Demon Attack

"The enemies may not seem very demonic, but they'll do!"

Okay, sure. So it wasn't the b-movie-esque name that caught my attention, at least not totally. I guess it was the fact that this was more or less the ''prequel'' to a game my brother used to play on his Texax Instruments computer called Advanced Demon Attack. Despite the fact that I somewhat felt in myself that this game would be much different and possibly not as fun, I held on to any hope that Demon Attack would actually turn out to be just the same, or at least as good. After playing, I saw the striking similarities as well as many differences (older graphics, of course, and the fact that there is no boss in the original Demon Attack). This one played a bit more like your average shooters that came out around this time like Space Invaders, Galaga, Megamania, or Galaxian. However, there is one difference in a Demon Attack-style of game (others: Phoenix, Deadly Duck) and the Space Invader-style. Space Invaders and like games usually have your entire arsenal of enemies in big clusters and have usually an enemy or two descend on you from time to time. Demon Attack strove for a smaller squadron, lack of a ''formation,'' but still the same depth and challenge as a SI type of game.

I Have Exorcised the Demon!
In Demon Attack, you move a strange vehicle back and forth (a bit like Space Invaders) and shoot at demons that are flying in there air. There are about three demons to start (three of the same demon, that is). After you've defeated enough demons, you'll eventually have to fight a new type of demon. There are also different properties for different demons. They all shoot down projectile of some kind, but there are two different types of projectile: Straight and scattered. Some shoot straight lines down while others will rain down little scattered pellets. Some demons also split into smaller pieces, which must also be destroyed. Careful, though. There are some smaller pieces that will get mad and try to destroy you if you don't destroy them first.

This seemed an attempt to get away from the usual style we see in many shooters a lot like this. Honestly, this was a successful mission in doing such. The only thing that really changed were the enemies, but this gave rise to new strategies that you had to arm yourself with if you wished to survive the battle. Moreover, it adds a faster pace to the game. Like just about any Atari shooter, it gets faster and much more difficult as time goes by. Activision was able to keep this game fresh while it had nearly familiar setting, and that in and of itself deserves some praise. It's one thing to make a clone of a game (King Kong) and it's another thing to make an advanced clone (Alundra).

Graphics
Those of us blessed with more imagination can draw many conclusions as to what the demons in this game would look like in real life. To me, it seems like we have a bunch of chubby bats, disembodied spider legs, catfish heads, giant sponge/booger things, and tentacle demons that can dance like Michael Jackson. Yes, that's just another way of saying that the enemy designs are truly great. Rather than fighting the same two or three things over and over again, we are actually battling different enemies. This shows more sign of good, hard work on behalf of Activision (too bad their games these days aren't this good anymore, with exception to a couple that slip through the cracks now and then). The enemies were given very unique and imaginative designs. They may not look demonic, but at least they don't look like some primitive spaceships, UFOs, or giant fly things. To add to the already great designs, we have some very nice color diversity. The enemies are not just one color. They have a few colors actually thrown into them. Each color was utilized so nicely to give slight detail to what really doesn't have much power to show high detail. That's all just a part of patching the holes, so to speak.

Sound
I certainly do wonder who composes Atari music... Who actually had this simplistic pattern of beeping, blipping, and blooping in their head long enough to actually convey it into a composed work of gaming music? The music on Demon Attack is no exception. All throughout the game, we hear a strange ''bloop-bloop-bloop-bloop,'' that quickens as you defeat more enemies. This ''music'' really serves as a double-edged blade for the game. Can you imagine this game with just sound effects going? It just wouldn't feel right. Music almost seems to be needed in almost any form. The ''blooping,'' while annoying, actually fits with the motions of the creatures and almost seems to fit the concept of strange creatures dancing about the screen. The last line I just wrote sounds strangely contradictory, I know, and it will give me nightmares. Sound effects are a completely different story. They work well in their area, aren't over done, and don't have that obnoxious, high-pitched noise that usually induces headaches.

Final Word

Activision deserves praise for this game. They truly exhibited the qualities of a ''good clone,'' for lack of a better term. Demon Attack is not a clone of Space Invaders, at least not a direct one. This would be like calling Duke Nukem a clone of Doom or Crystalis a clone of Legend of Zelda. While the two games do have much in common in terms of game concept, the one that came later in time exhibits more new features and takes advantage of the advancements that the game world offers after time. Think if someone were to create a clone of one of your favorite games a few years after it was released, except that it played almost exactly the same (yes, it's happened before). Sure, you like the original game, but we all need a new experience. Companies should take notes from Demon Attack. If you want to work off an old concept, touch it up. Don't keep feeding us the same game each time with different graphics and maybe a different storyline. The is the basic idea behind a successful cash-in title. Innovate or die.

FINAL JUDGMENT
Graphics: Not bad 8/10
Sounds: Work well enough if you can look past the ''music'' 7/10
Controls: A bit stiff, but otherwise okay 7/10
Plot/Storyline: N/A
Gameplay: A fun game, but easy to get burnt out on 8/10
All Together: 8/10

Perks
*Fun gameplay
*Good graphics
*Great enemy designs

Downers
*The game seems to taunt you when you get a game over.

Hilarity: Don't those littler demons sound so pathetic when they attack you?

Recommendations
If you're really looking for a good action game for Atari, this would be one of them. However, if you're looking for a really good action game for Atari, I'd suggest River Raid.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/02/01, Updated 12/23/02