated. 12 Today, Demon's Crest is considered one of the best games on the SNES, a true cult classic that was just ahead of its time.

Sights and Sounds of the Underworld

The game's presentation is a huge part of why it's so beloved. It's a visual masterpiece, with some of the best 16-bit sprite work you'll ever see. 1 The world is full of grotesque beauty, with large, expressive sprites animated with incredible fluidity. The first boss, the giant decomposing dragon Somulo, is a perfect example of the game's amazing macabre art style. 1

There are great little details, too. Firebrand starts to breathe heavily when his health is low, and bosses turn a deeper red as they take damage. 21 The game also makes great use of the SNES hardware, like the Mode 7 graphics for the overworld map that create a cool pseudo-3D effect as you fly around. 11, 32

The soundtrack, by Toshihiko Horiyama, is a haunting gothic symphony. 1 It ditches catchy chiptunes for moody, orchestral music that sounds like it's played on a giant pipe organ. 1 In a game with very little dialogue, the incredible art and unsettling music do all the work, telling the story of a broken, sorrowful world.

Works cited

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